Instant Connection

7

I walk into the diner, the bell on the door jingling as it swung open and closed. I see Marco sitting in a booth in the back, facing away from the door. I make my way over to him and slide in.

"Any reason you called me here before 6am?" I ask.

"I need the file back. People are starting to ask questions." he says, sipping his coffee.

"Who's asking? The case has been closed for years, no one has touched that file since. Why are they suddenly wanting it?"

"I don't know. I heard my chief asking about it yesterday and I'd rather not question the man."

"Can I just have it a little longer, Marco? Please." I plead.

"How long is a little? Stella, you didn't hear him when he started raising hell about a closed case file."

"Just let me run home and make a copy of it."

He sighs before agreeing.

I thank him and quickly rush out of the diner. I think it's pretty sketch that all of a sudden his chief is asking questions to a case that he deemed an open and shut.

I tip toe up the stairs and into my room. Sliding under the bed and lifting up the part of the rug that is under there and pulling out the file. I make sure all the pages are there before heading into the phone room where the copy machine is at. Copying as fast as the machine lets me and gathering the warm pages. I place the copies back under the rug, and place the original in my purse and I head back off to the diner.

"Thank you, Stella. You're saving me here." Marco mutters, when he gets the file in his hands.

"Thank you for letting me borrow it. Something just isn't right about that case."

"As you've said before. I don't see whatever it is you're seeing, but I believe you." he sighs.

"I appreciate it, Marco. You seem to be the only one that does."

"Your roommates don't believe you?"

"I haven't talked to them about it."

"Why not? I mean aren't you guys supposed to trust each other and work together?"

"Yes, we are. But, I know them well enough to know that they will talk me out of looking into this. I mean your chief doesn't even want anyone to have this case file. Doesn't that seem odd to you?"

"I guess... just be careful, Stella. Don't bite off more than you can chew with this, okay?" he warns.

"All right, it might not even be anything. I just need to make sure."

"Okay, well I need to sneak this back in before the chief comes in. I'll see you later." he says, getting into his car.

"Bye." I tell him as I watch him leave.

I start heading all the way back to the house, feeling tired since I've made this walk too many times today.

I make it inside and see Paige coming downstairs in a bikini top and shorts with a football in hand, "I didn't know you went out last night."

"I didn't. I had to meet someone."

"For a case?"

"No, it was with my piercer, had to get one of mine checked out." I shrug.

"At 8:30 in the morning?"

"I messaged her last night and she told me to swing by her place this morning, no biggie."

"Wasn't your last cover a piercer, though?" she asks.

"I still can't see the back of my ear, Paige." I force out a laugh, moving past her to get upstairs.