“I’d better have a girl before I’m an old geezer like you.”
“If you’re lucky, you might. If you carry on the way you’re going, your love might be your larger, scarier cellmate.” Sliding my hand into my pocket, I pull out my business card holder and flick one his way.
“What’s this?” he asks, eyeing it suspiciously.
I cast my eyes heavenward with a sigh.
“An opportunity to turn your skills to the light,” Matt answers for me.
More like the morally gray.
“Is someone gonna take pity on this guy? Tell him where Eve is?” Fin claps a hand to my shoulder. “I mean, just look at the creases in his shirt. The bags under his eyes—the scruff on his cheeks.”
“Please, do you know where she is?”
“I do.” Nora infuses the words with extreme cockiness.
“If nothing else, I have to try to put this right. Would you tell me? Please?” I’ll get on my knees if I have to.
Nora shrugs a shoulder. “I’m not sure if you’re tellin’ the truth about this land.”
“If you want me to stop, I will. I’ll provide you with a legal team to—”
“I want it—I want a proper charity.”
“Yes, fine. We can do that. Start it right now, if you want. Just—”
“Swear it. In front of all these people.”
Several phones are suddenly out and recording. “This better not end up on Pulse Tok,” I mutter.
“Courts only,” Yara says. “If you renege.”
“Fine. I, Oliver Deubel, swear to set up an animal charity to support Nora’s good work. I promise to provide for all legal costs and remedy any and all legal issues with the land her animal sanctuary currently stands on. Will that do?”
Nora shrugs, her sudden satisfaction settling around her like a cloak. “Well, I’ll tell you, but she don’t need you no more. She’s got a new fella in her life. His name’s Tucker,” she adds with unconstrained delight.
“Sounds like a tool,” Matt mutters.
“He’s a big fella, so she tells me. We’re all happy for her, right?” She doesn’t seem to have realized that most of her protesters seem to be walking off in the direction of the nearest tube station.
“I would like to speak with her myself. Loose ends, you understand. So many things I have to say.”
“Loose ends lead to nothing.” Yara gives her head a tiny shake and begins tugging on Nora’s arm.
“You want to grovel,” the old woman asserts.
“Yes.” My shoulders sag with a deep breath. “I suppose I do.”
“Go on, then.” Pulling away from Yara, she folds her arms across the front of her raincoat as her head makes a slight dip in the direction of the ground.
“Was that a ... twitch?” I do hope so.
“A cue,” she says, ignoring Yara’s cackling laughter. “You wanna know? I wanna grovel out of you.”
My smile feels acid, and judging by the flickers of unease among the remaining stragglers, I think it might look acid too.Nora, meanwhile, remains unmoved. As cool as the proverbial cucumber, in fact.
“You misunderstand me, Nora. My groveling is for Eve.”
