Two more days passed with no sign of the Volturi. Several of our friends had taken the nomads on a vegetarian hunt. They agreed just as Benji and Tiago had, promising to try it at least once.
Today, a few of us sat discussing strategies of what we should say to present our case to the Volturi. It reminded me of how a defense team prepared arguments for a court case. Much to Eleanor's discontent, Edythe always argued that we weren't making any sort of battle plan. She likened the situation to a game of chess, where we had to make moves of wits and strategy and analyze the situation like a chess board, rather than a battlefield.
I was so caught up in the conversation, I almost didn't notice the low commotion starting in the front yard. Edythe was the first to jump to her feet as usual, and I could hear Carine outside speaking in a surprised tone.
"Who sent you here?" Carine asked someone.
"We sent ourselves," said a woman's strange, wispy voice. She had a foreign accent that I didn't recognize.
"Word travels quickly," another woman said in a voice so similar that I almost didn't notice it was a second person.
I could see the two women now; they were both really short and petite, and both had the same ashy blonde hair that almost looked gray. They had an odd, powdery look to their skin that set them apart from the rest of us. It was if they were soft and fragile, rather than hard as stone. But I knew otherwise.
When I saw their faces, though, I realized why they had sounded so similar. They were biological twins. They looked like exactly the same person, only in different clothes.
The second woman spoke again. "A little birdy told us the Volturi were moving against you, and that you planned to challenge them. It appears the rumors are true," she said as her eyes darted around to all of our company.
"No, no, no. There must be some misunderstanding. We are not planning any sort of attack," Carine answered in a strained tone. "What you see here are witnesses. You see, there has been a tremendous accusation against my family, but we haven't actually done—"
"We do not care what you did, Carine," the first voice interrupted. "Whether you broke the law or not, we are eager to see the Italian scum be challenged. We've waited fifteen hundred years for someone to make such an attempt."
"This isn't what you think, Stefani," Carine said. "It is definitely not our intention to challenge the Volturi."
"Then what exactly are your intentions, Carine? Surely you do not expect the Volturi to take this peacefully," the other woman said.
"If you would allow me to explain, Vladimira..."
Carine told the whole story for what seemed like the hundredth time. It didn't make it any easier knowing that this had become sort of routine. I slowly pulled the pieces together over the course of the conversation to realize these were the two surviving members of the Romanian coven, the Dacia.
They took everything in stride, as they were focused on their resentment for what the Volturi had done to them so long ago. They were even more delighted to know about our alliance with the werewolves. Most vampires didn't know they existed.
They were fascinated by the special talents they observed here.
First, they noticed Edythe answering unspoken questions, and their eyes lit up. They were especially thrilled when Kirill showed what he could do. But most of all, they were downright astonished when they witnessed my immunity to both these skills.
Their faces were wide with a burning hope that the Volturi might actually be thwarted for once. We didn't hope for exactly the same things, but at least there was that. At least someone was rooting for us. We could all have some small margin of hope after all.
The Romanians were the only ones who immediately took to the idea that the Volturi were taking advantage of their law for the purpose of personal gain. They were highly amused at how other vampires thought so well of their lifelong enemies.
With so much company around, the atmosphere in the house was always a low humming of voices, many conversations taking place all at once. I felt bad for Edythe when it occurred to me that this was what it was always like for her—a never-ending buzz of voices from everyone within her radius.
Vladimira kept shooting glances in my direction during her conversations with her sister. So it was those two I listened to most of the time.
"I do hope you're right about that young one," she said to Stefani at one point. "I can't imagine how much foothold the Volturi would have with their abilities taken away from them. The word will spread no matter what happens here. I think it's time the world saw the Italians for what they really are. Especially with that mind reader, there's no way everyone could go on believing that nonsense about preserving our way of life."
Stefani nodded along with her sister. "But just think of what will happen if the Volturi come out on top in this conflict," she whispered as if no one would hear. "They will leave with more power than they came with. Think of what that newborn alone could give them... And he's barely even touched his gifts. More than we can afford to have them gain, wouldn't you agree?"
For a second, I wondered what she meant by that, then Vladimira answered my unspoken question.
"That means... we must do what we can to expose them while we have the chance. If their offense isn't able to incapacitate their enemies, they'd be forced to hear out what has to be said. I'm suspecting Sulpicia's witnesses will want proof of Carine's innocence."
"We may not be able to cripple them," Stefani said. "But maybe someday when the truth is out, others will finish the job for us..." she hesitated a moment.
