The Debt Collectors War

Chapter 25

“I know her,” Ellie said. “I love her. I don’t know you.”

Joe nodded.

“And more important,” Ellie said. “I need to know there aren’t any tangled loyalties that might make you pick a side that isn’t me.”

“There aren’t. I won’t.”

“And again…” Ellie said.

“So I say?”

Ellie nodded. “They’re still your people. And I’m sorry, but that bothers me.”

“They’re not my people.”

Ellie kept looking at him.

“What’s my people?” Joe said. “This county? This town? I don’t know anyone here any more. Everyone I grew up with has left or died, all except my parents.”

Ellie nodded. This was helping. “Keep talking,” she said.

“The country?” Joe said. “What used to be America? I never agreed with the debt settlement, I never wanted it, and I’d have fought rather than accept it, but that wasn’t my choice. So fuck that, but America’s gone now too. I don’t have a people.”

Ellie looked at him, thinking.

“My family is my people,” Joe said. “That’s all I have. So I’ll do what you need me to do to help my family. That’s all there is to it.”

“Even against someone you know?” Ellie said. “Someone who’s from here?”

“Of course.”

“Even against your old best friend from school, say, who’s now my enemy?”

“Is she?” Joe said.

“What?” Ellie said, puzzled.

“Do you know something about her?” Joe said. “Is that why you’re asking me so many questions?”

“No,” Ellie said.

“You are asking me a lot of questions, though,” Joe said, still thinking. Almost as if he’d rather be talking about anything except social identity, which he probably would.

“She’s always like this,” Sameh said. “She did this to me, too, back in the day.”

“I’m careful,” Ellie said. “That’s all.”

“You’re rude,” Sameh said.

“Hush,” Ellie said to her.

“She’s Australian,” Sameh said to Joe. “That’s why. They’re all like this.”

“Stop it,” Ellie told her.

“But about my high-school friends…” Joe said. “You don’t have specific intel about anyone particular from my past?”

Ellie shook her head.

“That’s the truth?” Joe said.

“Yes,” Ellie said. “It’s the truth. I’m just asking what would happen. Hypothetically. Just in case.”

“Rudely,” Sameh said.

“Quiet,” Ellie told her, and looked back at Joe.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Joe said. “You’ve hired me. Or your employer has. So I’ll do what you need me to. I don’t know what else to say.”

Ellie thought a moment longer, and then decided Joe seemed honest. They way he was talking about this was reasonable. He was offended, a little, but only the right amount. His voice sounded truthful, and his story all made sense, and Sameh was still glancing at her tablet, which hadn’t said he was lying.

Ellie had begun with a feeling that Joe was honest, and that feeling was part of why she’d been so suspicious. She didn’t like to just trust her instincts, because instinct could be manipulated, but now she had her instinct and she had some evidence too. She decided she would trust Joe, at least for now.

“Okay,” Ellie said. “That’s fine. What you’ve said’s enough. Sorry to be nosey.”

Joe shrugged.

“Sorry to be rude,” Ellie said again.

“It’s fine.”

Ellie thought about holding out her hand, and offering to shake his, but she didn’t in the end, because assuming he’d want her to, or care, was just as bad as assuming he was a criminal because of his background.

“You pass,” Ellie said instead.

“Good,” Joe said.

Then they all just stood there for a moment. Sameh put her tablet away, but nothing seemed to be happening.

Joe was waiting, Ellie realized. She was supposed to be in charge.

“We’re good?” Ellie said.

Joe nodded.

“So let’s go,” Ellie said, suddenly impatient. “Come on. Let’s do this.”

To Ellie’s relief, Joe grinned.