Chapter 3 - The Ghost at the Counter
Emma’s heart slammed against her ribs like a trapped bird. She motioned frantically for Vittorio to stay down, pressing a finger to her lips.
"Stay here," she mouthed.
Creeping out of the storage room, Emma crossed the dark kitchen and slipped into the main dining area. The neon sign outside cast a sick pink glow across the worn vinyl booths and laminate tables. Through the fogged-up glass of the front door, a tall silhouette stood under the flickering streetlamp.
It was Marcus, the evening line cook.
Emma exhaled a shaky breath, unlocked the deadbolt, and pulled the door open just a few inches.
"Marcus? What are you doing back here? I thought you went home twenty minutes ago."
Marcus squinted through the gap, holding a greasy leather jacket over his head to block the relentless drizzle. "Left my phone charger plugged into the outlet behind the register. Boss'll kill me if I don't have it for tomorrow morning's shift. You still locking up?"
"Almost," Emma said, keeping her body planted firmly in the doorway to block his view of the kitchen entrance. Her mind raced for an excuse. "The, uh, plumbing's acting up. Back pipe burst. I'm waiting for the emergency super."
Marcus frowned, his gaze drifting past her shoulder toward the darkened kitchen. "Smells like copper. Like old pennies."
"That's just the cleaning bleach," Emma lied smoothly, though her voice threatened to crack. "It's reacting with the drain cleaner. Seriously, Marcus, get your charger and get out of here. I want to lock up and crash."
"Alright, alright, grumpy," Marcus muttered, squeezing past her. He hurried to the counter, unplugged his black cord, and flashed a quick grin. "See you tomorrow, Emmy. Don't drown on your way home."
May you like
"Yeah. See you tomorrow."
Emma slammed the door shut, double-locked the deadbolt, and leaned back against the wood, trembling from head to toe. She had dodged a bullet. But she knew Marcus would remember the smell of copper, and tomorrow morning, the city would wake up to headlines about a brutal gangland execution in the North Ward.