"And our vendetta will finally be paid," they both murmured in unison.
I was starting not to trust the ancient twins. Their agenda seemed to be more for themselves rather than an interest in helping us. I suppose if they were able to bring an end to the Volturi one day, no matter what might happen to us, then at least there would be some sort of consolation prize in the end. Our demise didn't have to mean absolutely nothing.
Of course, everyone in the house had overheard the sisters' conversation.
"Carine," Petrina said as if she were speaking privately with her and the whole room wasn't listening. "I really don't want this to come to a fight."
"Of course," Carine said. "You know that's the last thing I want. All of you must know that," she said as she looked around at the crowded room.
"But you know your wishes won't help you," Charles said blankly. "I would rather not watch my friends be killed."
"We sure as hell won't stand by to be taken out for a crime we didn't commit," Eleanor said, irritated. "But you don't have to stick around. You can leave whenever you so please."
"That goes for all of you," Carine said. "I do not want any of you involved in a physical fight. Know that you are free to go at any moment. I don't want you feeling obligated to do anything. This is already too much for me to ask, just having you here."
And that pretty much ended the drama for the day. Everyone slowly dispersed. Some went off to hunt, others passed the time going through Carine's books or TVs or computers. The Romanians had never used computers before, and they were especially fascinated by them.
"It's intriguing," Stefani said. "The humans and their ever-evolving technologies... It wouldn't surprise me if they were able to devise weapons aimed at destroying us."
"Are you saying you agree with Aro's sacrosanct law of secrecy then, sister?" Vladimira asked teasingly. The law of secrecy, I'd learned, was devised by Sulpicia's late husband, Aro.
"Of course not!" she huffed. "If we still ruled as the Volturi do, the humans never would have acquired so much power. They would see us as gods, much like some of our brethren seem to view the Volturi."
"You know, the humans actually do see Marcus as a saint," Taran said. "Not that they actually realize it. But they do all the same."
"Ah yes, the irony of it all," Stefani rolled her eyes.
"What are they talking about?" I asked Edythe.
"How familiar are you with Christian history? Have you heard of Father Marcus?"
I nodded.
"Father Marcus is actually Marcus of the Volturi."
"No way," I said in disbelief. "But doesn't Italy have a celebration for Saint Mark every year? Something about ridding all evil from the land?"
"That doesn't mean Saint Mark wasn't vampire himself. Marcus and the other founders of the Volturi are the ones who propagated the idea that they had expelled all the vampires from Italy. It was long ago. That's when they defeated Stefani and Vladimira and the others and started all the legends that humans have about vampires now—the coffins and the crosses and all of that nonsense. Little did the humans know, they were praising the work of an actual vampire."
"Wow, that really is ironic," I said. "They've celebrated every year, but the vampires never actually left."
Stefani and Vladimira went on bickering like they hadn't noticed our amusement.
Edythe, Taran, and I decided to go hunt. Who knew if this would be the last time before it all ended...
"They're so annoying," Taran snorted as we ran. "They think they're so superior. Not to mention their incessant bickering."
We all laughed. "They'll be in for a shock when this newborn does more to stop the Volturi than they've ever done in all of their superior lives." Taran punched my shoulder jokingly.
"Hell yeah, they will," I said. Edythe shot me a disapproving look.
I couldn't help but think about how this could very likely be our last hunting trip. Our deadline wasn't exact, but we had planned to start waiting now in the clearing. We knew Delphia would track either Carine or Edythe to wherever they would be, and we didn't want them all coming so close to town.
I thought about the Volturi's tracker while we ran. I paid little attention to the smell of our prey. I thought about what Edythe had told me about how I could very well be free if I wanted to be. Would Delphia even notice she couldn't track me if she found out about me? What would the Volturi make of that? Or maybe Elena was wrong. There were always those loopholes around my shield. Everything that was beyond the confines of my mind was vulnerable; like Archie's visions and Jessamine's physiological manipulation. Benji could incinerate me in a burst of flames if she so desired. Maybe Delphia's tracking worked outside of the mind, too. And Luca...
I thought of what the Romanian women had said about me rendering all of the Volturi defenseless. And the thought brought me up short. I dropped the elk I had barely even started to drain from my hands. The snowflakes melted where they fell on the warm body. I stared blankly at the blood covering my hands.
Edythe saw my reaction and hurried over to my side.
