Timothy had never been good at judging people. That is the reason he liked Ronnie on the spot. He was a charming, neat and clean person. He spoke with the confidence that made you believe he could be able to build an empire from nothing. Ronnie told him that he was here to start his a business of import and export. It was a good reason for him to believe in him. Everyone in the city looks chasing some dream.

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

For sometime everything was completely fine and normal. Ronnie paid his share pf the rent on time. He cooked occasionally. He also helped Timothy to fix the old balcony railing with surprising skills. Ronnie said with a grin practical hands while brushing dust from his sleeves. Timothy did not thought anything about this.

But one night Timothy saw a bag and it started illusion about him. Timothy returned from his evening at the cafe. He was tired and half soaked because of the slow rainfall. He pushed the door and opened it. He entered the shared apartment and froze there.Ronnie was sitting crossed legs on the floor. A leather bag was opened before him. Inside the bag there was steel hand tools such as cutters, drills, and lock picking sets. He also had a small black gun.

Timothy became worried and he asked from Ronnie about those things. Ronnie looked towards him slowly. His expressions were unreadable. Then he gave a casual smile. He said these are the tools of trade.

Timothy asked him wondering, trade? You said you do import export business and why do you need these tools and the gun?

Ronnie closed the bag carefully. He locked it. He told him that sometimes the world of trade is not what it looks. Sometimes deals require persuasion. The words were light but his tone was heavy. Timothy wanted to laugh on it but the image of the gun was carved in his mind.

From that night everything about Ronnie was looking suspicious. He left at odd hours. He was returning late after midnight. His clothes have faint smell of the dust and metal. His phone rang with call of different languages which Timothy could not recognize. Once Timothy found an old paper near the kitchen. It had a list of numbers and addresses.

Finally the unease of Timothy boiled over. He asked from Ronnie if he is a thief or worse than that?

Ronnie softly said by moving his head that if I told you Timothy then you would not sleep tonight. The voice of Timothy cracked with the fear and fury and he asked about it. He told him that he let him stay there and trusted in him. But at that time he complaint that he did not even know with whom he is living.

At that time the confident mask of Ronnie slipped. His eyes were looking soft with something that Timothy could not name. Ronnie said that you are right and you deserve to know about this.

He came closer to him and his voice was dropping to a whisper. He said that he is not a thief or businessman. He said that he works for the governments because sometimes they need access to places where everyone cannot reach. such as banks, embassies, and corporations. And I find secrets and information of those places.

The heart of the Timothy pounded and he asked so you are a spy. Ronnie shake his head in amusing way if you like you can say a specialist and a ghost with toolkit. Timothy felt the room shrinking. He wanted to throw Ronnie out and to dial the police immediately. But the calmness of Ronnie made him hesitate from doing this. This was not bragging but this was a a confession.

Timothy asked him wondering that why you tell me now? Ronnie buttoned his cuffs with the mechanical precision. He said my work here has finished and tomorrow I will be gone. You would not see me again.

He was true and Ronnie vanished the next morning. His sharp suits were gone from the wardrobe. His shoes were missing from the rack. There was only the faint smell of cologne lingered. He left an envelop on the desk for Timothy.

Inside the envelop there was a single note which was:

‘Thank you for the roof. One day when the headlines whisper of scandals unraveled in silence you will know I had a hand in it. Until then forget me. It is safer that way.’

Timothy folded the note with the trembling hands and fingers. The relief was mixed with the dread. Ronnie had disappeared but his shadows remained behind him.

From that day whenever Timothy saw a news about the bank heist, the exposure of a secret, or a corporation brought to its knees he would pause with the tightening heart. Was Ronnie there somewhere in the blur of unseen hands?

And though Timothy never spoke his name again he lived with the uneasy truth that sometimes the man you call a roommate might be living not a dream but a life of secrets sharp enough to cut through the night.

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I would like to invite @miftahulrizky, @willeusz, and @heriadi to join this challenge to show their story.