“That’s right,” Gregory said before he looked at me. “My father used to work for both of these fine gentlemen as their bookkeeper.” He tilted his head and looked at me with more intensity. “Their legitimate bookkeeper, at least he thought so.”
“He was so good with numbers,” Frye said. “Too good.”
Aaran laughed from behind me. “You thought you could get a legitimate numbers guy to launder your money, and he wouldn’t know.”
Victora shrugged, but Frye stood up. “Allan here vouched for him, and it used to be that your word was your bond in this business.”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “Please, gentlemen,” I gestured for Frye to sit down again, “Let’s leave all the convoluted psychological games you play to justify your crime and violence out of this.” I looked back to Gregory. “So your dad blew the whistle?”
Gregory glanced over at his mom and then back to me. “He was gathering the evidence to do it when he got caught. He never came home.”
I shuddered because I knew just that feeling, if under different circumstances. But I couldn’t afford to get lost in my own pain just now, so I looked over at Victora. “Did you have him killed?”
Victora actually rolled his eyes. “If I did, and I’m not saying I did, do you think I would just tell you?”
It had been a ridiculous question, but I was new at this whole interrogation thing. “It doesn’t matter because—” I stopped talking because Boone fell forward across the table in front of him.
“Why’d you push me?” he said to Bev.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was that strong.” She stepped over next to Gregory, who reached down and helped Boone up. “I am sorry.” She sounded sincere, but when I looked at Boone, he gave his head the tiniest shake. Something else was up here.
I looked back to Gregory. “So you created this map and spread the rumor that there was treasure at the end of it.”
“Well, not treasure as in pirate gold or anything, but more like blackmail treasure, the kind these two wouldn’t want to get out into the world.” Gregory swallowed. “I had no idea it would work so well. It brought out American dealers, too, and suddenly, there were three people to keep track of.”
I swallowed as I realized that the third member of that triad was me. In Gregory’s mind, I was like Frye and Victora. Just that idea made me want to shiver all over. “So what was your plan then? Lure us all in and then turn us over to the police?”
Gregory nodded. “You added a little complication when you deciphered the map, but I was handling that.”
I looked over at Frank, who said, “The coffee.”
“It was just sleeping pills, enough to knock you out so that you’d miss the action this afternoon. I’d seen your man,” he looked at Victora, “follow Ms. Baxter and Mr. Stallone out this morning. I knew something was going to come to a head today.”
Victora’s face grew very stern. “Well, we aren’t going to be able to let this go any further, kid. I am sorry about what happened to your father, but this is business.”
Now I wanted to roll my eyes because it did really feel like Al Pacino might walk through the door in a fedora at any moment. But I could feel the tension ratcheting back up in the room, and apparently so could “my” guys because they were all shifting to the wide-legged stance that I’d come to know meant they were ready for a fight.
I looked over at Beattie for the first time in a bit—I’d been avoiding her eyes because I didn’t know if I could handle it if she was as afraid as I was—but she had this little lift to the corner of her mouth, the lift that meant she knew something great was about to happen but didn’t want everyone else to know.
I glanced back at Boone, and he winked again. Clearly, I was missing something, but I gathered that was the point. I needed to be clueless to keep playing my part. “I don’t think so, Victora.”
As if I had cued them in a movie script, a stream of police officers began to pour in from the stairwell, the front door, and from behind the concierge’s desk. They quickly got Victora, Frye, and their men into handcuffs, and before I could say anything more, the men were being led out the door.
The uniformed officers all left once the criminals were in custody, and as soon as the room was clear, a woman in a beautiful plum-colored suit stepped out from the back office and walked right to me. “Beautifully done, Ms. Baxter. Thank you.”
She gave a wave to Boone, nodded at the rest of us assembled there, and went out the front door.
“Who was that?!” I said as my eyes darted from face to face. “What is going on?”
Beattie stood up and walked over to me. “You’re a regular crime boss, Poe. That’s what happened.”
I stared at her a minute before Boone came over and suggested I sit down. I sunk back into my chair and stared at him, but it was Bev who came over, sat next to me, and began to explain. “This mission had two purposes, Poe. Can I call you Poe?”
I nodded.
“First, we wanted to capture Victora and Frye… that was the mission you knew about. But we also wanted to establish you as the new force in the black-market book trade. You did both of those remarkably well.” Bev patted my knee. “Brava.”
When Bev relaxed into the couch, Aaran pulled a chair over for Beattie to sit next to me. “So the map was all a ruse. There was no blackmail.” I squeezed my forehead. “I’m so confused.”
Gregory shook his head as he said, “No, the map was real. I made it.” He sat down and rested his head on the back of the sofa next to where Adaire sat. “I was so angry when my father was killed. Angry at him for getting himself into this mess mostly. But he was dead, and I needed a release, a way to manage my anger.”
“One night, I was watching this show,” he continued, “Expedition Unknown, and they talked about a book of treasure maps for sites all over the US.”
