It turned out that E. J. Porter was one Elizabeth Porter, a woman in her late sixties with a less-than-warm personality. “I’m a busy woman,” Elizabeth Porter added harshly. “I can’t be expected to remember every customer.” She impatiently pushed the postcard that Kendra had shown her back across the stand ather. “And I give out dozens of these postcards every month. So do all the other shop owners here in the mart. We do anything we can to keep selling and putting food on the table.” Her tone was as rude as it had been since the moment Kendra showed up and questioned her about the man to whom she had given the postcard.
Kendra had been trying to keep her temper and smother her disappointment so that she could dig beneath that antagonism and see why a few simple questions had the effect of causing this instant coldness. “You must have records and receipts. All I’m searching for is an address,” Kendra said. “Would you let me go through your books for the last few months and see if I can locate something that might jog your memory?” Her gaze wandered over the stacks of books on the tables in front of the cash register. “You seem to have a wonderful inventory. You evidently sell a wide variety of books of every description, from textbooks to first editions.” She stepped closer and reached out to caress the cover of a volume near the top of the stack. “I see you have a number of science and history books I’d like to take a look at myself. Would you mind? Perhaps if you were reminded what books you sold my friend, you might remember other details about him.”
“No!” Elizabeth Porter knocked Kendra’s hand aside and shoved the book she’d been examining on a shelf underneath the cash register. “You’re wasting my time. You’re not listening to me. Let me repeat. I’m a busy woman, and I’ve no time for this nonsense. I’m just an honest woman trying to make a decent living.” She shrugged. “And how do I know you’re not some con artist out to cheat me? There are all kinds of scammers out there waiting to take advantage of a hardworking woman like me.”
“You don’t know, of course.” Kendra was studying the woman’s face. She was obviously tough and experienced, but Kendra was sure Lynch wouldn’t have sent her down a blind alley. “And maybe that’s the problem . . . I believe the man you gave this card to would have impressed you as being honest and worth protecting. He can be very persuasive . . . Look, I know what it is to have to work for a living. I’m a therapist, and I spend most of my time working with children. I’m just a little worried about my friend and need a little help.”
Was she softening a little? Maybe . . . Okay, let Lynch help me break the barrier.Kendra took out her phone and flipped to the photos to a snapshot of her and Lynch taken in Spain last year. It was one of her favorite photos of him because his expression showed not only his keen humor but also his warmth. “This is the man I’m looking for. Will you help me?”
The bookseller glanced at the photo, but her expression didn’t change. “I told you, I don’t remember him.” She looked back at Kendra, studying her face. “But I can tell you must care for him.” For an instant there seemed to be the faintest fleeting sympathy in her eyes. “Sorry. I hope you find him.”
“So do I.” Kendra reached into her wallet for a card with her cell phone number, scrawling the address of the flat on the back. “In case you suddenly remember after all. I’m only a short distance away. I’ll come anytime, anywhere.”
Elizabeth Porter was still shaking her head, but she looked hesitantly down at the card. “You know, I worked with children when I was younger. I was a teacher. I might just look around and see if I can find a receipt when I have time.” She stuffed the card in her pocket. “But don’t count on it. Like I said, you’re a stranger who might be trying to con me.”
Kendra shook her head. “Please believe me.” She cleared her throat. “I’m having trouble knowing where to turn. It’s very important to me.” She turned away. “So important that I might have to come here and bother you again about it tomorrow morning. I wouldn’t have a choice. Please think about it tonight. I’ll be so grateful.”
She forced herself to walk away and not look back.
A few minutes later, Jessie appeared from behind another shelf of books a few yards across the display area and fell into step with her. “Any luck?”
“Not really.” Kendra made a face. “But not because she didn’t know anything. She just didn’t trust me. Or anyone else. I could see that she wasn’t going to budge no matter how much I tried to persuade her.” She paused. “But I think she might have trusted Lynch. So I thought I’d let her know that he trusted me, too, and then leave her alone to think about it. Lynch has always been far more persuasive than me anyway.” She moistened her lips. “I just hope he’s still around to make his presence felt.” Then she shook her head. “Of course he is. I was just praying that this blasted bookseller would be the key to finding him.”
“Want me to go and have a stab at trying to persuade her?”
