This choice: Make Darcy Keith's base of operations. • Go Back...Chapter #45In Which Plans Are Hatched by: Seuzz   "I'd rather you just stayed as Darcy," you say. "It would be easier to manage. But," you add before he can object, "I'll let you switch as long as you're willing to do the extra work. How much money has Darcy got to spare?"
"I have a credit card," he mumbles.
"Good." You look at the clock. "You can hit a few places for material before they close."
You jot down a shopping list while he eyes you skeptically. "Oh, nothing," he says sarcastically when ask what his deal is. "I'm just wondering if your brains and Joe Durras's average out. The guy's kind of a moron, isn't he?"
"Some of us are smart. Some of us are sexy. And some of us?" You give a Gallic shrug. "Tous les deux."
"Yeah, well, toodle-oo to you, too," he mutters as he brushes past. After he leaves, you put his mask onto Darcy and send it back to keep Keith's place warm. After giving it another big kiss.
* * * * *
The new Darcy returns about an hour later with bags of supplies--enough, it appears for about five masks. "You should have written down how much you wanted," she complains when you complain. "And I have to get home."
"Get in character before you go, okay? You're not sounding a lot like Darcy."
She draws herself up, takes a deep breath, shuts her eyes, and exhales while shaking her head. "Joe, you're cute," she says in a weary tone. "But you're not as cute as you think you are."
"No one's as cute as I think I am," you grin back. You pluck at your friend's blouse. "But am I as cute as Adam Karter?"
"Stop it!" She slaps at your hand. "That guy--"
"He's after you! I've been watching him! And I've been watching you too."
"I'm not-- He's being a pest."
"And you're flattered. I can tell. Whatsamatter? Don't you think you're good enough for me?" You draw up close.
"Go away!" She shoves you.
"Come on, what's going on in Darcy's head? She's all like intense and stuff. It's scary."
"Yeah, well, if you lived with a single mother and didn't want to end up in the same kind of low-skill job, you'd be intense and work really hard so you could get into college and-- Shut up!"
"I'm just helping you get in character. But what about boys? What's her attitude toward boys?"
"Not one I want to explore!"
"Sorry, dude, you haven't got a choice. That's your first target: Karter."
"No!"
"Yeah! Think about it. He's a guy you can use to get lots more girls. Lots more cute girls. I'll stay out of the way while you're being him. He thinks I'm cramping his style."
Darcy's face tightens, but turns thoughtful. "I guess if you put it like that."
"Or what about Dunholm? He's eligible, and Darcy's close to him."
"Make up your mind, alright?"
"Karter it is, then. Make a date with him for tomorrow. You got that blank mask?" She pats her handbag. "Good girl. Make it a good one with him. Kiss him so hard he sees stars. Then get the mask on him."
She winces, but agrees, and leaves. After she's gone you go out to the garage and starting sorting supplies, then fire five masks. You pour yourself some cereal for supper and send Frank out to polish them with the power buffer. You should have enough for each member of the team to have one mask tomorrow.
As he works, you have to mull over the complications that come from Keith's addition to the team. Ursula thinks you have to score fifteen masks, which will leave an average of two-and-a-half masks for each member, now that "Darcy" is on board. Problem is, you actually have to score twenty, and the way Patterson wants it, it is supposed to be five masks from each member. Well, screw Patterson. You're not particularly afraid of him anymore and besides: Following his plan will mean revealing your lies to Ursula, and though you've no qualms about double-crossing her, you don't see why you need to double-cross her in order to keep Patterson happy. You'll just double-cross both of them.
So this is what you decide ...
* * * * *
"I'll give each of you two masks," you tell the group, who are huddled in a semi-circle on the grass near the practice fields. It's lunchtime, and this spot is far enough away from the building and the crowds that you can't be overheard and aren't likely to be interrupted.
