7.07: Bad Lock

ANGEL PASTA: PART SEVEN

She pulled the chair out of the way, dropped to the floor and crawled into the alcove beneath the desk. She now couldn’t see the main part of the room, as the desk wasn’t open all the way through, but could hear clearly when Julien Legrand entered the room less than a minute later.

She knew it was him, as he muttered, “I’m coming, I’m coming,” on his way to pick up the ringing phone.

“Oui? I am in the middle of something,” Legrand said, taking the call.

Angel had no idea what the person on the other end of the conversation said to that.

“What I am hearing,” came Legrand’s reply after a moment, “is that I am paying you too much. Because I pay you to get rid of any officials who begin poking around in this way.”

Another pause followed, during which it occurred to Angel to hold her walkie-talkie device up and activate it. That way Patty could hear what was going on. Angel reasoned her new friend was smart enough not to think it meant Angel had been captured.

“Non,” Legrand insisted. “If we create more diversions, they will simply look like diversions. The jellyfish have everyone talking about the water. I am hoping to create more of them. This must be sufficient. Simply move faster, and you will have nothing to worry about.”

Angel realized her right leg was starting to throb, bunched up as she was in the small space. She hoped she wasn’t about to let out a noise in pain or irritation.

“Very well,” Legrand sighed. “I will send my men to help out. I am serious though, I now give you twenty-four hours. One of the women poking around town is already threatening to take information to the press.”

Apparently Patty’s threat was being taken seriously. This was good, though also potentially bad.

“I did not say I was concerned,” Legrand said, now irritated. “They are only women, and I should be able to make anything I decide to do to them look like an accident.”

Yes, that definitely wasn’t good. Angel wondered how much of this Patty had been able to hear.

“Fine. Do not call me, I will call you,” Legrand concluded.

At that, Angel expected to hear him drop the phone receiver back in its cradle. It didn’t happen.

“Fine, fine, give me the number,” he said instead, irritation shifting to exasperation.

It sounded like he was writing something on the pad she had noticed earlier, and only after that did Legrand finally hang up.

“So hard to find good help these days,” he muttered. He then picked up the pile of papers that Angel had noted on the desk, dropping them into the still open desk drawer.

‘Ooh, do NOT lock those away,’ Angel mentally willed.

Alas, he closed and locked up the drawer before heading back towards the hallway.

Angel resisted the urge to kick her foot into the desk in frustration, partly so as to not be heard, but more because there wasn’t enough space to do it satisfactorily. She simply balled her hands into fists as Legrand departed, closing the study door behind him.

Angel did her usual count to ten before emerging back out into the room. The small key was no longer on the corner of the desk, so Legrand must have taken it. Angel verified the desk drawer would not open, then glared at it.

She prided herself on being a good doctor, a good investigator… and an honest woman. Which meant her skills didn’t extend to lock picking. Indeed, the very fact that she was in essence breaking and entering here, the open window not withstanding, was still bothering her.

She was not going to get to see those papers.

She kicked the desk. It still felt unsatisfactory.

At least she remained undiscovered. And she had learned more.

[caption id=“attachment_3575” align=“alignright” width=“300”] Distracting jellyfish[/caption]

The ‘Distraction at Sea’ with the jellyfish was indeed attempting to draw attention away from whatever Legrand was truly planning. Which had to be something fairly spectacular, if he wished to garner the attention of the Octopus organization.

So, perhaps she and Patty could work out what this was? But perhaps not.

Angel did another quick search for anything else out in the open that might provide a clue. Including taking a closer look at the articles on the cork board. Alas, while they helped her get a better sense of Legrand himself - mostly verifying that he was full of himself, though also possibly in financial difficulty, which was interesting - that was all.

She did spot hinges on a picture frame, and locate a hidden safe. But it was locked up tighter than the desk drawer, with no hint of the combination anywhere.

Angel wondered about going out to explore another room, perhaps even trying to check out the basement, but it had now been over ten minutes. She was not very sneaky by nature - the bunny ears not making that any easier, she supposed - and reasoned she could only push her luck here so far.

She knew much more than before she had come into the house. That would have to do.

Angel headed for the window, figuring that was her best way out. As she did, she swept her gaze over the room one more time.

Her eyes fell on the notepad near the telephone. Upon which had been scribbled a phone number.

Did she dare?

If so, it was probably best to do it now, from Legrand’s own office, in case they had a way of tracking the call. Not to mention, at this time, it could still be framed as a follow-up to the call she had overheard.

Angel began dialling before she could talk herself out of it.

The phone rang twice on the other end, and then to Angel’s surprise, a woman picked up on the other end. “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind,” she said. Angel didn’t recognize the voice.

“Legrand does not change his mind,” Angel said, neutrally. “But the men he is sending. Did you want them to arrive at your place of business, or at your current location?”

Her question was met with silence.

Surely Angel’s own voice was an unknown here too, but Angel was invoking information only Legrand would have. Was this mystery woman about to call her out? Or was the issue that the question itself was somehow enough to stop the conversation in its tracks?

“I suppose a few people arriving all at once might be seen as suspicious,” the woman said at last. “But don’t send them next door. Stagger their arrival here by a half hour or so.”

Angel now knew this woman was currently next door to her place of business. Was there any way to figure out where that was, without lying like a cheap rug?

“Very well. We could also have them park for a while out front?” Angel suggested.

“Hein? Any car on the street outside the museum at this time of day requires a permit,” the woman objected, this time immediately. “Did no one tell you this? Put Legrand back on the line.”

“You think we cannot fake permits?” Angel shot back, equally fast. “Then you do not get Legrand, you get me telling you that we will do whatever is most convenient for us instead.”

