The Debt Collectors War

Chapter 40

Ellie looked at her tablet. Then at the house number on Mark’s door. Then she said, “Oh shit,” as if only just realizing that she might have made a mistake.

She said oh shit, and looked around, trying to act confused. Trying to look like someone who was about to give up and but leave and take her wonderful free package away with her. She wasn’t quite sure how that would look, but she made a confused face, and then a worried face, and she must have done all right, because suddenly Mark realized she might actually be about to disappear on him, and suddenly he became a lot more agreeable.

“Okay,” he said. “Hold on. Maybe I can come and look at this package.”

Because he was greedy, Ellie thought. Because suddenly he thought he was going to con her, to get something for free that she was delivering to the wrong address. He was greedy, because everyone was greedy, and his greed was going to make him ignore his suspicions and go outside like she wanted.

Greedy made people stupid.

“No, wait a sec,” Ellie said, pushing a little more, trying to make it so he convinced himself he wanted to go with her. She looked at the tablet again, and then his door. “Is that the right number?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“And you’re Mark?”

He nodded.

“Have you got ID?” Ellie said.

Mark hesitated, then said, “Hold on.”

He closed the door. He actually closed the door. He must have gone to get a wallet, because he opened it again thirty seconds later. He held out an identity card to Ellie, and Ellie went up the stairs and took it from him.

It was his ID. It was in his real name and everything, and said he lived at this address.

“I just need to check this,” Ellie said. “I won’t be a minute.”

Mark nodded. He obviously expected her to swipe it on her tablet, standing there. Like anyone would do to check an ID.

“I won’t be long,” Ellie said, and turned around and walked off.

“Hey,” Mark said, and opened the door a little more.

Ellie looked back. “The reader on the tablet’s broken. I’ll do it in the car.”

“No,” he said. “Bring that back.”

“It’ll just take a sec,” Ellie said, and then walked off again.

People always argued too much, she thought. They stood there talking all day. It was easier to make someone move by planting an idea, making a suggestion, then just walking off, and going where you wanted them to go, so they followed you to continue the conversation.

Ellie walked away, and Mark hesitated.

Ellie kept walking, straight down his driveway, straight back towards Joe’s SUV. She was wearing normal clothes, and holding nothing but a tablet, and she looked harmless. As harmless as anyone ever did, here.

Mark hesitated, and then followed her.

Probably mostly because she had his ID, Ellie thought. Which she had because he was greedy, and had got stupid.

Ellie kept walking, and Mark followed her outside. He was concentrating on her. She was there, in plain sight, the only thing he expected to be outside his house. She was walking off with his ID too, which made him even more likely to focus on her, and not look around.

Mark came down the steps, and said, “Hey,” and started after Ellie.

Sameh stayed still as he went past. Peripheral vision was funny. People tended to only notice things that actually moved, in the corners of their eyes.

Sameh stayed still, and Mark didn’t see her.

Ellie kept walking.

“Hey,” Mark said to Ellie again, and followed her down the driveway.

Ellie didn’t look back. She need to look to know what was happening behind her.

Right now, Ellie knew, Sameh would be about to move. Mark would have passed Sameh by now, so Sameh would be moving. Sameh would be stepping out from under her tree, closing on Mark from slightly behind him, outside of his peripheral vision. She would have her sidearm in her left hand, and a collapsible metal quick-opening law-enforcement baton in her right hand, and as she stepped towards Mark she would be raising the baton to strike.