The diner was empty, and that should have been my first warning.
No late-night truckers.
No exhausted college students.
No old man drinking coffee at three in the morning.
Just me.
And Thomas.
He sat in the corner booth.
A cup of coffee rested in front of him.
Untouched.
I slid into the seat opposite him.
"Thomas."
"Joe."
I smiled.
He didn't.
Well.
This was already different.
"You look terrible."
"So do you."
I touched my chest gasping exaggeratingly.
"That hurts."
"You'll survive."
I blinked.
Now, this is interesting.
Someone had grown a spine.
"I wasn't expecting a diner, this place looks fancy." I look around, keeping my smile before moving back to Thomas's serious expression.
Such a mood killer.
"I wanted somewhere public."
"What? Don't you trust a friend?"
Thomas finally looked up.
There were bags under his eyes.
He looked like he hadn't slept in days.
Actually…
He looked afraid.
Not of me.
Just afraid.
I leaned back.
It seemed my initial thought was wrong. He wasn't afraid of the cult...but something else entirely...
"You've caused quite a stir, friend." Clasping my hands together, I lean forward a bit.
"I know..." Thomas spoke in a low voice, not being able to meet my eyes directly.
"You took documents. Ran off with them and then decided it was a great idead to called me."
"I know."
I smiled a bit irritatingly. Is this Alexandria feels when I do the same thing? Nah. Couldn't be.
"Are you going to say anything besides 'I know'?"
Thomas looked down at his coffee.
Then he sighed, pushing up his glasses.
"I don't want to do this."
There it is. The first crack in his bean counting shell.
I hold back a smirk and instead soften my expression.
I look him in the eyes.
"I know you don't."
"No… I don't think you do."
A silence filled the air.
"I admire you, Joe."
That wasn't what I expected.
"I did."
Past tense.
That is rather unfortunate.
"You changed my life."
I said nothing and listened to every word.
"You helped me when my wife died."
I remembered.
"You paid for my daughter's surgery."
I remembered that, too.
"You gave me a job."
I smiled a little.
"I try to help where I can."
Thomas looked at me.
Actually looked at me.
"You see? That's the problem."
I frowned.
"What is?"
"I don't know if any of it was real."
Silence.
Well.
That was rude.
"Thomas—"
"No."
He shook his head.
"I need to know."
I said nothing.
"Did you ever actually care about any of us?"
The diner became very quiet.
I looked at him.
He looked back.
The answer seemed obvious.
Of course I cared.
Didn't I?
I cared that people were happy.
I cared that people were useful.
I cared that the church grew.
I cared—
Oh.
I smiled.
Of course, I truly didn't...
I only cared about the role they played and the fun the gifts they could bring to the party. That was an unfortunate realization for most people I'm aware of.
"That's a difficult question."
Thomas laughed.
It wasn't a happy laugh.
"That's not a no."
"No, it isn't."
Silence.
Then:
"I didn't want to betray you."
As expected, it seems something else was indeed at play.
His hands trembled.
"Then why did you?"
Thomas gripped his coffee mug.
His hands trembled.
"I... I can't."
I tilted my head.
"Can't what?"
"I can't tell you." He spouted out.
Oh?
Now, that was interesting.
"Thomas," I lowered my voice, softening it. "Look at you."
He didn't.
"No, really. Look at yourself."
His eyes slowly met mine.
"You're exhausted."
Silence.
"You're scared."
"And unless I've somehow become far more intimidating overnight..." I spread my hands. "...you're not scared of me."
His fingers tightened around the mug.
Bingo.
"Someone got to you."
"No."
"Thomas."
"No."
I sighed.
"You're a terrible liar."
"I-"
"You avoid eye contact when you're nervous."
He blinked, surprised.
"You rub your thumb against the coffee cup when you're stressed."
His hand immediately stopped unconsciously trying to cover his nervousness.
"And you've been staring at the exit since I sat down."
