“Sorry,” Eli said. “It’s just that your incessant complaining is getting me down.”
“I told you I didn’t want to spend time in the woods. No bathroom, no—”
“No hair
dresser,” Eli said. “I get it. It’s just that the Chelsea I knew—”
She threw up her hands. “Don’t start on me again! The Chelsea you knew was a myth. Something you made up. I became an adult.”
“And chose to dedicate your life to your hair,” Eli said under his breath.
“I heard that. At least I have a life! All you do is stare at a computer screen and make up games that live out your fantasies. Where are the real women in your life?”
He turned to her. “Maybe they’re dating the men who are no longer in your life.”
Glaring at him, she stepped around an old car that was parked over the line. She wasn’t surprised when the rusty bumper reached out and grabbed the side of her white jeans and held on. She heard the fabric rip. “Perfect,” she muttered, then tried to unfasten it, but it stuck.
Eli was holding open the door of the restaurant for her. Not only had she remade her face as though she were about to go on a photo shoot, she’d put on some white outfit he was sure had a designer’s name attached. When she kept fiddling with her clothes, he went back and stood there watching.
“You could help, you know.”
He unsnapped the leather holder at his side, withdrew a big knife, and opened the blade. Before she could protest, he cut the fabric that was being held by the rusty metal.
“You just cut a hole in my pants. Do you have any idea how much these cost?”
Eli wasn’t paying any attention to her. “This would never pass a road inspection.”
“You mean my trousers?”
He gave her a look.
“Oh, yeah, right. The car.” It really was a dreadful piece of junk. The body was covered in several shades of paint, all of it worn and dirty. The front windshield was cracked and the wipers had no blades. The passenger door was wired shut. “I wonder if it still runs.”
“Unless it was towed here, it has to.”
Chelsea walked around the vehicle. The trunk was tied down with burlap string and a taillight was missing. She looked around at the road. To the right was just forest. There were four cars besides Eli’s parked in front of the diner, and the old junker stood out from the others for the sheer horribleness of it. But something about the car wasn’t right. It was almost as though it were disposable, something to be discarded once a job was done. She looked at Eli. “You don’t think there’s a robbery going on, do you? Or maybe there’s someone tied up in the trunk.”
Eli started to say that was ridiculous, but he was glad to hear about anything besides her physical discomfort. He went to the back and used his knife to cut the string holding the trunk down. The lid sprang up. Inside was a lot of trash, old food containers, empty beer cans, and a threadbare tire—what would be expected in a junker. But oddly, spread over the tire was a snowy-white linen dinner napkin and on top of it was a briefcase.
“No one’s tied up,” Eli said.
Chelsea was staring at the contents. “That case is Stefano Ricci and they cost about three grand. Think it was stolen?”
Before Eli could answer, Chelsea reached for the case. “Keep watch,” she said as she opened it and looked inside. There were some papers with Longacre Furniture written at the top, and a side pocket was full of business cards. As she took a few cards, something in the bottom caught her eye. Reaching inside, she pulled out a Rolex watch and held it up to the light. “This watch cost about forty-five grand.”
Eli blinked a few times, then said, “Someone’s coming.”
Quickly, Chelsea put the watch back, closed the case, and set it on the cloth. Eli pulled the trunk lid down just as an older couple came out of the diner. They looked at Chelsea and Eli, then at the old car. Something must have looked suspicious because they hesitated.
“My wife caught her pants leg on the rusty bumper,” Eli said as he quickly retied the trunk. Since the string had been cut, it was almost too short to tie.
Chelsea went around the side. “Look at this!” She showed off the hole Eli had cut. “Cars like that shouldn’t be allowed on the road.”
“I don’t think they are,” the man said. He was smiling so sweetly at Chelsea that his wife pushed him in the other direction.
Eli went to stand by Chelsea and put his arm around her shoulders as they waved good-bye to the couple.
“Think they’ll call the police?” Chelsea asked as the couple drove away.