Chapter Fifteen: Joseph Johnson
295 Words
“Aren’t you going to have some dinner?” Claire hands Joseph the noodles despite him saying no. She has also made a place at the table for him. Joseph sits over his empty plate and observes. Claire nudges the noodles closer to Joseph’s plate. “It feels weird. We’re eating and you’re not.”
“Thank you, Mrs. James, but I can’t eat while I’m working.”
“I’m the one paying you. I say you can.”
Joseph smiles. “As soon as that phone rings, you answer and put it on speaker.”
Claire nods.
William drops his fork; it clatters to her plate. “I’m sorry. This is all too much. Why is he here?”
“For my security.”
“But did he have to move into one of the guestrooms?”
Joseph clears his throat. “I like to be close. I like to observe up close, all the everyday activities that put my clients at risk.”
“All I’m saying is…” William takes up his fork and wraps noodles around its teeth. “...it’s weird to have a stranger in the house when we’re worried about the stranger that’s harassing you.”
“We don’t know if he’s a stranger,” says Joseph, butting into the conversation William is having with Claire. “At this point, everyone is a suspect.”
“He won’t call,” says Claire. “You may as well eat.”
“We’ll wait and see.” Joseph smiles again.
“He won’t,” Claire insists. “He hasn’t called in two days.” Claire rummages her noodles, searching for a piece of chicken. “I hope he’s dead” Claire bites down on the fork when she finds the chicken.
- Writer
