PULP & POPCORN

Page 23
Felix was astonished by his partner, by how oddly giddy he was. “Well, let’s not get
crazy,” he said. Done for the moment, Felix helped her stand and steered her towards the
office door. She was skittish about being touched, and she moved quickly to avoid it. “It
sounds like my partner has everything under control. You have nothing to worry about. We’ll
be in touch with you very soon.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I was worried.”
“Well, you can stop doing that. Certainly.” As soon as she was gone, Felix turned to
David, shaking his head, unimpressed. “No,” Felix said. “Absolutely not.”
David started laughing. “What?!”
“She’s selling us that poor librarian thing, but she’s dressed right off a Paris runway.”
“Maybe she wanted to make a good first impression.”
“She’s been polished by money in a way that makes no sense listening to her story.
She’s phony. I’m not even sure I believe she’s American listening to her speak.”
“So what? She hands this over, pays us way too much, puts the guy she wants us to
take down on a silver platter? And you pass?”
“Exactly. That doesn’t stink of a set-up to you?”
David looked dumbfounded. “I can do this on my way home tonight and see you here
tomorrow morning with everything we need on this Maruf shitbird. This is an early
Christmas present. Don’t tell me you don’t believe in Santa Claus.” David went through the
photos that Jean gave him again, amazed at the volume of detail.
Felix walked over to David’s wet bar and started fixing himself a drink. “There’s a
difference between easy and laid out for you like a buffet.”
“You worry too much, partner. It’s going to be fine.” David stopped for a moment
looking at one piece of jewelry in particular, a necklace. David recognized it, and he
suddenly realized that things were not going to be fine. Maybe not ever again.