Katie's Cafe

15

The following dinner time when we're busy, Tom and Alan come walking in together, and I immediately go into panic mode at the sight of the two detectives inside my cafe.

I feel like my heart is about to explode inside my chest when they both approach the counter, because in my mind, I'm thinking that they're finally here to arrest me.

"Hello gentlemen," I try to remain calm and composed in front of them.

"We decided to come in for lunch and get some sandwiches to take away, like you suggested," Tom finally speaks.

Oh thank God for that!

"I'm happy to hear it. So what would you like?"

"How's the bacon here?" Alan asks while looking up at the menu board on the wall behind me.

"It's really good," Tom tells him.

"In that case I'll have a bacon, egg, sausage and tomato sandwich please".

"Better make that two," Tom smiles.

"Did you say those were to stay or to go?"

I'm not entirely sure that I'd want two detectives hanging around my cafe when my nerves are already all over the place as it is.

"That will be to go this time".

Of course this would be the exact moment that Hannah spots Tom and decides to come over and embarrass me as usual.

"Well if it isn't the man who's got my sister swooning like a lovesick teenager," she says.

"I swear to God Hannah, I will sack you right here and now," I give her a stern look that suggests I might just do that.

"Who's this?" Alan asks.

"That's just my annoying little sister, Hannah".

"Did you know these two lovebirds kissed last night?"

"Hannah!" I can't believe she just said that in front of Tom and someone he works with.

"Oh, did you now? Tommy never mentioned that," he repeatedly nudges his arm to tease him about it.

"Well I don't feel the need to share every aspect of my social life with you Detective Sharpe," he sighs.

"You aren't ashamed of me, are you Tom?" I ask jokingly as Gemma passes me their sandwiches already wrapped up and ready to go.

"Never. As a matter of fact, what are you doing tonight after work?"

"That all depends on what you have planned?"

"I was going to order a takeaway and I need your expert opinion on what food to order so I resist the urge to be too snobbish".

"You had me at takeaway. Can you pick me up from here at about 6?"

"I'll see you then".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We close up at half past five, as usual and I see Hannah off home in a taxi first while I wait outside patiently for Tom to get here and pick me up.

I soon see a car approaching out of the corner of my eye, but when it pulls up in front of me, it's honestly the last person I wanted to see right now.

"What do you want, Damien?"

"Someone's getting careless and stupid".

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me, sweetheart, it doesn't suit you".

"If all you came down here to do is call me stupid, then could you kindly fuck off now please?"

"Is that any way to speak to an old friend? Especially after everything I've done for you?"

"It's not that I'm not eternally grateful, Damien, but I'm sort of waiting for someone," I reply sarcastically.

"Oh, that's right, the new boyfriend. Detective Thomas Dalton isn't it? A ballsy move I'll admit, but very clever of you".

"Have you been spying on me?"

I could happily punch him in the face right about now.

"More like protecting you. Just keep in mind that if it wasn't for me, then you wouldn't be where you are right now".

"So what do you want?"

"It's time for you to stop all this shit. You've had your fun and now it's over".

"This will never be over until he's gone, just like the rest of them".

"The police are already leaving messages and trying to find him. Once they've spoken to him, you'll have no chance of getting near him anyway".

"That wouldn't have even been an issue if you would've just told me where the fuck he was in the first place".

"You know I can't do that".

"Can't or won't?"

"Both".

"You know, I used to think you were so different, but now look at you, nothing more than a pathetic little errand boy. Go run back to him like the loyal little lapdog you are".

"I almost forgot to ask, how is little Hannah by the way? She'll be about nineteen now, right? Not so little anymore".

"Don't you dare say her name".

"What makes you think for even a second that he's not going to track you down himself when he finds out what's happened to all his friends?"

"You and I both know that I'm the last person in the world he's going to be looking for".

"But he could look for her? She might have only been a kid when it all happened, but she's still a loose end with a motive. After what I've heard from my sources, she'll just about match that description going around of the suspect".

"If anything happens to her then I'll..."

"Then you'll what? Go on another murder spree to ease your guilty conscience? Good luck with that," he laughs.

"Maybe I'll just kill you instead?"

"That would be a mistake. For now, I'm the only thing keeping you safe and alive so you can continue living out this pathetic dream of yours".

"So ask yourself this Damien, what's he going to do to you when he finds all that out? Maybe he'll do to you exactly what he did to me? Or something even worse?"

"I remember when you used to be nice to me".

"And I remember when you were just a sweet kid that wanted to sit in his bedroom playing video games all day. People change".

"They certainly do. I'll see you around".

"Not if I see you first".

He drives down the road and out of sight pretty quickly. As much as I hated Damien now, I still sometimes thought of him as that sweet boy I met years ago.

He wasn't always the cocky arrogant prick he is these days. He was just surrounded by people that, were like that and unfortunately, it's rubbed off on him over the years.

I'm glad to see Tom finally arriving to pick me up, naively and completely unaware that he almost caught me talking to an unsavoury character.

"Your chariot awaits," he says.