Page 45 of The Chad Next Door
I sort of form my answer in a way that I know will frustrate him, but I also am just really bad at describing people. I once asked my freshman roommate if she’d seen the guy on campus “with the hair.” “Uh, he’s kind of medium build with an average face.”
“You have to give me more than that,” he groans.
“Why? It’s not like you’ll know him.”
“I might.”
“You never come into town, Chad.”
“He’s here for me, Hope. I need to know who he is.”
Okay, I wasn’t expecting that. I grip my phone a little tighter as I try to get a better look at the guy through the glass. “What do you mean, he’s here for you?”
Chad lets out a huge sigh. “Please don’t freak out.”
“How about you tell me what’s going on, and then I’ll decide if I should freak out or not?”
“Someone was sneaking around my house the other night.”
The blood drains from my face. “When? During the storm?”
“Spaghetti night.”
“Chad. Why am I just now hearing about this? What kind of sneaking?” And seriously, why didn’t he tell me? What if the kids are in danger? Should I pick them up instead of letting them take the bus home today? I have too many questions to ask them all on the phone, plus I’m mad that this is the first time I’m hearing about this.
He groans, likely sensing my anger. “I’m sorry. I wanted to get more information before I turned it into a big deal, and then the storm hit. And I might have gotten a little distracted.”
“Don’t go blaming this on me, old man.”
“I’m not. This is on me.” He lets out his breath slowly, and I can imagine him standing with one crutch under his arm as he tries to think this through. “Can you take a picture or anything? I need to know if it’s someone I’ve worked a case against.”
“You think someone would follow you all the way to Laketown?” I switch the phone to speaker so I can try to get a picture without missing anything he’s saying. It won’t be great through the glass and at this angle, but hopefully it’s clear enough for Chad to get an idea. I hit send and wait for it to deliver.
“It’s only a couple of hours to Sun City, so… Maybe. I hope not.” Then he swears.
“I take it you know him,” I mutter. I was hoping otherwise.
“Todd Thwaite.”
“Should I know that name?” It almost sounds familiar, but in the same way that he looks familiar. Like I’ve met him before, or I’ve seen him with someone I know. It’s driving me crazy that I can’t put my finger on it.
“No,” Chad says. “He’s the brother of one of my recent clients. Technically I shouldn’t tell you anything, but he’s—”
“A bad guy. You can leave it at that. What should I do?”
“Can you get to your car without him seeing you?”
“No. He’s waiting for me to leave the pharmacy.”
He swears again. “That’s it. I’m coming, and you’re not stopping me.”
“What are you going to do? Whack him with your crutches? Just walk me through it, Chad. Maybe I can help you figure out what he’s doing here.”
“I think we have a pretty good idea why he’s watching you.”
It’s my turn to groan. “You might,” I say, “but I’m new to this whole investigating thing. Why would he be watching me if he’s here for you? Oh.” Okay, yeah, now I see why Chad is a little on edge. “You think he’s going to use me to get to you. A blackmail situation. That makes sense.”
For some reason, that makes Chad laugh, which honestly helps me relax a bit. “How are you so calm right now?” he asks.