She hung up the phone before there was time for a response.

After that, Angel needed a few deep breaths to compose herself. She adjusted her hairband.

That had been a gamble. But it seemed like their next destination was the local museum.

Angel headed for the window again, but this time she was distracted by noises out in the hall. Specifically, the sound of a male yell, followed by Patty’s voice saying, “That’s what you get for knocking me out earlier. You cannot keep me silent in here forever.”

“We do not need forever. Only until you meet an unfortunate accident,” a man snarled back at her. It sounded like Patty’s former assailant.

“Mon dieu, do not let her bait you,” came another voice. Angel recognized this one as being the man who had claimed to leave her a threatening note at the hotel. So, it was the same two who had been talking outside.

“Then do not let her kick me, imbecile,” the wounded man snarked back.

Apparently Legrand’s goons had decided to capture Patty. Or Legrand had ordered it, now that he had enforced a twenty-four hour deadline. This was very, very bad luck.

Angel flirted with the idea of drawing her gun, then bursting out of the study, to take Patty back by force. But while she’d have the element of surprise, she was on their territory. They would both still have to get off the property. And if both of them ended up captured, there would be no one free who was even aware of Legrand’s plans.

Keeping her gun holstered, Angel held the walkie talkie device back up to her mouth. “I will return for you. Absolument,” she assured her companion.

Angel finally fled out the window before anyone could enter the study.

She edged back along the side of the house, sprinted for the bushes at the back, counted to ten to verify that no one was charging after her, and then left the grounds the same way she had originally gained access, over the fence.

It was only after Angel reached her van that she realized she didn’t know exactly where the museum was in town. Should she try to look it up on a map, or would that take too long? Should she get Mimi to help? Should she wait for Legrand’s goons to head out, and then follow them?

“I would get the authorities, but at this point Legrand has a stronger case against me than I have against him,” Angel grumbled, smacking her palm against the side of her van.

“Yes, the police would be the wrong move here,” chirped a new voice.

Angel spun, as a figure walked out into the open from behind her vehicle.

She was pretty. The woman now standing three feet away was a blonde with impossible hair. It cascaded down as far as her knees, seemingly held in place in part thanks to a blue hairband. Her outfit consisted of a dark blouse, the colour matching a pair of stockings. Though her skirt was blue, to match the hairband. As well as matching her deep, blue eyes.

Innocent blue eyes, yet with a look behind them that hinted at a depth of knowledge far beyond the twentyish years old that she appeared to be.

‘I would date her,’ was Angel’s first thought. Followed immediately by, ‘She’s that Epsilon hologram Patty talked about.’

Angel’s hand went to her gun, though she didn’t unholster it. “You. Don’t make any sudden moves.”

The woman - Beam, if Angel was recalling correctly - clasped her hands behind her back. “Sure,” she said. “Though you should know I’m currently insubstantial, so please don’t waste a bullet on me.”

Angel looked closer at the Epsilon Organization’s representative. Beam seemed solid enough, but Angel had certainly heard more far-fetched claims that later turned out to be true. She relaxed her posture, but did not let down her guard. “Why are you here?” Angel demanded.

“Because you didn’t listen when we told you to leave,” Beam sighed. “And now Patty has been captured. So, with her out of the picture, you have become our best hope for retrieving the artifact. As such, it seemed only polite to at least do an introduction.” She extended her arms back out to the sides. “I’m Beam, of the Epsilon Project.”

“Fine. Know that I am not about to be swayed to your side by a promise of sexual favours,” Angel declared.

Beam smiled adorably. “As much as I hope that your remark is due to my innate sex appeal, I fear it was my earlier talk with Patty that has your mind running on such a track. Still, on the off chance it is both, know that I do find you very attractive as well, Angel. And I would be most willing to entertain you with multiple techniques, even if you are swayed by nothing I say, and instead decide to stubbornly follow your own path forwards at every opportunity.”

Angel felt a heat rising in her cheeks, her gaze darting over Beam’s appearance one more time, despite an attempt to hold her gaze. Patty’s sex appeal felt more organic, whereas with Beam, it somehow felt more engineered. But it was there. “Beam. This is hardly the time for such a proposition.”

“No, it’s not, but you brought it up,” Beam responded petulantly. Now she was visibly pouting. She really was a curious mix of innocence and intelligence. “At any rate, Angel, what I was about to ask is, what do you feel is an appropriate priority for us at this stage?”

“Priority?”

“Epsilon could help your investigation. Or, we could back off and keep observing. We could even see about helping you bust Patty out of Legrand’s mansion. So what is your preference?”

“Hmph. Are you honestly going to do whatever I say?” Angel shot back.

“For now, we are going to try,” Beam answered, seeming sincere. “After all, this is your environment, not ours. We’re simply passing through, trying to recover this artifact.”

That, at least, was a very familiar sentiment for Angel. She had the same methods, passing through an area, trying to help people fix their own problems. Either by giving them a nudge in the appropriate way, or by removing whatever was impeding their progress.

Perhaps this Epsilon Organization wasn’t so bad after all.

“In that case,” Angel said. “I’d say…”

poll.fm/13358357

Had Angel escaped out the window, Patty wouldn’t have been captured, but it was the worst option for them getting information. They would have then needed to get help from Epsilon to learn more. Had Angel gone to the basement, she would have become trapped, shifting things over to Patty… and Epsilon. Since Angel hid, we ended up here.

Thanks as always for reading. Voting will close some time after February 23rd, as leaving it open longer than a week doesn’t seem to make a difference, and it would be nice to get another part out this month. Take care.)