Page 73 of The Sixth Spring

Will reached for the handle, finding it unlocked, and slipped from the car before Gary could figure out how to respond.

He expected every step across the pavement toward the store to hear Gary call him back, or to get a surprise attack from behind.

But just before he got to the back doors, the lights of the cop car moved. The car was turning around, heading away.

Will let himself in the back door, hands shaking as he turned the key. Adrenaline was flooding his system, and he wasn’t sure if saying all of that had been wise.

But he’d had to. For Itori and Becky and Raymond. For all the other people who lived here who weren’t being heard.

Once in, Will locked the door behind him and leaned against it for a few seconds just breathing. He hoped Gary wasn’t bright enough to figure out why Will had been out there past his trailer park this morning. If that man found sugar bags in the dumpster, Will would be done for.

Speaking of.

Will peeled himself off the door and went to where they kept the pallet of salt and sugar bags. They’d gotten a new shipment two weeks ago that Will had stacked himself.

Sure enough, two bags of sugar were missing from one of the pallets.

Will knew somewhere in Adrián’s office there was a log book where he kept track of inventory. Knew that he could go into his office, find the log, and try and fudge the numbers to hide what had happened.

But Will wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Lying to Gary was one thing, but lying to Adrián felt like a step too far. Adrián had been nothing but nice to him, had given him a job when Will knew a lot of folks around here wouldn’t have. It had allowed Will to get out of his father’s place.

Anxious sweat broke out on his brow. Eventually the numbers wouldn’t add up and Adrián would notice. He was meticulous about numbers.

Or, more likely, someone was going to notice what had been done with the sugar, and tie it back to this grocery store. Will couldn’t let Becky or Adrián take the fall for what he’d done.

They were going to need someone to blame.

So it was settled.

He was fucked.

###

“I’m sure you’ve heard what happened at the construction site by now,” Adrián said when Will and Becky had taken seats in the break room.

It was long past closing. The day had been a blur of chaos once the suits had discovered that their machines wouldn’t start. That the engines were full of sugary-goop.

Cops had stormed the grocery just before noon, demanding records on sugar purchases. Gary had glared daggers at Will as Adrián ushered them all back into his office to discuss the matter.

They were gone for over an hour. Will’s belly twisted itself into knots waiting for the axe to fall. Any moment they would come out and arrest him. He’d never get to tell Itori what happened or why he’d disappeared.

And Itori…?

Will could barely concentrate on anything. He dropped and bruised an apple and nearly busted a jar of sauce while bagging groceries before Becky snapped at him to go on break.

So he went out back where no one could see him and stared at Mercale. Wondered if he could make it to the water, find Itori, before they got him.

He’d almost convinced himself to do it when cops started spilling out the front of the grocery store. Most looked dissatisfied with how that interaction had gone. They got into their cars and sped off.

Will went back inside, it was like nothing had happened. Adrián was gone and Becky only gave him a meaningful look and a miming of zipping his lips.

So Will zipped his lips and tried to get through the day.

He’d made it to closing when Adrián returned and called for a store meeting.

Which was where they were now.

“Someone sugared the engines,” Becky said in answer to his question.