Con Artist Legacy

Chapter Sixteen: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Chapter Sixteen: The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

 

I absentmindedly walked towards Nate’s car, automatically going through the motions as I settled into the leather seat.

“How’d it go?” Nate asked, interrupting my thoughts. He ran his fingers through his wavy hair, making the right side of his head a lot flatter; a nervous habit he’d picked up when we were eight.  

“How did what go?”

“Whatever happened back there, did you get his number?”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t play with games with me Ollie, I know you too well.”

I gasped at his insinuations and playfully punched his shoulder, knowing full well that he expected some sort of explanation. But I refused to elaborate on my conversation with Matthews until I knew what the mystery man wanted or Nate’s true allegiances (it was best to keep my mouth shut).

An awkward silence momentarily filled the car before Nate chuckled loudly, and started to drive back to our hotel, his hair bouncing with each shake of his head. He really did know me too well.   

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said after a few minutes. I should’ve stayed quiet, letting the conversation die, but something about Nate’s questioning really irked me.

“Really? Because I saw the way you two looked at each other…”

“Uhh never mind. We’re not talking about this.”

“You started it.”

“No, you started it and now I’m ending it.”

“Alright…just stay away from him.”

I glared at Nate, never in our twenty-plus years of friendship had either of us interfered with the other’s love life. Granted my love life was basically non-existence (thanks to my mother), and Nate had been in an on and off relationship with Elena for the last five years.

“Just drive you idiot.”

“I’m serious Ollie, I don’t like him.”

“I heard you the first time.”

We both remained quiet for the rest of the drive, lost in our own thoughts.

Nate had received word that a new meeting had been set up for the morning. The state prosecutor had agreed to a deal, so he and Becks were staying behind to get Culler’s confession.

With my biggest problem slowly being resolved, I focused my attention on bigger issues. Leaving the city eased my concern about Matthews only slightly.

Someone had been following me around Rosswood…I was sure of it. The question was whether it was him or someone else?

And if it was him…why?

* * * * * * * *

As I drove through the wooded hills of Rosswood, I noticed a soft glow emanating from several blocks away; apparently Aunt Sophie had decided to turn every single light on…again.  

Whenever I’d approached the subject with her, she’d claim that she didn’t even notice doing it. But my theory was that she did it on purpose, nursing an old childhood fear of the dark.

Preparing to have another ‘talk’ with my silly aunt, I parked Nate’s car behind my own, and walked towards the entrance.

The smell of lavender overwhelmed me, bringing back memories of my grandfather. I’d spent the majority of the last seven years trying to leave, but the past couple of days had shown me how attached I was to the small stupid town.