Free Silver Lining - A Carpelli Adventure: Sequel To The Bestselling Thriller Fatal Mistake by Cliff Roberts Page A

now. They’d put the word out that they wanted Jack Carver and they were confident they’d have him in a day or two at the latest. They just needed to be patient. Another silver lining for me, was Jack Carver didn’t exist.

 
     
    CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    I’ve been involved with some strange stuff in my life but nothing like The Oracle Mohammad. The man was out there. The really the strange part was, the more I tried to convince myself I had just spent four hours with a nut job; the more I found myself believing in him. It was scary how the man knew everything there was to know about me, even things I hadn’t shared with anyone, which in my case was practically everything. I was the quintessential loner. The only people in town I sort of knew were the waitress at the Morningside Restaurant and Holston. Neither of which I was seeing seriously.
    That evening back at the apartment, I sat on the balcony overlooking a wooded ravine and sipped on the God’s Nectar for as it turned out, almost eight hours. I tried my best to analyze everything the old man had said so I could debunk it, but I couldn’t do it. There were just too many things. How in the hell could he possibly known about them? How?
    I gave up trying to debunk the old man sometime after dark and switched to trying to figure out exactly what he had told me. I was a bit hungry so I stood up to go inside and get some of the leftover pizza in the refrig, only to discover that walking wasn’t advised after having more than one drink of the God’s Nectar as well as driving. Damn, it was a serious challenge to get inside my apartment through of all things, an open sliding glass door.
    That was the last thing I remembered about last night. I woke up this morning half on and half off the couch, still dressed and surprisingly, without a hangover. Though my mouth was so dry, I wondered if I had found some sand to eat before falling asleep. I stumbled into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Gatorade. I drained it in just a few large gulps before heading for the shower.
    Once cleaned up, I went to the Morningside Diner for breakfast and as usual I sat in Betty’s section. Betty was a thirty something woman without a wedding ring and I had heard her talk about her dog but never any children. After my conversation with The Oracle, we both pointing out how unattached to things we were, I’d changed my mind about starting a relationship and thought why not Betty? I guess I was feeling aggressive today because when she came over to take my order, I started asking questions, with all the tact of the Spanish Inquisition.
    “So Betty, how long have I been coming in here?” I thought that was a good ice breaker and it just might have been, in a completely different world.
    “I don’t know. I know you’re here a lot, but how long you’ve been coming in here? I don’t know. I honestly haven’t paid that close of attention to you. Sorry, was it important?” She asked.
    “Oh no, it wasn’t important, I was just wondering why you hadn’t ever said anything to me on a personal level is all. Usually after seeing someone this much, people ask little personal questions. Getting to know each other a little bit.”
    “Oh I see, so why haven’t you asked me anything personal, then?” She threw the question right back at me.
    “You’re right. I haven’t exactly been a model of public politeness either. So are you married?” I asked with all the subtlety of sledge hammer.
    “Is this leading up to you asking me out?” Betty just cut right to the chase.
    I hesitated for a moment and then figured why not. She’s straight forward and I really like that. So I cleared my throat and said, “Yes.”
    “I don’t even know you name, honey.” She informed me.
    “It’s John, John Carpelli. I’m new in town. Well, I was new a year ago. I’m a bit of a loner, though not by choice and I haven’t gotten out much since I got here. I had some health issues to overcome when I arrived