An amateur's guide to conning a conman

Chapter 10

The next few days passed uneventfully mostly because Titus took it upon himself to find our mystery man.

Lin had returned to work which was good and I had dipped into my saving to pay for my share of the month.

The news slowly forgot about us and began to focus their attention on a recent string of robberies in the city.

It was day four in the afternoon when I received a remote sign that Titus hadn't abandoned me and escaped to pin the whole thing of me, a theory I had been considering since morning.

Jack called for me from the living room and when I went to see what had happened, he was holding a basket for very crisps looking apples, a note attached to the side.

" So Titan dropped off a gift."

" Titus." I corrected as he handed over the large basket.

I opened the card.

Hey Sweetheart, Something came up but I think I know where our mystery man is heading next.

Ps. I hope you like apples, I heard merchants love free things.

" What does it say?" Jack asked.

" It's reassurance that he hasn't left the city and pinned the whole crime on me."

The apples were practically sparkling, not one apple had a bruised spot. I cleaned an apple off my sleeve and brought it to my mouth.

Crisp and sweet.

I placed half of the apples in the kitchen and handed the rest to Jack to use for the bakery.

His jacket flickered as he moved and a flash of his clothes underneath caught my eye.

A perfectly ironed button up.

" You're going on a date." I accuse, my hand reaching forward to pull at his coat.

Jack slipped away just as my fingers made contact. " What? Of course not." His face was flustered.

" Don't tell me. I know who it is."

I mentally pull up a list of people that Jack frequently associated with and came to one conclusion.

" Phill from the bakery."

He frowned, " No, he's in a relationship and is married to a woman."

He cleared his throat, " I'm meeting Grace."

At the sound of her name, my neck snap up to meet his gaze, " Grace? The girl who gave you the bangle?"

He nodded, his hand reaching to touch his neck, " I ran into her yesterday. She wants to properly thank me."

" Okay, be careful," I said.

**

Jack had left for his date hours ago and has yet to return. Harley was hiding in one of her many reading nooks, Gilda was out with her friends and Lin was playing piano softly beside me.

I had picked up a few songs over the years but nothing compared to him. Lin played as his entire soul depended on it, every chord was precise and intentional even if he was learning it for the first time.