I glanced over at Boone who smiled. We had been right.
“I decided I was going to make a map and spread the rumor that there was a massive treasure at the end. I even went so far as to make up a story about a bank robbery and hidden gold.” He shook his head. “To be honest, I felt a bit silly doing it, but I needed some sort of release.”
“And then the rumor started to take off,” Bev added. “Enough that I heard about it. It piqued our interest for sure.” She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a small wallet. “I’m the head of the fraud division for the SSA.”
I had no idea what SSA stood for, but I got the gist. She was the authorities, the big ones.
“Continue, Gregory. Son,” Bev said with a wink.
Gregory blushed but continued. “I found those old books at the local thrift shop, and I made my cipher and then encoded the map.” He shook his head. “It was too easy. I just used places that I knew, that had been important to me, my school, the farm, my first real job.”
I smiled. That explained a lot.
“What was the plan for when people solved the clues, if they did?” Aaran asked.
Gregory’s blush deepened even more. “That’s sort of where my plan faltered. I hadn’t thought about the fact that more people than just the people who had hurt my dad would follow the map.” He shook his head. “I gave out gift certificates,” he said.
Beattie laughed. “So, people thought it was publicity for The Silo? That’s kind of brilliant.”
“Fortunately, only two people came through to claim the treasure, so it wasn’t too bad.” Gregory sighed. “But then, my mom got involved.”
Boone smiled. “I expect we can piece the rest together. You set up the rumor that the books were valuable and got the gears turning for the auction, correct?”
Bev nodded. “But then you American lot turned up, and things got way more complicated.”
I sighed. “So, you bought the books from me to keep the operation going?”
Bev nodded. “But even that didn’t work when I heard that you needed the books back. The books, after all, weren’t worth anything. So something else was going on for you.” She looked over at Adaire and Beattie. “It didn’t take us long to find out you two were being held by Frye.”
The exhaustion was starting to seep into my bones, so I needed to shorten what had, obviously, become a very complicated story. “When did you find out what was going on?” I asked Boone, trying to keep the agitation out of my voice.
He said, “Just this afternoon, Poe. Bev reached out just a couple of hours ago.” I could see the plea for understanding in his eyes, but I was too tired—and too caught in the convoluted emotions of the day—to worry about assuaging his fears at the moment. We’d have to talk later.
Besides, I needed to say something to Gregory, something that I hoped would help a little. “Gregory, you bought these books at a thrift store? How much did you pay?”
He shook his head and squinted. “Maybe ten rand. Not much.”
I smiled. “You had a treasure after all. These books are worth at least $20,000 US just as books themselves. They’re quite old and rare.”
Aaran laughed loudly. “Are you serious? That’s amazing.”
I turned to him. “Did you really find another set or did you have one made?”
“Oh, mine are fakes, bad fakes at that,” he said. “They wouldn’t have passed your muster, Poe.”
Relief swept over me. “Thank goodness we didn’t have to use them, huh?” I glanced over at Adaire, but he was fast asleep with his head thrown back on the couch.
“Indeed,” Boone said. “Gregory, these are your property.” He picked up the books and handed them to the concierge. “If you decide you want to sell them, I know some experts who can probably help.” He looked over at Beattie and me.
“Absolutely,” I said. “Just let us know. But maybe tomorrow. I think we all need a night off.” I stood up slowly and then watched as Aaran helped Beattie to her feet and Frank got an arm around Adaire to guide him toward the elevators.
“I’ll send up some dinner,” Gregory said. “And yes, let’s talk tomorrow, Poe.” He caressed the set of books now in his hands.
I smiled. Sometimes these moments did lead to a happy ending.
As soon as we all made it to our room, we crashed out. I made Frank lead Adaire into the bedroom, and I laid myself out on the cot by the window. I thought I might stare out at the view for a while before I fell asleep, but my body had other ideas.
I woke up a while later to the most incredible smells and the sound of dishes quietly clanking. When I sat up, I saw that Gregory had not just sent up dinner but had ordered us an American feast. Pizza, French fries, Caesar salad, an assortment of sliders, cheesecake, and so much more. It all looked amazing.
Aaran was already chowing down at the table and Boone, Frank, and Ivan were circling as they filled their plates. I stretched and walked over to join them, putting my hand briefly on Boone’s back as I passed.
Not briefly enough, though, to sneak past Aaran’s attentive eye. He looked at me and gave a small nod. From Aaran that felt like a shout of approval, and a knot in my chest that I hadn’t known was there released itself.
After grabbing three sliders, a pile of French fries, and a massive piece of cheesecake, I sat down next to Frank. “I have questions.”
He laughed around a mouthful of pizza and then, after swallowing, said, “What’s new, Poe?”
I chuckled. It was good to be with friends. It had been a long time since I’d had this kind of group, not since Beattie and I were in college. I’d had friendships with colleagues in the department, but nothing that felt it went much beyond the college itself. This moment felt like the kind of thing we’d talk about in twenty years.