Silence.
I smiled softly.
"Who are you afraid of?"
"I..."
He looked away.
There it is.
The second crack.
"Did someone threaten you?"
"No."
"Your family?"
His breathing hitched.
Once again.
The third crack.
I leaned forward slightly.
"Thomas."
He swallowed.
"Who threatened your family?"
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because if I tell you..."
His voice trembled.
"...they'll get hurt."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I lowered my voice even further.
"Listen to me."
He looked up.
"I've known you for six years."
Not entirely true. I had known of him for more than six years.
"You are many things, Thomas."
A pause.
"But you are not a traitor."
His eyes widened, his eyes glossy.
"You're a father."
Silence.
"And fathers do stupid things when they're scared."
The man's composure finally broke.
"He threatened my daughters."
Checkmate bean counter.
"Who?" I say, my voice softer now.
"A detective."
I blinked.
Well.
That was less exciting than I'd hoped. A simple detective?
"He showed me everything."
"Everything?"
"The money."
A pause.
"The offshore accounts."
Another.
"The shell companies."
And there it was.
The problem.
"He said…"
Thomas swallowed.
"He said your church wasn't a church."
Silence.
"He said it was a cult."
I looked at him.
Then smiled.
"Thomas."
He looked exhausted.
"We both know that's ridiculous."
"Do we?"
I sighed.
"Really?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Answer me honestly, and I want the truth. Not that golden smile bullshit." He said, his voice wavering slightly as his fist clench.
I folded my hands.
"Okay."
Thomas stared at me.
I stared back, my smile gone.
"We're a little cult-ish." That's an understatement. But he didn't need to fully know anything yet. Give him half to gain all.
Thomas closed his eyes breathing in a deep breath.
"I knew it."
"To be fair, every religion starts as a cult."
"Joe."
"I'm just saying."
"Joe."
I stopped.
He looked terrified.
And then he said the one thing I wasn't expecting.
"He threatened my daughters." His voice quivered now. His clenched fist squeezed even tighter.
Silence.
Well, that just isn't nice at all.
But very effective.
I would even approve of the ruthlessness. If not for the inconvenience it brought me. Then again, it did make this more interesting.
"He said if I didn't cooperate…"
His voice cracked.
"...he'd make sure they were taken from me."
I frowned on the outside.
But on the inside
Slowly.
Very slowly.
The pieces moved.
The fear.
The exhaustion.
The betrayal.
He hadn't betrayed me.
He'd betrayed himself.
To protect his family.
Sigh. Such a family man.
I didn't approve of it.
But I can continue to play along for a bit longer.
I leaned forward.
"Thomas."
He looked up.
"Who is this detective?"
"I don't know."
"Name."
"I don't know."
"Face." I push for anything.
"He never gave me one."
I stared at him.
"You met a detective with no name."
"Yes."
"No badge."
"Yes."
"No face."
"He wore a hat."
I blinked.
"A hat."
"Yes."
I sat back.
Now...this was finally getting entertaining. This mystery man wasn't so simple after all. A detective with no identity is trying to ruin my party.
How electrifying.
"I know how this sounds."
"No, Thomas."
I rubbed my temples.
"It sounds worse."
Silence.
Thomas then reached into his coat, pulling out a folder. He then slid it across the table, not breaking eye contact with me.
"I made copies.You should destroy these."
I looked down at the copies.
I looked back at him.
"I don't want anyone getting hurt." He spoke..
I looked at the folder again.
Then at Thomas.
Then back at the folder.
And for the first time tonight…
I smile a true smile at him.
Because if Thomas were telling the truth…
Then someone had entered my game.
Someone I didn't know.
Someone I couldn't see.
Someone who had touched my pieces.
Then that was exciting.
Very, very exciting.
I looked up.
"Thomas."
He swallowed.
"Yes?"
I smiled.
A small smile.
A dangerous one.
"I think you and I have a detective to find."