Rex didn't listen to the advice. He didn't want to take any chances.
As the last customers left, Rex saw Garrett talking to a group of men near the door. He got closer, acted like he was cleaning a table nearby, and listened.
"Night fishing?" one of the men asked. "Are you sure about that?"
Another man said, "The moonfish only come out when the moon is full."
"Tonight is our only chance this month."
"They are rare and worth a lot! If we catch enough, we could feed the whole town for a week."
"I don't know," Garrett said with hesitation. "I'd have to stay out all night."
"Come on, Garrett! We need your help, and you know these waters better than anyone."
Rex saw his opportunity to do something more for his plan.
He approached the group with a grin on his face. "Fishing for moonfish at night? That sounds incredible."
The men looked at him, and one of them nodded. "It is, but it's a lot of work."
"We need fishermen who know what they're doing."
Rex said with confidence, "Garrett's the best," and patted Garrett on the back.
"You should really go. I can take care of things here overnight and make sure the inn is safe."
Garrett seemed unsure. "I don't want to leave Mara by herself."
Rex said, "She won't be alone."
"I'll be here."
"And to be honest, you've taught me so much that the least I can do is let you do something fun."
"When was the last time you went fishing at night?"
"Years," Garrett said. "Not since we bought the inn."
"Then you should go," Rex said again. "Mara will get it."
"It's for the town, isn't it? And I promise to take care of everything here."
The other guys joined in and cheered Garrett on, and Rex could see that he was giving in. It was clear that the man wanted to leave.
He missed the excitement of fishing under the stars and being part of something bigger than the daily grind.
Garrett finally nodded. "Okay, but first I need to talk to Mara."
They went to look for her, and Rex stayed behind to watch Garrett explain what was going on. Mara's face was carefully blank, but Rex could tell she was upset.
"It's only one night," Garrett said. "And Rex will be here if you need anything."
Mara said, "I'll be fine." Her voice remained steady, but her eyes betrayed her emotions.
"You should go...the food is needed by the town."
Garrett kissed her on the forehead, grabbed his things, and left with the other fishermen in the night. And then the inn was quiet and still.
Mara stood by the door for a long time after they left.
"Heh... he takes the fucking bait and leaves his wife with a monster like me. What a foolish move."
"Are you okay?" Rex asked in a soft voice.
She looked at him, and he could see how lonely she was. "I'm always fine."
"That's not what I asked..."
Mara's shoulders drooped a little. "I'm tired, Rex...I'm just...tired."
"Then take a break. I'm going to lock up the inn now."
"You don't have to do that."
"I understand, but let me do it anyway."
She looked at his face as if she was looking for something, and whatever she found there must have made her pleased because she nodded.
"Thanks..."
"If you need anything...I'll be upstairs."
"I won't need anything. Just rest and get a good sleep, alright?"
Mara went up to her room, and Rex finished closing the inn. He made sure everything was safe by locking the doors and putting out the fire. Then he stood in the dark bar and listened to the old building settle around him.
He could hear Mara moving around in her room above him. The sound of a window opening, the creaking of floorboards, and the rustling of fabric.
[DESIRE LEVEL: 31/100]
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS: EMOTIONALLY VULNERABLE]
[OBSERVATION: TARGET IS ALONE AND FEELING ABANDONED]
[OBSERVATION: TARGET TRUST IN YOU IS AT MAXIMUM]
[TIME REMAINING: 24 HOURS]
[OPPORTUNITY DETECTED]
"Yeah, you know the drill."
"It's time I make my move."
Rex sat and waited for an hour. This was sufficient time for Mara to prepare for bed, for the inn to become completely silent, and for any semblance of propriety to falter.
Then he got up and moved.
He climbed the stairs slowly and carefully, avoiding the creaky spots he had memorized over the last three days. There was only a small amount of light coming from under Mara's door in the dark hallway upstairs.
She was still awake.
Rex walked up quietly, his heart racing not out of fear but out of excitement.
This was it.
This was the moment everyone had been anticipating. Three days of careful handling, building trust, and becoming necessary culminated in this moment.
He spent three days making Mara believe he was everything her husband wasn't.
He got to her door and stopped to listen. He could hear her breathing and maybe the sound of sheets moving.
Was she reading? Lying awake? Thinking about her absent husband?
She couldn't help but think of the kind young man who had made her feel as though someone had seen her for the first time in years.
Rex's hand went to the door handle, but then it stopped. He had to see first to look at the situation before moving on.
There was a small crack in the door that wasn't quite closed all the way. Rex moved closer and turned so he could see through without being seen.
He gasped at what he saw.
Mara was sitting on the edge of her bed, fully dressed, with her head in her hands. Rex felt a jolt when he saw that her shoulders were shaking.
She was crying with tears that she probably wouldn't let anyone see.
She looked up at the window where the moonlight fell on the floor, and her face showed such deep loneliness that even Rex, who had spent his whole life manipulating people's feelings, felt something twist in his chest.
He couldn't quite hear what she said. Maybe it was a name. Or a prayer.
Perhaps it was simply a desperate cry from a woman who had endured so much on her own that she was unsure of how to rely on others.
After that, Mara got up and slowly and tiredly began to unbutton her shirt.
Rex looked through the crack in the door, his mind racing with ideas, his body sending him information and suggestions, and his whole being focused on the woman just a few feet away who didn't know she was being watched.
This was it.
It's time to make a choice.
The point of no return.
Rex's grip on the door frame got tighter as Mara's shirt fell to the floor, showing her pale skin, which was marked with the signs of a life of hard work. She reached for her nightgown, and her movements were stiff and worn out.
They are beautiful because they are weak.
[DESIRE LEVEL: 35/100]
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS: CRITICAL VULNERABILITY]
[WARNING: TARGET IS IN EMOTIONAL DISTRESS]
[WARNING: NEXT ACTIONS WILL DETERMINE FINAL OUTCOME]
[RECOMMENDATION: PROCEED WITH EXTREME CARE]
[OR DON'T PROCEED AT ALL]
[YOUR CHOICE]
[YOU TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE PERSON]
Rex stood in the dark hallway and watched Mara get ready for bed by herself through the crack in the door. Her husband was miles away, chasing fish in the moonlight.
And he grinned.
Because he knew exactly what he was going to do next.
"It's time to steal someone's wife..."