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MUCH LATER THAT SAME evening, a familiar group of four people gathered together in Faye’s kitchen. The mood was somewhat less grim than their last meeting as the old woman bustled about fixing them a midnight snack.
“Despite the lateness of the hour, I’m glad you were all able to join me to discuss Erik’s latest findings,” she said as she passed out platters of cold cuts and bread.
The security coordinator started building himself a three-decker club sandwich. He didn’t need any further encouragement from Faye to launch into his report to the group. “You were right, Maddie, it was them.”
“And you’re surprised that they were behind it all along?” The red-haired woman blew a smoke ring into the air. She rose to help Faye bring a tray of cups and saucers to the table.
“At first, I wasn’t sure. It didn’t fit how they’ve operated in the past.” Erik bit into his sandwich. “Besides, they aren’t where we expected them to be.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full, dear,” Faye corrected gently as she poured coffee.
Griffin distributed the cups around the table. “Where we expected them to be? It isn’t as though we encounter these people every day. When was the last time our path crossed theirs, Faye?”
“Long before you came to join us. About ten years ago, I think.” Faye sat down and stirred cream into her coffee. “Much can change in a decade.”
“Then I suppose it’s to be expected.” Griffin directed his next question to Erik. “Why shouldn’t they have relocated their headquarters?”
Erik dutifully swallowed his bite of sandwich before speaking. “Because they don’t exactly travel light, that’s why. You should have seen this place. It looked like they’ve started building their own city.”
Maddie scowled. “Bad news for our side.”
Faye moved on to a more urgent topic. “What about this fellow who broke into Sybil’s apartment? You said you don’t think he’s one of theirs.”
“Not likely,” Erik laughed. “He was wearing a cowboy hat.”
“Did you get a good look at him?” asked Maddie.
“Not great. It was dark, and he was getting into his truck, but I saw enough to put together a sketch. And I got his license plate number.”
“Well, that’s a start.” Maddie walked over to the counter for a bag of chocolate chip cookies. She brought them back to the table. “Did you have a chance to check out the plates before we got here?”
“Yeah,” Erik hesitated. “It was a rental. I found out it was leased to a guy named Matt Dillon.”
Maddie and Faye both laughed. “Our villain has a sense of humor,” the old woman observed.
Griffin looked confused. “I’m sorry?”
“Never mind, old chap,” Erik said in an exaggerated British accent. “I guess you lot didn’t get Gunsmoke over the pond.”
“Gunsmoke over the pond?” Now Griffin looked completely lost. “What on earth is he talking about?”
Maddie patted Griffin reassuringly on the back. “Nothing important. It’s just an old TV series. What we Yanks would call a horse opera. You know, shoot ‘em up stuff. Cowboys and Indians.”
“How very extraordinary,” Griffin remarked, helping himself to a cookie.
“And what about Cassie?” Faye asked.
Erik decided to skip the cookies and dipped into a bag of potato chips instead. “Today I trailed her from her dorm to Sybil’s apartment. It was already dark when she got there. I waited for her to go up in the elevator before I followed. I was just getting off on the fourth floor when I saw this guy come tearing out of Sybil’s place and head straight for the stairwell. He didn’t see me. I ran inside the apartment to check that Cassie was OK. That he hadn’t hurt her.” Erik looked around the table at the others. Their faces were troubled. He continued. “But she was just shaken up. Lucky for us, she actually saw what he took.”
At these words, they all stopped eating. A captive audience.
“Yes?” Griffin prompted.
“She said it was a five-sided ruler with markings on it.”
“A what?” Maddie sounded suspicious.
Even Faye was taken aback. “Griffin, do you have any idea what she meant?”
“No, I’ve never heard of such a thing. Sybil never mentioned a find like that to me.”
“We’ve been very careful to keep away from anything that they might consider interesting,” Faye mused to herself. “Sybil knew that. She wouldn’t deliberately go after a recovery if there was any chance they might want it too.”
“If it’s ours, then we get it back,” Erik stated matter-of-factly, popping open a can of soda.
“No dear, we don’t.” Faye sighed. “If we lose a valuable find, then we lose a valuable find. It’s far more important for us to protect our anonymity.”
“So, we let them kill one of ours and take something that belongs to us?” Maddie’s eyes were blazing with indignation. “Again?”
Faye glanced at her sadly. “Yes, I’m afraid we must. It seems like the last straw, but we can’t retaliate. There’s too much at stake here to risk exposure.”
“I suppose.” Maddie relented slightly. “What about the kid? Do we tell her anything?”
Faye folded her hands on the table, regarding her guests gravely. “Sybil died to protect our secret. We owe her a great debt. She always said she wanted to keep Cassie safe.”
“By safe, you mean in the dark?” Erik asked, a slight edge of sarcasm in his voice.
“‘If ignorance is bliss, ‘twere folly to be wise,’” Faye observed softly. “I believe we have an obligation to respect Sybil’s wishes.”
The group was silent for a few moments, mulling over the old woman’s decision. When the phone rang suddenly, they all jumped. It wasn’t the phone on the wall, but a cell phone lying on the kitchen counter.
Griffin looked puzzled. “Who would be calling you at this hour and on that line?”
“Guess we’re gonna find out.” Erik reached over and handed the phone to Faye, so she wouldn’t have to struggle to her feet.
She nodded her thanks to him. “Hello?”
There was a long pause.
“Why, yes. Of course, you may.”
Another pause.
“Oh, I think it’s much too late tonight. You’d never find your way here in the dark. How about tomorrow at noon?”
Faye then gave her address and detailed directions to her house.
“Fine, I’ll see you then. We’ll have much to talk about.” She laid the phone down on the table. A look of bewilderment crossed her face.
The other three stared at her, waiting for an explanation.
Faye wordlessly got up and started to make another pot of coffee.
“Faye?” Maddie prompted. “Are you alright?”
“Hmmm?” Faye turned absently toward her guests. “Well, as I was saying, I believe we have an obligation to respect Sybil’s wishes to keep Cassie away from this business.”
“Yes...” Erik nudged her along.
She looked around at their baffled faces. “I just never expected her to change her mind—posthumously.”