III
Another Kingler Conspiracy
Even with summer's muggy nights, blistering heat, and air conditioners cranked up as far as they would go, Jennifer Craw Snape had learned that an astounding amount of people in New York City still rolled out of bed in the morning and straight into the nearest coffee shop. Tony explained it was necessary energy to chase down taxi's, while Sally confided in her that she wouldn't dare brave the streets of blaring horns and mad crowds without it. But Rob, always practical, just told them to stop jabbering and start pouring.
An enterprising vendor had recently decided to pitch a newspaper stand between Kingler's Café and Isaac's Deli. It had not only benefited from Kingler's loyal customers but brought new ones in for Kingler's, filling the booths with businessmen who held a coffee in one hand and a paper in the other. They were not a particularly friendly or conversational lot, but they did drink a lot of coffee and kept the place hopping in the mornings. Privately Jennifer was always glad when the hour of nine o'clock approached and they all dispersed, allowing Sally and herself to keep more of their attention on the block locals, who began to wander in soon after the business crowd left with unhurried steps and gaping yawns as if they had all day to sit and talk.
It was just after that first rush and before the locals began to stream in that Jennifer often took her first break. That day…as she had for the last couple of days…she sat down at the desk at the back and stared at a blank piece of paper, wondering on whether or not to mar it with the pen in her hand. She had taken out a piece of scrap and had run the pen vigorously across it to get it to write, but ended up doodling rather than actually writing.
"Oh, no, don't tell me you still haven't written him yet?" Sally said from behind her, a towel still in hand. "I thought you had made up your mind about it already."
"Making up my mind is easy, Sally. Making up his mind is hard," Jennifer chuckled. "I'm trying to think of how to word it so he doesn't send me one of his emphatic 'no's before I even get started."
"Then don't say anything. Just ask him to come to New York for a couple of days," Sally said. "Let him see her for himself."
"I'd hate to take him away from his work. They're renovating the school…"
"Jackie, are you trying to tell me she isn't worth it?" Sally squinted at her.
"Of course she is," Jennifer said.
"Then why are we having this conversation?" Sally asked. Rob barked his wife's name to warn her that a customer had come in. Sally leaned back to see who it was and her face immediately brightened. "Well! It seems someone has decided to make up your mind for you!" she said enigmatically.
Blinking in confusion, Jennifer put down the pen and went over to the door, staring in surprise to see her tall, black-haired husband sitting down at the bar wearing a rather ugly tweed brown suit.
"What in Constellations are you doing here?" Jennifer asked in amazement.
"Ordering coffee," Severus said easily. He nodded to Sally and Rob in greeting and they both welcomed him warmly in return.
"Did you want to wait on him, or shall I?" Sally asked in a low voice.
"I'll do it," Jennifer told her with a warning smile, grabbing her apron off the hook and stepping behind the counter.
"You know, Professor, I got all of that fancy tea just for you, but every time you show up here, you order coffee," Sally scolded him when Jennifer turned his cup over.
"Consider myself a convert, thanks to the quality of your coffee," Severus said smoothly, nodding to her respectfully.
"And here I thought it had something to do with the quality of my help," Sally said with a wink.
"Well, yes, that too," Severus admitted. "Sally, how put out would you be if she had to leave a few days early?" Jennifer studied him, attempting to read his thoughts.
"If you're asking if I would be in a bind, I would have to say yes. She said she was staying another two weeks!" Sally protested.
"Something unexpected has come up at home and I need her back as soon as possible," Severus explained seriously, gazing at his wife. "Something I have yet to identify that may endanger us and many people we know."
"Anything we can do, Professor?" Rob ventured.
"Thank you, but no. Nothing except for allowing me to steal your summer help," Severus said.
"An emergency's an emergency," Rob shrugged. "We'll manage."
"Oh, but I can't go yet, not before…well, at let's give Sally a night to cover for me, at least," Jennifer said quickly.
"Yes, that'd be most helpful," Sally immediately agreed, glancing at Rob who was looking confused.
"Huh? Oh right, right," he agreed when Sally brought her hand up behind her back and crossed her fingers. Severus squinted.
"Come now, Severus," Jennifer said, leaning over the counter in front of him. "Surely staying one night couldn't hurt?"
"What are you up to, Jennifer?" Severus asked in a low voice, gazing at her suspiciously.
