"Does it belong to you?" she asked, breaking the silence that ensued as he gazed at the necklace. "Juan, does it..."

"It is mine, okay?" he shouted, spinning to face her.

Zoe stood frozen in place. She took a step back and hit a chair in the dining area.

"I know what you might be thinking," he said.

Her eyes followed his movements. He thinks I'm scared of him...that's good, she thought.

He put on the necklace. "It is far from what you think, señorita."

She sat down, still playing shocked. "I...I don't know what to think....at least explain."

Suddenly he ruffled his jet-black hair as he started to pace back and forth, cursing in Spanish.

Her eyes were glued to him.

Then he walked over and sat on the chair across from her. "It is a complicated situation...I don't want to put you in danger."

"What do you mean?" she asked, leaning forward. "Please tell me, Juan."

He hesitated, staring at the ceiling. Then he touched his necklace and looked straight at her. "I will tell you."

She nodded. "Okay."

"But you have to swear on your life that you won't say a word of it to anyone."

No time to hesitate, she thought. "I swear it."

"I told you I work as a messenger...." He stopped when the doorbell rang.

Zoe got up, her eyes meeting his suspicious stare. "I'm not expecting anyone, Juan."

His eyebrows narrowed, and he clenched his fist. "Someone was at your door earlier...is this a setup or what?"

"No one knows you are staying here," she said. The doorbell rang again.

"Ma'am...delivery man here," a voice spoke outside the door.

"Juan...it's just a delivery person...I'll see what he wants." She headed to the door.

"I will be in the room," he said, loud enough for her to hear.

Zoe heard him leave the dining area.

She opened the door. A lanky blonde in a red shirt and cap stood with what looked like a lunch bag. "Hello, there."

"Ma'am, you have a package from the 12th precinct," he said. "Please sign here."

Her slight anger dissolved into curiosity as she signed the book. "Did the person say who he was...any name?"

"No, ma'am...he said to give you this." He brought out a card from his shirt pocket.

She collected the card and carried the package. "Thanks...have a nice day."

"Ma'am...what about the..." Zoe closed the door in his face. Then she remembered and fished a note out of her pocket.

"Oh! I'm so sorry..." She said after opening the door again. "Here's a tip."

Without waiting for his response, she closed the door again.

Then scurried to drop the package on the table before racing to lock the door.

Juan appeared from the door leading to the bedrooms. "What is that?"

She was seated on the chair as she read the card silently. It was from Pascal.

"Hey Zoe. I hope you are feeling better. I got to the diner, and your aunt asked me to give this to you after learning that you had a cold. I will check in on you in the evening."

Juan snatched the card from her. She chuckled. "Relax...my aunt sent this through my friend...the person who came earlier."

He sat down after reading the card. "I'm sorry...I can't trust anyone...Jasper can send anyone to kill me."

He is scared for his life, she thought. Then leaned forward. "Who is Jasper?"

He looked away, saying nothing.

She unzipped the lunch bag. "I won't force you to say anything, Juan."

"I don't know if I can trust you." He looked straight at her. She saw a tired young man.

"Let's eat first...we will talk later," she said and brought out a large dish. She opened it.

The spicy aroma of chicken soup wafted into her nose. "Do you like chicken soup?"

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He shrugged. "It has been a while since I've had chicken soup...is it spicy?"

"Smells like it...I'll get some bowls from the kitchen," she said as she rose from her chair.

Five minutes and two servings later, they were done eating. Zoe stored the remaining soup and the rest of the fresh orange juice that was contained in the bag.

"Did you do the dishes?" Juan asked when she came out of the kitchen.

She stood near the chair. "It's just two bowls, spoons, and glasses...I can do them later."

"Sorry to say, but you are lazy."

She smiled. "No offense taken...I usually eat out, so I don't have to wash anything..."

He got up. "I will do them then...since you can't do them now...our talk can wait."

She shook her head, still smiling. "I can't stop you...do what you feel like."

He walked past her and stopped at the kitchen doorway. "Señorita...you are not very ladylike...Renata was the same."

Zoe sat down after hearing the kitchen door close. Her thoughts began to race.

Why does he talk of his sister like she is no more? And who is this Jasper? I have to be very careful...what if he finds out that I'm a detective? How will I explain?

The kitchen door opened, stopping her train of thought.

Juan sat back in his chair, across from her. Silence ensued. Zoe stared at the wall clock.

It was minutes to noon.

Then she thought of a way to get him talking.

"Juan, I want to ask you a question."

"Go ahead," he said, meeting her stare.

"You said I remind you of your sister..." she trailed off, trying to remember the name.

"Renata," he said.

"Yes! Renata...where is she?...does she stay with your mother?"

He sighed as his facial expression changed. "My sister...Renata is dead."

She gasped. "I'm so sorry, Juan...I..."

"It's okay...I have mourned and moved on."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

He put his arms on the table. "My boss killed her for a mistake I committed."

"Please explain."

