Getaway Car

IV. Not Again!

The day came, and Lee’s heist was a success. She didn’t even break a sweat in obtaining the box full of diamonds. It’ll take a couple of days first before she can send in Jesy’s cut through Hedwig. 

It was now Louise's turn. She has a plan – she always has a plan. It’s eight o’clock in the evening and she’s already in position wearing her ‘uniform’.

Meanwhile, Amelia was on her way to the warehouse in Richmond Terrace to receive and inspect the new deliveries of the books the library ordered. 

It wasn’t part of her job to collect those books but since the staff in charge of that was off sick, she had to step in. 

She’s accompanied the library’s delivery guy driving a minivan where they’d load the new books. Amelia was driving her gray Mazda M3, following closely behind the white minivan. Whether she likes it or not, she needs to go with the delivery guy to check if the books were what they ordered because once they sign it off from the warehouse, they cannot return it anymore. 

The expected arrival of the books was supposed to be at four o’clock in the afternoon but there was a delay in the port of Madrid, and another delay in the port of Singapore that’s why they were notified the books should arrive in the evening instead. 

Amelia and the delivery guy arrived at the warehouse around half-past nine. They asked some workers in the area where they could receive the package for them. 

It was almost eleven o’clock when Amelia finished checking the books and helped the man load it in the minivan. She bid farewell to the guy and thanked him for staying up late to get the books as they were going separate ways. 

When Amelia got out of the warehouse, she entered her car right away, desperate to go to bed and stretch for days like a cat. But then she noticed a figure running on the dark side of the warehouse premises. It was sort of a remote area, and the figure hasn’t even reached the main road yet, it was only going through a shortcut. 

The brunette squinted her eyes. That trench coat and hooded cowl are so familiar, she thought. She noticed a car behind hers with its lights on high beam. She pushed her signal lever up, turned her car to the right side, and stopped where she was ahead of the figure. 

Amelia rolled down the window of the front passenger seat, “Get in!!!” she whisper-yelled.

The figure didn’t hesitate to go in. Amelia stepped on the gas and made a beeline for the exit. 

When she was sure nobody was following them anymore, she spoke again.

“I know it’s you…from the park this afternoon.”

The stranger sighed.

“Fine…you win,” the stranger had no choice but to take off her hood and mask. “Are you happy now?”

Amelia beamed but kept her eyes on the road, “Why were you running again?”

“Why…are you helping me? I just pointed my dagger at you... like three days ago.”

“But you didn’t hurt me,” Amelia said matter-of-factly. 

Louise is dumbfounded, “H-How did you even recognize me? You haven’t even seen my face…until now!”

“Your eyes.”

“My…WHAT?”

“Your eye color, the way it changes when light hits your iris.”

Louise's eyebrows shot right up in response. Amelia sensed her confusion.

“Sorry…I’ve been reading books my whole life and I’ve read a lot of facts about eye colors, and how you can easily recognize someone with how their irises change in the dark or when light hits them.” 

“I was right…you’re weird,” Louise mumbles to herself.

“What was that?” Amelia glanced at the blonde. 

“Nothing. I think I’m having the most godawful headache in my life right now.”

There was a brief silence between them until Louise spoke again.

“You didn’t answer my question. Why are you helping me?”

“You were in trouble. You might have been followed, and you were on foot, running! Do you expect me to leave someone just like that?”

“My car was on the other side of the warehouse and I didn’t have a choice but to exit on that side where you found me.”

“What were you doing there?”

“Pull over here…”

Amelia stopped the car on the side of the road. Louise was about to go out when Amelia stopped her.

“Hey! You didn’t answer my question.”

Louise made a face, and put her hood and mask back on, “Some other time. Thanks for the ride!” She gently closed the door and jogged to a nearby dark alley. The brunette followed her every move until she was gone. 

Fascinating, Amelia thought.