been closed.”
“What?” I asked in surprise.
“That account was closed,” she repeated, “just this morning.”
“By who?”
“I’m not at liberty to share that information.”
“It’s my account,” I responded in a steely voice, “and you’re telling me I don’t have the right to know who closed it?”
I saw her gaze shift, and I glanced over my shoulder. She’d caught the eye of the security guard on duty.
I bit my tongue, then turned and walked calmly toward the exit. Suddenly, a guard reached for me. I dodged and ran out the door and into bright sunlight. A few blocks away, I hailed a cab. It didn’t look like it would make it more than a few blocks, and the interior smelled funny. Nevertheless, I paid the driver and directed him to the Beckett estate. Upon arrival, I hurried around to the service entrance in back.
“Lewis.” I nodded a greeting toward the chef. “Do you know where I can find April?”
“Hi, Keira. She’s straightening the parlor for afternoon tea.”
“Thank you.” I hurried down the hall.
April had been living on site for over a year now, so I knew my way around. In the corridor, I passed the butler who also greeted me. I entered the parlor, walked over to the off-white fainting couch, pretended to faint and looked up at April.
“I need your help, sis.”
“So dramatic!” She giggled. “I’ll try my best. What do you need?”
“Information. Do you know of any upcoming social events in the next week or two? It’s important.”
“Why? You want to party?” She grinned, every bit the youngest.
“I’m serious about this.”
April sat down next to me. “I can see that,” she said quietly. “What’s up?”
“She double crossed me and closed my bank account. Nobody does that to me and gets away with it!”
“Who? Wow, wait a minute.” Her grin faded completely. “You’re really angry.”
“How can you tell?” I asked sarcastically.
“Other than the steam coming out of your ears? Look, go home and relax.”
I looked at her like she’d gone insane.
“Really, I’ve got your back. Who did this to you?”
“Elaine Ramsey,” I whispered. Her eyes grew wide, and I nodded to let her know how serious I was. “I need to know if she’s throwing a party anytime soon.”
“Cheer up! A lady of her standing throws parties all the time.” April threw her arm around my shoulders. “They always talk about events like that during tea. That and who’s engaged and whose wedding was horrendous and…” She stopped and gave me a look. “I’ll eavesdrop this afternoon, and I’ll stop by your apartment tonight.”
“Thanks.” I gave April a big hug. I didn’t want to drag her into my affairs, but in this situation, it was the quickest way to get the information I needed.
***
Later that evening, April stopped by as promised. “I can’t believe you pulled a job for Elaine Ramsey! Do you realize how influential she is? That’s pretty risky, even for you.”
“Well, she’d as much as told me she wasn’t going to pay me, but I had no idea she’d close my account. Who steals from the Working Class anyway?”
“She does, obviously. But you’ll get it back. She’s throwing a dinner party next Thursday at her Galt residence. You are just going to steal, right? I mean, you’re not going to…” She slid a finger across her throat. “Not Elaine Ramsey.”
I hugged her close. “Don’t worry, April. I’ll do what I do best. I’m a master of disguise. I’ll sneak in and out. She won’t even know I was there until it’s too late. Then, I may have to disappear for a while, until she moves on and tries to take advantage of someone else.”
I hated lying to April.
-Scott-
Meeting the President
I’d been in Parisio for a couple of days, preparing for my meeting. It was good to be back. I reached up to straighten my tie. Then I opened my briefcase, pulled out some documents and began paging through them, focusing on what I planned to say.
My associate chose a seat against the wall and waited patiently for the others to arrive. She didn’t look it, but I knew that Madame Bellami was just as nervous as me. She had chosen to wear more colorful, yet dressy attire appropriate to her station. We both had high hopes that the Mediterran Gov would back our proposal.
“Monsieur President, messieurs, dames.” I pushed back my chair and stood as the President and his advisors entered the meeting room. “I am truly honored that you’ve agreed to meet with me today.”
“Shall we begin?” The