Zero Worship: Confessions of a Fake Psychic Detective #6

Chapter 23 - Trend

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Zandra doesn't recognize the manager. Something else about him catches her off guard.

You are way too good looking to be managing a shitty pizza place. What's the story here?

The manager hurries past Zandra and Bexley. He heads into the kitchen and says to the man with the pit-stained polo shirt wiping down a prep area, "What's wrong with the oven?"

More like, what's wrong with you? The sign in the window is flipped and the front door was locked during normal hours. None of that tripped any alarm bells for you, Mr. Manager? I thought you were a control freak.

"Oven's fine," the man says.

"Then why'd you call me down here?" the manager says. "And why was the door locked?"

Ah, so he did notice.

The oven is how this place makes money. No oven means no pizza. He zeroed in on the problem. Makes sense now.

"These two, uh, customers, they wanted me to call you. They want to talk to you," the man says and finishes with the prep area.

The manager doesn't bother with Zandra and Bexley. He pulls out a phone from his pocket. Zandra can't stop him this time.

"I'm calling the police," the manager says.

I don't think so.

"You really don't want to do that, child," Zandra says, unfazed.

Someone outside approaches the front door.

Customer. Shit.

The "Closed" sign does its job. The customer turns around. A moment later, a landline phone on the wall in the kitchen rings.

An irritated customer. Double shit.

"Is this a robbery?" the manager says. "We don't carry a lot of cash."

The landline phone keeps ringing.

"No. Not a robbery," Zandra says.

"Good, because I'm losing business," the manager says. He nods to the man at the prep counter to pick up the ringing landline phone.

"Let it ring," Zandra says.

"Pick it up," the manager says.

Zandra draws the gun from her pocket. It's not loaded, but it doesn't need to be.

"I thought you said this wasn't a robbery," the manager says.

The landline phone keeps ringing.

"The mag's still in her pocket. She ain't gonna shoot ya," the man at the prep counter says as he takes three long steps to the landline phone. He picks it up. "Omino's. Yeah, we're open. Uh huh. Uh huh. Yeah, just a little mix up. I've got your order ready."

Bexley looks nervously at Zandra.

The manager taps the phone in his hand. "I don't know what's going on here, but the police can sort it out."

The door opens behind Zandra. The customer who turned away before steps inside Omino's.

Triple shit.

Zandra drops the gun back into her pocket. Before the new customer can take another step, Zandra says to the manager, "Pixie."

The manager, halfway through a template Omino's greeting to the customer, nearly chokes at the sound of Pixie's name. He stutters at Zandra, "Let's take this to the office."