“Hello,” she said with slightly forced brightness. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
The woman, who had picked up a small glass flower, turned to face her. Her cheeks were bright red from the chill outside and she wore a striped blue toque on her head. “No, thanks. We’re just browsing.”
Marianna nodded her head in understanding. “All right. Let me know if you need any help.”
That said, her eyes went back to the Social Studies question that had been puzzling her for the past few minutes. Once again, she considered texting Alna for some assistance but dismissed the notion. Alna had started taking a free online course yesterday––something to do with the evolution of human crime––and the last thing Marianna wanted to do was interrupt her girlfriend’s studies. Especially when she was so clearly enjoying the course.
She was also certain Alna had mentioned a tutoring session.
Marianna nibbled on her lip, tapping her pencil against the textbook that was refusing to yield the answer she needed. She sighed, pushing some hair out of her face as she once again surveyed the store. Everything appeared to be in order: no one needed her help, the various trinkets were in their proper places on the shelves, and the display in the window looked full enough to entice people into the shop. There was little else for Marianna to do than sit here and accept people’s payment for their items.
Her cell phone vibrated, drawing Marianna’s attention to the text alert on its screen. She picked it up, a smile appearing on her face as she spotted Alna's name.
I’ve got a date for us tonight. May I pick you up after work?
Marianna grinned even wider, despite knowing her girlfriend didn’t mean a “date” in the traditional sense. She had a case for them. Marianna couldn’t wait.
Her reply was delayed when the couple approached the counter. Marianna took the miniature, cheaply made version of the island of Starla. After completing the transaction, she bagged the sculpture, handing it over with some change.
“Stay warm,” Marianna advised them, casting a look to the windows by the entryway. Outside the window, Marianna could see the snowflakes being whipped around. She found herself even more grateful that she wasn’t outside in it. At least for the moment.
“We’ll try,” said the woman’s companion. The tight look on his face conveyed his dread at going back outside. Marianna didn’t blame him.
Another brisk gust of air swept inside as the couple left. Marianna tucked her hands into the sleeves of her pink cardigan and picked up her phone.
Absolutely. We’ll have to take a cab, though, Marianna sent back.
Alna’s response came through less than a minute later: Not a problem. I shall see you at 6:30.
Marianna sent back an affirmative with a thumbs up, unperturbed when she received no further response. She set her phone down, turning her attention back to the store.
Marianna spent the last forty-something minutes of her three-hour shift alternating between working on her homework and helping any customers that came into the shop. Why anyone would bother coming to a simple gift shop in such horrific weather beyond Marianna, but it wasn’t her place to judge. She helped them all with a friendly attitude.
Alna appeared three minutes early, her pale cheeks pink and eyes narrowed in irritation. Her black hair, mostly covered by simple black toque, was speckled with white snowflakes. The sight of them in her dark hair made Marianna think of cookies ‘n’ cream. She grinned.
“Hey.” Marianna walked out from behind the counter and up to Alna with a spring in her step. The irritated look softened on her face, a warm look filtering into her icy eyes.
“Hello, Ms. Whitlock,” Alna replied, a touch of humor appearing in her voice as her hands settled on Marianna’s hips, making Alna’s laptop bag knock against her side. They shared a brief, chaste kiss before Marianna stepped away. She headed to the back, beginning to pack up her things.
“Is the cab waiting for us?” she called over her shoulder. Marianna gathered her winter coat. She doubled-checked her keys and slipped on her backpack.
“It is,” Alna confirmed. “And that simple fact will cost me at least another ten dollars.”
Even knowing full well that Alna wasn’t accusing her of anything, Marianna hastened her walkthrough of the store, not wanting to cost her girlfriend more money than necessary.
Marianna could have sworn she contracted frostbite the moment she stepped outside. The sheer force of the wind made her worried that she would be swept up and tossed around as carelessly as the snowflakes. She ducked her head against the biting chill, allowing Alna to act as a buffer as she walked a pace behind.
- Alna wasted no time in giving the driver the address as Marianna toppled into the cab. To Marianna’s relief, the interior was warm. She pulled the seatbelt across her front.
The two girls clasped hands as the driver took them to their destination. Marianna alternated between staring out at the passing businesses––cafes, a second-hand store, a grocery store––and casting frequent glances at Alna. She nibbled on her lip, wanting desperately to ask for clarification about where they were going, but wasn’t sure if she should in front of a perfect stranger. She resolved to ask later.
That didn’t stop the words from pressing against her tongue.
Noticing antsy nature, Alna redirected her gaze from the front windshield to Marianna. A passing lamp post illuminated her profile, highlighting the fond look on Alna’s face and seeming to make her eyes almost glow.
Marianna’s breath caught. She felt a tingling sensation as blood filled her still-cold cheeks.
Soon, Alna mouthed. Marianna gave a bashful nod to show she understood. She squeezed Alna’s hand once, shyly. One would think she would have gotten over being shy in the past months and in some ways, she had––just not completely.
