They were more than a hundred metres away from Blake’s house before either of them spoke.
“Oh God,” Kaden whispered. “Did we actually manage that?”
“I thought I’d feel better when we came out but I feel as if something is fluttering inside me.”
“That’s where the expressionbutterflies in your stomachcomes from.”
“I didn’t eat any butterflies.”
Kaden gave him a wide-eyed look, then glared at Joe’s smile. “Okay, ET.”
“Who’s ET?”
“A film about an extraterrestrial. Though you probably know that. We’ll watch it later. I’ll text Alistair and tell him it’s done.”
Kaden had barely sent the text before the phone rang.Alistair,he mouthed to Joe and pulled him in close to listen.
“Hi,” Kaden said.
“Everything okay?”
“It’s under the front part of the desk.”
“And already transmitting.”
Kaden glanced at Joe. “And have lovely things been said about us?”
“Not one word.”
“Oh. And I thought we’d made such a good impression.”
Alistair chuckled. “Now it’s a waiting game. Give me your address and someone will come and collect the camera.”
“We can bring it back now. Are you in?”
“Meet me at Paddock’s. Café on Dunstan Street.”
“Fine. Give us forty minutes.”
Alistair ended the call and they carried on walking.
“I suppose the longer it is before they have enough to act against Blake, the better it is for us,” Joe said.
“Probably. Did you get a feel about him?”
Joe thought about it. “Not that he’s a bad guy.”
“Me neither. But then he was hardly going to tell us about his nefarious deeds while twirling his moustache.”
“That went right over my head.”
“I don’t have the energy to explain.”
“Try.”
By the time they arrived at the café, Joe got it. Cartoon villain. What a weird thing.
Alistair and Elsie were at a table in the corner behind a post. He was on the phone and ended the call as they sat down. Elsie was delighted to see them. She wagged her tail hard, moving from Joe to Kaden and back, as they both made a fuss of her.
