Forty Degrees Below

Chapter 6

"Do you think he suspects?" Liz asked looking at her friend.

"He hasn't got a clue!" replied Mercedes.

They both watched Jake from Liz's apartment as he made his way down the street to the car rental offices before turning into the yard and disappearing from view.

"Believe me, its better that way," Mercedes added as they sat back down on the sofa. "He's so insensitive sometimes; you could hit him over the head with a mallet and he wouldn't know about it." 

"I don't know, he does seem quite cute," Liz retorted, exaggerating a pout, and fluttering her eyelashes.

"Hey! Don't even think about it!" Mercedes quipped.

They both laughed.

"Seriously, I wonder about him sometimes," she added. "He's so full of himself."

"Well, what he doesn't know, won't hurt," replied Liz. "In this case, his egotistical behaviour plays right into our hands."

"But how long do I have to keep up the pretence? It's driving me crazy."

"For as long as it takes, is the answer. Look, all you've got to do is play along. Let him do all the hard work."

"What if he gets suspicious?"

"Just relax Merc," Liz replied, resting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Everything will be okay, you've done marvellously well, and like you said, he doesn't even suspect he's being manipulated. You'll have no problem getting an acting job in this town; that must have been a very compelling performance you pulled off there."

"I suppose you're right, but that was the easy bit if anyone can persuade Curtis Neumann to open up, it's Jake. Anyway, it's not done and dusted yet. Jake thinks I believe he will be starting the interview process with Curtis this morning, so we've still got this last hurdle to negotiate, but like I said, if anyone can, Jake can."

"What does Jake think about me?" Liz asked.

"Only that you've got a big mouth, and he doesn't trust you, so you've not done a bad acting job yourself. Just don't forget to look ecstatic when I blurt out by mistake that he's got the assignment."

"Trust me; I won't."

"Then, I guess it's stage two!"

"Yeah, planting the seed in Jake's mind, I don't imagine will be difficult. You've done a great job up until now," Liz added.

"To be honest, I'll be so glad when I'm shot of Jake, can't stand him. I should get a medal for putting up with him, let alone acting the part. Tonight, for example, I've planned to show my appreciation by hauling him off to bed and seducing him; Yuk!"

Liz this latest comment for a short while. "Well, you've got to play the part, but I'll tell you what you could do. Every time you look at Jake, imagine he's covered in hundred dollar bills; it should make seducing him that bit more bearable."

"Hadn't thought of that, good idea Liz."

"And as everything else progresses, all we need to do is remain focused on the objective."

"Don't you think it's funny, though, why nobody's ever stopped to ask why Curtis' never gives an interview? You'd think it was such an obvious question. When you read the various comments that people have written about him, they just pass him off as being shy, retiring, reclusive, any number of things..."

"Other than the truth!" retorted Liz.

"Well, it's a good thing that nobody's cottoned on. That's why we need to stay close to Jake when he discovers Curtis' secret, because as soon as the article is published everyone will want a piece of the action."

"And that's why we need to make sure it never gets as far as publication; whatever it takes."

"That's the bit I don't like to think about, I hate the thought of violence, even if it is directed at Jake," Mercedes replied.

"Maybe it'll never come to that. Look at it this way; it's a bit like panning for gold; finders, keepers," replied Liz with an amused expression, shrugging her shoulders.

They both laughed.

"You read about people like Curtis Neumann, who go from poverty to millionaire overnight with no apparent evidence of how they acquired it," Mercedes pondered. "And all we're looking for is a slice of the action - what could be fairer than that?" she said wearing a cynical smile.

"You're right, in two years he's gone from nothing to owning a sixteen-million-dollar country estate outside Santa Barbara for crying out loud! And you wonder why nobody's questioning it?!" added her friend.

"Well, maybe they do," continued Mercedes. "Maybe they've figured it all out, but it's so 'way out there' that it's the stuff of dreams for most people."

"Yeah, you might be right. Anyway, by the time Jake realises that we duped him, we'll be long gone."

"Get outa hea!" Exclaimed Mercedes in her best New York accent and they both fell about laughing.