Page 202 of King’s Ransom

Then Yasmina turned to me.

‘You,’ she said.

(I recalled when she’d first said that to me on December 21st, after I’d jumped across the elevator shaft to save her falling son.)

She handed me the last gift.

It was thin, like an envelope, but wrapped.

‘This is for you.’

I peeled off the gift wrapping to reveal that it was indeed an envelope.

Yasmina said, ‘You took my case for no payment. Why?’

‘Because I believed you,’ I said. ‘Because it seemed like the right thing to do.’

As I spoke, I opened the envelope.

A single slip of paper was inside it.

A cheque.

I read the amount . . . and blinked.

‘Well, I am paying you now,’ Yasmina said. ‘Even if my payment is coming a little late.’

The cheque was for $50 million.

Hooters

Kirby Drive, Houston

7 February, 1230 hours

A month later, Audrey and I were back in Houston, having lunch together at my usual spot, at my usual time, at the Hooters off Kirby Drive, being served by my usual waitress, Millie-Mae.

All the waitresses at Hooters had seen the news coverage of my exploits in New York.

They’d even put up a framed copy of the Post’s front page featuring my photo and the headline: THE ACTUAL WORLD’S GREATEST DETECTIVE! with a handwritten addition:

HE EATS HERE!

They also knew that I’d used part of my bonus from Yasmina—about $4 million of it—to buy the franchise rights to their restaurant from the Hooters corporation and thus keep it open. While Millie-Mae still called me handsome, all the other waitresses now called me Boss.

(I also bought the Hooters on the Gulf Freeway in Webster, about 25 miles south of Houston, since it was facing imminent closure as well and Darla pulled extra shifts there and I like Darla even though she says I have no fashion sense.

Oh, and I kept another $5 million in case the restaurants needed repairs or if other unexpected stuff came up. You never know. It’s my first time owning restaurants.

I donated the remaining $37 million or so of Yasmina’s bonus to Heidi’s charity, SafeNewHomeUSA, the one that provided money and housing for women who fled their abusive husbands. I figured I had enough money and it was a good cause.

When I told Audrey I did this, she cried. At first, I thought I’d made some kind of terrible mistake, but then she kissed me harder than she’d ever done before. She said it was a great decision and that she was proud to be my girlfriend.

When I told Heidi, she kissed me, too, and hugged me so hard she almost broke my back.)

Anyway, back to lunch at my Hooters.

Millie-Mae had just taken away our empty plates and Audrey had gone to the ladies’ room when an email appeared in my phone’s inbox.