The old man smiled strangely. "There are probably too many people wondering where I am already."
The answer came too quickly. Then his attention shifted to her necklace. Her chain had slipped outside her blouse, revealing an old oval silver pendant engraved with a tiny flower.
The man's fork stopped halfway to his mouth. "Where did you get that?"
Chloe instinctively covered it with her hand. "It belonged to my mother."
Something changed in his expression. "What was her name?"
"Why?"
"That pendant reminded me of someone."
"My mother has been dead for 8 years."
"I am sorry." He stared at the necklace again. "What was her name?"
"Megan Reynolds."
The old man's face lost what little color it had. "Reynolds?"
"Yes." Chloe tucked the pendant beneath her uniform. "You are asking a lot of questions for someone whose dinner I just paid for."
"You are right."
At closing, Dean pulled Chloe aside. "You paid his bill."
"I covered what was missing and told the kitchen to keep cooking."
"They had not closed yet. You have this habit of thinking everyone needs to be rescued."
"I did not rescue anyone. I bought dinner for a hungry old man, and tomorrow there will be another one."
"Then tomorrow you can worry about tomorrow."
When she returned, the stranger was standing.
"Thank you," he said.
"You sure you can get home?"
"I can."
He reached into his wallet, pulled out a business card, looked at it, then put it away.
"What was that?" Chloe asked.
"Nothing."
"Church invitation, funeral insurance?"
He laughed. "Neither. What is your full name?" he asked.
"Chloe Reynolds."
He nodded slowly. "Take care of that pendant. Do not sell it."
Now she stared at him. "You are becoming slightly terrifying."
"Just keep it safe."
Then he walked into the rain.