Hiring Miss Linton

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Well, that was a weird job interview.

As Lily walked down the streets towards the train station, she can’t help but think about the words of Sir Dalgliesh.

Not just person could qualify as my private secretary. He or she has to be loyal. Betrayal doesn’t go unpunished by me.

Lily sensed that his company didn’t only deal with factories and shipping materials worldwide.

She looked for her phone in her bag and remembered that she had retrieved Simmons’ phone from the hotel earlier. How was she supposed to give it back to him?

Just as she fished it out of her bag, the phone beeped and vibrated at the same time.

Someone was calling Simmons.

Deciding that it would be better to tell the person from the other line that the owner of the phone has lost it (not meaning that he was crazy, but who knew?).

Sliding the green button to the right she lifted the device to her ear.

“Hello?” she politely said.

Lily heard a gasp over the line. What was wrong with the caller?

“Hey, uhm… are you alright. I just wanted to tell you that this is not Simmons. He left his phone on the sofa he was sitting on and I was wondering if I could meet up with a friend of his to return it to him.”

“This is not Simmons. It’s a female.” The muffled voice exclaimed to whoever his companion was.

After  a few seconds of muffled talking, the man’s voice became clear.
“Where is Simmons?”

“I d-don’t know.” Damn, why did I stutter?

Lily could hear a few curses over the line. There were more than two people who could hear this conversation!

“What are you wearing?”

“I beg your pardon?” Lily removed the phone from her ear and stared at it, flabbergasted.

“Describe to us what you’re wearing so we could meet up in the small cafe near Hyde Park.”

“You don’t sound like you are fond of Simmons. Why would I just follow your orders. For all I know you might be an enemy of his.”

“Just follow our orders, miss.” The man said. “Obey and no harm will come to you.”

“Blimey! How am I supposed to believe you if you say those kinds of things!”

Lily could almost hear an annoyed sigh. Seriously, no one could blame her for being cautious. But she had to return this phone so that it won’t bother her anymore.

“Okay, fine.” She tells the man on the other line. “I am wearing a black dress and my hair is done in a French braid. Where do we meet up again?”

“A cafe near-” his voice got cut off and was replaced by a cool and controlled voice. “See the tall and gray building to your left?”

Lily looked to the left and there it was.

The building was really, really tall and painted gray. One could call it intimidating, somehow. Especially with the two large columns that would greet you when one is about to enter the building.

“Yeah. Is it a monument dedicated to Mammon?”

“Most definitely not.” Apparently, he didn’t get that I was joking. “Go there. What’s your name?”

“Lillian Linton. And how come you know where I am?”

The person on the other line ignored her last sentence. “Tell the receptionist that you have an appointment with Mr Rikkard Ambrose.”

Rikkard Ambrose.

She clearly remembered Sir Dalgliesh asking if she was acquainted or linked to him. Lily’s blood ran cold. The two might be business rivals.

She knew she couldn’t meet up with him. Not if her job was on the line. Most especially when Sir Dalgliesh’s establishment is directly across the street.

If he saw her enter the building, she knew he wouldn’t be so sure about her being a loyal person.

“I c-can’t.”

“Why?” the man from the other line inquired.

“Beacuse it’s Rikkard Ambrose. I’m in a bind. I am never to be acquainted to him. At all costs!”

“What’s keeping you from meeting that individual?”

“Because Dalgliesh.” Lily stated with confidence. “If you know Mr Ambrose, then you must probably know who Sir Dalgliesh is.”

The cold voice from the other line became even colder. “Indeed.”

“So… Why would Simmons be linked with Rikkard Ambrose? I saw him earlier speaking with Sir Dalgliesh and they seemed close.”

“I knew it.” The man hissed. “That traitor.”

The gears in Lily’s brain whirred to a complete stop. She didn’t know what to make of this encounter. It seemed that Simmons was a bad guy being hunted by this individual under the employ of Mr Ambrose.

Maybe, it was better to just comply.

Looking back at Sir Dalgliesh’s building, she scanned if anyone was watching her - and found no one.

She ended the call and darted towards the tall building across the street.

***

“I’m Miss Lillian Linton. I have an appointment with Mr Ambrose.”

The receptionist, whom Lily wanted to nickname as Swallow-face, creased his brows. “I shall confirm first.”

As Swallow-face was about to lift the telephone to his ear, they heard the thudding of footsteps from the elevator heading towards the door.

The three men wearing tuxedos to be looking for something.

Or rather someone.

As the man (whom Lily guessed to be an Indian) looked at her, she noticed that recognition flashed in his eyes when he saw her.

They were looking for me! Sweet, little me.

“You there!” his thunderous voice resounded in the whole lobby.

“Uhm… yep?”

“Come with us. Sahib is waiting for you.”

He must be referring to Mr Ambrose.

Like an obedient minion, Lily followed the men through the staircase.

“Why can’t we take the elevator?” One of the men asked him, the guy who calls Mr Ambrose, Sahib.

“Because we wouldn’t want to treat the ally of our enemy with convenience.” They all looked back at me and shrugged.

Why those…

“Excuse me.” Lily stopped walking and put her hands on her hips, which caused them to halt and turn. “You just don’t talk about people when they can hear you.”

“Enough talk. Keep moving.”

And they proceeded. Swallowing her pride, Lily followed them. In a few minutes time, they reached the office door of Rikkard Ambrose.

“This is it?” Lily asked.

“Yes.”

The door was bare. And she noticed that there was no single decoration in the whole building. It was definitely all business.

This was the exact opposite of Sir Dalgliesh’s establishment.

One of the men cautiously knocked at the door, from which a voice answered “Come in.”

The same cool voice Lily had conversed with earlier.

With a swift twist of the knob, she was soon ushered inside.