The entire drive took around twenty minutes, much to Alna’s clear frustration––if her locked jaw was anything to go by. When they were dropped off at a cafe of all places, Marianna became completely confused. She’d half-expected to head straight to the place they were investigating
She said nothing until they got their drinks and sat down at a table in a deserted corner.
“So.” Marianna set her hot chocolate down. “I’m confused. Why are we here?.”
Alna, who had started typing on her laptop the moment she sat down, spared Marianna a brief, distracted glance. She paused long enough to cast her eyes around the coffee shop, making sure no one was listening in on them. This cafe wasn’t as homey as some of the ones Marianna had visited in the past. The walls were painted a boring grey, with only a few store-bought pictures attempting to offset the dullness.
Alna must have concluded that the few customers present were paying them no mind because she turned back to Marianna, a serious look on her face.
“Do you remember the man we were talking about the other day? Derek White?” she murmured. Marianna had to lean forward to hear her.
Marianna thought for a moment. Alna had seemed to be preoccupied with researching three people at once, for differing reasons. The name Derek White, however, definitely rang a bell. He was… Wasn’t he the one that…
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“The smuggler?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. She cast a nervous look toward the glass door of the cafe. For once, Marianna was thankful for the horrific weather; at least it meant privacy.
Alna nodded once, her eyes flicking up and around the cafe before returning to her laptop. Still lowly, she said, “I am now ninety-eight percent certain he is smuggling money from the West Bank. I hacked into his computer and noticed that some interesting transactions have taken place over the past three months. Some of his files remained inaccessible to me, despite my best efforts. I want to access the physical computer.” Once more, Alna stilled her fingers, scanning their surroundings. Marianna saw her eyes lock on something, and turned to see a middle-aged woman sipping her drink, a novel held in her right hand. She seemed innocuous enough. Alna must have thought so, too, because she turned back to her typing.
“Which is why we’re here.”
****
It took Alna ten minutes to deal with the security cameras in the building Mr. White worked in. From there, they stopped in a public and clothed themselves in their respective disguises. They were simple, consisting of brown wigs for both girls, gloves and dark clothes that wouldn’t attract attention. Given that they would need to move fast, they shoved their winter jackets into Alna’s bag, making it bulge enough that it was a bit of a nuisance to carry around. Nonetheless, Alna adjusted the strap on her shoulder.
After that, they headed for Mr. White’s building. Alna got them inside with relative ease, leading Marianna in through one of the back doors. Thankfully––or unfortunately––Alna didn’t have to break them in. Business hours had ended at five, according to Alna, but that still left the cleaning staff and occasional straggler. Once inside, Alna made an offhand comment about letting Marianna break into the next place they investigated, thus putting the skills Alna had been helping her cultivate to good use.
Marianna’s heart fluttered with excitement.
They’d barely made it a few paces into the building when the distinct sound of footfalls came from nearby. On instinct, Marianna stiffened, her head snapping in the direction of the sound. Her hand reached out, grasping Alna’s.
Alna didn’t freeze. In fact, she did the opposite. Yanking on Marianna’s hand, Alna dragged her around a nearby corner, pushing Marianna up against a pure white wall before flattening herself next to her. Her face was set into a mask of determination, betraying no hint of nerves.
The footfalls grew louder. Marianna’s heart faltered and then picked up its tempo as she stared toward the four intersecting hallways, trying to control her breathing. Alna’s arm pressed into her stomach, holding her in place and helping Marianna keep an illusion of calm.
The footfalls were now upon them. Marinna pressed herself further into the wall, beginning to back up at Alna’s subtle urging. She cast a nervous glance at a nearby security camera, black and ominous. It wasn’t working, was it? Alna had ensured that. Right?
The person was there, their steps sounding like thundering in Marianna’s ears. They appeared around the corner––
And the back of a suit jacket faced them as the woman turned down the hallway opposite them.
They hadn’t been seen.
Alna blew out a breath and gave Marianna a sidelong look. Still holding her hand, Alna led her down a few more hallways and to Mr. White’s office. It was locked.
Alna pulled a screwdriver from her bag and set to work on the lock. In two minutes, they were inside.
Marianna drew in a deep breath. Just knowing there were other people in the building was enough to keep her blood pressure up. It was a good thing her next therapy session with Pedro was this Friday, she mused. She definitely needed it.
“Would you object to keeping watch again?” Alna asked in a low voice as she approached a desk in front of a large, curtained window.
The question was absent-minded, Alna’s mind focused on the task at hand, but it didn’t bother Marianna. This was how Alna operated––focusing on important tasks such as this with a near single-minded intensity. Even now, she was eyeing the room as she approached the computer, her keen eyes missing nothing. She leaned over the desk, examining a piece of paper.
“Not at all.” Marianna stayed by the door and locked it, wincing at the soft click. Freezing, Marianna trained her eyes on the window––the kind that only allowed people to see fuzzy shapes and vague, distorted colours on the other side. In the center were backward black letters, showing whose office this was.
