I kept my eyes low, the book held high to cover my face. The strange man had been watching me for twenty minutes. He wore no smile, no look of compassion or feeling. Only suspicion.
I hadn't read a word in the big hardcover book. I only knew it was about reptiles because of the pictures. Turtles graced page 264. I studied the shelled creatures to avoid attention.
I tried to conceal my anger. I couldn't believe I had blown my cover! I was better at my job than that.
I snuck a glance over the top of the turtles. The man stood, engaged in conversation with a woman who hadn't been there a minute earlier. I hoped the unexpected guest didn't wind up complicating my assignment. My schedule was pretty tight already, and I should have had this one wrapped up by now. I needed to move, and fast.
The man rolled up the magazine he'd been reading and slipped it into his briefcase. He grabbed his no longer steaming cup of coffee and headed for the library exit. The mysterious woman strode out close behind him and clung to his sleeve as the pair climbed into a waiting limousine.
Damn it! I watched them drive south toward the interstate and grabbed my phone. Maybe the boss could pull some strings and salvage the job.
"Stan, it's me. He got away, there's a woman with him." I paused as he chided me for using his irreverent nickname. Oops, I'd let it slip in my rush to find a solution to the problem. Everyone called him Stan, but never to his face.
He barked instructions and I hung up, defeated.
A meeting with Satan after a failed possession was every demon's worst nightmare.
YOU ARE READING
Shorts: A Collection of Short Fiction
Cerita PendekJennifer White's short fiction. Each story is 300 words or less. Her stories feature lifelike characters in unique settings.
