Ian Prewitt watched this evening’s lonely drifters from his perch on a sticky bus stop bench. A middle-aged woman with frazzled hair and red lipstick, dressed in a woolen parka and high heels, scrolled on her phone across the street. Ten feet from her, a stout young man wearing a black beanie and a few days of stubble pulled a cigarette from his mouth, exhaling a cloud of smoke. Caught up in their own worlds, they wouldn’t even notice if either one of them suddenly vanished into the night air.

            Hurried footsteps approached from Ian’s left. A young woman with curly brown hair and wide eyes strode toward him, clutching her purse in one hand and keys jutting out between her fingers in the other. She breathed quickly, casting a glance behind her shoulder. Ian traced her gaze over the grimy city sidewalks to the source of her distress: a large bearded man in a baseball cap, following her in the shadows.

            “Miss, please, I just want to talk to you for a sec,” the bearded man said.

            The woman looked straight ahead. Her footsteps echoed behind Ian’s bench.

           The man jogged forward, boldly reaching out and grasping the woman’s arm. “Hold up, I just wanted to tell you, you are so beautiful. I see you in Caphe Roasters every day, and I couldn’t let another day go by without saying something. What’s your name, sweetheart? Let me take you out sometime.” 

           “Please let go of me,” the woman said with a nervous laugh.

            Ian’s heart started to beat faster as he fiddled with the items in his pocket. The man towered over her and easily dwarfed Ian’s five-foot-nine frame. His arms looked like they could crush a man’s skull. Perfectly monstrous. The bus screeched beside him, impatiently waiting for him to board. The two bystanders across the street remained oblivious. He would be her knight in shining armor.

            “Marissa, is that really you?” Ian plastered a broad smile across his face.           

           The woman knitted her eyebrows together before understanding dawned. “Thomas, oh my gosh!”

            Ian got off the bench and threw his arms open for a hug. “I haven’t seen you since our days in Drexel. How have you been?”           

           ‘Marissa’ hesitated before hugging him back, rustling her hair. Her pearl earring loosened and tumbled down her coat sleeve. Ian caught it.

            “I’ve been well, working in sales for the last three years,” she said. “How about you?” 

           “Finance, up at MetLife.” Ian regarded the bearded man. Instead of slinking away like a normal person, he had remained in their circle, staring at the two of them. “Hey listen, I’m meeting Brad and Amy for a little get-together tonight. Want to come?”

            ‘Marissa’ stole a nervous peek at the bearded man before smiling. “I’d love to!”           

           Ian touched her shoulder and guided her away. The bearded man remained at the bus stop, watching them go.

            When they were out of earshot, ‘Marissa’ exhaled the breath she was holding. “Thank you. That man had been following me for five blocks before you stepped in. Who knows what he would have done if you weren’t there.”           

           “No problem, I’m just glad I was in the right place at the right time. There’s tons of sickos on these streets. I’m Ian, by the way,” he said with a smile. 

           “Annie.” She grinned back.           

           “Nice to properly meet you, Annie. Do you think you’re okay now?” 

           Annie shivered in the night air, eyes darting around the street. “I’m sorry I made you miss your bus. I understand if you have to go…”

            “It’s okay. I was just going home to an empty apartment anyway; doesn’t matter if I’m late. I’m happy to keep you company if you want.”

            “Really?” Annie’s face brightened. “That’s so nice of you. It’s just that I have to go through Kensington to get home, and you know how it is. Are you sure you don’t mind –”

            “Not at all,” Ian said with another smile.

            They walked the trash-lined city avenues, past pubs, warehouses, and thrift shops. Philadelphia really was a wonderous metropolis. And Annie was a pretty lady. She chattered on about her job writing for a fashion magazine and her true passion designing women’s shoes. In another life, Ian might have taken her out on a date somewhere in a nicer part of the city. But tonight, there were more important matters.

            Annie glanced behind her again. “Shit!”

            “What is it?”

            “He’s still following us!”

           Ian peeked over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the bearded man twenty feet behind them. The man’s eyes stared straight ahead from under his baseball cap. Except for the three of them, the street was empty, an eerie valley between run-down townhouses.           

           “He just won’t take a hint,” Ian said, picking up the pace. “Come on, we can lose him around that corner.”

            “But what if he doesn’t give up? I think we should call the police.”

            “It’s okay, I won’t let him hurt you,” Ian said confidently. “And I’ve got this in case he tries anything.” He pulled a Swiss-army knife from his coat and flicked it open.

            Annie swallowed hard, but she followed Ian around the corner down an alleyway. The streetlights melted away.

            They waited in the shadows, listening for heavy footsteps. Seconds stretched into minutes. But all Ian could hear were Annie’s frantic breaths and his own thudding heart. His right hand gripped the knife. His left still held the pearl earring. He turned it over in his fingers, feeling the smooth delicate contours punctuated by the sharp tip of the stud. Then he placed it in his pocket, along with the five other trinkets. The silver ring, the pink hair tie, the crystal blue bracelet, the purple button, and the gold choker necklace. He squeezed the knife and smiled.