You set two stones (which you'd casually gathered up on the walk out to the meeting spot) in front of each associate: Ursula, Eileen, Joshua, Darcy. Frank casually patrols the perimeter. "Joshua, you get Mitch Kendall and Terry Fitzgerald. Eileen, you get Elisabeth Pruit and Julianna Seaton. Darcy--" Eileen and Ursula flick nervous glances at her. "Adam Karter and Chris Yves." Darcy's expression is neutral at Karter's name, but a small gleam comes into her eye at Yves's. "Eileen, you have a problem?" She shakes her head, but you gently coax her.
"What about Timothy Johnson?" she asks, and turns red.
"Yeah, I noticed he was on Joshua's list," you say, and then it's Joshua's turn to redden. "Frank and me will help you guys out. Leave Timothy to us, along with Tina and Dana Pak. Joshua--" He raises his head, returning from some reverie whose contents you can guess but would prefer to ignore. "I've been over at your place. It's a natural for a spider web. Invite your targets over, one at a time. Turn the lights low, break open a few beers, put on that sitar music, light a few." You mime taking a hit on a joint. "Burn some incense. Break out the masks, invite your friend to try one on. It'll knock 'em out, you know, and that whole ambience you cook up will make them either not notice or think it's totally natural. Right?" He grins widely. You point to his confederates. "Have a couple of these guys with you, give support and cover. Oh, and don't do anything with the masks after you get them off your guy. Lay 'em aside and bring 'em to me."
You haul your backpack around, and from it extract a mask for each. You then send Joshua, Eileen, and Darcy away while asking Ursula to stay. Before you can speak, she asks about Darcy. "Yeah," you say. "I got to feeling kind of bad about her, what we did. I called her back out last night, showed her the mask, told her all about it. She's cool with it."
"Does she know that me and Eileen were--" She waves her hand in front of her face.
"Yeah, but she's fine with it. She knows you weren't snooping. It was just for demonstration purposes. Would you feel better if I let her snoop inside your mask? Turnabout and all that?" She looks pained, and you dismiss your own suggestion quickly.
"I also wanted to talk about the names you gave me," you continue, and draw out the slip of paper she had passed to you earlier in the day.
"I picked people I could get real easy," she says. "You said we had to hurry."
"Yeah, and I appreciate it." Actually, you don't. None of them, you suspect, would appeal to Patterson, and if he asks to see the masks before you're ready, you'll be hard pressed to explain them. "What did Eileen and Joshua say about your choices?"
"I didn't talk to them," she says. "Well, I talked to Eileen a bit." She turns a little pink.
"The thing is, they think all this is for 'fun', and your choices, well-- They don't seem 'fun'. Except maybe for James Black." You look at her closely.
Her color deepens, and she glances furtively around. "He was-- That was Eileen's idea," she says. Her breaths begin to come in short gasps.
"Ah. He is cute, in that Justin Bieber kind of way, isn't he?" She briefly catches your eye, then looks away. "Are you going to be able to get him? He seems really shy."
"Yeah, I dunno. Maybe you should have me pick some others?" You can't decide if her expression is hopeful or despairing. Possibly, it's both.
You point to the rocks. "Okay, we need fifteen masks, and you guys are going to get eight for us. That leaves me and Frank having to get seven. We're getting Tina and Timothy and Dana for your friends. We can add James to the list. For you." She says nothing. "Hey." You lightly tap her knee. "We're getting these things as keys to Lemuria, but nothing says you can't have 'fun' too."
She looks utterly miserable. "I don't know, Joe. What Eileen and Joshua--especially Joshua--it just seems ... wrong, somehow."
"It's not hurting anyone," you softly say. She doesn't reply. "Don't worry about it," you finally tell her. "You just concentrate on getting keys. Work with Eileen and Joshua, out at his place. It'll all work out."
She swallows, and you help her to her feet and send her on her way. Frank smiles tightly at you. "Sounds like you've outsmarted yourself," he says.
But you're not sure. If you got James for her, that might be the lever you need to upend her, and bring her in line with her friends.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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