Merritt McKinney sat across from a woman in a café window. The two stared at each other as intently as his associates stared at both of them.
"Alright Sara, I want to say you are a business woman . . . no, a waitress . . . no wait, I have it. You're a maid at that hotel." He pointed out the window. Sara's eyes flickered to the hotel across the street, the first move she had made since McKinney had sat down and announced that he was going to read her mind. She cracked a smile and took a sip of her coffee carefully.
"I will give you that I have worked in that hotel, but I was not a maid." She said before resuming her earlier posture. McKinney gave a small sigh and rubbed his fingers together.
"Why don't we go another way? I'll tell you about your family." She gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod and he settled into his chair, his eyes flitting over her face, looking for her tells. "You had a mother but not a father, no you had a father but he died when you were young, maybe three or four. You're mother had six children of which you were the oldest. Your youngest sibling, a sister, no, brother, is ten years younger than you. Your mother had no children after your father died . . ." McKinney quieted.
"Wait, that's not possible, is it?" Jack asked, taking a bite out of his cookie.
"No." McKinney said folding his arms, "No, it isn't possible. Alright honey boo boo, what kind of trick are you pulling." The woman smiled.
"The same one you are, only better." She said with a grin before taking a long drag from her Frappuccino.
Atlas coughed to cover a laugh from a small distance away, never having been one to fully appreciate McKinney's tricks.
"I was orphaned as an infant and in my teens found my birth parents. They are now happily married, and alive, with no children besides myself.
"Now, should we turn this the other way? You sir are not an only child, probably a middle child judging by the fact that you like to constantly be in control of your surroundings. You were always controlled by your mother? No, not your father either . . ." A grin spread across her face. "Your sister, older sister. I assume you tried to get back at her for pushing you around so you learned all of her secrets. The one that finally got her was about her boyfriend." Sara stopped and looked confused. "Not her boyfriend? Hmm . . . Ah, her girlfriend. I bet your strict catholic parents were thrilled when they found that out. And just for kicks, let's throw in the fact that you named your family dog Spot. Not very original back then were you?" She sat back in her chair and listened to the stunned silence. McKinney leaned forward.
"For the record the dog's name was Spots and my little brother named him."
"You mean your little sister named her." She smirked. "Spots was a girl." McKinney glared at the woman before stalking out of the café. His associates, chuckling to themselves followed. Atlas hung back a bit and took the woman's hand.
"Thank you" He said grinning before following the rest out of the building but before he got to the door he heard her clear her throat.
"My name's not Sara either." Atlas laughed.