Chapter 59 Trouble at Clarks Pizza
The red awning fluttered in the afternoon breeze.
Veyra stood on the sidewalk, looking at the small shop. Clark’s Pizza. The sign was hand-painted. The letters were slightly crooked. The window displayed photographs of pizzas with glossy toppings and melted cheese.
It was humble and so simple.
Veyra’s heart swelled.
This was where Aunt Clark worked. The woman who had seen a frightened little girl and a masked man. The woman who had spoken up when others might have looked away. She had saved Lily’s life.
"Wait here," Veyra said to Li Wei.
"Mrs. Thorne, I can’t—"
"I’m going to a pizza shop. To thank an old woman. You don’t need to stand beside me for that."
Li Wei’s jaw tightened. "Mr. Thorne’s instructions—"
"Mr. Thorne isn’t here." Veyra looked at him. "I’ll be fine. The shop has windows. You can see me from here. If anything happens, you’ll be inside before I can blink."
Li Wei considered this. Then he nodded. "Five minutes. Then I come in."
"Five minutes."
Veyra turned and walked toward the shop. But she did not go in immediately.
There was a supermarket next door. Very small and independent. A basket of fresh fruit sat outside the entrance. She went inside and the bell above the door chimed.
The supermarket was cramped. Shelves lined with canned goods and dry pasta. A small refrigerator case with drinks. A display of pastries near the register.
Veyra grabbed a shopping basket. She selected a box of expensive chocolates. A bouquet of fresh flowers. A bottle of good wine.
It was not enough. Not nearly enough to thank someone who had helped save a child’s life. But it was something. A gesture.
She paid in cash. The cashier wrapped the wine in tissue paper. Veyra carried the gifts out of the supermarket.
She walked to the pizza shop. The bell above the door chimed again.
The shop was small. Six tables. Red checkered tablecloths. A counter at the back with a display case full of pizza slices. The air smelled like dough and tomato sauce and melted cheese.
And there she was.
Aunt Clark.
She was standing behind the counter, wiping her hands on her apron. She was in her sixties. Gray hair pulled back in a bun. A round face with kind eyes and laugh lines. Her hands were red from washing dishes.
Veyra recognized her immediately and it was not from the coffee shop. She had not been there. But from somewhere else. From the way she moved. The way she smiled at customers. The way she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
She was the kind of woman who reminded Veyra of her own mother.
"Aunt Clark?" Veyra said.
The woman looked up. Her eyes were curious. "Yes?"
Veyra walked to the counter. She set the gifts on the surface. The chocolates. The flowers. The wine.
"I’m the woman whose little girl was kidnapped," Veyra said. "Yesterday. At the café. You told someone at the coffee shop that you saw her. At Greenery Villas."
Aunt Clark’s eyes widened. Her hand went to her chest.
"Oh," she said. "Oh, dear. Is she okay? The little girl?"
"She’s safe. She’s home. She’s fine." Veyra’s voice cracked. "Because of you. Because you spoke up. Because you told someone what you saw."
Aunt Clark shook her head. "I just—I saw her in that man’s arms. She looked so scared. I wanted to call the police, but I wasn’t sure—I didn’t know if I should get involved—"
"You got involved. That’s what matters." Veyra pushed the gifts toward her. "These are for you. A thank-you. From me and from Lily."
Aunt Clark stared at the gifts. The chocolates. The flowers. The wine.
"I can’t accept this," she said. "I didn’t do anything special. I just—I just told someone what I saw."
"You saved a child’s life. That’s not nothing. That’s everything."
Aunt Clark’s eyes glistened. She blinked rapidly. Her hand hovered over the flowers.
"Please," Veyra said. "Take them. It would mean a lot to me."
Aunt Clark looked at her for a long moment. Then she nodded. She picked up the flowers. She breathed in their scent.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"No," Veyra said. "Thank you."
Aunt Clark set the flowers down. She wiped her eyes with the corner of her apron.
"This is too much," she said. "The wine alone, this is expensive."
"Nothing is too expensive for the person who saved my family."
Aunt Clark shook her head. But she was smiling now. A small, watery smile.
"If you feel bad about accepting the gifts," Veyra said, "you can treat me to a slice of pizza. I’ve heard good things about your shop."
Aunt Clark laughed. It was a warm sound. "You’ve heard good things? From who?"
"From the universe. I have a feeling."
Aunt Clark laughed again. She tucked the gifts under the counter. She grabbed a plate and a pair of tongs.
"Sit," she said. "I’ll bring you a slice. Fresh from the oven. The bacon is crispy today."
Veyra sat at a table near the window. She could see Li Wei standing across the street. His arms were crossed. His eyes were scanning the sidewalk.
She waved at him. He did not wave back.
Aunt Clark came around the counter. She carried a plate with a slice of pizza. Thick crust. Generous cheese. Crispy bacon pieces scattered across the top.
"Eat," Aunt Clark said. "You look like you haven’t had a good meal in days."
Veyra took a bite. The cheese stretched. The bacon crunched. The sauce was tangy and sweet.
It was the best pizza she had ever eaten.
"This is amazing," Veyra said, her mouth half-full.
Aunt Clark beamed. "Secret recipe. My grandmother’s. Passed down through four generations."
She sat down across from Veyra. Her hands were folded on the table. Her eyes were kind.
"Tell me about the little girl," Aunt Clark said. "Is she really okay?"
"She’s really okay. A little bit of scared. A little shaken. But she’s safe. She’s home. She’s eating cookies and watching cartoons."
Aunt Clark nodded. "Good. That’s good."
She stood up. "I need to check the oven. The lunch rush is coming. Stay and finish your pizza. I’ll be right back."
Veyra smiled. "Take your time."
Aunt Clark walked toward the kitchen. The door swung closed behind her.
Veyra took another bite of pizza. She looked out the window. The street was quiet. A few pedestrians. A delivery truck. A woman walking her dog.
Everything was peaceful.
And then the door burst open.