Chapter 49
Chapter forty-nine
Bess
Carlos walks out of the library and climbs into the back of the black BMW he arrived in.
Moments later, Jason scurries through the main doors, phone clutched to his ear. His features slacken when he spots the BMW and he hurries in the direction of where he parked his Maserati.
The beemer slowly follows behind him.
“Where did the gangster wagon come from and who’s that massive dude?
” calls Elly from the café where she, Lutek and Jeanette have been pretending to be busy at the tables nearest the front windows in order to keep an eye on proceedings.
With it being post-three o'clock, the café is dead and can afford all of its staff to be distracted from their duties.
"I have absolutely no idea,” I say from the gallery window, “but I take it from Jason looking like he wished he'd worn his rubber underwear today that Carlos was able to work his magic.” Perhaps Carlos, actually being the man he’s said he is, is able to pull in any number of favours.
"He looked like his testicles had retracted so far they eclipsed everything but his ability to recall the word 'mummy'," says Elly.
"Does this all make us vigilantes?" asks Jeanette.
"Yes. Technically," says Lutek.
"Alright!" Elly raises her hand for a high-five, which Lutek obliges after a momentary pause. "We are so bad ass."
"We haven't got the money back yet," I point out.
"Did you see the absolute panic and fear on his face?" says Elly. "We're getting it back."
Ed exits the library and heads across the street, a large smile on his beautiful face.
"I think we need a celebratory drink." I turn the sign on the café door to "Closed" and open it to admit Ed.
"Carlos was magnificent," he says as he steps through.
Giving his hand a squeeze, I say, "Told you he was the right man for the job."
"He absolutely was." Ed holds out his phone. "The big guy he pulled out of his magic bag? Masterful. I recorded it so you could all bear witness to the devastating force of Carlos, master of the double bluff."
He plays the video. There isn't a lot to see, but the sound recording is enough.
"No way," says Elly when it's finished.
I try very hard not to look extremely smug, but suspect my face has arranged itself into an expression resembling extremely smug anyway.
Jeanette looks at me. "So you think he really was a spy or something?"
I shrug. "Ed convinced me it was a possibility. I hedged my bets."
"He was terrifying," says Lutek.
"Right?" says Elly. "I'm never going to doubt him again." She pauses. "Though I just remembered the Danish courtesan story, so I'm probably never going to say anything that looks like I'm doubting him again."
"I don't suppose we have champagne flutes hiding in a cupboard somewhere?" I ask.
"We have juice glasses and coffee cups," says Lutek.
I deliberate a fraction of a second before settling on the coffee cups.
Ed volunteers to get them and Jeanette eyes the ceiling thoughtfully. "Do you think there really is a guy named Russian Sergei capable of wiping an enemy from the face of the earth so thoroughly not even his unbelievably brutal reputation survives?"
"Carlos will tell you it's all true, no doubt," says Elly. "Then finish the story with how he learned Russian and infiltrated Russian Sergei's ring in order to take him down and make out with Sophia Loren on the same night or something."
"Could he really be MI5 or MI6?" says Jeanette.
I pop the top off the bottle before anyone can answer.
Elly jumps and Jeanette squeals in delighted fright.
Ed passes cups around, I pour, we hold our drinks aloft. "To being bad ass," I say.
"To being bad ass," everyone echoes.
We chink, and as I take a sip, Elly asks, "So when are you and Ed getting married?"
I snort the bubbles out my nose. It feels like my nostrils have been hot waxed and I grab a tea towel to wipe the fluid from my nose and the tears from my eyes.
"Steady on," says Ed.
"Yeah," I rasp, and throw the tea towel in the direction of the dirty laundry. "We only kissed that one time. Give us a chance to do a bit of fingering first."
"Only kissed that one time," says Elly. "Whatever. You've been banging madly since you went AWOL after the auction."
"Shall we go out into the garden?" I ask with fake cheeriness. "It's a lovely afternoon."
"Yes please," says Ed, heading towards the back door.
