Meg checked her reflection one more time before leaving her apartment. She's had to rush getting ready far more than she preferred but if she wasn't at the consulate to run the show it wouldn't get done. Butterflies in her stomach threatened to overwhelm her as she called for a cab. The thought of seeing Gary again brought a school girl giggle surging upward. When a Gemini cab pulled up to the curb Meg's giggle died away.
"Where to, Lady?" A man with a heavy, European accent asked over his shoulder.
"To the Canadian Consulate, please." The inspector answered as she settled into the worn, gray, cloth seat. She didn't notice the photograph in the display before her or that the name attached to it was Arabic.
"Right away." The driver pulled away from the curb.
Scene Break
"Fraser, there's nothing happening around this vault, and after the bank vault we were locked in I'm not goin' anywhere near it, understand?" Ray spoke into his cellular phone as he sat in the surveillance booth in the Hilton.
"I hear you, Ray, but between what Princess Sibella overheard and Gary Hobson's insistence, I have to consider that something may well happen." Fraser responded as he re-read his to-do list for the thousandth time that day. Sometimes working at the consulate was so tedious the woodsman could just scream. That kind of attitude simply wouldn't do; it wouldn't change anything and it was most unbecoming behavior from an RCMP officer.
"Yeah, but Benny, I've been sitting here all evening and it's been nothing but regular guests coming and going, maybe a few high-dollar hookers with a few senators but that's about the extent of traffic here." The detective groused.
"Ray, I would appreciate it if you watched the vault containing the Morenian Relic for the evening, until I can arrange a Canadian detail tomorrow." Fraser implored the Italian descendant detective.
"I will, I'm just saying, you're worrying for no reason." Ray persisted.
"Ray, my father always said, and so did my grandmother, that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Fraser gave it right back to him. He didn't have time to arrange a proper detail, or much else for that matter.
"Okay, Fraser, but you owe me one for this." The detective reminded him. Fraser agreed and hung up. There were still things to do on the mountie's list.
Scene Break
Sibella sighed when she got back to the hotel and sat down. Going to her bureau, she looked at the beautiful, jade colored dress again. The princess looked forward to wearing it.
"My word, it has been a long afternoon." Sibella laid her hat and purse on the coffee table, she'd already ditched her shoes at the door. The princess' ears still rang with the high school marching band's bass drum they'd used in their concert. The vocals had been excellent; an uplifting array of standard choir selections had been sung, as well as a few popular songs the students had chosen. Seeing the kids had reminded Sibella how old she felt. It also reminded her how young she'd felt on her excursion with Gary the previous year. That brought a smile to her face. If only she'd met Turnbull back then. That though made Sibella wonder, made her feel confused. Gary was a wonderful, charming man, but Turnbull was too, and he made Sibella feel giddy. Gary didn't, the attraction felt different.
An alarm clock's chime brought Sibella back to the present. She had to get ready for dinner at the consulate. Quickly, she gathered all her accoutrements. After freshening her make-up, pulling her dark brown hair into a French twist and putting on her jewelry, Sibella was ready for dinner at the consulate.
Scene Break
Marvin Callahan locked his office door then checked the knob twice. It had been a long day, what with the Morenian princess staying, then the Canadian constable's insistence on seeing a perfectly safe vault and now there was a Chicago police department detective camped out in his lobby. The hotel manager stowed his keeps on the ring hanging at his belt then bid his night receptionist good night. As Marvin walked the length of the lobby, toward the parking structure, he noticed the detective gazing at a newspaper but not actually reading it. Detective Vecchio ignored the manager who ignored him in return. Near the bronze colored service elevators he saw one of his recent hires, a young, raven haired woman. She pushed one of the Rubber Maid cleaning carts, her hotel uniform crisp and clean.
"Good evening, Tina, having a good shift so far?" Marvin pushed the button to take him to the top level as the young woman pushed the cart inside the elevator with him.
"Yes, so far, so good." She answered with a polite smile, pushing the button to take her to the fifth floor janitor's closet.
"Are you finding everything alright?" Marvin inquired. He tried to help his staff during their training as much as possible. A well trained staff made for a smoothly running hotel that pleased guests.
"Yes, Mr. Callahan, the hotel is wonderful to work for." Tina answered, her voice soft and bright.
"Good, let me know if you need anything." The elevator stopped at the fifth floor, allowing Tina to push her cart out. She waved good-bye as she left. Marvin grinned and waved back. As soon as the elevator doors slid together Tina pulled out her cell phone and hit speed dial.
"Hello, Anton, yes, he's gone for the evening. I've planted the explosives." She smiled like a comic book villainess as she listened to her accomplice.
"Good work, Tina, we are sitting outside the parking structure as we speak." A harsh dial tone told her Anton had hung up.
"The Heart of Morenia will once again belong to the people." Tina slid the phone back into her pocket with satisfaction.
Outside the parking structure …
Marvin Callahan pulled out into rush hour traffic, glad that he only had to get to hid apartment three blocks away. Sometimes, in the summer and fall, he walked to work. Glad to be off the clock, the hotel manager whistled as he drove. He didn't see the Chevy Cavalier tailing him, two men in the front seat. As Marvin neared his apartment complex he switched on his turn signal and edged into a spot along the street. The Cavalier drove past, it's passenger watching the hotel manager stroll toward the red brick building's front entrance.
"Let us park down here and follow him inside." Anton pointed to an open parking spot where they could get out of the rental without stopping in traffic. Together the pair from Morenia exited the small car and walked up the four flights of stairs to Marvin Callahan's apartment. The hotel manger was just getting to his door after having stopped to retrieve his mail and speak to a neighbor. Anton and Yakov came up to him from behind, each one taking an elbow.
"Be very quiet, Mr. Callahan, unlock the door and let us all walk in together." Anton spoke low as the surprised man began to stammer. Marvin turned the knob, allowing them inside his apartment after he the taller man with a handgun.
"What do you want, I don't have any cash, nothing valuable." Marvin asked as he stumbled into a seat on his couch.
"We want the Heart of Morenia, you can get it for us. If you do as we tell you to no one will get hurt. If you do anything to alert the police we are prepared to detonate enough explosives to flatten the Hilton along with half the block where it sits." The small, European man's thin face and dark hair slicked back from his beady eyes made him look like a ferret.
"Explosives, you're crazy, how did you?" Marvin began. The bigger of the two men shook his head, silencing Marvin. "What are you going to do with me?" The hotel manager asked.
"We are going to have a wonderful evening here, together, then in the morning, you will open the vault. Or else." Anton answered with a sneer. Marvin looked from one man to the other, flabbergasted. "We don't want to hurt anyone, but the Heart of Morenia must return to the people." Anton launched into the history of the Relic. Marvin could care less. As he listened Yakov rummaged through the kitchen, coming up with three, lunch meat sandwiches and three glasses of cheap, grape pop.
"Have dinner." The taller, lighter one offered Marvin a sandwich from a plate. He took it, what else was he supposed to do? These guys didn't seem like they intended to hurt him.
Scene Break
Author's Note: Vincent and Me
