14.
Soon after we cozily sit together in ‘The Piper’s Pub’ in Westend, Oded’s favorite bar and restaurant. It probably has to do with the great whisky collection they have, although it isn’t as great as the one in his pub. It’s pleasantly busy and on hearing the different accents it becomes clear a lot of tourists are also present.
Oded orders a whisky for him and water for Squeaky, I order a glass of wine and Jabar a green tea.
‘Alright, talk,’ Oded urges us. He lights a cigarette. ‘Unless it’s none of my business, of course.’
I look aside at Jabar.
‘If I tell you it might endanger you,’ Jabar says.
‘I laugh in the face of danger. I’ve fucking fought… Nah well, you guys know,’ he grins and pours a bit of water in a bottle cap he always carries with him. Squeaky laps it up greedily.
‘I still have my Brengun at home,’ Oded adds while the cigarette smoke comes out of his mouth.
‘Alright.’ Jabar informs Oded about New York, Selena, the burglary and the book that has been stolen. He tells about our suspicions that we were being followed, but especially the book impresses Oded.
‘Not that clever to keep something like that, my old friend.’ Oded slowly blows out the smoke.
Jabar pulls a face. ‘I already gave myself hell enough.’
‘Manon, why don’t you first tell about what that peroxide cow had to say,’ Oded asks. ‘We might get a total image than.’
I tell it. It isn’t much, but it confirms my suspicions.
‘He really wants to make it so clear we know who he is,’ Jabar says. ‘Lex. I. Con. He laughs at us outright.’
‘He surely wants us to know he got the book stolen from us and above that he’s teasing you by buying those painting right before your eyes,’ I say.
‘I could have made a higher bid,’ Jabar says angrily.
‘We don’t doubt about that, ol’ pal,’ Oded grins.
Oded takes a big gulp of his whisky and puts his cigarette out in the ashtray. ‘But I think that Lex, let’s just call him that way, would always have gone higher than you. I don’t think he’s poor, Jabar.’
‘Yes, I noticed that.’
‘What does he want?’ I furiously hit the table. ‘First setting Selena on me, than robbery, afterwards a little game at that auction. What’s his intention?’
‘English accent, eh,’ Oded says. ‘No old enemies from the time you still lived in London?’
‘No.’ Jabar sighs and nips from his tea. ‘Believe me, I’ve recently beaten my brains out. I have no idea who could be responsible for all of this.’
Squeaky begs for a nut and I give one to him. I get a lick back.
‘It doesn’t appear to me he wants to bring the book into the open because he wouldn’t have killed those two fucking brothers then,’ Oded puts forward.
Jabar also orders a whisky. ‘We don’t know for sure whether it was suicide or not.’
‘Seems clear to me it was murder through thought manipulation by one of my kind.’
‘We’re thinking about blackmailing, but haven’t heard anything about that yet,’ I say.
‘That won’t last long anymore,’ Oded thinks. ‘Mark my well-mannered words.’
‘Unless he likes playing games with us too much,’ I say furiously.
‘Have you guys already checked that bloodsucker Selena?’ Oded asks.
‘Yes. Diedie didn’t find anything about her. Not even an address. She isn’t on a list anywhere,’ Jabar answers. ‘She doesn’t live in New York and doesn’t work for a taxi company.’
‘Than there’s nothing to do for you guys but wait.’
That’s what I also fear.
‘But,’ Oded still adds. ‘At least you know something. First, it’s probably an otherkind, since Lex works together with otherkinds. And second, he’s filthy rich. Maybe this was his intention so far. Making these things clear to you. Giving you a fright.’
‘I can’t wait to meet him personally,’ I conclude. ‘I’ve already thought about different scenarios on what I want to do to him.’
‘Always think through your actions, Manon,’ Jabar warns me.
‘Listen to your father’s wise words.’ Oded winks at me.
I grumble. ‘Yeah yeah, a fight has a better chance of succeeding when you use your brain. You two have made that clear to me more than once already.’
‘I doubt about changing my pub’s interior,’ Oded than says.
‘Don’t do it,’ I say. ‘Your pub’s charm is just that it looks like the old cozy days and because of that it’s more exclusive than other pubs.’
‘I think Manon is right,’ Jabar adds.
‘Okay, two against one is convincing enough.’
We keep chattering for a while about this and that and Oded exchanges a few tips with the bar owner about good whiskies and special brands of mineral water with which you can dilute them. For a while we forget the danger that’s above our heads, as if our lives are perfectly normal. And that feels really good.