Something Missing_ A Novel - Matthew Dicks [127]
“Remarkable,” Sophie finally said, after a long moment. “Absolutely remarkable. You’re telling me that you’ve been stea … acquiring things from my house for more than nine years, and I’ve never noticed?”
“I don’t know. Have you?”
“No,” she said, still clearly astonished. “Not once. I remember noticing that the earring was missing, but that kind of thing happens from time to time. Once I couldn’t find it, I put the other one out of my mind completely.”
“I know.”
“Absolutely remarkable,” Sophie repeated, clearly attempting to wrap her mind around everything that Martin had said.
Martin gave her a moment to sort things out before asking the question that he was afraid to ask. “Okay, Mrs. Pearl. Can I ask you a question? I know it probably sounds stupid and presumptuous, but can you forgive me? I can’t imagine how you must be feeling. Pretty disappointed to find out that your hero turned out to be a bad guy, huh?”
Sophie Pearl’s face instantly transformed from a blend of confusion and astonishment to one of sympathy and surprise. “Martin, you are most certainly not a bad man. You saved my life. You saved my husband’s life. And you risked your own life in the process. I honestly don’t know what to think of your career choice, but in the end it was your … it was your job that saved me. I can’t say that I’m happy to hear that you’ve been stealing from me for the past nine years, but I can’t say that I’ve ever noticed either. In a way, I guess you’ve been like my guardian angel. I kept you fed and clothed, and when I needed you the most, you were there for me. You put your life on the line for me. How could I ever complain about that?”
Martin paused a moment to collect himself. Ever since that day in the driveway with his stepfather, Martin had wondered if the man had been right.
If he had turned out to be nothing more than a low-life criminal.
He never knew how much he had wanted that question answered, until now.
“I don’t know what to say,” Martin sighed, wishing he did. He had just shared more about his life than ever before, and now he felt as if there were no more words left inside him.
“Now listen, Martin, I’m not saying that everyone would feel the way I do. But that’s how I feel. As my mother liked to say, you and I are square in my book.”
“Thank you,” Martin said, wishing he could say more. He wanted to let Sophie Pearl know how much it meant to him to be able to share his story with her, but he doubted that she or anyone else could ever understand.
“So where do you go from here?” Sophie asked, catching Martin by surprise.
“I don’t know,” Martin admitted. “But I promise that you’re not on my client list anymore. Even before you showed up today, I had taken you off my list.”
Sophie laughed. “That’s not what I was talking about, Martin. I was thinking about you. Did you know that the police found your blood inside my house? On the railing. On the phone. All over. They didn’t have your DNA on record, so they couldn’t match the blood in my house to you, but you should know that there’s a sample of you on record now. If they were ever to find your DNA somewhere else or get a sample from you, they could match you up to my house. And like I said, the police suspect that you don’t want to be found. Most of them think that you’re a hero, but that you’re a hero with something to hide. You’ll need to be very careful in the future, if you plan on continuing in your line of work.”
“You wouldn’t report me if I did?”
“Martin, you don’t listen very well, do you? I can’t say that I approve of your line of work, but in the end, I don’t think you’re hurting anyone. And Martin, you saved my life. There’s no way that I’m going to send you to jail for stealing unused jewelry forgotten dishes, and laundry detergent.”
“Oh,” Martin said with genuine surprise.
“But with that said, I really think you should reconsider your choice of career. You’re a smart guy, Martin. Brilliant perhaps. You must be. You could be doing so much more.”
“Maybe.” Martin thought about his novel but doubted that he could make a living