โIt took well over an hour to hash out the details. During that time, I said, โNoโ and โI canโtโ so repeatedly that I sounded, as Granย usedโ
to say, like the Little Engine That Couldnโt.
โYes, you can,โ Mr. Preston told me over and over. โWould Columbo give up?โ
โYouโve got this, Miss Molly,โ Juan Manuel chimed in.
โIf I didnโt think you could do this, I wouldnโt be suggesting it,โ Charlotte reasoned.
We practiced and practiced. We ran through scenarios and I perfected my answers to all the questions they could come up with. We acted out the possible things that could go wrong. I had to get past the feeling of dissimulating, of not presenting my true thoughts, but Juan Manuel said something that eased my mind: โSometimes, you must do one thing bad to do another thing good.โ Heโs right in so many ways, and I know so from experience.
We rehearsed with Juan Manuel playing opposite me, then with Mr. Preston playing opposite me. I had to forget they were my kind friends. I had to think of them as very bad eggs when in fact they are nothing of the
sort. We hashed through details, noted key lines, and came up with contingency plans to deal with any eventuality.
And now weโre finished. Charlotte, Mr. Preston, and Juan Manuel are all smiling and sitting taller in their chairs as they stare at me. I canโt quite be sure, but I think I understand what I see in their facesโpride. They believe I can do this. If Gran were here, sheโd say,ย See, Molly? You can do it if you put your mind to it.
Iโm feeling better after so much practice, calmer about the entire plan. I must say, I do feel a little like Columbo, with a team of crack investigators around me. Together, weโve devised a trap that will hopefully result in Rodney being caught in flagrante againโbut this time, in a different way entirely.
The first step begins immediately, with me texting him. Weโve strategized exactly what Iโll write. โIโm too nervous,โ I say, once I type the message into my phone. โCan someone check it before I press Send?โ
Juan Manuel, Mr. Preston, and Charlotte gather round me on the sofa, reading over my shoulder.
โIt sounds good,โ Juan Manuel says. โThe way you speak, itโs so nice all the time. More people should talk like you, Molly.โ
He smiles and I feel a tingle of warmth. โThank you. Thatโs very kind.โ โIโd add the word โurgentlyโ to your text,โ Mr. Preston suggests.
โYes, thatโs good,โ says Charlotte. โUrgently.โ
I adjust the message:ย Rodney, we must meet: urgently. Mr. Black was MURDERED. I made revelations to the police of which you should be aware. Iโm sincerely sorry!
โOkay?โ I ask, looking for approval from all of them. โDo it, Molly. Press Send,โ Charlotte says.
I squeeze my eyes shut and press the button. I can hear theย swooshย of the message leaving my device.
When I open my eyes a few seconds later, three circles appear in a new text box below my sent message.
โWell, well, well,โ says Mr. Preston. โLooks like our cretin is in a real hurry to respond.โ
My phone trills as Rodneyโs message appears:ย Molly, WTF? Meet me in twenty minutes at the OG.
โOG?โ Mr. Preston asks. โWhatโs that?โ โOriginal gangster?โ Juan Manuel replies. โWhatโs that supposed to mean?โ Charlotte asks.
Then it comes to me in a flash, and I figure it out. โThe Olive Garden,โ I say. โThatโs where Iโm to meet him. Shall I answer?โ
โTell him youโll be there soon,โ Charlotte says.
I try to type a response, but my hands are shaking too much. โDo you want me to do it?โ Charlotte asks.
โYes, please,โ I say.
I hand her the phone and we all watch over her shoulder as she types:ย K. CU in 20 min.
Sheโs about to press Send when Juan Manuel stops her. โThat doesnโt sound like Molly at all. Sheโd never write that.โ
โReally?โ Charlotte says. โWhatโs wrong with it?โ
โYou have to make it more pretty,โ Juan Manuel offers. โUse respectful language. Maybe use the word โdelightful.โ Molly uses this word a lot:ย deelightful. So nice.โ
Charlotte erases what she wrote and tries again:ย This plan sounds delightful, even if the circumstances bringing us together are not. See you soon.
โYes,โ I say. โThatโs what Iโd say. Thatโs very good.โ โThatโs my Miss Molly,โ Juan Manuel adds.
Swoosh. Charlotte sends the message and then hands me my phone. โMolly,โ says Mr. Preston, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
โAre you ready? You know what to say to him, what to do?โ Three concerned faces await my response.
โIโm ready,โ I reply.
โYou can do this, Molly,โ Charlotte says. โWe have faith in you,โ Mr. Preston adds. Juan Manuel gives me a thumbs-up.
They have all put their faith in me. They believe in me. The only one who isnโt sure is me.
You can do it if you put your mind to it.
I take a deep breath, put my phone in my pocket, and walk out the front door.