Chapter 8
Marnee the Magnificent
Jake
“I’ll have a Diet Coke with a lime. And she’ll have a Painkiller. Keep ’em coming.”
“A lime?” She tilts her head. “Since when do you take fruit in your soda?”
“It’s better if it looks like we’re both drinking.”
“Why am I drinking? We have important spy work to do.”
The waiter returns with our drinks, and I nod my thanks.
“Rule one of being an incognito spy: Don’t say you’re a spy. It ruins the secrecy.”
“Noted.” She nods and takes a sip. “But you didn’t answer my question.”
“Because you’re nervous, and you look nervous. You keep saying things like spy work.”
“Okay, point taken. I’m drinking.” She takes an even bigger sip. “So, let’s talk about something else until they get here. I heard you say you’re going out to visit your mother soon.”
“I’ve been promising her that I’d come out there for a while. She’s kind of lost without Saoirse. I think she's driving my dad nuts.”
“What do they do all day? I mean, I know they worked for the O’Learys, but—”
I put my pointer finger to my lips. “Shh. Try not to say that name, or any other names, while we’re here. They know the family. They may even know me. I don’t know how invested they are yet, but we are trying to be discreet here, Flapjack. It’s why we’re tucked behind this giant plant.”
“Sorry. I suck at this. Just tell me what to do.”
“Nothing. They’re walking in right now. Keep your eyes on me. They’re going to pass us and sit in the corner behind me.”
“Why behind you?”
It’s my turn to tilt my head.
“Right, they might recognize you. So how are you going to gather information without turning around every two seconds?”
“You are going to give it to me.”
“And you’ve got me drinking?”
I wave to the waiter to bring us another round.
“Yup, and it’s time for another one.”
I lean into Marnee’s ear. “Stay like this for a minute. Pretend I’m whispering something cute that makes you smile and blush. I’m getting a count on his men and checking for anyone stationed elsewhere in the restaurant.”
Marnee takes a deep breath and bites her lip. “Blushing. Got it.”
I lean in closer, the smell of her vanilla perfume surrounding me, and whisper to her.
“That one standing on the right is his bodyguard. Those two sitting on his left are his sons. You can tell he doesn't want the younger one, Raymond, there. He keeps sneering at him. The younger one lets him down. The other one is his eldest son, Jeremy. That one on the far end is his advisor, Annato. And that one in the blue is his lawyer, Leo Lucchese. He’s Brazilian. A big deal. Very hard to lock down. He keeps a house on the island.”
“Better than The Nut?”
I back up and raise my eyebrows.
“Okay, no one is better than The Nut.”
“You’re doing it again. Divulging all our secrets.”
“Shit. Sorry. So what is this meeting all about?”
“These guys, they run this island. This is their weekly meeting where they discuss new business. We have an insider here who got a tip that Meredith Falls has been part of their discussion for the past few weeks. You and I are here to find out what exactly those discussions entail.”
“Why do they care about Meredith Falls?”
“Because ever since Skye took over, she’s been making some big moves. Branching out. We’re doing very well, and she’s putting us on the map. People are taking notice. And people want good things for themselves.”
“You know, I’ve never admitted this, but I sort of have no idea what it is that you guys do.”
“What do you think we do?”
She shrugs. “I just always assumed you stole things.”
“We do sometimes.”
“But it’s not all you do.”
“Nope.”
“You’re not going to explain it, are you?”
I shake my head. “Think of it this way. What does a CEO do for a living?”
“The CEO is the chief executive officer of a company.”
“Right, but what do they do?”
“Well, I mean, it depends on the company.”
“Good answer, but for any company, if you had to give a general description of a CEO’s responsibilities, what would they be?”
“I don’t know. To oversee operations and managers.”
“Yeah, that’s a pretty good description. Also, to come up with strategies for success and oversee implementation of those strategies.”
“You know, we never talk business, but it’s kind of hot when you say things like implementation of strategies.”
The waiter drops off another round of drinks and nods at me twice.
“I’ll remember that next time I’m trying to impress you. Now look back behind my shoulder and tell me who’s doing the talking.”
“The lawyer.” Marnee takes a big sip of her new drink and sets the old one at the edge of the table.
“Anyone else?”
“Not really. Bingham’s oldest son is talking a little, but mostly the lawyer. His younger son is writing things down. Should we be writing things down?”
“We don’t write anything down. We remember it. That way we don’t get caught with anything.”