"Well, I happen to be staying in your old room, you know, the one you stayed in when you had to rescue me from here," Jennifer said, soft enough that no one else could hear. "I thought perhaps it'd be fun to, well, pick up where we left of before we got interrupted that night?" Severus stared at his openly flirtatious wife for a long moment.
"Very well, one evening. But don't assume that in any way means I don't know you are up to something," he warned her in a whisper. "I have enough mysteries going on without having to stop and figure out whatever you're about."
"I'll just warm up your coffee," Jennifer said with an enigmatic smile that made Severus even more suspicious.
"Besides, it'll give us some time to chat and catch up," Sally said brightly.
"Don't you have a schedule to fill?" Severus said bluntly.
Rob chuckled outright as Sally's face fell. He failed to duck a towel that got snapped at him when she walked to the back room.
A sudden blast of heat announced the presence of another customer, and Jennifer immediately set down the pot and hurried over to help a very wizened old woman.
"Here, here! Not the booths, Jackie, I want to sit at the bar where the action is!" Emma protested, eyeing the man sitting there. "Why, it's the Professor, isn't it! Come to visit, have you?"
"Good morning, Emma," Severus said politely. "I see you're still getting around."
"They say it's healthier to stay active," she said cheerfully, "even if it does simply involve crossing the street for a cup of coffee! Where's Lucky? Hasn't she been here yet?"
"Not today, Emma," Jennifer said quickly.
"Who?" Severus asked.
"Oh, just another regular customer here, Severus," Jennifer explained.
"Now, there's nothing 'regular' about that girl, and that's a fact. I hope she's not gotten herself into trouble again. Do you suppose she got thrown into juvenile?"
"Have some coffee, Emma, and a menu," Sally said, coming out of nowhere to wait on her, while Jennifer merely shrugged noncommittally. Severus, however, didn't miss the quick exchange between Sally and his wife as they passed one another.
"What about you, Severus? Like some breakfast?" Jennifer asked as she finally finished filling his cup.
"Is there anything edible here?" Severus murmured in a low voice.
"I heard that!" Rob barked from the kitchen. Jennifer chuckled.
"I think you'll find the eggs benedict tolerable, but I really don't think you'd like the sausage here, they look more like shriveled fingers…"
"Jackie!" Sally said horrified, poking her in the side.
"If you think you can do better," Rob said, shaking his spatula at her warningly.
"Very well," Jennifer said with a grin, disappearing into the kitchen.
"He's never let anyone back there before," Sally mused. "I wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
"It can't hurt," Emma chuckled, handing back her own menu. "Senior special for me, dear. I can't go to bingo on an empty stomach, after all. Last time I did that I got such dirty looks when it growled. The other old bats have gotten so stuffy since I started winning!"
"Hey! It's the Professor!" A rather small but broad-shouldered cab driver greeted as he came in the door, uncharacteristically holding a newspaper in hand. "Long time no see!"
"Hello, Tony," Severus said. "How is business?"
"Stop and go, what else?" Tony joked, taking his normal seat at the end of the bar. "Has Lucky been here yet?"
"No, not yet," Emma said. "I hope she's not too late. We were supposed to go out today."
"Oh, yeah, bingo day," Tony nodded and then waved to Sally, who smiled and poured him a cup. "Hope she's not in trouble again or anything. Suppose she went home?"
"Tony, after as many times Rob and I have attempted to send her back there, you should know by now that no one can make that girl do anything against her will," Sally said, then looked up as a flash of sunlight reflected off the door. "Well, I think that's her now."
Severus found himself turning around with the others to spy a young girl of ten or eleven with black hair and eyes, caramel skin, and wearing rather unique apparel. She wore overly large jeans with a brightly dyed blue and green sash as a belt, a vivid red ribbed tank top, and a blue jean jacket was hanging over her shoulders in spite of the weather. Her hair was pulled up into two tortured tails with a spare braid running down the back, and was wearing much more makeup than Severus would even remotely consider appropriate for a girl her age. In fact, if any of his own daughters had ever come in looking like that, they would have either been sent to their room for the rest of the summer or thrown in the dustbin and disowned. But enthusiastic greetings came from around him, and even Jennifer's glowing face appeared in the kitchen doorway. Severus turned to stare at her and she quickly disappeared again. Oh no, Severus thought to himself, resisting the urge to groan. Not again.
