The note arrived in a gift-wrapped box. Ray read it with a growing smile and handed it to Laila when he was done. She read it three times before returning it with a frown.
"I don't understand." She couldn't keep the edge of frustration out of her voice. She'd known Ray for years, but he'd known Azura longer. They weren't brothers, but they were close, even though they didn't see each other more than two or three times a year. They both traveled extensively, though rarely together, and Ray's primary residence was in Paris while Azura preferred Morocco.
Most of the time, their contact was in the form of notes. Laila had read her share of them over the years, with or without permission, and she'd never gotten a bit of useful information from any of them. She'd admitted as much one time, out of annoyance, and Ray had simply laughed and assured her that was a good thing.
But now, with Ray smiling with delight, she felt that familiar spike of jealousy again. It was no secret that she cared for Ray in ways he didn't reciprocate, but she couldn't help herself, nor did she really want to. She was sure that if she was patient, she'd eventually win him over. She didn't need the distraction of his best friend, no matter how far away the man was.
"You'll burn holes in my desk if you keep scowling like that," Ray told her with a laugh. "Cheer up, we've got a new adventure to plan." Ray tapped the note against the edge of the desk and then set it down where she could see the innocuous message. All Azura ever wrote about was business and his travels, yet Ray always seemed delighted by the letters.
"Street maps or building diagrams?" Laila asked, feeling the first, sweet surge of excitement. She enjoyed the Phantom Thief Noir's exploits almost as much as he did.
"Building; house to be precise. But you won't need the usual sources, try family history instead. We're going to pay one of my dear relatives a visit." Ray leaned back in his chair grinning like a cat. "See what you can find on Maurice Courland and his recently deceased sister, Lady Rochefort."
Laila took excellent care of Ray's library and knew the precise location of the book Ray wanted. She pulled it from the shelf and paged through it herself until she found the entry for Maurice. In all the years she'd lived with Ray, she'd met very few of his relatives, but a quick read had her convinced that she didn't need to meet this one.
Ray was busy making notes when she returned with the book. Laila set it on the edge of the desk and took a seat, waiting patiently for him to finish.
Ray skimmed the entry in the book and made a few more notes before picking up Azura's letter. "You're aware that Azura and I _help_ each other with special projects on occasion?"
Laila nodded, proud of herself for managing to keep silent. She remembered all too well Ray's last effort in helping Azura – how he spent days locked up in this study, laboring over the translation of an ancient bit of parchment. It was all she could do to get him to eat or rest for a few hours.
"This letter," Ray touched the envelope he'd received gift-wrapped, "tells me that my translation was correct. He found what he was looking for. He's offering me a gift in return."
"I guessed that last part," Laila couldn't stop herself from muttering. Ray just gave her an amused look and let the comment pass.
"Apparently Maurice and his wife have obtained a pair of priceless amethysts through questionable means. They've got gambling debts to pay and intend to auction off this ill-gotten treasure in two days. I want you to find everything there is to know about the Lady Rochefort's death and the fire that burned her mansion last month." He stood up, his eyes scanning his notes once more before he turned to Laila again. "Maurice lives a few miles from here. I think I'll take a drive."
Ray swept out of the room, sleek and graceful. Laila watched him go, then turned her attention to her task. Ray was a brilliant man, but she had taught him a few things about researching.
The box had a bow on it, a bit the worse for wear but still intact. Azura pulled it off and absently draped it over the goblet on the corner of his desk. Inside was several pages of stationery and a copy of an accounting slip marked "paid in full". Azura set the slip aside and leaned back to read the letter, letting the mid-morning sun illuminate the loose, slanted letters. This was from Ray but it wasn't his handwriting.
On the surface it was banal – talk of pruning old trees and everyday business matters, but Azura knew the real meaning. As usual, Ray didn't disappoint – the Rochefort boy was safe and Maurice's plans to sell him to a foreign prince were foiled.
However, it was a single line at the end of the letter that amused Azura the most: Stray cat found its way into the mansion; can't seem to get rid of it.
Laughing heartily at Ray's predicament, Azura reached out and picked up the bow. It had slipped into the grail where it resembled a deep red wine. But in the sunlight, it was a perfect shade of amethyst.
::end::