“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know.”
Jake almost smiled.
“Good start.”
She looked at his truck.
Then at him.
“You’re a mechanic?”
Jake glanced down at the small white lettering on his jacket.
MORRISON AUTO & TIRE.
“Either that or extremely committed costume.”
A surprised laugh escaped her.
It helped.
Jake walked toward the Mercedes.
“Name?”
“Sophia.”
He stopped for half a second.
Coincidence.
Maya’s date was Sophia too.
Common enough.
He did not ask surname.
“Sophia, I’m Jake.”
She stared.
Not recognition.
Not yet.
Just listening.
“What happened?”
“I was driving normally and then the dash lit up.”
“What light?”
“Several.”
“That’s less helpful.”
“I know.”
“Did engine stop while moving?”
“It lost power first.”
“Any smell?”
“No.”
“Noise?”
“Maybe clicking?”
Jake looked toward the car.
“Try starting it.”
Sophia climbed into the driver’s seat.
Jake stood near the open hood.
The starter clicked twice.
Nothing.
“Again.”
Click.
The lights dimmed sharply.
Jake raised a hand.
“Stop.”
Sophia stepped back out.
“Battery?”
“Maybe.”
He took a small flashlight and meter from his truck.
The battery voltage was low, but not dead enough to explain everything.
He checked terminals.
Positive secure.
Negative appeared secure until he touched it and felt the slightest movement.
Jake frowned.
He loosened it.
Corrosion had built beneath the terminal where it was not obvious from above.
“You had battery work recently?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“Where?”
“Denver.”
Jake nodded.
He removed the connection, cleaned it with a small wire brush, then checked cable.
The ground strap had also been left barely tight enough.
Not catastrophic.
Enough for cold and vibration to create trouble.
Sophia stood near him, arms wrapped around herself.
“You should get back inside.”
“I feel rude.”
“You’ll feel worse with frostbite.”
“I’m not going to get frostbite in five minutes.”
Jake looked at her boots.
“Those shoes are filing paperwork already.”
She looked down.
Then laughed.
“I had a dinner.”
“So I guessed.”
“A date.”
Jake’s hand paused.
“Ah.”
Sophia looked embarrassed.
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”
“What way?”
“Like I needed you to know.”
“I didn’t think you did.”
“Good.”
Jake returned to the cable.
Sophia stood quietly for several seconds.
Then:
“I didn’t want to go.”
Jake looked up.
“What?”