Free Jack Beale 00 - Dangerous Shoals by K.D. Mason Page A

was only after Jack was out of sight that the car began to move, turning in the direction Jack had just come from and which would also take him to Ben’s.
    As Jack made the last turn down Harbor Road, he was both tired and refreshed. He was no closer to having answers to the Daniel problem, but subconsciously he felt a certain clarity had been achieved. He stopped running when he reached Ben’s parking lot and began walking around the parking lot to cool down. His breathing and heart rate returned to normal fairly quickly, although sweat continued to cover his face. After running ten miles, he always felt a certain smug superiority. He secretly enjoyed the discreet looks from diners going in and out.
    The lot was nearly full and he could picture Max behind the bar, pouring, shaking, and stirring as the orders streamed in. “She’ll be tired tonight,” he thought, “probably need a back rub.” He smiled to himself.
    Jack had finished his second lap around the parking lot and was on his way in to say hi to Max when he nearly ran into a departing customer who came out from behind a large van parked near the door. They both stopped, face to face, and recognition was instant. It was the man from the park. Before Jack could react, the man quickly dropped his gaze, mumbled his apologies, and hurried off.
    “Max,” Jack thought as panic and confusion washed over him. Without pausing for a second look at the man, he took the front steps two at a time and rushed into Ben’s. Diners were treated to the sight of a sweaty man in black tights and black jacket with the look of a demented superhero rushing into a bar calling out a woman’s name.
    At the bar, Max’s jaw dropped. “Jack, what are you doing here?”
    “Did you see him?
    “See who?”
    “The guy, the guy from the park.”
    “What guy from what park?”
    Jack began to calm down once he realized that Max was okay and that the people in the bar were staring at them. He moved closer and lowered his voice as he realized what a spectacle he was making.
    “Max, I just ran into the guy from the park, the creepy guy. He was just leaving Ben’s. Didn’t you see him?”
    She stared at him in silence. Before finally saying, “No-o-o.” She drew out her answer as she paused, trying to comprehend what Jack was telling her. “I didn’t see him. Are you sure it was him?”
    “Positive.”
    Before they could continue, the slip printer began its chikka-chikka-chunk, and the noise level in the bar began to return to normal as everyone went back to their own conversations. The show was over and it was obvious that nothing else was going to happen.
    “Max, I’m going to go get cleaned up. Then I’ll be right back.”
    She could hear the protective concern in his voice. She replied, “It’s okay. I’m fine here and you said that he left. Don’t kill yourself rushing back.”
    The sun had set and it was dark as Jack walked to his place. It wasn’t a long walk, but he hurried since his damp clothes made it feel much cooler than it was. Once again, he had no idea that he was being watched.

CHAPTER 19
    “THAT WAS A MISTAKE,” the watcher thought to himself as Jack hurried past, unaware of his presence. “Patient. You must be patient.”
    * * *
    Showered and refreshed, Jack returned to Ben’s. As he took his seat at the bar, Max asked, “You want something to eat?”
    “I do.”
    “Menu?”
    “No thanks, I think I know it by now. I’ll have the Delmonico, medium rare.”
    Max placed his order. By the time he finished eating, only a few customers remained in the bar, so Max began cleaning up while Jack nursed his beer. From time to time, he glanced up at the Sox game on the television. An uneasy silence descended as she worked and he sat. They both wanted to say something about his earlier arrival in the bar and yet neither would. As she finished restocking the beer cooler, she turned and they looked at each other. As one voice they each said, “About earlier.”