UNKNOWN: We’re ready. Waiting for your signal.
Seventy-One
Quaddra had just deleted the message and returned the phone to his pocket, when Mary walked back into their presidential suite living room.
‘OK, honey, I’m ready!’
Quaddra turned to face her and paused, his breath catching as his lips stretched into a half smile, half jaw drop. ‘Wow!’
‘Do you like it?’ Mary asked, doing a spin – catwalk style. She wore a very elegant red, sleeveless, V-neck, high slit evening dress, with black Christian Louboutin stiletto heel sandals and a matching clutch bag. Her makeup was, as always, perfect, with her hair loose, falling down to her shoulders.
For a moment, Quaddra seemed completely lost for words. ‘I…’
Mary stepped closer.
‘You look…’ He blinked and shook his head, as if trying to wake up from a dream. ‘Absolutely stunning.’
‘You’re very kind,’ Mary said, reaching for his hand. ‘You look incredible yourself.’
Quaddra was wearing a brand-new tailored suit from Gieves and Hawkes, dark blue in color, with Josh Driver black shoes.
‘Danke schön, Fräulein,’ Quaddra replied, also doing his version of a catwalk spin, but definitely not as good as Mary’s. ‘Shall we?’
Down in the hotel lobby, as they exited the elevator, heads began turning, and Quaddra was pretty sure that none of them was doing so to look at him.
‘You two look like… perfection,’ the hotel concierge said, as they walked past his station. The name on his tag read ‘Conrad’. He was as tall as Quaddra, but not as physically fit. His smile seemed almost permanent.
‘Danke schön,’ Mary said back, nodding at Conrad.
Quaddra simply smiled his thanks.
Conrad reached behind his station for something that neither Mary nor Quaddra could quite see what it was.
‘You are going to ze bridge, right?’ Conrad spoke with a typical Austrian/German accent, where every ‘th’ took on a ‘z’ sound.
Mary frowned at him before looking at Quaddra. ‘The bridge?’
Quaddra’s eyebrows arched at Conrad. ‘What bridge?’
‘Markartsteg Bridge,’ Conrad replied, pointing east. ‘It’s just about two minutes’ walk from here.’
Quaddra bit his bottom lip as he gave the concierge a slight sideways look. ‘What’s on Markartsteg Bridge?’
It was Conrad’s turn to frown at the stunning-looking couple. ‘Ze love lock bridge.’
‘Love lock bridge?’ Mary’s gaze ping-ponged between Quaddra and Conrad.
‘Yes,’ Conrad explained. ‘Where couples write zeir names on a padlock and lock it onto ze bridge railing as a sign of zeir everlasting love. It’s for good luck.’
‘Oh!’ Mary exclaimed. ‘Like in the movies?’
‘Yes,’ Conrad confirmed. ‘And Markartsteg Bridge is beautiful. More beautiful zan ze one in Paris. Zere are so many different color padlocks all over ze railings, and zei are all zer for one reason… love. You can feel it in the air when you walk across ze bridge. It makes ze hairs…’ He rubbed his left forearm, ‘… go puff.’ He lifted his hands with his fingers wide apart and pointingup. ‘You’ll see.’ He finally offered Quaddra what he had retrieved from behind his station. ‘Zis is a gift from ze hotel.’
Quaddra took it and Mary craned her neck to have a look. Conrad had handed Quaddra a red, heart-shaped padlock, with the keyhole right at the center of it. The padlock came with two keys and a marker pen.
‘You must do it,’ Conrad urged them. ‘You are such a beautiful couple, and Markartsteg Bridge will bring you good luck and happiness… I promise you. It’s a magical bridge in a magical city.’ He nodded at the padlock in Quaddra’s hands. ‘Write your names onto ze padlock and lock it onto ze bridge. You’ll be forever happy.’
‘A magical bridge, huh?’ Quaddra’s eyes moved from Mary to Conrad.
