Free Familiar Lies by Brian J. Jarrett

looked a little too clean to be accidental. He’d hit a nerve with someone; that much he knew for certain.
    Max held the phone in his hand, waiting for another text as he drove with the other hand on the wheel. The black Nissan remained behind him, but its driver seemed to have little interest in keeping close. He’d drop off for a while and then reappear. If Max hadn’t known to look for it, he’d never noticed the car in the first place.
    Maybe that’s the way these guys did it; follow behind so lackadaisically that the act of being followed went completely unnoticed by the target. It made sense.
    He continued to drive until the Nissan pulled off, but Max didn’t know if he’d shaken his tail or if the tail had even existed at all. He didn’t receive a follow-up text from the mystery texter, but a quick scan of his call history confirmed that the person who texted him outside his house was indeed the person who texted him in the flophouse basement. Someone was following him, but he began to wonder if that person might very well be the same one texting him.
    After another few miles of driving in circles, Max decided to hole up for the evening. He seemed fairly certain he hadn’t been tailed, but not certain at all as to who might be contacting him and whether or not they could be trusted.
    After another few miles, the brightly lit sign of a Best Western came into view. He welcomed it. He was going to need some time to think things through. As he pulled into the hotel parking lot he felt the phone buzz in his hand, the twinkly little text tone echoing inside the car. He glanced at the screen.
    Ruby.
    Max got out of the car, grabbed the duffel bag and made his way to the front desk, the phone with the waiting text message tucked into his front pocket.

Chapter Twenty

    Max got a room for a reasonable rate and carried the bag there. He locked the door behind him and then thought better of it, propping up a desk chair against the handle. It felt like a paranoid thing to do, but considering the current state of his house it didn’t seem so far-fetched.
    He still hadn’t read Ruby’s message, so he kicked off his shoes and laid down on the bed with his phone. He unlocked it and opened the text.
    Can u talk?
    Max thought about his response. Vanessa’s seed of doubt was quickly growing.
    Yes, he replied.
    Where are u?
    Why would she want to know where he was? Was that a normal question or was it suspicious?
    Out, he typed.
    Good. Can u meet me?
    Why?
    ???
    Max paused. Maybe he’d pissed her off. He moved his thumbs to type a response when another came through.
    Because I have info, thats why
    He did piss her off. Did that mean she was telling the truth? Incredulous for real?
    He tried to smooth it over. Ok, sorry. Just being careful.
    Good idea, Ruby replied. Theres a dennys a mile or so from the club. Meet me there at 6 k?
    Max read the words, considering his next move. He didn’t actively distrust Ruby, so he decided to meet. He wouldn’t tell her about how he’d found the house or that he was in a hotel now. And not about the missing DVD. Better to keep that information close to the chest for now.
    Okay , he replied. Maybe it was his age, but Max didn’t use texting shorthand. Josh had, which seemed to drive Max nuts to no end. Now the memory just made him sad.
    Make sure you’re not followed , Max added.
    A pause then the response. Um, ok
    Max tossed the phone onto the bed and looked at the clock. It was nearly four-thirty. He had maybe a half-hour before he needed to leave, so he decided to spend it thinking of what to do next.
    He had a sinking feeling it wouldn’t be nearly enough time to sort things out.
    * * *
    Ruby showed up ten minutes early. In the light of day he could see that she was prettier than he originally thought she was. He wasn’t even sure why that mattered; the male species seemed to never stop considering that kind of thing as important. He made a mental note to himself to remember that