Twist

Elaine Wilcox stood scanning the newspaper headlines as she waited to be seated by the diner's hostess. She shook her head at the stories on the front page--armed robberies, assaults, murders. So much violence! A small article on the front page caught her eye and she read it with interest. It told of the robbery of a jewelry store the day before-a store in her neighborhood! At least it hadn't been a violent crime, she thought. The article stated that no suspects had been found. Witnesses varied between saying it had been a tall man, to an elderly woman, to a teenager.

She felt the reassuring heaviness of the thick gold chain under her sweater and idly wondered where Marty had gotten it. Not from the store that had been robbed, she was sure, since he lived on the other side of town. He had given her the necklace yesterday, over a quiet, romantic dinner. When he had first pulled out the small box, she had been terrified it was an engagement ring. She didn't have anything against marriage, but it frightened her, as did many other things. So, she had been happy to see the pretty necklace--she loved pretty things as much as the next woman did. She just couldn't wear such flashy jewelry, so she kept it hidden under the sweater, enjoying the weight of it, the secretiveness of it.

Elaine's stomach rumbled. Busy waitresses entered and exited the swinging door of the kitchen, their trays loaded with bacon, eggs, and coffee. A noisy family of four came in behind her, and she smiled at the young brother and sister as they bickered playfully.

The hostess approached the family, menus in hand. "Right this way," she said to the harried father. Elaine sighed and looked back down at the newspaper.

Ten minutes later, after two more families and a couple had been seated, Elaine tentatively approached the hostess and cleared her throat. "Miss, do you have a table for one?"