Chapter 4 #2
“I guess I should have known,” Jessie said.
“But what you might not have known is that Cary Grant was British and spent a good many trips flying back and forth to London. And on one of those trips he was flying on the same plane with another famous icon, Neil Simon, the Broadway playwright and screenwriter. They became good buddies on the trip. Neil was dreading the lines at customs, but Cary put his arm around him and swept him right through. No fuss, no muss.”
“Must have been nice to be Cary Grant.”
“Jake Brice always loved that story, and when he became wildly successful, he used his fame to make life easier for him and the people around him.”
“And his helpful connections included Fitz?”
Jessie nodded. “One of the best. However, once Brice gave me a lead, I managed to improve on the base product. It was just too good not to use at every opportunity.” She added, “And you can see it’s practically an heirloom that we’ve inherited from legends of the past.”
“You’re reaching, Jessie.”
“Maybe a little.” Her eyes were twinkling. “But the story is true. Brice could probably document it if you prefer.”
Kendra shook her head. “All I need is some Oscar-winning actor whom I’m sure could persuade anyone the sky is actually purple to make me believe that it’s true. I’ll pass.”
“Whatever you say.” Jessie gazed out the tinted windows at the street they were passing. “I think we’re almost at the flat Fitz rented. It has to be close by. There’s the wheel.”
Kendra’s gaze followed hers to the London Eye in the next block. “It’s gigantic.”
“You should see how the colors light it at night. The crowds love it.” She made a face.
“Me, I prefer Big Ben and the tower. This reminds me of a county fair.” She pointed to a shadowy area in the next block.
“But that’s probably what you’ll want to see.
That’s the Queen’s Walk Book Mart from the postcard you showed me. ”
Kendra strained to see it, but the mist was too heavy, “Yes, I do want to see it. Tell Fitz to stop.”
“We’re almost at the flat. Why don’t we go and settle in and then walk down there a little later? I’d like to take a look around the neighborhood and make sure we don’t run across any surprises.”
Kendra tilted her head. “What would you do if I said we go now?”
“We’d go now,” Jessie said. “I made you a promise.”
Kendra laughed. “This might have been a test case.” The van was stopping.
“But I’ll take a chance that it wasn’t. By all means, let’s go check out the flat.
I might want to spend more time at that bookstore and talk to the owners.
It could be interesting to find out exactly why Lynch thought that postcard was so important that he went to the trouble of hiding it . . .”
“Here we are.” Fitz slid open the van door and helped Kendra and Jessie out.
“It’s a two-bedroom flat and bathroom, Jessie.
” He handed her the key. “Nothing fancy, but you said that you wanted to be close to the book mart and unobtrusive. It’s the best I could do on short notice because it’s so close to the Eye.
Anyone on that wheel can see the entire city from the top.
This street is a couple more blocks away and older and so full of twists and turns you could get lost. But then so could anyone following you.
” He was suddenly frowning. “You should have given me more time. I would have done better.”
“I didn’t have more time,” Jessie said. “And you always do a great job. I’m sure this will be no exception.”
“I hope not.” He grimaced. “Brice told me I had to get you everything you needed. I don’t want him to be disappointed in me.”
Jessie stiffened. “Brice? You talked to Brice?”
He nodded. “Just to get an approval on the flat. You were already halfway to London and I had to work fast. I thought he’d know what you wanted for her.” He nodded at Kendra. “He knew her name but he couldn’t help me.” He added reproachfully, “Like I said, you should have called me sooner, Jessie.”
“And you shouldn’t have called Brice in Rome at all,” Jessie said in exasperation. “He has nothing to do with why I’m here.”
“Sorry. But he asked a lot of questions,” Fitz said. “And I couldn’t answer them.” He shrugged. “He’s my buddy. I don’t like to tell him no.” He turned to Kendra. “If you need anything else, just give me a call. Jessie will give you my number.”
“Thank you. I certainly will. This has been a very different experience for me. But don’t blame Jessie. I was moving so fast, she barely had time to arrange anything.” Kendra turned back to Jessie. “Come on, let’s go check out the flat.”
Jessie nodded and turned to Fitz. “Good job. I shouldn’t have been impatient. I’ll be sure to call you if we need to send up a red flare.”