“A—I don’t like the idea of getting caught. And, B—I’m not going to remember anything after these Painkillers.”
“You just tell me what you see. I’ll file it all away.”
“You’re very impressive, Jake Monroe.” She smiles at me, and I love her smile, but I wince.
“Oh, right. No names. Ooh, let’s do fake names,” she says excitedly. “I’ve always hated my name.”
“Why do you hate your name?”
“Marnee? Are you serious? It’s a hideous name. Call me… ooh, Delphine. And you can be Monty.”
“Monty?”
“Short for Montgomery, of course. But you and I are close, so I call you Monty.”
“Maybe slow down on the Painkillers, Delphine.”
“Why would I do that, Monty?” She trails her fingers down my cheek.
“Very lovey-dovey. Well done, Flapjack.”
“It’s Delphine.”
“Okay, Delphine, tell me what else you notice over there.”
“Ummmm, they’re having weird-looking lobsters. They just got delivered to the table.”
“See if you can read the lawyer’s lips.”
Marnee stops short and backs up a little. “I can’t do that. I’m not Nina.”
I’m taken aback by her offense. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I wasn’t implying that. I just sort of learned how from her. It’s not as hard as you think. Honestly, give it a try. Chances are you’ll be about sixty percent right.”
The waiter drops another round of drinks and nods at me again.
“I’m not done with this one,” Marnee starts, then says, “Oh, fuck it,” and knocks back the rest of her second drink.
“Maybe some water next round,” I suggest to the waiter. He takes the empty glass away, and she moves the third Painkiller in front of her.
“You know,” she says, “I can’t read lips, but I can do this.”
She stands up and straightens her dress.
“What are you doing?”
She ignores me. And, to my complete fucking horror, walks straight over to Bingham’s table.
I can’t help but turn around. She leans in toward the younger son and says something.
He smiles.
Bingham gestures to the waiter to bring them another chair.
And she fucking sits down with them.
What the fuck?
I shift in my chair until I can watch them through this giant leafy plant beside our table without making it obvious.
Marnee crosses her legs and smiles at something Raymond says. Not her polite nurse smile. Not even her real smile. This is something else. Something calculated.
Where the fuck did she learn how to do that?
I start debating what I’ll have to do if this goes badly. I have three knives tucked into my clothes but no guns. I didn’t think this was a gun visit.
Not my greatest move.
My heart is racing. She’s sitting at a table with men we came here to spy on, drinking their booze and laughing like she’s known them for years.
What the hell is she doing?
Finally, after about fifteen minutes, she stands. Raymond stands with her. He places his hand on the small of her back, and I have to remind myself that stabbing the man we came here to gather information on would probably defeat the purpose of gathering information on him.
She says something else to him, smiles, and then saunters back toward me like she didn’t just shave ten years off my life.
“What the fuck were you doing?”
“Getting information.” She drops into her chair and reaches for her drink.
“By sitting down with Bingham?”
“I didn’t sit down with Bingham. I sat down with Raymond. There’s a difference.”
I stare at her.
She sighs. “I said I was on vacation and that I work in Glenbroke. Naturally, they knew it’s next to Meredith Falls.”
“You told them you live near Meredith Falls?”
“Relax, Monty. They had all kinds of questions for me, and I got a ton of information.”
“Such as?”
“They’re planning a trip there next month. They don’t know who you are. They know Skye and Van. They know Colin and Madigan in Ireland. And they think the relationships are a front for business. Little do they know that those men are die-hard about their relationships.”
“All of us are.”
She takes a big drink. “Right. Well, I flirted with the younger son, the fuckup—because if anyone is going to divulge important information, it’s the fuckup—and told him we should get a drink when his meeting is over. He’s meeting me at the bar in a few minutes.”
“He didn’t think it was weird that you were here with a guy but going to meet him for a drink at the bar?”
She shrugs. “I told him we’re in an open relationship.”
“You told him what?”
“An open relationship. You know, where—”
“I know what an open relationship is. And you think he bought that?”
She gestures between us. “Why wouldn’t he?”
“You’re too drunk to do this.”
“I’m just the right amount of drunk. Now take your waiter spy and go watch me from the kitchen. There’s a pretty good view of the bar from there.”
I go completely still.
“My what?”
“Your waiter spy.” She nods toward him. “I noticed he was Morse-coding you with his nods and drinks. I may be new at this, but I’m not stupid, Jake.”
Son of a bitch.
“No, you’re not stupid.” I shake my head slowly. “You’re magnificent.”