A chat with the wizened walnut man in charge of the tobacco shop proved most enlightening with regards to the habits of his tenants upstairs. Rodrigo, he informed us, generally left the office by 5pm at the latest and would not return until late the following morning. Felicity Fortescue, however, would prove a tougher proposition to contend with. It seemed she rarely left the office until well after dark and indeed the tobacco shop man suspected she often stayed up there all night. “I think the lonely English senora buries herself in her work,” our new friend mournfully informed us.
“Well, that’s just where you’ll have to come in then Redgrave,” I announced cheerily to Michael.
“Me?” he responded blankly.
“You’ll have to take her out for a drink, won’t you? Get her out of the way for an hour or two.”
“Me?”
“I’d offer to do it myself but something tells me she’ll be more receptive to an invite from you.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Michael worriedly ran his hand through his hair.
“C’mon, she was practically salivating up there.”
“I’m not sure I’m up to it, to be honest,” he protested. “It’s been quite a while.”
“It’ll all come flooding back to you,” I insisted. “Offer to show her a bit of your dashing Orlando.”
Michael scowled. “I don’t think so.”
“I’m sorry but what exactly is your purpose on this trip?” I demanded, reluctantly resorting to emotional blackmail. “Is it not to assist me to track down Sturridge by any means possible? Maybe I ought to have a word with these ‘powers that be’. See if I can’t trade you in for Laurence Olivier.”
Michael continued to glower unhappily. “C’mon, you’re only asking her out for a drink,” I said, softened by his hurt look. “I’m not asking you to marry her or anything.”
There was an uncomfortable pause. I looked at the tobacco shop man, he looked at me and then we both looked appealingly at Michael.
“I’ll give you an hour and no more,” Michael reluctantly agreed. “You had better get those details.”
I beamed. The tobacco shop man beamed. Michael merely scowled more ferociously than ever.
*********************************
We loitered in the relative cool of the tobacco shop until just before five o’clock when we heard Rodrigo’s unexpectedly lively feet dancing down the stairs. Michael and I just had time to duck down behind the shop counter before he emerged in the doorway. He hesitated briefly before plunging out into the steamy late afternoon. We waited a good ten minutes to ensure he was long gone and then Michael reluctantly ventured up the stairs in order to invite Felicity Fortescue to come out and have a drink with him.
He took so long about it that for a moment I feared that the lonely English senora had proved to be more lonely than we had anticipated. I had visions of a harassed Michael being pursued, Benny Hill style, round her enormous desk in endless circles. However, eventually they emerged in perfect order, Felicity Fortescue beaming radiantly on Michael’s arm. I peered over the tobacco shop counter in time to see Michael dart a withering glare in my direction before they too headed off down the street.
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Travels Through An Imaginary Landscape
Adventure“The Landscape of the Imagination. Just say it exists. Really, actually exists. A world that has grown and developed from the whole of human imagination over thousands of years. Every story ever told, every character ever created, every idea ever co...
