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Jugs’s truck was nowhere in sight, and Cody snagged the spot directly in front of their office door when a Lululemon-clad woman backed haphazardly out of the space and sped off through the parking lot.
“Fifty bucks says she just got out of a training session with Jordie,” Cody said.
“Yeah, he was in a real mood this morning,” Demetrius said. “I had to do the leg sled.”
“But that’s your favorite,” Cody said with a smirk.
“Yeah, right.”
“They try to make it sound fun, you know?” Cody continued. “They call it a sled, like you’re still a kid and have just discovered you’ve got a surprise snow day.”
Demetrius laughed as he opened the truck door and stepped out. “Exactly! And then he piles all these weights on it and makes you push it around the gym.”
“And everyone else is watching you,” Cody said as he got out and led the way to their office door.
“Cody Bower?”
Demetrius turned along with Cody and took stock of the woman approaching them. She was pretty, but unfamiliar, and Demetrius’s internal alarms started going off.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Cody said with a puzzled but friendly half-smile. Demetrius saw the lines across his forehead deepen as he tried to place the woman’s face.
“No, not yet.” She extended a manila envelope and, still wearing that half-smile, Cody took it. “You’ve been served.”
“What?” Demetrius and Cody said at the same time.
“Have a good day.” The woman turned and hurried off.
“What the fuck?” Cody stared at the envelope in his hand, holding it out and away from him as if it might bite.
“I’m sure we know who’s behind this,” Demetrius said, pulling the door open. “Let’s go inside and read it and call Dieter.”
“What the fuck?” Cody said again.
Demetrius gently steered him into the office and closed and locked the door behind them.
“What the fuck?” Cody said, a bit faster this time as he threw the envelope onto his desk.
“Let’s get some coffee and take a look at it.”
Cody paced the office while Demetrius made coffee. He carried the cups over and set one on Cody’s desk, then stepped in front of him to interrupt his pacing.
“Sit down,” Demetrius said. “We’ll look at it together.”
“I don’t want to.”
“It’s not going to just go away.”
“You don’t know that. We’ve seen a lot of weird shit happen in this town. It might just vanish.”
Demetrius nodded. “Yeah, that’s true. Okay, I can’t make you do it.” He sat at this own desk and turned on his computer, sipping his coffee as he waited for it to boot up.
Still on his feet, Cody crossed his arms and stared at him. Demetrius kept his gaze on the computer screen, clicking apps open and checking their schedules. He could feel the weight of Cody’s stare, but he refused to look at him.
“I know what you’re doing,” Cody finally said.
Demetrius looked up with a wide-eyed and innocent expression. “Oh? What’s that?”
“You’re manipulating me into sitting down and looking at what’s inside.”