Ten seconds passed. Marianna counted each one. No one came. She let out a breath.
Now that they had reached their destination, Marianna felt herself relax a bit, although she kept her eyes locked on the door, watching for any sign of anyone passing by, or––more importantly––planning to enter. From behind her, Marianna heard Alna typing on Mr. White’s large, outdated computer––a sound that would have soothed her if she wasn’t so alert.
Some minutes passed without incident. Keeping the door in sight of her left eye, Marianna turned to observe the room.
Mr. White kept his office neat and well-organized. It was one of the most boring rooms Marianna had ever seen in her life. The walls were a light grey––lighter than the cafe’s––with no pretense of comfort or personality. There was only one painting on the wall; the curtains were a darker grey than the walls themselves. The floor itself was hardwood, adding to the clinical, impersonal feeling when Marianna looked around.
Barely a thing seemed out of place; not the papers on his desk or the pencils lined next to the dinosaur of a computer. The only item that seemed to disrupt the near impeccable office was the coffee cup set next to Alna’s right hand. Next to that was––
A golden pen stand? Marianna stared at it, not sure if Mr. White’s boldness appalled or impressed her.
Marianna resisted the urge to walk over and observe the pen stand more closely. It looked like the kind she’d see in a movie set one hundred years ago. A large gold pen mounted in walnut-coloured stand with a gold plaque. Marianna couldn’t see many details from where she was standing, but it looked real to her.
She glanced toward the door, checking for anyone in the hallways. “Is that real, do you think?” Marianna looked back at the desk long enough to gesture to the pen stand.
Alna took a moment to answer, her gaze intent on the computer as she typed.
“I believe so. Mr. White, it seems, is the type of man who likes to hide his crimes in plain sight. I have here a correspondence with someone who appears willing to sell him an original da Vinci painting. Stolen, of course.”
Well, then. That was something else.
Now that it had been pointed out to her, Marianna suspected this office wasn’t as boring as she’d originally thought. That painting of a waterfall––how much money was it worth? Had Mr. White bought it through unscrupulous means? What about those filing cabinets? What could he have––
Marianna’s head whipped back toward the door. There it was––footsteps in the hallway. She backed up, heart pounding.
“Alna,” Marianna whispered, “someone’s coming
In almost no time at all, Alna was standing behind her, snatching Marianna’s hand and dragging her even further away. They stopped at a closet door to the right of Mr. White’s desk. Alna rested a gloved hand on the handle, not opening it, but prepared to do so. Marianna’s heart slammed against her ribcage.
A beat. The blurry figure passed by the office.
Marianna released the breath she’d been holding, relaxing a bit. She stayed still, though, waiting for any sign that someone intended to enter the office.
When what must have been at least a full minute passed, Alna dropped Marianna’s hand and blew out an annoyed breath.
“Well, that was a setback,” she muttered. Alna’s eyes locked on Marianna’s face––concerned and searching. “You’re all right?” It was part question, part statement. Alna could surely read in Marianna’s facial expressions and body language that Marianna was holding herself together well enough, but had decided to ask, anyway.
“I’m fine.” Marianna flexed her sweaty hand inside its faux leather glove. She smiled to back up her words. “You should get back to it so we can get out of here.”
Alna nodded once and immediately went back to Mr. White’s computer. Marianna retook her position by the door.
“Anything good?” Marianna asked a few minutes later. The quiet click-clacking of the keyboard did wonders for her previously frayed nerves.
“Plenty,” Alna said with little to no inflection, concentrating on the task at hand. “Although I now have to take precautions before I can send the evidence to myself.”
Marianna counted to twenty before she spoke again, straining to hear any sign that someone was nearby. When she concluded they were alone, she asked, “You’re sending it to your email?”
There was yet another short pause before Alna answered. “I created an account specifically for this.”
Marianna bit her lip against the fond smile that fought its way to her face. Alna seemed to have an incredible ability to think about almost everything.
“So, are you going to email the evidence to the police, then?”
Alna normally went through the Brigate Crime Hotline for things like this, but maybe this was big enough to contact the police directly.
In response, Alna looked up briefly before saying, “No. But I will be filling in their online form for reporting crimes. I’ll send the information along and contact the Brigate Crime Hotline as well.”
Thorough. Just the way Alna preferred things.
Marianna nodded and fell silent, focusing all of her attention on keeping watch.
It was somewhere around five minutes before the silence was broken.
“There,” Alna announced. Marianna turned to see her stepping around the desk. She hadn’t once sat in the chair at Mr. White’s desk, she noted. “That’s done. Now––”
Marianna heard light footsteps from down the hallway. “Alna,” she whispered, cutting off her girlfriend. She backed up to the closet from earlier. Alna was beside her in a flash.
Saying nothing, Alna grabbed Marianna’s wrist and dragged her into the closet.