Bess
Carloswalksoutofthe 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 tosayanything 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.