“See?” Fitz grinned as he glanced at Kendra. “I told you she thinks I’m awesome. She’s a woman of great judgment. She just gets a little edgy now and then. I admit there are times she reminds me of my mum.”
“Fitz.” Jessie’s tone was definitely warning.
He was smiling mischievously as he jumped back in the driver’s seat. “Except Mum would never roar around town on a motorcycle or take the crazy chances you do, Jessie. So maybe you’re one of a kind.” He chuckled as he started the van. “Call me if you need me and I’ll be here. See you, Jessie.”
Jessie muttered a curse as she watched him drive off down the street. “I remind him of his mother? Now, that hurt.”
Kendra was grinning. “I’m sure he meant no insult. No one could think you in the least maternal. He’s a bit of a scamp, isn’t he? After all, he assured me I was no Beyoncé.”
“But he didn’t say you reminded him of his mother.
” Then she started laughing. “You’re probably right.
He just wanted to get under my skin because he knew I was upset about him calling Brice.
Fitz always has to have the last word. I guess I was a little piqued because Brice told me once that he thought he had a crush on me.
” She made a face. “I could imagine how amused he’ll be when I let him know how wrong he was.
” She shrugged. “Oh, well, I’ll just have to find a way to get back at that cockney devil.
” She started toward the door of the flat.
“But let’s settle in and then get you down to that book mart. We’ve got work to do . . .”
“I’ll second that motion,” Kendra said as she picked up her suitcase and followed. “You’ve gone to all this trouble to slip me safely into the country, and it won’t be worth a damn if I don’t get the results I need.”
“And the principal result you need is to find this E. J. Porter that was on the postcard?”
“No, you realize the real result is to find Lynch.” Kendra’s lips tightened.
“And I’ll do it, dammit. Porter must mean something to Lynch, so I have to tackle him first. But I’ve no intention of going through those dozens of book outlets and hundreds of open shelves that Fitz pointed out to us.
I’m going to have a cup of tea and then call London information and see if they can point me in the right direction. ”
“May I go with you to interview this bookseller?”
“No, that’s my job. But you can drift around the other booths while you’re waiting for me and see what info you can pick up about the lay of the land. That’s what you said you wanted to do, isn’t it?”
“I’m not entirely pleased with all the details, but that plan sounds very you—a mixture of practicality and determination,” Jessie said. “And I particularly approve of the cup of tea.” She was already unlocking the flat’s door. “So let’s get moving!”
“I told you that I couldn’t help you,” the bookseller told Kendra flatly. “Didn’t you hear me?”
It turned out that E. J. Porter was one Elizabeth Porter, a woman in her late sixties with a less-than-warm personality.
“I’m a busy woman,” Elizabeth Porter added harshly.
“I can’t be expected to remember every customer.
” She impatiently pushed the postcard that Kendra had shown her back across the stand at her.
“And I give out dozens of these postcards every month. So do all the other shop owners here in the mart. We do anything we can to keep selling and putting food on the table.” Her tone was as rude as it had been since the moment Kendra showed up and questioned her about the man to whom she had given the postcard.
Kendra had been trying to keep her temper and smother her disappointment so that she could dig beneath that antagonism and see why a few simple questions had the effect of causing this instant coldness.
“You must have records and receipts. All I’m searching for is an address,” Kendra said.
“Would you let me go through your books for the last few months and see if I can locate something that might jog your memory?” Her gaze wandered over the stacks of books on the tables in front of the cash register.
“You seem to have a wonderful inventory. You evidently sell a wide variety of books of every description, from textbooks to first editions.” She stepped closer and reached out to caress the cover of a volume near the top of the stack.
“I see you have a number of science and history books I’d like to take a look at myself.
Would you mind? Perhaps if you were reminded what books you sold my friend, you might remember other details about him. ”
“No!” Elizabeth Porter knocked Kendra’s hand aside and shoved the book she’d been examining on a shelf underneath the cash register.
“You’re wasting my time. You’re not listening to me.
Let me repeat. I’m a busy woman, and I’ve no time for this nonsense.
I’m just an honest woman trying to make a decent living.
” She shrugged. “And how do I know you’re not some con artist out to cheat me?
There are all kinds of scammers out there waiting to take advantage of a hardworking woman like me. ”