"I was sent to end someone's life...I was a hired assassin..." he paused.

She kept a straight face.

"You don't look scared...most people would be scared they just ate with a former killer."

"I want to hear your story...not judge you."

He nodded. "I couldn't kill the person...he was just a teenager...I let him go, and my boss heard about it," he said.

He lowered his head and covered his face with his hands. "Renata paid for my mistake."

She reached out to touch him but withdrew her hand. "You made the right choice...to spare a young boy's life."

He raised his head. "That same boy is now the person who wants to kill me."

Her eyebrows raised. "Oh my gosh!"

"Jasper Mendoza doesn't know I was the one sent to kill him that night."

She became more confused. "Were you working for this person...Jasper?"

"Yes...I am one of his informants," he said. "At least not anymore."

Zoe leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. "Can you explain how this all started...to the point where he wants to kill you?"

"I need a drink."

She was taken aback. "What?"

"I don't talk a lot...not without a drink."

She went into the kitchen, came out with two bottles of coke, and set them on the table.

"This is all I have...I don't take much alcohol."

He took a bottle. "I prefer ginger ale, but I will manage this one."

She glanced at the clock. Then sat down.

Past one pm...there is still time before Pascal shows up here, she thought.

"Señorita...you have sworn to keep this a secret...you will die if you tell anyone."

Zoe smiled. She didn't take the promise seriously. "I understand."

He nodded, bottle in hand. "Jasper, who was the only son, inherited an empire from his father, Don Edgar. My former boss, who wanted to prevent this, sent me to kill him on his way to school that day."

"Who...was your former...boss?"

"Victor...Victor Mendoza...the first person I ever worked for as a killer," Juan said. Then removed the metal cap of the bottle with his teeth. "He is dead now."

"But he is related to them."

He took a gulp. "Victor wanted to inherit his uncle's empire...but when I spared young Jasper's life, Don Edgar found out. Then sent his men to explode Victor's house the day he summoned me for another mission...I escaped with many wounds that day." He paused to look away.

"Oh...that's twisted," she said, noticing the scars on his neck and the left side of his face.

"Victor got what he deserved...I was devastated the day Mama called to tell me that Renata...was shot...a few days to her graduation," he said and covered his face.

She gasped. "I'm so sorry, Juan."

He put down his hands. "Don't be...her death made me quit working as an assassin...I still blame myself to this day."

Zoe remembered how she felt when Kyle died. She brought up the idea of going to a party on the other side of town that fateful night and convinced him to go. They didn't even get to the party, and he lost his life.

She still remembered the sign on the car the hoodlums used. They were just high on drugs and started

shooting. Loud gunshots.

"Señorita...?" His accented voice brought her back to the present. "Are you alright?"

She touched her forehead, smiling. "Sorry..I zoned out back there..I...also lost someone."

"A sister?" He took another gulp.

"No...my best friend. That's a story for another day..tell me what happened after that."

"I could not go home because of guilt...I just sent all the money I had to take care of the arrangements...then I came to Luminaria."

She relaxed on her chair. "When was that?"

"Ten years ago...I started to work as a delivery man until I met Tristan...he was my friend from the neighborhood where I grew up."

Juan gulped down the remaining liquid and dropped the bottle on the table.

"You can have the second bottle if you want," she offered.

"Not yet...so Tristan told me there were better jobs I could do...you see, he was living big and he pitied me...I visited his mansion regularly."

Zoe was speechless.

Juan smiled. "I told him one day I visited to help me get a better job...one that didn't involve killing people."

She sat up. "Let me guess...he introduced you to Jasper Mendoza."

He pointed at her. "You are following my story...I like that."

"Does Jasper know that you spared his life?"

"He doesn't...I started to work for him as an informant and unofficial spy...I would gather information from the people he wants me to."

"So how did it get to the point where he's after you...to end your life?"

"Do you know about the bio-weapon that was stolen in transit a few days back?"

She folded her arms. "It was the biggest news on Monday this week...I know."

"Jasper gave orders for the weapon to be stolen, and very few people know where it was taken to...but I found out where."

Surprise was written all over her face. "Were you supposed to know where it was taken to?"

Juan nodded. "No...I was just curious...It is a very secret location." He opened the second bottle and took a sip.

"How is it related to what happened at the park...the shooting of that man...was it you?"

He dropped the bottle and raised both hands.

"I swore to never kill anyone again...but I was at the park that day."

"Spring Labs is one of the top chemical labs in Luminaria...they wanted to collect some samples from the park that day."

"Correct...I was sent to find out what park the CEO would be in...", he paused to take a gulp.

"I was by a row of trees near the park fence when I spotted Tristan in a high building nearby aiming at him...the gunshots caused a commotion, and I escaped through the fence."

"Okay...what happened after that?"

"Jasper summoned me that night. Before then, I argued with Tristan, who told me that the person he shot refused to work for The Crescent, Jasper's criminal empire."

"Oooh!"