I heard a door slam in the background of his call.

“She’s back,” Arthur whispered quickly. “I have to go. I’m throwing this phone in the creek.”

The line went dead.

I slowly lowered the phone to my desk.

The office was completely silent now, save for the hum of my computer tower.

I looked at my watch. It was just past six o’clock.

I grabbed my coat from the back of my chair and locked my office door.

The drive down University Avenue was slow, the traffic thick with commuters leaving the tech parks.

I parked my car in a metered space two blocks away and walked through the cool evening air.

The neon sign of the coffee shop glowed a warm amber through the glass.

I peered inside and spotted Derek sitting in a corner booth.

He had a paper cup in front of him, his fingers picking at the cardboard sleeve.

He looked younger than his years, his shoulders slumped under his designer jacket.

I pushed the heavy glass door open, the bell chiming above me.