A New Trajectory

Well - Here is my effort for the fourth part of this story... If you have no idea what I am talking about you may click here to see all the parts of the yet-to-be-named story...

"Ma'am?" The tall stranger stood in front of Rebecca obviously confused by the bewildered look on her face. Rebecca felt almost betrayed - who was this man and why had Garrett not come himself? "Ma'am? The window?" He asked again. "Oh! Oh please - I am so sorry - right this way..." and she lead him down the hall to the pantry.

She waited in the kitchen while he worked. A little angry - a little confused - a little bit interested in who this man was - so tall, handsome in a rugged works-too-hard sort of way. She noticed he limped and wondered what the story was there... How is it possible that Garrett would still be angry with her? Isn't 20 years enough time to get over it? Rebecca sipped her green tea while her mind raced.

"You have any enemies, Ma'am?" came the question from the pantry. Rebecca thought this to be an especially odd thing to ask someone one wasn't even properly introduced to. "No - no I don't think so... I'm sorry - I don't think I even know your name?" "Name's Vince" he said extending his right hand after brushing it off on his jeans. "Well Vince, pleased to meet you." When she shook his hand she felt it to be almost familiar, comforting - which actually startled her. "What is with the brick?" She asked noticing the piece of brick in his left hand. "That's what I have been trying to tell you, Ma'am - I found this brick in your pantry. Seems that window was broken on purpose." Rebecca shook this notion off - "Oh no, Vince - I am sure that brick was just there. I bought this house as a fixer-upper and there are several bricks in the basement, on the porch and even a few in the pantry. I am sure this one just..." "Nope." Vince stated simply and with confidence. "Nope?" questioned Rebecca. "What I mean is this brick was thrown. I can tell by the chip off this here corner" He showed her a piece had been broken off, then he mumbled something about trajectory and an matching nick in the window sill and dropped the brick into her outstretched hand.

For a few moments she looked from the brick in her hand to the window and then to Vince. She pondered what he was saying - someone threw a brick through her window. But more than that she wondered why a man who fixes windows talks like that - about things like "trajectory". "Well, Vince" she began "Thank you for being so observant, but I don't have any enemies that I know of. I am sure it was just some kids - probably a dare of some kind."

"Just the same, Ma'am. You should think about getting a flood light installed out back with a motion sensor." Vince interrupted. "Yes - that is a great idea" Rebecca started to think it all a scam and then she remembered the gum-cracking girl who was so insistent to save her money the evening before. "I will have to look into that - but the house needs to be completely rewired - old tube and knob wiring they tell me."

"I can help with that if you like" Vince offered. Rebecca gave him a look that questioned how this could be since he fixed glass and was not an electrician. "I am a certified master electrician - military trained - served in the Gulf War".

Rebecca was reminded of something she had heard once from a movie - about ogres and layers... not that Vince was an ogre, although he was certainly an ominous presence - but the Gulf War likely explained the limp...

"Well Vince - I think we may be able to make a deal - but there is one condition: You must stop calling me Ma'am - please - just call me Rebecca". "Rebecca" he said with a smirk. "Sure - no problem. Let me come back later this afternoon to work up a quote." Vince offered is hand and Rebecca shook it again - wondering what the smirk was for.