Part 15 (1/2)
She seemed seriously upset. Should I give her a minute or...?
He walked over to shut the front door. As he began to close it, a man crashed into it. Jack moved instinctively. He grabbed the man's shoulder with his right hand as he yanked him forward.
Keep him off balance. Use his momentum.
Jack twisted at the waist. As he pulled with his right hand, his left hand grabbed the man by the belt. The move launched the man through the air, into the apartment. The man crashed onto the floor in a heap as he slid into the wall. Jack's gun was instantly in his hand.
”DON'T MOVE,” Jack bellowed.
The man lay in a ball and then lifted his trembling hands and face to look up. He appeared to be in his late forties; he was short, fat, and balding. His eyegla.s.ses rested at a strange angle on his face while his lips quivered in fear.
”Why were you chasing her?” Jack roared.
”Uh...” the man stuttered.
”Jack!” Replacement ripped the bedroom door open and stepped back into the room when she saw Jack with his gun out.
”Get in the bedroom. NOW,” Jack ordered.
”Jack, no,” Replacement screamed as she rushed forward.
”Get away from him, Alice. He just crashed into the apartment trying to chase you down.”
”Jack, I know him. Put the gun away.” Replacement crouched over the man and s.h.i.+elded him with her body.
”What?” Jack pointed his gun toward the floor as he took a step forward.
Replacement helped the little fat man to his feet. ”Are you okay?”
He took off his gla.s.ses and nodded.
”Who the h.e.l.l are you?” Jack snarled. ”And why did you just barge in through my door?”
”Don't yell at him, Jack.” Replacement looked ready to cry again.
”Who is he?” Jack thrust his hand out. He could feel the anger and frustration build inside him. He walked toward the little man, who seemed to get even smaller as he approached. ”You answer me. Who are you, and why are you here?”
The man s.h.i.+fted his weight from foot to foot. He wiped his hands on his pants as he stuck his hand out. ”Darren Taylor. I'm here to see her.” He pointed to Replacement.
”It's all my fault.” Replacement leaned back with a thump against the wall.
Jack exhaled and then glared at Darren. ”Continue. Why?”
Darren stood in front of the bedroom door and rubbed his arm. He looked down at the gun, still in Jack's hand, and then back at Jack, and swallowed. ”She showed up at my work. She said she was going to tell my wife I was having an affair, but I'm not. I swear it.”
You've got to be kidding me.
Jack holstered his gun. He rubbed the sides of his head as he walked into the kitchen. Replacement moved closer to Darren.
”I know you weren't having an affair. I'm so sorry. I was...I was...”
”Wrong,” Jack added.
”Yes. Wrong,” she admitted, crying.
”Then you believe me?” Darren asked.
Replacement nodded. ”I thought you were at the restaurant to see another woman, but when I went looking for you and found you was.h.i.+ng dishes, I...I...”
”Stop crying.” Jack grabbed a gla.s.s of water. ”Let me guess; he took another job to help his wife?”
She nodded as she sobbed. ”His wife Susan is sick, so he took a job to help make ends meet.”
Her eyes seemed even bigger as she looked at Darren, who s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably.
”How do you know that?” The confused man looked at Jack.
Jack shook his head. ”Your wife hired her.” He pointed at Replacement.
”What?” Darren's mouth fell open.
”Jack.” Replacement held up her hands next to her head. ”You can't tell him who hired me. Client confidentiality.”
”Just get this over with. I want to take a shower.” He picked the aspirin bottle up off the floor, opened it, and took another one.
”What happened to your face?” Replacement rushed over to him.
”No. Stop.” Jack knocked her hands away as he turned to Darren. ”Here's the Cliff's Notes version of what's going on. You must be working as a dishwasher because your wife got sick and had to stop working her job, right?”
”I'm looking for a different second job, but I needed one right away and-”
”Don't talk-nod, okay?” Jack held up his hand.
Darren nodded.
”Well, you must not have wanted to worry your wife so you just said you're working your regular job but have to work late. Right?”
Darren nodded.
”So, your wife gets paranoid-” Darren started to speak but Jack held up his hand. ”Sorry, she gets concerned, so she hires a private investigator.”
”Hires her?” Darren's face fell.
”Darren, don't feel bad, but your wife's sick and probably thinks you're distant. Her being sick is hard enough on both of you, but now you're working two jobs so you're tired, too. Your s.e.x life has to have tanked...you come home late, and now you don't tell her what you're really doing. Women can sense when you're lying.”
”But it was for a good reason.” Replacement sniffled. ”He took another job.”
”Because he couldn't get overtime?” Jack asked.
Darren nodded.