The Recluse Storyteller Read Online Free Page B

anything. Have a good day, Margaret.”
    Margaret stood stone-faced next to the door and opened it wide for Janice to leave. Janice stopped in front of Margaret and slowly reached out to touch her cheek.
    “The human touch isn’t all that bad, you know? Goodbye.”
    As soon as she walked out the door, Margaret slammed it shut and latched all four bolts. She leaned back against the door, feeling its overwhelming presence touching her from all sides. She continued. Aunt Janice stopped as usual on the top step and quietly walked back to Margaret’s flat, listening to the storyteller on the other side.
     
    * * *
     
    “Janice was picked for a reason. She never had a father. Her mother had long since passed, and she never established a family of her own. She had double majored in bio-engineering and astrophysics and was summarily tapped by the government to do clandestine research at some desert facility. Her work was her life, and she would give her life for her work. Literally. But she had no idea, nor did the country, what that would really mean until the lights began flashing in the sky. Nothing would ever be the same.”
     
    * * *
     
    Margaret stopped. Aunt Janice could hear nothing more.
    “Poor Margaret,” she said in a whisper and left.
     
     

Chapter 3
     
    Lies and Signs
     
    “Red Hat,” Margaret scampered back to the door to listen to the footsteps of Michael Cheevers as he left his apartment and descended the stairs. It was exactly seven a.m. She rushed over to the second-story window overlooking the street, and watched as Cheevers exited wearing his red baseball cap that had become a regular fixture at his consulting job. He crossed the street to a small newsstand which claimed another foot of sidewalk every year, bought a cup of coffee, and walked down towards Birch Street to catch the subway to work.
     
    * * *
     
    “Red Hat overlooked the street with the smug stare of a man who was ready to cash in his poker chips. He jaywalked across to Antonio’s and sat in his usual spot in the sun.
    “‘Hey, Antonio. The usual. It’s a beautiful day today.’
    “‘Yes, sir, it is. How’s the wife and child?’
    “‘Never better,’ Red Hat lied. ‘I patted the little darling on the head this morning, and you know what she said? She said, “Daddy, why does time fly? Why doesn’t time bug or spider?” Aren’t they the precious things?’
    “‘Out of the mouths of babes,’ said Antonio, who had been serving breakfast to Red Hat going on four years.
    “Red Hat hadn’t even seen Meagan this morning. His wife had suspected that something was going on for quite some time. He spent more and more time away at the office, and his face had this permanent, cocky ‘I know something you don’t’ smile on it that really annoyed her. In fact, she didn’t love him anymore and wanted him to leave for good, but Meagan still wanted to spend time with her father.
    “Red Hat was halfway through his omelet when Montleone showed up. He had a strong, straight jaw with a slight Italian accent, but he didn’t have the Mediterranean look to him.
    “‘So?’ started Red Hat.
    “‘Yeah. It’s in place.’
    “‘I wasn’t sure Collins was going to go along with it.’
    “‘It has nothing to do with Collins. We’re taking his action out,’ said Montleone, as he pointed to the waiter. ‘Cup of coffee.’
    “‘So how is all of this going to go down?’
    “‘Just like we planned.’
    “‘And we still have a fall-back?’ Red Hat asked.
    “‘We are all going to walk away from this. Don’t you worry about that. And we might even be congratulated.’
    “‘All right. Heroes in the making. I like the sound of that.’
    “‘And your wife?’
    “‘She knows nothing. I actually think she’ll be happy that I’m gone.’
    “‘Your child?’
    “‘I have nothing here,’ Red Hat said, sipping on his coffee. ‘It is a beautiful day, though.’
    “Montleone glanced at his watch.
    “‘Is that