Chapter three

His quest to find the money he needed to settle the loan sharks took him around the place and soon he became a wanderer moving from city to city never able to stay in one place for too long.

The loan shark sent people to find him but he knew about that and stayed one step ahead of them. The only thing he had was his life and he wasn't about to give that away just yet. He had a promise to his mother about staying alive and he intended on doing just that.

Soon he came into a town where he heard about a woman that might be able to get him a job that would help him stay hidden from the loan shark’s radar while making him earn just enough to get his loan settled in the shortest possible time. West didn't trust the information but it was his first fig leaf and he had to see if it was real or not.

West spent the night at a hotel using a fake name and the next morning, he went to the mansion of the woman he had heard about. West wore a beat down sweatshirt and uncomfortable pants with a baseball cap on his head that kept him hidden in plain sight when he needed it.

The mansion was a massive stone complex with all the luxury of the rich. West was taken in by the wealth before him but he knew not to let his guard down. The butler led him to a lobby that looked like a Queen’s ballroom and the butler told him to wait there.

West waited and when the Butler returned with a tray holding a glass of high quality wine, West declined the drink.

About half an hour later a man dressed in a fine cream suit approached him. He had a smile that he had cultivated overtime and West could tell it worked on the rich but it was lost on him.

“Good day, sir.” West greeted with a tight smile of his own.

He knew how he must look at him but he wasn't prepared to let him get the best of him. The man eyed him, giving him a full scan with his cold eyes before saying, “You must be here about the job. You look like a street urchin. Are you sure you're here for the job and not to rob the place?”

“Yes. Yes sir.” West said faster than he should. As much as he tried not to sound desperate he knew that ship had sailed with his recent response.

The man eyed West again and he had the impression of being put on a human sized scale while he carefully measured his worth. He sighed. “Come with me.”

West followed his lean frame, constantly aware of his environment. He trusted the man just as much as he would trust a venomous snake.

They walked into an impressive hall and entered a door into an office. The man walked to a comfortable chair behind a rich oak desk and he gestured for West to take the seat in front of him.

West hesitated for a moment and studied the office paying attention to the paintings as modern interior decoration.

“You’re not very trusting, are you?” He said, raising a brow.

West didn't say anything. He just lowered himself into the seat and watched him.

“You’ll work in the mansion as one of the maids. Is that okay with you?”

West nodded. He knew he would be hidden from the loan shark in a place like this and if the pay was as good as he had heard then it was just what he needed to get his life back.

The man studied him again. West had the impression of being put under a microscope. He wasn't comfortable being there with the man but he knew he had to because he was going to get him the job.

The butler returned and the man ordered him to get drinks. West was about to turn down the offer but the man waved his long fingers and turned away as the butler disappeared.

“So tell me about yourself.” He said, leaning back in his chair.

West had a backstory that he had created to go with his new persona. He was Kelvin Grant and he had moved into town after his parents' recent death in a ghastly car crash. The man listened to his story intently and when he was done he offered his condolences for his loss.

“It's fine,” he sniffed. “That's why I need this job.”

“I understand.” The man said, resting his arm on the desk. “So you have no one to turn to?”

“No.” West said in a heartbeat.

The butler returned with the drinks. West hesitated but he realized he needed it if he was going to ease up around his scary looking employer-to-be.

West told the drink in one long gulp and slammed the glass hard on the oak desk.

Less than 5 minutes later he realized he had made a grave mistake. The world darkened before his and his fingers were clammy.

“What did you—” he fell out of the chair as his body went limp.

The last thing West saw was the satisfied look on the man’s face.