The man said, “You know it’s important.”
While he was under here, Simon saw some netting, which secured the portion of the bridge where they were at, probably for the workers, along with security ropes and leads. Everything was nicely tied up under the bridge for safekeeping, until the workers returned the next day. Simon quickly grabbed a safety line and put it on.
Just then, when his phone rang, he swore because the sound was horribly loud. He snatched his phone and whispered, “What?”
“A night crew is coming on right now.”
“They’re supposed to be here twenty-four hours a day. Yet they haven’t been any time I’ve been down here.”
“They’ve had a ton of breakdowns, and some of their safety gear was missing,” she said. “But a crew is on its way right now.”
“Well, I’m standing right below the pier, and I’m hooked up to one of the security lines that’s here.”
“What?” she shouted. “Are you serious? What the hell?”
“Exactly,” he said. “What the hellis right.” She was only echoing this sentiment on repeat in his head.
“Did you see all that construction before?”
“I did, I just didn’t think too much of it, as it’s on the opposite side of the bridge,” he said, peering upward in the gloom. “They’re arguing really badly.”
“We’re about eight minutes out.”
“I’m not sure we have eight minutes,” he said. “I’ve stayed out of sight, and I’m of two minds, wondering whether I should try to break up the fight or not.” Looking at the scaffolding all around the side of the bridge, he said, “I think I could get up there quite easily.”
“You stay where you are,” she said in a hard voice.
“Yeah, right, like that’ll work.” And, with that, he pocketed his phone. With the safety line still attached, he climbed from the scaffold onto the lip on the outside of the bridge. Almost immediately the woman turned, looked at him, and shrieked.
He held up his hands. “Hey, sorry, just doing traffic work.” Simon hoped that Mali didn’t recognize him, thinking that might just freak her out even more. She wrapped her coat around herself and tried to back away, but her companion grabbed her and held her close, saying, “It’s okay. Calm down. He’s just leaving.”
Simon smiled. “Well, not quite,” he said. “What are you two doing here?”
Mali looked at the man beside her and said, “We were just leaving.”
The man shrugged and said, “Yeah, sure, we can come back again.”
As they headed off, as if to walk away, Simon heard her saying, “I don’t want to.”
“Well, if it’s not tonight, we have to come back tomorrow apparently.”
“No,” she said. “I won’t.”
Simon called out, “Hey, is there a problem?”
The woman looked up and started to walk toward him, but the other guy grabbed her and said, “No, no problem at all,” he said, “just having a little disagreement, that’s all. Young love and all.”
“If you say so,” Simon said. He addressed the woman. “Look. If you’re in trouble, just come in my direction. You know me.”
She looked at him through the poor light and said, “Simon?”
He nodded. “Yes, it’s me,” he said. “You don’t have to stay here with that guy.”
She looked at Simon, to the other guy, then back again, tried to step toward Simon, but the man grabbed her.
“Do you know who he is?” Simon asked.
“Yes,” she said, “he’s the one who’s been sending the emails.”