“No, it’s my job. I’ve laid the groundwork and now I’ll let her think about it before I hit her again. She knows where I am and that I’ll be back. Maybe she’ll be ready to talk by morning.”
“I hope you’re right. Then let’s go pick up some Indian food from one of the vendors and take it back to the flat,” Jessie said. “We’ll have dinner and then get some sleep. We both need it. Neither of us slept on that flight.”
Anything to make the time pass until she could go back and question that bookseller again, Kendra thought. Toward theend of the interview, she’d seen at least a glimmer of hope. She nodded. “It sounds good. I vaguely remember liking London’s Indian restaurants.”
“Vaguely? It’s the best thing about London cuisine. I keep forgetting how little you know about London. The entire world flocked here to share their local cuisines. Personally, I think the British empire builders were too busy conquering the world to concentrate on developing their own gourmet meals and just threw open the doors. It brought some of the best food in the world here.” Jessie linked arms with her. “Just stick with me and I’ll take care of you.”
“That could be pretty scary in itself,” Kendra said dryly, “when I think about what the last forty-eight hours has brought.” Then she grinned. “But I’ve already decided that I’ll have to have a crash course. By all means, hail Britannia!”
TWO HOURS LATER
“You were right,” Kendra said as she finished drinking her tea in the living room of their London flat. “I believe that was the very best Indian food I’ve ever eaten. The spices were fantastic.”
Jessie nodded. “And that was just street food. It gets better.” She was picking up cartons and tossing them into the waste cans in the kitchen and glancing over her shoulder at Kendra. “And you didn’t eat enough to judge. I’ll give you another chance when you’re not quite this upset.”
Kendra wasn’t about to deny it. “Maybe it wasn’t a fair test but I appreciate your effort.” She wearily shook her head. “I’ma little tired, but after a good night’s rest I’ll bounce back and be ready to tackle that blasted bookseller again tomorrow. I’ve been thinking about it, and maybe she wasn’t trying to protect herself but Lynch. All I have to do is convince her that we’re on the same side.”
“Judging by what you’ve told me about the lady, that won’t be a piece of cake, either. She sounded pretty damn tough.” Jessie grinned. “But then so are you. My money is definitely on you. If you need any backup, you know where I am. Is there anything else I can—” She broke off as her phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket to glance at the ID. “Oh, shit.”
“Problems?” Kendra asked.
“Just an inconvenience. It’s Jake Brice. I was halfway expecting it. And it’s nothing I can’t handle. But I’d better take it. He can be either difficult or curious as the devil, which is sometimes worse.” She answered the call. “Hello, Brice. I’m sorry that Fitz called you, but Rome must be pretty boring if you decided you had to follow up on it. Don’t you have anything better to do with all those starlets vying for your attention? How truly sad. If you’re that needy, maybe you should do a couple more superhero films after all.” Jessie let out an affectionate laugh. “Okay, fine. Let me get changed for bed, and I’ll call you back in five minutes, okay? We have some catching up to do. Okay, bye.” She cut the connection and turned to Kendra. “I’ll take this in my room so I won’t bother you.”
“Fine. Thanks, Jessie. Tell Brice I said hi.”
Jessie closed the door behind her, leaving Kendra staring speculatively after her. It was always interesting when Kendra found her friendship with Jessie intersecting with Jessie’s ownlife, which was so different from her own. Jessie’s lifestyle and acquaintances could be bizarre to her. Not that it really mattered when they shared a mutual respect, boundless curiosity, and a love for their individual work. That was enough, and there was no way that Kendra would like to have the clients Jessie had to deal with in her profession. Jake Brice had seemed pleasant and charming enough the one time she’d met him, but it was clear he was complicated, and there was probably friction between them from the attitude Jessie had displayed toward him on this trip.
But Kendra had no right to be critical, she thought wearily. Not when this entire trip was aimed at her own search for one of the most complicated men on the planet.
Good luck to Jessie. She just hoped that Brice’s “difficulties” wouldn’t get in the way of their finding Lynch. Or Kendra would just have to go it alone. Which is what she should probably be doing anyway.
She might be exhausted but she should probably spend this time while she was waiting for Jessie to finish her call going over the events of the day and particularly the interview with Elizabeth Porter that had proved so exasperating.