"What's wrong?" she asked frantically. Her eyes glanced all around us through the trees looking for whatever had triggered my strange reaction.
"What if I can't do it, Edythe!?" I choked out.
"Do what? Beau, what are you talking about?"
"My shield. Do you think it's really enough to save us? Do you think I could actually do anything to help? I know the others are hoping they can trust it. What if I fail? What if their trust in me is the reason we all burn?!"
My voice was on the verge of hysteria. The bloodlust of rage pulsed through me again, and my shield instinctively folded out and coiled tightly around her.
"Beau, I already told you! It's wonderful that you can protect yourself. But I don't want you stressing yourself out over saving anyone. You know I don't want you making a big spectacle of yourself. It could very well be just as dangerous."
"What if I can't even help myself? This thing I do, we haven't practiced with it enough. Maybe it will do nothing against Jasen or Alexandra at all! Then we're all screwed!"
"Shhh," she hushed me. "Don't be ridiculous. What they do is no different than what I do or what Kirill can do. It's all in the mind. It's an illusion."
"But so is what Luca does!" I shouted. "It's not always so straightforward, Edythe. My shield has weak spots. Archie and Jessamine, their gifts have no problem working on me, because they work in a slightly different way. And Luca is so different, he slips right through. Who knows what the Volturi are capable of? I can't imagine anyone has lived long enough to figure these things out."
Of all things, Edythe started laughing in response to my mental breakdown...
"And there you go again, Beau. You're so utterly unpredictable. See, this is what I was talking about. You should be running for your life while you have the chance, but instead, you're distressing yourself over whether or not you're useful enough to us."
"No, you are the one who's being ridiculous!" I barked back at her in frustration. It was weird because it was the only time I'd ever been really furious with Edythe. "You can't honestly tell me you believe that I'm not already wholeheartedly lost in you. If anything is impossible, it would be finding a way to let you go."
"It's what any normal person would do... Anyone who had any sense of self-preservation at all," she sighed.
"Well, you should know by now you've taken my heart. So if I left, I'd be leaving it to die with you," I said. And I suppose the words sounded nice, but I said them in an irritated tone.
For that, Edythe had no answer. Though I was hopefully invisible to Delphia, I knew that I would never be able to leave Edythe's side. My entire hope was riding on the fact that Luca was invisible as well, like Archie seemed to imply.
It was impossible to grasp how much my insignificant life had changed in the last year. My world went from the most textbook example of mundane, to absolutely magnificent, to this... Facing the most powerful force in the world.
In the end, we had come up with thirteen witnesses—Taran, Kirill, Ivan, Lauren, Calvin, Elena, Petrina, Charles, Grace, Toshiro, Alison, Vladimira, and Stefani. This was on top of our family of eight, plus Luca... Other than the Volturi themselves, this was probably the most significant alliance of mature vampires in history.
I couldn't help but feel hopeful somehow. Luca had won over so many in just the limited number of days. Sulpicia had to listen for just a few tiny seconds...
Not all of us hoped for the same things, but hope we did.
It was when I started to think about what day the Volturi could possibly show up, that I realized today was Christmas Eve.
Back at home, I whispered to Edythe through the noise of all the voices. "I know that there isn't time to have much of a Christmas, but I think I should get something for Luca, at least."
"You're right," she said. "I hadn't even thought of that. Let's go to Port Angeles."
"I'll go," I said. "You need to stay here and prepare. I won't be gone long."
I looked at Luca, wondering if I was supposed to bring him with me or not. But if my excuse to leave was Christmas shopping, how would I explain that?
Luca had taken a liking to the strange Romanians for some reason. He made the effort to speak with them out loud only because they wouldn't let him touch them. He had asked them something about their strange skin, and at first, I was afraid they would be offended. But I really wanted to know for myself.
"We held still for a very, very long time, child," Vladimira explained. "We didn't notice at first that we were beginning to petrify. I suppose the Volturi did us a favor when they forced us out of our castles."
I didn't stick around for the rest of the story. I was anxious to see what waited for me in Seattle.
The highway was dark and slick all the way to there, and it would have been seriously dangerous to anyone else. Driving didn't intimidate me anymore, though. My reflexes were well up to the job. I barely paid attention to the road anyhow. The only problem I faced now was that I kept speeding up gradually, attracting attention when I had company. But I needed to be done with today's little escapade. I wanted the mystery to be over. I needed to get back to learning... to protect... and how to kill.
