The doctor, an older woman with grayish hair, ordered a series of tests.

While the x-ray was being performed, Adam contemplated his loss of memory. It seemed an opportune time to tell he had lost it. His wife, who he just realized he didn’t even know the name of, however, mentioned plans that could kill them. What would she do if she realized he had no idea what their plans were?

Pence, this man, who he couldn’t recall even faintly, appeared to have some urgent business with him. So urgent he was willing to meet him in the hospital. That same man had come to his house on the night of the accident. Were the two events connected?

The doctor criticized the cops for their mishandling of someone in need of medical care. She knew Jeremy personally, and was even harsher with him for it. They marked a day for him to come back.

“Do you have any other issues?” she asked, signing a paper, clearly expecting a ‘no.’

His silence prompted her to look up, wonderingly, not particularly worried.

“No,” Adam assured her.

She raised an eyebrow, but did not ask again. She finished the paper, gave it to him, and bade him farewell.

Outside, his wife stood hastily from a bench as soon as he appeared. “Is everything fine?” she asked.

“Yes,” Adam answered.

She let out a soft breath. Her face slackened with relief and a small smile crept up her lips, but did not spread far. “Well, it would be strange if there was anything wrong, but I guess I just am not used to it. Thank you for letting me take you here.” As a matter of course she took his hand, and led half-led him to the cafeteria.

Adam observed her profile as they walked down the corridor, curious about her. She was in her early twenties, so they couldn’t be married for long. She looked the intelligent sort, and she was really beautiful.

Maybe she had not been literal when she said they could die. It was not like he understood the matter anyway, and she seemed to like him. Being open about his amnesia could save a lot of trouble, especially considering how they were about to meet someone else. These thoughts ceased from his head when he arrived at the cafeteria. It was a spacious hall. Patients and staff meandered in and out. Some people ate hastily as if chased by something, others ate with such slowness it seemed deliberate.

His wife headed with surety toward a small table where only one man sat. He was a portly man, bald, with large hands. At their approach, he stopped eating a salad, squinted his eyes and smiled widely. He opened his arms for a hug like some frivolous politician. “Mary!” he almost bellowed, standing. “You get more beautiful every time we meet.” He laughed outwardly, without emotion.

Adam’s wife and he hugged, and then they sat down. “You flatter me, Mr. Pence,” she said, sweetly.

“Please, no Mr. Pence. Call me Rick.” The man sat back down, and offered Adam a handshake.

Adam took it, and next he knew, he was pulled into an embrace and slapped on the back. “Adam, Adam, you did it again.” He laughed. “You had me going disappearing like that, but I knew I could count on you. I knew you would take care of our problems. You haven’t disappointed me yet!” He was clearly very happy considering how he continually hit Adam’s back.

“I am glad I haven’t,” Adam said because he had no idea what else to say. He looked toward his wife. She was still smiling, but she was confused too. She had no idea what he was talking about.

“And well you should be. I fill your pockets!”

So this man is my boss, Adan thought. He had the air of someone in command, but what job did Adam do for him?

The man rubbed his chin. “Adam, Adam,” he continued. “What would I do without you? Have slightly less money, I guess.” Pence laughed, heartily.

Mary laughed at what Adam thought was a rather unfunny joke. A second later, he laughed too, insincerely as it might be. “Always happy to help, Mr. Pence.”

“Now that these two are taken care of, we can continue our business in peace.”

“Darling,” Mary called, looking somewhat distraught. “Has something happened that you didn’t tell me?”

Mr. Pence looked between the two in surprise. “What, Adam, you haven’t told her about last night yet?”

Adam shook. He clenched his fists, hoping they didn’t notice his nervousness. “Would you believe I forgot?”

Mary knitted her brows, clearly upset, but then promptly put on a confused expression.

Mr. Pence just laughed all the more. “Mary, Adam has...already taken care of our problems.” Pence made a show of looking around for nearby listeners. He drew near, as though to tell a secret. “The two owners of the Roland Company, have, sadly, passed away.”

She turned around at these words, looking mutely at Adam. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

As far as things seemed, the words Mary said, about them dying, might not have been a hyperbole after all.

“Well, their corpses haven’t been found yet, if they ever will be. But last night Adam left their car parked near the bar where all the confusion happened. My men found it and inside were all the documents regarding the forested lands. What did you do with their bodies Adam?”

“To be honest,” Adam said. “I am not at all sure.”

Pence’s smile did not reach his lips. “Always with your secrets, Adam. Very well, I admit that I like you; that’s why I never bother to ask for details. Who doesn’t have one or two things they’d rather hide, after all? And, well, the bodies never turn up when you’re involved. Just make sure they never do, for all of our sakes, will you? Your trouble with the cops could have costed us a lot if they had found the car and made the connection. That was very sloppy of you. I was watching for when they arrived, but you should’ve called. What were you thinking?” He shook his head.

This conversation had gone in a rather surprising direction.

Adam looked around, scared that someone could hear them.

“Are you all right, Adam?” Pence asked, sounding genuinely worried.

“He drank too much,” Mary said, sternly. It was probably true, but there was no way she could have known that.

Pence widened his eyes, surprised. He looked back to Adam and seemed to come to an understanding. “I never took you for a drinking man, Adam.” After a moment of silence, he sighed deeply. “I know that your job can be...difficult at times, Adam, really, I do. I know you’re not as fine as you sound in all our endeavors. However, sincerely, Adam, that’s what I like about you. My boys, aah, my boys, they can do it and never lose a night of sleep. But the two of us know what death really is, and they just can’t. It’s saddening, really. They never stop to think about what we do, and they don’t want to think about it, ever! They just don’t get it. Now we! We know what it is all about, Adam! We know that when you pull the trigger, it’s the end, the end of everything.”

Adam sat there, not moving a muscle.

Pence looked down, and gave a small, mirthless laugh. “It can be so very taxing on the mind. I don’t blame you for falling on the bottle. But do take better care of yourself.” He gestured at Mary. “You have a wife to whom you give too much worry already.”

Adam lowered his head ever so slightly, averting his eyes from both of them, trying to hide his pondering. He raised his head with a smile. “I will try to be better,” he said.

Mr. Pence seemed satisfied by this. He made small talk about the town after that. “A very nice place. The kind of town where I’d like to die. To be honest, when you proposed we take the forest around here, I wasn’t convinced, Adam; but after seeing the documents Eric had packed in his car, I now know how much money we have in this good deal.” He smiled queerly at the last two words, as if he had just told an inside joke.

For all Adam knew, he just might. He pondered for a second. ‘Good,’ Was that it? “It’s all due to my...Good name,” he said, with a knowing smile, hoping his guess was right.

As expected, Mr. Pence laughed. Even Mary had a smile creeping up her lips.

Soon, their conversation came to an end.

§

It was snowing that afternoon. Mary drove slowly, carefully, like someone not used to driving. She never took her eyes off the road, and did not put on music. There were few people walking the streets, probably due to the cold.

“You didn’t tell me about it,” she said, not taking her eyes off the road. “Why?”

“Because I was drunk, I guess,” he tried, lamely.

She pursed her lips, displeased. Now that they were not with Pence her sweet demeanor had disappeared. “Tell me next time.”

Adam nodded.

He had a lot to think about. They were criminals, of that he had no doubt anymore. They planned some sort of scam involving the land of someone recently dead that would give them a lot of money. That plan involved Adam impersonating someone else, and that person was probably called Adam Good, who would receive an inheritance, maybe the rights of said land.

But one question kept repeating in his head, one he wished to answer above all others: what was the thing that killed the two men on the road who Pence believed were murdered by him?