"I give it a couple of months," says Elly, following.
"That's very quick," says Lutek. "Don't most people wait a couple of years?"
"Next summer," says Jeanette. "Let's place bets."
So, we sit outside and wait for Carlos to join us, while Elly and Lutek and Jeanette create a betting ring on my and Ed's nuptials.
I vow to undertake an eternal de facto partnership just to spite them. Maybe I'll drop the odd wedding comment into conversation as a tease.
Half an hour later, Carlos appears as I've opened another bottle.
Ed claps him on the shoulder. "Here he is. The man of the hour."
Carlos beams. "All in a day's work, my boy. Nothing like some small-town espionage to keep the pecker up."
Elly's face turns in on itself. "Does that saying actually mean what it sounds like?"
Nobody appears willing to commit to an answer and I pour sparkling wine into a coffee cup for him. "You are a true star, Carlos." I give him a kiss on his cheek and his facial hair tickles my skin. "It really couldn't have gone any better."
"Where's Jason now?" asks Jeanette.
"He drove to his chum's house and my friend and I made a tactical withdrawal.”
“Your friend,” I say. “Tell us more about him.”
“I couldn’t possibly disclose information about my contacts, Bess. I know people. And that is all I’m prepared to say.”
"What about Bobby 'The Butcher' Barrett and Russian Sergei?" asks Ed. “Where on earth did they come from?”
Elly crosses her arms and raises one eyebrow above her smirk.
Carlos opens his mouth before closing it again. Then he looks skywards for a couple of seconds before settling his eyes back on Ed. "Nope. No idea, I'm afraid." He frowns at me. "Did you think them up?"
"No. We didn’t go into the finer details of what you’d say."
"Right." Carlos strokes his moustaches. "Bit of a mystery then, my boy."
Elly's arms drop to her sides. "You are joking. It's not very on brand, Carlos."
Jeanette laughs. "You sound scandalised."
I say, "After all your derision, you're genuinely disappointed there's no outrageous story attached, aren't you?"
"Yeah. I actually think I am."
I top up Elly's glass. "Have another drink. Pretending you're swilling champagne makes everything better."
"Speaking of making everything better," says Lutek. "Has Theo agreed to not raising rents?"
"Yes. He's going to agree to a couple more things, too, like hiring a financial consultant to pass any significant money-based decisions through, so he’s no longer a liability.”
"I'm definitely drinking to that," says Elly. She takes a gulp and looks at her watch. “Shit. I’ve got to pick Jackson up from daycare.” She hurries off with a “back soon” thrown over her shoulder.
Ed places his hand on the small of my back. It feels right and perfect. He leans in and whispers, "I'm really looking forward to all the fingering."
I snort. "Are you sure? We'll be obliged to get married immediately afterwards. Maybe we just stick to having another kiss."
He slides his hand down and over my bottom and gives it a gentle squeeze. He leaves it there, gathering heat.
"I see your game. Keep that up and I'll be taking you back to your place for the best kiss of your life."
Ed raises his eyebrows. "Of my life?" He shifts his gaze to the group. "How long before we can make an early exit without offending anyone?"
"Oh, we're not leaving early. The anticipation is part of the pleasure."
"Temptress." His hand shifts upwards, under my shirt to rest on my bare skin. Energy gathers beneath it and disperses to pool low in my belly. When the weight of it moves down to settle in my groin, I say, "Fuck it. Lutek?"
"Yes?"
"Can your workshop door be locked from the inside?"
He nods. "It has bolts. Why?"
I grab Ed's hand. "See you all in five minutes."
"Five minutes?" laughs Jeanette. "Poor Ed. That's a lot of pressure."
"It is a bit," says Ed.
"And yet," I say as I close the door on everyone. "I have every faith in your abilities."
When we emerge a fraction more than five minutes later and field the gentle teasing we deserve, everything feels as if it is now as it should be.
My Port Derrum family is secure and happy.
Jeanette says something to Ed and he tips his head back and laughs.
And me.
I am happy.