“A good question, to be sure. Except that my friend…he’s not really the type who likes to get out into the world much. He’s, how should I say… eccentric?”
Adriana wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. “What do you mean, eccentric?”
He defended quickly. “Oh, it’s nothing you should worry about. He’s a nice person. Very amiable. A jolly sort. Just a little… obsessive-compulsive.”
“So he likes to keep his home clean. So?”
“There’s that. But he also has a huge fear of going out to where he knows other people will be. He doesn’t like to be in crowds.”
She knew what Lester was talking about. Agoraphobia, or a fear of being out in public, was something that she’d heard of before, though she’d never really known anyone with that particular disorder. Another question came to mind with the new information.
“If he doesn’t like being around people, is he okay with visitors? I mean, he may not appreciate you bringing me over to bother him with questions about a missing painting.”
Lester waved his hand, blowing off her worries. “He’ll be fine. I’ve known him for a long time. Besides, it would do him some good to have a pretty girl in his house every now and then.” He squinted with the cheesy grin.
She kept herself from rolling her eyes again. “Seriously, Les. Some people like that don’t want to be bothered. I don’t exactly have a lot of time to waste on this project.”
The last sentence caused Lester to frown. “What’s the rush, love? These sorts of things can take time.”
“Not this one,” she said. “I have to move fast. That means if you’re sure your friend is the one we should talk to, then we need to get going. Every second we sit here is crucial.”
He studied her face and reached over to his glass. One more big gulp finished the evergreen-smelling liquid. “You’ve gone and got yourself into some sort of trouble now, haven’t you?”
She didn’t respond right away.
For a second, Lester started to worry. “It’s not the Albanians, is it? I knew it. I always knew they’d come after us.” He looked around the room in a panic. “And you’ve led them straight to my front door.”
“It’s not the Albanians, Les. Relax. This one is on me and me alone. And the people I’m involved with don’t, and won’t, know who you are. You’re safe. But I need to get to your friend’s house as soon as possible. Can you make that happen?”
He considered it for a moment. “Yeah. I can set up a meeting with him. Just remember, when we go over there, don’t touch anything. I mean anything. Drives him crazy if you even breathe on something funny.”
She grinned wryly. “Understood. If he gives me a drink, I’ll use a coaster.”
Lester’s eyes fired daggers in her direction. “I’m serious. You can’t mess around with him. I’ve seen him kick someone out of his home before. It wasn’t pretty.”
“And he let you stay?”
“Ha ha. Hilarious. I assume you’ll want to go today. I suppose a nap for me is out of the question?”
“Quite.”
He sighed, frustrated. “Fine. Let me just take a quick shower and change, and I’ll take you there.” Lester stood up and grabbed his empty rocks glass.
Adriana interrupted his exit. “Oh, there’s one more thing. I brought a friend.”
“Wait. A friend? Like a guy? Since when do you work with a partner?”
“It’s not a guy, Les. Actually, I think you two might really hit it off. You’re two peas if you know what I mean.”
His hesitancy turned curious. Behind his weary, dark eyes, there was the hope every young man feels when he thinks he might be introduced to a beautiful woman. At least he assumed Adriana’s friend was beautiful.
“Where is she? Wait. Is she here with you in Paris?”
The doorknob turned, and Allyson walked in. Her blonde curls were tied up in a ponytail, but a few strands hung loose and splashed over the tops of her ears. She closed the door quietly behind her and crossed her arms.
“This is the guy?” she asked with an upward flick of the head.
The weekend had done Allyson good. She had rested, got cleaned up, and grabbed some fresh clothes. For now, she was wearing skintight gray yoga pants and a snug fitting dry fit top. It looked like she was about to go for a run. Considering what the three were about to embark on, that wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility.
Lester stood in stunned silence, admiring the new addition to their group. He nearly dropped his glass, fumbling it for a moment before catching it with both hands. His mouth was like a wide-open airplane hangar.
Allyson turned her attention to Adriana. “Does he talk?”
“Les, this is Allyson Webster. She’s a criminal, like you. I’m sure you’ll both have plenty to talk about.”
Allyson’s head twisted back to facing their host. “If he speaks.” She sounded dubious.
“Terribly sorry,” he said, finally finding his voice. “I… I was just… I didn’t know there would be another person coming in. I apologize. Could… would you like a drink? I was just finishing up a gin, but I could make another if you like.”
Allyson’s eyebrows knit together. “It’s not even ten in the morning yet.”
His lower lip overlapped the upper, and he nodded, raising a finger. “Right. I keep forgetting: Normal people are just waking up. I’ll just get cleaned up, and we can be on our way.”
Lester turned around and clumsily tripped over the end table he’d apparently forgotten was behind him. He almost fell on his face but managed to put a free hand out and brace himself on the table before making a complete idiot of himself.
Adriana snickered, shaking her head at the sight. Allyson seemed less amused as she watched him take the empty glass to the kitchen and then disappear down a hallway.
“This is the guy we’re putting our faith in?”
Adriana cocked her head to the side and shrugged. “I know he doesn’t look like much, but over the years, Lester has compiled one of the most impressive lists of contacts in the art black market. Trust me. He’s good.”
“Yeah, I heard your conversation.” Allyson tapped on the skin-colored earpiece in her right ear. “Sounds like this guy he’s taking us to is a little on the kooky side.”
“It’s our only lead. If you want to run around Paris asking random people if they know anything about the missing Rembrandt, be my guest. I’m going to take my chances with Les.”
Allyson put up a defensive hand. “Okay. Okay. Don’t get all huffy with me. We’re in this thing together now. So after we get the information we need, are we going to off these two or what?”
The callous way she asked the question sounded like she was talking about exterminating insects.
Adriana looked at her as if her face was melting. “No! We aren’t killing them. Lester may be a criminal lowlife—”
“Sound carries in here, and I’m not in the shower yet!” he shouted from somewhere in the apartment.
She ignored the statement. “But he’s no threat. And I only kill out of self-defense and if it’s absolutely necessary.”
Allyson tapped one finger on her arm, considering her counterpart’s words. “Ugh. Fine. All these rules, I’m surprised you’ve ever been able to get anything done. If you asked me, it’s easier to just eliminate the loose ends. You might want to look into it sometime. Otherwise, your past might catch up to you.”
“Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Allyson’s comment renewed Adriana’s concern about teaming up for the final mission. Leveraging her reckless but useful talents was like walking a tightrope over the Grand Canyon…on a windy day…with vultures circling overhead. But using her was the best way to ensure success. Allyson had motivation. All Adriana needed to do was pull the right strings.