The Thief and the Globetrotter

Chapter Eight: The Phone Call

Jasper hung up before Baz had a chance to argue.

Chicken sizzled in the pan, canola oil popping. So much for Baz's good mood.

Baz sighed, plucking a small chunk of chicken out. Cali purred at his feet, looking expectantly up at him until he fed her.

"Well, looks like we're not quite done yet..."

Cali, licking all flavor of chicken off his fingertips, gave no indication that she understood or cared.

***

The thing Baz liked best about Temperance, particularly the older parts of it, was the levels. Someone in Temperance's great architectural history had a vision for the city. So many buildings in the downtown core accommodated the sloping landscape by incorporating walkways that melted into the highest grade, creating practical balconies that overlooked the lower grade of the next street. Grand stone staircases joined the balcony to the street level below.

Baz loved it. He loved it for the juxtaposition of new and old. He loved it for the graceful way the design hugged the natural flow of the landscape. He loved all the places he could flip off of. Downtown Temperance was a parkour dream.

Baz tried to remind himself of that, balancing on the stone railing up the steps of the Temperance Public Library. He hopped up to the next sturdy post, leading all the way up to the platform overlooking the street and Faraday Park.

It was better in person than it was hung above Rei Collingwood's bed. Baz perched himself on the guardrail, feet dangling above the people walking underneath. Students, mostly. Faraday University's downtown campus loomed over him in all its stern, Gothic collegiate glory.

He liked it. He people-watched from his vantage point, looking for Jasper.

Baz recognized him by his posture as he walked, sharp and quick, almost jerky. Ridiculously enough, he didn't wear his sunglasses. The one clear, sunny afternoon Baz ever saw him, and the stupid dark lenses weren't on his face.

"No, no. I'm sure he doesn't know. He hasn't asked yet."

Jasper stopped almost directly beneath him. Baz blinked. Jasper didn't look up. He looked like he was talking to himself. It didn't surprise Baz at all that Jasper was the type of person that walked through the streets wearing a Bluetooth headset.

"I'm meeting him soon. Late, as usual," Jasper said, and Baz consciously chose not to be offended. It wasn't his fault Jasper set up arbitrary time expectations for everything Baz did, as if Jasper knew how long was reasonable to break into houses.

"How could he know it was empty? It wasn't open when I received it," Jasper said, "she must have both the key and the will."

Part of Baz wanted to slip off the guardrail and hit the sidewalk below. Or, maybe, land right on top of Jasper. What Baz didn't know, he did now, and it made him a little sick to his stomach.

Baz was just a pawn, as invisible and likely as disposable as anyone else walking by. All Baz could do was watch Jasper beneath him, the man checking his watch impatiently. Let him wait. Let him talk. Baz could be a clueless pawn if that was the role Jasper decided to cast him in.

"How is that my problem?" Jasper said. A pause. "I'll see if I can find out."

Baz rubbed at his face. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

Jasper said nothing more, only checked his watch more and more frequently. Baz took it that the phone call was over. He swung his legs back over to the safe side of the guardrail. Could he just skip town, escape the way Rei had and forget any of this happened? Let his friends believe him dead or kidnapped? It was a surprisingly enticing thought in the moment. It sure as hell beat the idea of going down there and biting his tongue in front of Jasper, putting on a stupid smile and pretending to be the brainless oaf Jasper seemed to think he was.