Chapter 4 – Different Route

I took the case, after agreeing to follow her for a week. This was the third day. The first day she worked until midnight and went straight to her condo. Other than hitting Starbucks the next morning and working that was it. Day two was like the first. But tonight she left work at 10:15 and turned left, not right, out of the company parking lot.

Nancy's car was a late-model Ford, nothing classy. Considering what her salary was, it seemed funny she didn't drive a more expensive car. But maybe she was thrifty. The condo she owned was upscale enough, perched on a cliff with a distant view of the ocean. I checked the comps in the area and a condo like that was going for around 1.25 mil when she bought it ten years ago. I didn't think she drove the Ford because she couldn't afford it.

I followed her but hung back. There was not much traffic around here late on a Wednesday night. Nancy drove conservatively so I could easily let her get a block ahead, but had to be careful as this was not her usual route. Twenty minutes later she turned into a shave ice place.

Shave ice is literally that. Take a block of solid ice and shave off little slivers, almost the texture of snow, add flavoring and serve. My favorite is pineapple flavor with the ice ball stuck onto hand dipped vanilla ice cream served in a paper cone. This place was a weather-beaten shack, painted white, adorned with posters of happy kids eating cones, lit up by fluorescent strip lights and some neon script.

She pulled into the place and got out of the car. There was a small line waiting at the window. I parked off in the dark and joined her. Some giggling teenagers barged in front of us, not that I didn't mind. One of the kids was dragging along a little boy, about four years old. Cute kid with his big eyes all delighted waiting for a treat.

Nancy turned and bending down patted the little boys head. A conversation about ice cream and flavors started. Nancy's face was lit up, just talking to the little boy. Just a nice lady I thought. I couldn't see that boy and his older sister were freelance software thieves.

The line moved along, the teens went to the second order window and I found myself right behind my target. A little too close, but it shouldn't hurt.

She looked over at the kids getting their shave ice and glanced back at me. "Look at those kids. Boy, to just be so happy to have some shave ice."

I smiled. "There is nothing quite like a kid with ice cream."

Nancy's order came – the Hawaiian favorite of rainbow shave ice. She paid the clerk and left the window.

I ordered my fav and collecting it walked towards Nick's car. I walked past Nancy who was sitting at a picnic table when she spoke to me.

"Hey! Come here!" and she patted the bench next to her.

I had gotten too close. What could I do?