“So first, are Beattie and Adaire okay?” I said, confident in the answer but also sure I needed to ask the question.
Boone nodded. “We had a doctor look in on them while you napped. They are both unharmed. Apparently Frye kept them fed and hydrated, and besides being exhausted from the ordeal, neither of them was harmed. A good night’s sleep and a few days of R&R and they’ll be good to go.”
“Good. And who killed Xavier?” It felt a little crass to ask that in the line-up of queries I had, but I wanted to know.
“Frye. We’ll know more once the police investigate fully, but our working theory is that he thought killing Xavier would bring you to heel.” Boone winced. “Sorry for the expression.”
I waved a hand. “Sounds about right for the way Frye might think of it. So he’ll be charged with murder as well as kidnapping?”
Boone nodded. “And a fair number of other things, I expect.”
That news didn’t relieve any of my grief over Xavier, but it was something. Justice was always something.
My most serious questions answered, I asked the one that was most annoying to me. “Now, tell me why Bev nearly gave you a concussion earlier.” I looked at Boone with my eyebrows raised.
Boone shot Ivan a look, and the big man just laughed. “You noticed that, did you?” Boone said.
“I did. Now spill.” I dipped a french fry in honey mustard dressing from a giant platter of condiments.
Boone pushed his food away and sat back. “I had thought we could discuss this tomorrow, but given your, um, inquisitiveness,” he sighed, “she didn’t want you to blow your cover and interrupted you to keep you from saying more.”
I paused with a fry halfway to my mouth. “Why?”
Frank cleared his throat, and the room suddenly felt very awkward.
“Because people are interested in working with you, Poe. You and Beattie and Adaire,” Boone said softly.
I smiled and shook my head. “Well, that’s great. Uncle Fitz is always looking for new books.” As soon as I finished the sentence, my own naivete slapped me in the face and I put down the fry with a sigh. “They don’t want to just work with us on book acquisitions and sales, do they?”
“No, no they do not,” Aaran said. “You’ve taken to this whole undercover thing like a pro, Poe.”
I knew he was trying to reassure me, and on some level, I took in the compliment he was giving me. But on the surface level, the whole room felt suddenly quite heavy. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “They want me to be a spy?” I looked over at Boone. “You want me to be a spy?”
Boone got up and came over to sit next to me. “I want you to do what feels best for you, but yes, if you agree, I think you would be stellar at more of this work.” He put his hand over mine. “Today, Poe, you helped bring down two of the most notorious crime bosses in Cape Town, and all through books and your own astounding ability to be confident in the face of danger. It’s remarkable.”
“He’s not wrong,” Frank added as Ivan nodded next to him. “Most of us have to train a long time to pick up what you have naturally.”
“But I didn’t do anything. I just, I just channeled my best self.” I felt ridiculous as soon as I said it, but it was true. I had just become the person I really knew I could be in those interactions with those patronizing jerks of men. And now that I thought about it, I had kind of enjoyed it.
I was still terrified though. “But I didn’t do this alone.” I gripped Boone’s hand.
“Well, in my opinion, that’s the best part,” Aaran said as he slurped soda through a straw. “If you, my brother, and Beattie agree, we will become an official team. You’ll get a salary and benefits, and you can still freelance for your uncle whenever we’re not on a mission.”
“A mission,” I said. “That sounds so ‘Tom Cruise jumping between buildings.’”
Boone laughed. “No stunts for you, Poe. Promise me?” He laughed again, but I could see the seriousness in his eyes.
“Agreed, unless it involves a motorcycle. I really want to learn how to ride a motorcycle.” I was only partly joking.
“I can teach you,” Frank said, just as Boone shot him a piercing look.
“We can talk about that,” Boone said. “You don’t have to decide now, Poe. And we obviously haven’t had a chance to talk with Beattie or Adaire yet.” He looked into my eyes. “But I would be curious to hear your thoughts.”
I sighed and closed my eyes again, this time to see if I could access that best version of Poe that had been so strong for the past few days. I could see her there, standing with her hands on her hips and smiling at me. She looked happy, and she looked ready.
“I do want to think about it more,” I said when I opened my eyes. “But if Beattie and Adaire agree, I’m inclined to do the same.” I grabbed my plate then and stood up. “Now, though, I want to watch Expedition Unknown.”
“You are a glutton for this stuff, aren’t you?” Aaran said as he followed me to the couch.
For the next few hours, we watched Josh Gates do ridiculous things to solve mysteries, and for the first time I didn’t envy him. I wanted to be him. It was exhilarating.
Eventually, though, fatigue caught up to me, and I went and took BB out of his cage and slipped him in beside me on the cot. Normally, he would have squirmed all night and then made me hunt him down in the morning after he had adventured through the suite. But tonight he must have been as tired as I was. Either that or he knew I needed to feel his soft heartbeat against my skin because he curled up and went to sleep against my throat almost immediately.
I fell asleep as I stroked my index finger along his back and smiled.