The Invictus by Keith Goad

Author:Keith Goad [Keith Goad]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BQB Publishing
Published: 2022-12-09T00:00:00+00:00

Craig and Lauren were having dinner in the downtown apartment of Lauren’s parents, Jeff and Lynn Harris. The last time they’d been there was under markedly different circumstances. The Tourist had killed Emma, throwing Danny into a rage to find him. The police were watching over Craig and Lauren lest the Tourist take aim at others who were close to Danny. But they snuck away from their police escort to hide out briefly here, an apartment Lauren’s father barely used. It was after this brief stay that Craig found the resolve to follow his gut and drive to Iowa to find his cousin and ultimately fight the Tourist with him.

Jeff and Lynn Harris greeted them at the door and invited them in. Craig remembered the tenth-floor apartment as modern but spartan in its furnishings. It now looked brighter and well-appointed. Large windows allowed for a nice view of the constellation of city lights and buildings all around. Craig had understood that Lauren’s parents were spending much more time there than in their suburban home these days. As Jeff’s retirement approached, they wanted to see if living downtown full time appealed to them.

They sat around a dining room table. Lauren’s mother had prepared a meal of pasta and salad and had served wine. Craig hadn’t spoken much to Lauren since their train ride into the city. Their argument there seemed to have ended flat, and neither of them wanted to advance that debate, least of all at her parents’ apartment.

“So, Craig, how have things gone since you left GPH?” Jeff asked, referring to his accounting firm, Grey, Parker, and Harris.

“It’s good,” Craig said, between bites. He looked sideways at Lauren, trying to gauge her reaction. She had none; she was focused on eating her meal.

Noticing the silence around the table, Craig tried to expand on the answer. “I mean, I’ve been fortunate to have some extra time before classes start. I’ve been getting everything squared away with school—schedules and books and such—and working on some personal improvement, things like that.”

“Well, we’re glad someone is able to spend time with Lauren,” Lynn said. Lauren flashed her a puzzled look. “Honey, I just mean that you spend a lot of time by yourself. And your relationship with Craig has been good for you in that way.”

Craig could tell Lauren was put off by her mother’s remark. But when he thought about it, he realized Lauren didn’t have a big circle of friends. She worked in HR for her dad’s firm, so he figured she would have a lot of interaction with others. This, coupled with her warm and congenial nature, didn’t match the person her mother described.

“Mom, Dad, please.” Lauren countered. “You’re making me sound like a recluse or something.”

“I didn’t mean anything negative by it, dear.” Lynn tried to mollify her daughter. “More like what your aunt Ginny used to say about you when you were growing up: ‘That little girl of yours is such a saint!’”

“Oh, you were a saint, were you?” Craig said, grinning.

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