I had taken quick glances at the appropriate maps, and that was all I'd needed. I found my way to the location that didn't exist online, the one for this J. Jenks. My next step would be Janice Jenks at the other address, which Archie had not given me.
To say that this was the ghetto would be an understatement. The most modest of all the Cullens' cars was still outrageous on this street. The old Chevy would have looked normal here. Any human would lock the doors and drive away as fast as possible from this place. Nonetheless, I was amazed... I couldn't picture little Archie in this place for any reason at all.
All of the buildings were mostly apartments. It was hard to tell what color the peeling paint was supposed to be. Everything was faded into various shades of grey. There were few people out, shuffling in the rain or sitting on the shallow porch of a boarded-up law office, reading a wet magazine. The sight was odd for the setting.
I was so bemused by the girl sitting in the rain reading a paper that I didn't realize at first this was the address I was looking for. It wasn't marked as '626', but this was where the number should have been, judging from the adjacent addresses. I needed in there, one way or another... Should I get in without letting the girl notice me? Maybe I could sly my way in through the back. But there might be witnesses on that side, too.
I rolled down the window.
"Hey, dude," the girl called to me.
I turned off the engine as if I couldn't hear.
The girl stood up, and her clothing surprised me. She was way overdressed for this place. The scent hinted at silk. She looked maybe college-age. Her black hair was messy and wild, but her dark skin was smooth and perfect, her teeth white and straight.
"I wouldn't park there, man," she said. "It might not be here when you come back."
"Thanks for the warning," I muttered.
I got out anyway, leaving the doors of the Guardian unlocked. I figured maybe she could give me the answers I needed faster than my original plan.
The girl squinted through the rain at me, and then her eyes widened. She swallowed, and I heard her heart start picking up the pace as I neared. Fear?
"I'm looking for someone," I said.
"Well, I'm someone," she offered with a cheesy smile. "And what can I do for you?"
"Do you know a Mr. Jenks, by chance?"
"Oh..." she said. Understanding flashed across her face. "It's Miss Jenks, actually... And why are you looking for her?" she asked skeptically.
I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "I think that's my business." I didn't have a clue, really. "Are you Ms. Jenks?"
"Ha. No..."
I stared at her for a long moment while she eyed me up and down. Her gaze finally met my face again. "You just don't look like... the usual customer."
"I'm probably not the typical," I said. "But I should see her as soon as possible, please."
"I'm not sure what to do," she admitted.
"Do you... work for her?" I asked.
"Yes," she grinned. "I'm Mallory."
"It's nice to meet you, Mallory. So tell me... What exactly do you do for the usual?"
She looked wary again. "Well, her clients don't normally look anything like you. Your kind doesn't bother with the downtown office. You just go straight to her fancy office in the skyscraper."
I told her the other address I had found.
"Yep. That's the one," she said. "Why didn't you just go there?"
"A very trustworthy source gave me this one instead."
"If you were up to any good, you wouldn't be here."
Now, I'd never been much good at lying, but Archie left me no other options here. "Maybe I'm not up to any good at all," I said, raising my eyebrows.
"Look, man..."
"Beau."
"Right. Beau. See, I need to keep my job. She pays me really well to mostly just hang here all day. I want to help you out. I really do. But if I pass someone through to her that could get her in trouble, I'm out of work. You see my problem?"
I thought about that for a minute. "You've never seen anyone like me here before? Not even sort of like me? My brother is a lot shorter... and he has really short hair."
"She knows your brother?"
"I'm pretty sure, yeah."
Mallory paused for a second. I smiled at her, and her breathing sped up. "Tell you what... I'll give her a call and describe you. Let her make the decision."
What did this Jenks woman know? Was she a vampire also? Would my description mean anything?
"My last name is Cullen," I told Mallory, wondering if that was too much information. I was starting to get... well, sort of pissed at Archie. Did I really have to be this blind? He could have given me more information.
"Cullen... Got it."
I watched her dial. I guess I could call J Jenks myself if this didn't work.
"Hey, it's Mallory. I know I'm never supposed to call you except in an emergency, but..."
"Is there an emergency?" I heard the woman's voice on the other end of the line.
"Well, no. Not really. It's this guy who wants to see you."
"I fail to see the emergency in that. Why didn't you follow protocol?"
"I didn't 'cause he don't look like the normal kind of—"
"Is he a badge?!"
"Hell no! Now listen..."
"You can't be sure about that. Does he look like one of Kubarev's?"
"No, let me talk! He says you know his brother or something."
