Page 20 - ARRS #582 - The Mystery of the Lost Wallet

Another Random Road Story #582

Sebastian!! THAT was his name!
On the other side of the wallet were several slots that held various bank
and credit cards. From just the visible tips of them, they all looked more
prestigious than those in my own pocket.
I cracked the bill fold compartment and counted $227 inside, and a receipt
from Taco Bell.
So this guy is walking around with four hundred and–– I counted all the
money together ––four hundred and SEVENTY-SEVEN dollars… AND a
pocket full of credit cards…. AND LOSES it all. Unbelievable!
A gust of traffic-wind brought me back to reality.
I laid the stack of loose bills and business cards inside the wallet and
closed it, holding it tightly so nothing would fall out. I scanned the area one
last time. When I was satisfied that there was no more treasure to be found I
headed back toward the cab. Its familiar purr was comforting, like the safe
zone in a game of Tag.
Back in the cab I set the wallet on top of the thick map book which kept
residence on the passenger seat. I got back on the road and continued west
toward the house on the hill with the horseshoe driveway. I was certain I
could find the place again without direction. After all, I get paid to navigate.
The whole way over to the house on Montague street I congratulated
myself on a job well done: A fine testament to customer service this was,
saving a guy’s ass like this. Thanks to me he will have his driver’s license,
credit cards, and money back. I’ve saved him from his own foolishness, and
the effort of fixing his own mess. And his deliverance will be hand-delivered,
PUN INTENDED, for the low, low price of an appropriate gratuity.
I continued to amuse myself by keeping up the faux-haughty ruse:
Yes, THAT’s the kind of service you get with ‘Not Another Cab Company!’
When he answered my knock on his big wooden front door, Mr. Sebastian
Alva Gilmour was wearing clean clothes and neat hair – a far cry from the
night before. He looked positively green though, as if he were sea sick.
Smiling brightly I held his wallet out to him and told him how I’d found
everything scattered among the cattails, and chased down the loose $50 bills.
He scarcely looked at me, thumbing immediately through his property.
“I found $250 loose plus $227 inside,” I went on. “Forgive me for looking
but I was acting as your agent. So if you had more than $447, it’s gone.”
My tone was full of camaraderie, as I’d just done him this good deed. Of
course if I was going to be dishonest I wouldn’t have showed up at all.
He didn’t return my smile.
“Is this all you found?”
“Yes, that’s everything I found and I looked around the whole area twice. I
didn’t keep anything, either, just so you know.” My tone turned defensive.