Chapter 6: Florica's Fortunes

Morning sunlight lit up the office where the three men were meeting. The one behind the desk yawned. This was just a temporary office he had rented, not his normal one. Normally, it wasn't his practice to get up and go to work so early, but he didn't want anyone to witness this meeting. Or hear it, for that matter. The other two men certainly weren't attempting to be quiet as they paced the room and argued with each other.

"It's your fault! If you hadn't told that stupid girlfriend of yours what was up—"

"So how was I to know that she'd go crying to the authorities? The guy was just a pathetic old man selling veggies—"

"Not so pathetic, Tony! He's dangerous! And whoever he sent the message to is dangerous!"

"Both of you, shut up!" a much more commanding voice said. "Frank is right, Tony, but fortunately for you, we still have time to fix the situation. It seems that whatever message old Max sent wasn't received. If it was, the authorities would be banging down my door right now, and so far, no one has even said a word to me."

"Yeah, Boss, but how do we know that the authorities aren't just waiting until we make our move so that they can catch us red-handed?" Frank asked.

"I don't think that they would take that risk," the boss said, drumming his fingers lightly on the desk. "Not with so many prominent people in danger."

"But we saw him give her the keychain," Tony said.

"You're sure that there was a message in the keychain?" the boss asked.

"Pretty sure," Tony said.

"That sounds definite," the boss said sarcastically.

"Look, she handed him the envelope, so she must have been his contact, the one Frank heard him arranging to meet when he was using the phone at the catering company. When she gave Max that envelope, he handed her the keychain, the one he took from his pocket instead of from the basket where he kept all the others." Tony looked pleased with himself for noticing that little detail.

"There's got to be something special about it," Frank said in agreement. "It might have information about our plans. The point is, whatever was in there, she's got it."

"But she might not realize it," the boss said thoughtfully. "He might not have had time to explain it to her, or she might have even lost it . . ."

"Are you willing to take that risk?" Frank asked.

"No, we're definitely going to have to do something about her. You're sure that she's the one who gave him the envelope?" the boss said, taking another look at the photo on the desk.

"Positive," Tony said, handing his boss the other pictures he'd taken at the pumpkin patch. "Have a look for yourself."

"We tried to get Max to tell us who she is and how to find her, but the guy won't crack," Frank said.

"I even took the cash box from the pumpkin patch to see if she paid with a check or anything traceable," Tony added helpfully.

"Which was stupid because there was a sign by the register that said 'Cash Only,'" Frank said. "Can't you read?"

The two of them started to argue again, but the boss put a stop to it.

"Enough! It doesn't matter. I know who the woman is. I've seen her before," the boss said grimly. "Her name is Amanda King."

"How do you know her?" Frank asked.

"That doesn't matter. We just have to get the keychain back from her before she finds whatever's inside it."

"What if we can't?" Frank asked. "Or what if she's already found Max's message by the time we reach her?"

"Then, I want you to bring her to me," the boss said. "I'll take care of her."

"You don't want us to just get rid of her?" Tony asked.

"Not just yet," the boss answered. "We'll find out just how much she knows first and who she's told. We'll keep her with old Max until it's all over."

"I'll get the keychain from her," Tony said.

"Good," said the boss. He glanced again at the woman in the photographs. "I still have trouble believing that she could really be their courier, but it's just as well to be safe. I could get Mrs. King's address for you, but I have a better idea. I know exactly where she will be this afternoon, and she will be much more vulnerable there. But you'll need to wear your costume."

The boss gave Tony the information he needed, and Tony left to collect his costume and prepare for his mission.

"Are you sure we should wait until this afternoon to take care of the woman?" Frank asked.

"It would look less suspicious than trying to grab her from her house. With all the people around, hardly anyone will even notice Tony."

"The timing will be close. What if he's late coming back?"

"Then you'll have to do the job on your own. I know it's a nuisance, but from what I've seen, you'll be able to manage. You still have the plans?"

"I've got everything," Frank confirmed.

"Then you'd better get going," the boss said.

Frank left, but the boss remained at the desk. He pulled a small white card from his pocket and looked at it thoughtfully. It read:

Florica's Fortunes

Quote: "The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success." – Irving Berlin

Your Situation: It looks like all of your hard work is about to pay off. The world is your oyster, and the pearl is yours for the taking.

Prediction: Although everything seems to be going your way, this is not the time to slack off. Last-minute complications are likely to arise that could endanger everything you've worked for.

Advice: Expect the unexpected.

The boss snorted at the card. It was the same kind of meaningless drivel that appeared in fortune cookies. He'd wasn't worried. He'd taken care of everything.

True, Mrs. King's appearance on the scene was unexpected, but he'd take care of her, too. At least, Tony would. And if Tony even thought about slacking off on the job, he'd make him pay. The boss casually tossed the little card in the wastebasket before he left the room.