Inside, Lella ordered a pastry and a coffee and asked about the towns of Geneva and Penn Yan, which she had seen on the map. She was unsure of where to go next.
She checked her phone and saw she had a message from Ming.
OKAY IF I GIVE EMMETT YOUR NUMBER?
Lella sighed and replied that she could. Before she finished her croissant, her phone rang.
“Hello Lella, this is Emmett.”
“Hello, Emmett. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. Although I recently discovered, from Ming, that you’ve escaped our community before I had a chance to say goodbye.”
“Well, I’ll be back in Ithaca soon. I’m doing some exploring. Right now, I’m drinking a coffee in Watkins Glen.”
“Really? Well, then, you must meet Rufus. He’s there today.”
Lella tried to remember who Rufus was.
“You remember, one of my partners?”
