Tessa cut the cantaloupe into squares and rectangles, and then served herself. She sipped her coffee. After three days of having breakfast with JC, an empty longing had crept up into her being. She was lonely. She asked herself what falling in love meant. She realized little why it was happening to her, gradually, in a wonderful way. Day after day, her feelings for him grew deeper and deeper.      Then she started recalling the whys and wherefores.      First, was how he reminded her every day how special she was. It was how he said it that she was enthralled, mesmerized by his words. Nobody could have done it better than the way he penetrated into her being.      Second, was the way he delighted her with his stories, remembering how she laughed and laughed at some simple human frailties that he skillfully wove and crafted into interesting anecdotes.

     Viewed from a different angle, the idea of traveling was a complete waste of time. This was how he saw it now that he was nursing an injured shoulder. If there was a way to get home without the interminable way of waiting, he would have chosen it.       But it´s a perfect opportunity, however, to recall the past, and to find time to put some order in his life. Clarity of mind was what he needed. On his way back to New York, JC used all the waiting time rebuilding his past to find answers to his questions.       He was transported back to the time when he was going to school with his mother by crossing the park on foot. It was a five-minute walk daily from home and she took pains in teaching him the four mathematical operations. She was indefatigable. First, she taught him simple addition. Then as time rolled on, they slowly progressed into the more complicated ones like divisi

On his first day at work, JC was quite energized. He got up early and geared himself up, coat and tie and all of those rituals an office worker needs to accomplish before going to work. He had toasted bread topped with butter and marmalade and hot cappuccino sweetened with honey for breakfast.  Thankful for a new day, he went out of his apartment blissfully joyful.      He took the same route to his office on his 4x4. He parked at a space reserved for The Times, then took the elevator up to his office. When he strode in the hallway, he didn’t expect the unexpected.  He saw heads popping up one by one from their workstations. He couldn’t believe his eyes when everybody cheered. He knew what it was and the gesture buoyed his spirit up. Jerry congratulated him with a wink. Mr. McMillan was at the door of his office standing to greet him. Kate was behind smiling from ear to ear. An overnight celebrity, he became. &n

New York. It was in spring when the tentacles of the monster slithered as far as Manhattan. Respect for jurisdiction or territory was about to be disregarded, if they had some of it, as one assassin followed JC up to where he thought himself unreachable. Rudy Rude landed at JFK International Airport incognito. With no other purpose but to look for the tape, he checked out, picked up his bag, and immediately got a taxi directing himself nearest to Central Park West. He checked into a hotel and never worried about his identity. Nobody knew him and time was all his in the world to find his quarry.      The next thing he did was to secure a weapon. It wasn’t hard to buy a Beretta semi-automatic with a silencer from one of the shops. It was small and easy to handle.  After going around the shops for the things he needed he rested. It was already dark when he settled himself. He sat on a chair, looking at the shapes in his hotel room: the

JC went out of the café to breathe fresh air. He paused and stood at the door thinking. Then he went back inside.  With no place to go, he used the remaining coin to dial another number.      “Hello,” Kate answered in her classic soft voice.      “Hello, Kate. It’s JC here. I’m outside in a café. Can you meet me here?”      “Are you ok? You sound weird, JC. Am I wrong?”      “You’re right. I am worried as hell.”      “Worried about what?”      “I can’t go into my apartment.”      “Why so?      “The policemen found a dead body in my apartment and I don’t have any clues as to why. I couldn’t stay until they’re done with the investigation, at least for the night”     “Which café are you in?”      “It’s one alon