"Not likely. What's he look like?"
"He looks..." Her eyes traced up and down my body. "Well, he looks like a freaking male model or something, to tell you the truth." I couldn't help but laugh. She winked at me, then went on. "Perfect build, lean, pretty eyes, pale as a sheet, dark brown hair, needs a good night's sleep... any of this familiar?"
"Not really. I'm not happy that you let your weakness for men interrupt..."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm a sucker for the hot ones. What's wrong with that? I'm sorry I bothered you."
"Hey! Name," I whispered.
"Oh yeah! Wait," Mallory said. "He said his name is Cullen. Does that ring a b—"
The woman was suddenly shouting over the phone. She used a lot of words you didn't often hear women using. Mallory's expression changed suddenly, and her face went white.
"Well, shit! You didn't ask!"
There was a pause.
"Okay... unbelievably good looking... and pale, you said?" Ms. Jenks asked, a tiny bit calmer.
"That's what I said."
What did this woman know about us? Was she one? I wasn't prepared for that kind of confrontation. I bit my lip. What had Archie gotten me into?
Another wave of insults and instructions came over the phone then.
"But you only meet with these clients on Thurs—okay, okay! I'm on it." Mallory snapped the phone shut.
"She wants to see me?" I mused.
Mallory glowered. "You could have told me you were a priority client."
"I... didn't know that I was."
"Yeah, I thought you were a cop," she said. "You don't look like one, but you act kind of weird."
I shrugged.
"Drugs?" she guessed.
"Uh, no," I said with a laugh.
"Mafia?"
"No."
"Diamond smuggling?"
"Is that the kind of people you normally deal with? Maybe you should consider another job."
I had to admit... I was kind of enjoying this. I hadn't interacted with humans much at all, and it was entertaining to watch her.
"All I know is that you've got to be involved in something real bad," she muttered.
"It's not like that."
"That's what they all say. But who else needs docs? Or can afford Janice? None of my business, though..."
She gave me another address and directions and watched me drive away with regretful eyes.
At this point, I was ready for pretty much anything. I pictured some kind of James Bond villain's high-tech lair. I pulled up into an open parking spot and looked up at the sign that simply read JANICE SCOTT, ATTORNEY AT LAW.
Why would Archie send me to a lawyer? Surely, I had the wrong J Jenks. I went in anyway, hoping to find some sort of clue.
The office was beige... unremarkable. And there was no vampire scent to be found. I relaxed a little. Nothing but human. A fish tank was on the wall, and a blond receptionist sat at the desk."
"Hi," she said. "Can I help you?"
"I'm here to see, uh, Miss Scott."
"Do you have an appointment?"
"I don't think so."
"It might be a while then. Why don't you take—"
"Patricia!" a woman's demanding voice yelled from the speakerphone on her desk. "Is that Mr. Cullen?"
I nodded at her.
"Yes?"
"Send him in immediately!"
I could hear something in her voice. Stress? Nerves? What was this?
"Right away, Ms. Scott!" She got to her feet and led me down a short hallway, offering me coffee, tea, etcetera... I thanked her for the offer and made my way into the office.
I examined the woman behind the desk closely, and she eyed Patricia. The receptionist made a hasty retreat when she realized she wasn't welcome.
The woman was short and round, probably around fifty or so. She wore a red blouse with a white shirt. She was... trembling. Sweat beaded on her forehead. I imagined an ulcer burning in her stomach.
Janice rose from the chair uneasily. She reached out to greet me.
"Ah, Mr. Cullen. What a pleasure it is to meet you."
Crap. The handshake... I crossed over to her slowly and quickly shook her hand once. She flinched at the cold contact but didn't seem particularly surprised.
"Janice... Or do you prefer Ms. Scott?"
"Honey, you can call me whatever you like. Please, sit."
"How about you call me Beau, and I'll call you Janice?"
She agreed with a nod. "Well, Beau, I must ask, am I finally meeting Mrs. Jessamine's dashing husband?"
I let the words sink in for a minute. So she knew Jess, not Archie. Knew her, and seemed to be afraid of her... "I'm her brother-in-law, actually."
She pursed her lips. "I trust Mrs. Jessamine is in good health?" she asked carefully.
"I'm sure she's in excellent health. She seems to be on an extended vacation at the moment..."
This seemed to clear something up for her. She nodded and fiddled her fingers. "Certainly. You should have come to the main office. My assistants there would have put you straight through to me... No need to go through the less hospitable channels." She laughed nervously.
