Nexus day minus two weeks:

     The problem was that they couldn't find a place to park in front of the restaurant. They had to park a block away in a lot. Then, to get to the restaurant, they had to cross through an alley. There were six of them, Alison, Cathy and Skip, along with Alison's new boyfriend, Jeff. Also along were Mom and Gramps. 

​     Another group of six met them before they got halfway through the alley, but this second six were a family only in the sense that gang members are family.

​     The leader of the group, the oldest, the tallest, the most muscular, stopped the family's forward progress.

     "Excuse me," he said, very politely. "But do you think I could talk to you for a moment?"  

     Abby, Mom, answered for the group. "We'd love to, but we're a little late for..."

     "This will only take a second." The six young men surrounded the family of six.

     Skip, Abby's youngest and only son, muttered, "Uh-oh."

     "The problem is, we're a little short of cash," the spokesperson continued. "We're hoping you'd be able to help us out a little."  

     "I sure wish we could," Abby replied. "Our problem is that we're a little short of cash ourselves. And we're late for dinner, so..."

​     "Would you mind if we had a little look for ourselves? That purse you're holding, for instance. You think I could get a look at that, please? You other ladies as well, your purses, please. As for you gentlemen, your wallets."

​     "None of us carry our credit..."

​     "Hand them over, please."

​     Gramps took a single step forward. Abby stopped him with a hand to his chest. She gave him a look, like, please don't start anything. To the man robbing them, Abby said, "We'll do as you ask, but, honestly, you'll be disappointed. We haven't..."

     "We'll be the judge of that." The leader was the one who took their wallets and purses. Molo was his name. He turned to go, they all turned to go, but then Molo saw something. 

​     Abby's necklace. 

​     It was so beautiful. The stone as its center was the purest azure. It looked almost liquid. Molo found he couldn't take his eyes off it.  

     He touched the stone with his fingers. "Damn, that's pretty," he muttered. "I've never seen anything like that before. Where'd you get that?"

​     Abby slapped his hand away. "Please, it's...it was my mother's. She's been dead for..."

     "I'm sorry, but I've got to have it."

     "No, please, I..." 

     Molo snatched it off her throat before she had a chance to say another word.

CONTINUE