Chapter 21: Tracking
Added 2024-10-14 15:13:54 +0000 UTC"I want a divorce!"
Hearing Margaret's words, Josh was honestly a little confused.
If you want to go, just go. Why are you telling me this? We've only known each other for a few days, sister.
Of course, even though Josh had never been married in his previous life, that didn't mean he was slow to pick up on such things. If he spoke his mind directly, the goodwill he had built up with Margaret might not drop to zero immediately, but it would certainly take a big hit.
"From what you said, it sounds like he doesn't really love you. When he married you, it was probably because of your immense wealth. Anyway, it's good to get a divorce sooner rather than later. You're still young and have a bright future ahead of you. There's no reason to waste it on someone like that." After Margaret vented her frustration, Josh comforted her.
His words were sincere.
Unless Margaret was lying, it was obvious what kind of person Tony Windis was.
He used his fame as a sports star to sweep young Margaret off her feet and dazzle her. When Margaret's father was alive, he behaved well at home, acting like a model husband.
But after Margaret's father died and he realized that Margaret was easier to manipulate, things changed.
He traveled around the world under the guise of competing.
Of course, he did compete, but in between he indulged in debauchery. His performance in the competitions declined sharply, comparable to a certain soccer team.
But he didn't care, because Margaret had money.
Why would Margaret keep someone like that around?
Besides, even though she's been married to him for seven years, Margaret is only 26 years old... When this guy started chasing her, she was just 18, and they were married when she was 19.
After Josh's comforting words, Margaret's mood improved significantly from when she arrived, and her determination to get a divorce grew stronger.
As noon approached, she was ready to say goodbye to Josh.
"Not staying for lunch?" Josh asked, a little surprised.
"No, I have an appointment with Uncle John at noon to discuss the matter of your gold. Also, I need his help with my divorce." Margaret explained.
Josh understood and immediately offered to drive her home.
But Margaret politely declined, saying she could handle these things herself. She just asked Josh to walk her to the door.
Watching Margaret drive away, Josh returned to the house, ready to go out as well.
For the past two days, he hadn't been able to get much done during the day because of the move and his appointments with Margaret. As a result, he could only chat with Daenerys during the trading hours at night.
That wouldn't be enough.
It was time to restock, and he also needed to prepare the books Daenerys had requested.
Just as he was about to leave, his neighbor Tommy called out to him.
"Is something wrong, Tommy?" Josh asked, confused.
"Yeah, I just wanted to ask if Margaret has offended anyone lately?" Tommy collected his thoughts before asking.
"Why do you ask?" Josh was puzzled by the question.
"When Margaret came by earlier, I noticed a black car parked across the street. It seemed to be watching your place, but I wasn't sure at the time. Just now, when Margaret left, the same car followed her. That's when I realized the car must be following Margaret." Tommy quickly explained the situation to Josh and gave him the car's license plate number.
What? Someone is following Margaret? Josh was stunned.
Then came the fear.
Although they hadn't known each other long, and Josh had initially intended to use her to some extent, he was well aware of Margaret's kindness and help to him.
He wasn't a heartless or ungrateful person.
He couldn't just stand by when Margaret might be in danger.
He immediately thanked Tommy and drove off in the direction Margaret had gone.
Since some time had passed since Margaret had left, it would be almost impossible to catch up with her under normal circumstances.
And in this era, there were no cell phones or pagers, so Josh had no way of contacting her.
Fortunately, when they had discussed Uncle John earlier, Margaret had mentioned the name and address of the jewelry company.
If he went there, he should either run into Margaret or at least be able to ask about her and John's whereabouts.
Josh could only hope that if someone was following Margaret, they wouldn't move too soon.
As Josh drove away, Tommy watching him go, reminded of his younger, more energetic self.
But he quickly shook his head. Back then, he had started with nothing, he was just a penniless refugee.
It had taken him decades of hard work to afford his current home.
This young man was starting from a much higher place than he had ever been.
Moreover, Tommy's past was filled with shady dealings that made people despise him.
There's no comparison, no comparison.
...
Josh was speeding down the street when a cop pulled him over.
After all, Roosevelt's administration wasn't just for show.
Josh pulled out some cash. When the cop approached him, he casually tossed out a $100 bill.
In these days, there were no body cams, and corruption among federal agents was common.
But a patrolman's salary was always one of the lowest.
A hundred dollars was more than they usually made in a month on the side.
So Josh drove on, unhindered, and soon arrived at the building where the jewelry company was located.
After circling the parking lot, Josh finally spotted the familiar Packard. His previously tense nerves relaxed a bit.
The fact that the car was here meant that Margaret hadn't run into any danger on her way.
This was downtown, and even if someone wanted to do something, they probably wouldn't do it here.
So Margaret should be safe for now.
With that in mind, Josh didn't rush out of the car. Instead, he drove a little farther, parked in a discreet spot, and cautiously returned to observe the area around the Packard.
This was a business district parking lot with regular security patrols, so he wasn't too worried about the car being stolen.
Besides, he was driving a Lincoln, a luxury car that few thieves would target because it would be difficult to sell.
After careful observation, Josh spotted a black sedan.
But when he saw who was in the car, Josh was taken aback.
It was the Italian guy who had stolen his car a few days ago.
What was he doing here?
Josh frowned.
After thinking about it, he stepped back.
It wasn't that he didn't want to do anything, but cars and people came and went frequently so it was not very discreet.
Since they were watching Margaret, he would be watching them.
With that thought, Josh returned to his hiding place, made sure no one was around, and stashed his Lincoln in his system's storage. He then replaced it with a regular car that he had previously "borrowed".