"No worries, Janice."
She relaxed in her chair. "Well, now that you are here... What can I do for you?"
I scrambled through the clues I had picked up so far.
"Documents." It was the first thing that popped into my head after hearing what Mallory had let slip earlier.
"Of course," Janice agreed. "Are we talking about birth certificates, death certificates, drivers' licenses, passports, SSC's...?"
I took a deep breath and sighed in relief. I got it now; fake ID's and documents to travel. This was where Jessamine performed all of the Cullens' necessary criminal activity to be able to matriculate from place to place without a trace. This was meant for Luca and me.
But if I wasn't going, who would take Luca out into the world? Who could he run with? I couldn't just stick him on a plane alone... And no other vampire could go with him.
All of the secrecy was to stay out of Edythe's head about this. No... to stay out of Sulpicia's head. If we lost, she would certainly get the information she craved before she destroyed Edythe.
The sinking feeling crushed me. We couldn't win. Archie could see that. We'd have to take a shot at Delphia though before...
All my hope faded. My eyes pricked.
Who would I put this on?
I had to hesitate for a moment, and Janice seemed to get worried at my silence. When she opened up her mouth to speak, I made my snap decision. There was only one other kind of being I could hope Delphia wouldn't be able to trace.
"I need two birth certificates, two passports, and one driver's license," I said, trying to sound confident.
"Certainly. And what are the names?"
"Julie... Julie Wolfe. W-O-L-F-E," I spelled out. "And... Luca Wolfe." Julie would appreciate the Wolfe thing.
Her pen scratched swiftly across the legal pad. "Middle names?"
I thought again for a split second.
"Bonnie... and Charlie."
"Sounds good. Ages?"
"Twenty for the girl, five for the boy." Julie could pull it off. She looked way more mature now than she did when I first met her. And at the rate Luca was growing, I'd better estimate high. He could be her son. They had similar skin tones.
"I need both their parents' information for the birth certificates," she said like I was missing something obvious. Forgery was clearly not my expertise.
"Eh, you can make that up. It won't make much difference."
"Sure. And I'll need pictures if you prefer finished documents," she said. "But Mrs. Jessamine usually liked to finish them herself."
"Hold on," I said.
This was sheer luck. I had some pictures shoved into my wallet, and one of them was perfect—Luca just days ago, sitting on the front porch steps with Royal. Wait, Archie saw that I would have this... Maybe not so much luck. But what about Julie?
"Here you go." I gave Janice the picture. "I trust that you can track down a photo for the girl... Do you have the means to do that?"
Janice chuckled. "Of course."
"Her actual name is Julie Black."
"Black... Got it. And what is her home address?"
I was so thankful for the eidetic memory now. "5351 Hollins Drive in La Push, Washington."
"And is this man the father?" She pointed to Royal in the picture as she smiled. "He looks very much like him."
Honestly, I saw no resemblance. But I remembered how all vampires looked similar to humans in some way. That's why it was so easy to believe the Cullens were actual siblings.
"No. Luca is... very close to our family."
"Forgive me," she mumbled as she began scratching with the pen again. "How soon will you need these?"
I paused. I had no idea how long I would have.
"Um, how soon can I get them?"
"How soon do you need them?"
"Er... Would a couple of days be possible?"
She contemplated for a second. "I can normally do three days. Of course, that's an expedited order, and with tomorrow being a holiday it will cost twice as..."
I shoved two stacks of hundred-dollar bills onto the desk. I'd stolen the cash from Carine's study. It wasn't like anyone would be able to use the money anyway once we were all dead.
"This should take care of it. Just give me a number."
She gawked at the cash. Then she seemed hesitant to say the number out loud.
"Beau, you don't have to pay me now. It's customary for you to wait to ensure delivery."
"I trust you. So I'll meet you here on the twenty-seventh? Same time?"
"Actually, I prefer to make transactions in places unrelated to my business."
"Oh, sure. Wherever you want. Just let me know."
"Shall we meet at eight o'clock Tuesday night at The Pacifico? It's on Union Lake, and the food is exquisite. I'll buy."
"Perfect." I rose and shook her hand again. "I'll see you in then. Thank you so much, Janice."
It would have been nice to have Edythe here so that I could know what Janice thought of us. I sighed. Keeping all of this a secret was bad enough. And keeping something away from Edythe was even worse.
I was out the door before Janice even noticed I was gone.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
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