Jack Beale 00 - Killer Run

settled down while Jack put on his coat. Now it was his turn. He was hungry and thirsty and Max was working at the bar, so he knew exactly where to head.

CHAPTER 79
    AS JACK WALKED INTO THE BAR at Ben’s, he paused in the doorway, looking around the half-full room to see if there were any familiar faces. There were none. Several single people were sitting at the bar, each with an empty seat between. The first three seats were empty, so he took the one on the end, nearest the door. This left the other two open so if a couple came in, they would be able to sit together without having to ask someone to move. As he sat, each of the other people at the bar glanced up in his direction and offered a quick nod of acknowledgement. Then they turned back to their drinks. Jack started to give a collective nod back, but he stopped when he noticed the stare of a guy at the end of the bar. As their eyes met, the man quickly looked away.
    Max wasn’t behind the bar so he guessed that she was out in the kitchen. He glanced up at the television. The news was on, without sound, because Max preferred to listen to music from the radio, usually an oldies station that played tunes from the late fifties to the mid-sixties. They were simple songs, from a simpler time, and he could usually understand the lyrics, not unlike the country he sometimes listened to. As the narrative scrolled across the bottom of the screen and the sounds of Roy Orbison crooning “Pretty Woman” escaped from the radio, Max came in carrying a large salad with a piece of grilled salmon draped over the top. She looked … he wasn’t sure what she looked, but something wasn’t right.
    “Beer?” she asked Jack as she walked past him. She returned after placing the salad in front of the guy at the end of the bar.
    “Please.” Jack’s eyes followed her as she disappeared out back to get his beer. Something definitely was not right. He knew Max and he could always tell when she was upset. He noticed that Salad Man was also watching her intently. Jack was used to seeing guys at the bar watch Max, it came with the job, but this time, something about the way he was watching her caught Jack’s attention. It didn’t feel right. Jack stopped watching Max and now focused on Salad Man, who was also watching Max.
    Jack didn’t like the feeling he was getting. There was something unsettling about the guy. His face was narrow, and he wore really thick glasses. His clothes, though neat, were certainly not trendy, and the way he wore them was seriously nerdy. Even though the bar was warm, he still had his jacket on. It was one of those short jackets that looked like it was from the sixties, made of dark brown corduroy, well worn with gloves hanging out of the pockets. A scarf hung loosely around his neck. Clearly he was someone whose concerns were not with fashion.
    When Max returned with Jack’s beer, she passed in front of Salad Man without even a glance. It was as if he didn’t exist. In contrast, Salad Man slowly turned his head as he followed her every move. Jack had never seen her act this way. “Thanks,” he said, “You Okay?”
    “Yeah.” The tone of her voice said otherwise, but it was obvious she wasn’t going to offer more.
    Jack was staring at her, not sure of exactly what to say, when she asked, “How was your run?”
    “Good.” Then in an attempt to lighten the mood, he asked if she had seen the Isles light up when the sun dipped below the clouds as it was setting.
    “Only for a moment. It was beautiful. Wasn’t it, Patti?”
    Jack hadn’t seen or heard Patti walk in. He turned his head just as she came to a stop next to him.
    She said, “Hi Jack.” Then to Max, “It was.”
    Jack turned back toward Max and as he did so, he caught a glimpse of Salad Man quickly turning his head away and taking a bite of his salad. Something was definitely wrong. Normally Patti would be gushing nonstop about the sunset and the photographic opportunity, yet now she barely acknowledged having seen it.
    “What’s going on?” he asked Max.
    “Nothing,” she said. Her eyes darted between Jack and Patti.
    “Excuse me,” Alfred said. “Do you have any fresh ground pepper?”
    Max turned toward him and, forcing a smile, said, “Sure.” She took several steps toward the kitchen. Then she stopped, turned back toward Jack, and said, “I’ll be right back.”
    “I’ll go with you,” said Patti. She scurried after Max.
    Jack watched them hustle off. Then,