In Deep Water

The Proposal

Walking briskly through the quiet streets of London at night, Sofia Marauder passed fourteen red cars, two blue ones and six of every other colour. She turned down six, seven streets she wouldn’t normally go through taking note of every lamppost, unkempt bush and every cracked pavement tile.

She had grown to be very cautious in her line of work. But so far she had never really had to use it.

Now she could flex those muscles and put to the test the deductive skills she had at her disposal.

She was only cautious because she knew something was wrong. Someone was following her.

She didn’t know who, but she could feel that rising feeling in her stomach that warned her something was not quite right.

Turning one more corner, she leaped back in fright as she saw the man in front of her. He wore a shaggy white suit and he had straggly stands of dusty blonde hair.

“Frances!” She exclaimed, still breathing heavily as she tried to recover her breath. “Don’t sneak up of me like that. You know that I am an officer of the law and I could have-“

“What, killed me?” He grinned wryly, taking a step back to show he meant no harm. “Although…”

Taking two quick steps towards her, he raised his arm and made to strike her, but then stopped at the last second.

“I almost had you there, didn’t I?”

“Hardly!”

“You always were a feisty one. Still, I don’t come to you today to scare or harass you. No, my reason for coming here is purely business related.”

“You’re coming to me at eleven-thirty at night . With a business proposal?”

“Well, it does seem odd. I meant to ask you earlier today, but I lost track of you. You’re a very fast girl.”

Sofia was fast, and had it been most other people, she would have believed him. But he wasn’t most other people. Francis was dodgy business. He didn’t want to catch her at day. Better to do it at night time when there were no other people around.

She took a confident step towards him to show she wasn’t scared of him.

“Relax.” He laughed, coolly. “I mean you no harm. Trust me, if you accept this, great for me. If not, I’m a man. I can live with it. I’ll leave you alone.”

She found herself warming to him a bit, but she was still a bit wary. Would Frances Dasher truly leave her alone?

“So.” She said calmly, looking at her fingernails as if she was only mildly interested. In truth, she was desperate for some more adventure. Sure, the police side was an adventure of its own, but it didn’t provide her with the adventure she sought out. “What kind of business is this?”

“One which will change the world!”

*****

When Frances explained it to her, she thought it was utterly mad. To have come to her and told her everything proved that he thought he could trust her, but that didn’t matter. This was preposterous!

“No wait!” Frances cried, stumbling after the Inspector. “Just allow me to explain further!”

Slowing only marginally in her stride, she turned her head slightly and glared at him.

“It’s madness, Frances. I don’t know what’s gotten into you in the past five years since I saw you, but you better stay away from it!”

“But archaeology is my life!” He protested. He caught up with her and brushed off his pristine white suit, although it wasn’t really dirty.

“Archaeology,” She snided, squaring him in the eyes. “doesn’t involve bringing back the dead!”

“In a way… It does. We bring to light what once was.”

“I’m not interested in your half cast attempts to explain yourself. Just leave me alone!”

“Wait, if you let me explain, you will see that all you have to do is play the part of a double agent.”

“Do you think I am as low as that?! Whatever side is against you is most likely the good one. Why would I betray them?!”

“Whoever said I was on the bad side?”

“You formed a gang that stole priceless artefacts!”

“Not a gang. An organisation! And we don’t just steal any artefact. Only ones which prove most… beneficial.”

“Look!” She stated, stopping and pressing him in the chest. She wasn’t  a very tall woman, but the Inspector was still a force to be reckoned with. She could make herself seem taller than even the tallest man in the world and that was only one of the reasons she was good at her job. “I just got a position as an Inspector in that new town. It’s too far away from here and whatever you have planned and I don’t want to give it up!”

“You mean Folsense!”

“H-how did you know that?!”

“Well, you did say ‘that new town’. Anyway, that is why I am asking you. What I want to do is in Folsense!”

“Vey convenient… but still, no. If I am an officer of the law there, any heist you have planned is in my territory. I will be forced to arrest you. And don’t think I give any of my friends an exception, least of all a squirmy little man like you!”

“Squirmy!’ He squeaked, once more rubbing down his suit and then standing his ground in front of her. “I don’t think you understand. I am getting married there.”

The Inspector started at that and then found herself blushing. She never had feelings for Frances. He obviously didn’t love her as much as he claimed, so when they broke up, she was more than glad to be away. No, what was bothering her wasn’t jealousy. It was surprise. He had said he would never marry, and she believed it. He had a messy past and didn’t want to marry after a previous wife.

“And so wouldn’t you want to keep your wife happy? I’m sure the newly-wed wouldn’t want to see her husband put in jail because of his obsession with ancient junk!”

“It’s not junk! How dare you say that?!”

The Inspector raised her arms to show she meant no disrespect. She kept forgetting how serious Frances was about his passion.

“I-I’m sorry. Look, if you really are getting married, I want you to have a happy life. Not throw it away before it can truly begin!”

“I’m not going to steal anything. All I want to do is set up my base there. The creating a miracle can only happen there though. I know you are a woman of the law, but if you can let this by. As friends.”

“I don’t know… And what if I do let this by? How about this double agent deal?”

“I assure you that you will be paid exquisitely.”

"How much money...?"