“I…I don’t know what you mean,” said Evie, turning around and looking at him.
“Today you and the boy went on your own, without Benedict and Catherine. Why did you do so?”
“Because we had a good idea and they weren’t listening to us. And it is so frustrating, because, before, Catherine always used to listen to me.”
“Who is she more loyal to, then? This is a question you need to ask yourself. Who are you more loyal to? Who is the boy more loyal to? These are all things to think about.” Evie stared at him, her heart pounding. She felt scared, though she wasn’t sure why. What he was saying was hitting her in a way she couldn’t exactly explain. Alejandro smiled a soft smile at her. “Tomorrow. Think about it tomorrow. Tonight it is time for sleep. And the library is closed.”
Evie nodded, grabbed her notes as she stood up, and walked with Alejandro as he escorted her out. They parted ways at the elevator, and Evie made the journey back to her suite alone. She quickly kicked off her shoes, climbed under the covers of her bed, curled up onto her side, and stared at the wall of windows and the glowing skyline beyond.
Loyalty.
Shifting loyalty.
She hadn’t thought about that.
Catherine preferring to do things with Benedict. Sebastian thinking sleep was more important than research…
See, that was why families were so important, because you always knew who had your back. You always had someone even when other people changed their minds and decided they didn’t need you anymore.
Evie closed her eyes and then opened them again. The buildings outside were fuzzy lights in her vision as tears blurred the view.
No. No, she wasn’t going to be sad. She had just made a remarkable discovery about the men in black. She should be proud. She was going to rescue her grandfather. And then she’d have someone she could trust who would have her back. Just as she was supposed to have. But not just any someone. She’d have her family.
Sebastian sat silently next to Evie in the backseat of the car as Benedict and his perfect sense of direction drove them toward West Hollywood and the agent meeting. He wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. Evie had been so full of life yesterday, full of pride at having been right and at having done a good job, and she’d been almost irritatingly hyper at dinner. This morning she had been sluggish, definitely less talkative than the normal Evie he knew. Maybe she’d worn herself out from the excitement? But still, that didn’t quite describe it. She seemed more than quiet, almost sad even. He wished he could read people better.
“Are you okay?” he asked in a whisper. Maybe the key to reading people was just asking them questions.
Evie gave a small smile. “Oh yeah, yeah. I’m good. A bit tired.”
Sebastian smiled back and then settled into his seat. Well, there you go. Now he had the answer. He glanced at her again. Despite what she’d said, she didn’t seem good….He thought about it. He had been lying to her about how he’d been feeling. What if—what if Evie was now lying to him? They were lying to each other?
That thought produced a tight knot in his gut. He was so over tight gut knots.
“Did you find out anything?” he asked, trying to loosen the knot. She hadn’t said a word about her investigations the night before, and it worried him. Normally she was so excited about sharing things.
Evie nodded.
“Find out anything about what?” asked Catherine from the front.
Evie seemed really reticent. Like she didn’t want to share for some reason. Why didn’t she want to share with them? What had happened?
“I did some research last night, and I found out that the three men chasing Sebastian were all explorers banned from the society by my grandfather, so this whole thing is probably a revenge plot.” She said it all in a quiet, reluctant monotone.
Catherine turned around in her seat. “You did?”
Evie nodded.
Sebastian stared at her.
Why wasn’t she excited? Why wasn’t she beaming with pride?
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She finally looked right at him. “I’m tired,” she replied pointedly, then leaned against the window, closing her eyes.
His stomach got even tighter.
They drove past people lounging on leafy patios, sipping drinks from white coffee cups. It felt a lot more like Sebastian’s city on the East Coast, where people walked outside, along the streets, than how everyone seemed to travel by car here in Los Angeles. It was strange. After so many death-defying experiences with scary people, his old self probably would have wanted to avoid humans more now. But for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, there was something in him that felt safer having other strangers around. More people to help, maybe? To act as witnesses?
They pulled up in front of a restaurant with a low sloping roof that turned into a slight overhang over the sidewalk. Immediately a valet in a red jacket came up to them to park the car, just like at the Explorers Society. Because people didn’t like to park cars themselves here for some reason.
The four travelers stepped out of the vehicle, and it was instantly whisked away while they entered the restaurant.
A harried hostess in a white button-down top and black pants suddenly appeared from out of the darkness, seeming a little run-down and overworked.
“Hi. For how many?” she asked, a little out of breath.
“We’re looking for C Squared,” said Catherine.
The hostess appraised them for a moment and then, smiling exhaustedly, said, “Please follow me!”
She guided them through the dark low-ceilinged room. They were ushered down a narrow hallway and into bright natural daylight and a wall of sound. All the diners on the patio were, well, to put it plainly, gorgeous. Everyone was dressed to impress, in what appeared to be very expensive outfits. The women all with shiny hair and big sunglasses, the men with shiny hair and big sunglasses. And little dogs were dotted about—lying on the ground, getting underfoot as they made their way through the maze of tables—also with shiny hair. And yes, one even wore sunglasses.
Sebastian and the others were led to a table at the edge of the patio, where a shiny man and woman were seated. They both looked up at them, and it was really hard to tell what either was thinking, their large sunglasses covering not only their eyes but half their faces.
“Can we help you?” asked the woman, wearing a bright pink suit, with sunglasses to match.
“Are you from C Squared?” asked Benedict. His mild tone must have registered as nonthreatening, because the woman in the pink suit removed her sunglasses. Her eyelashes were astonishingly long. It was almost like she was wearing butterflies on her eyelids.
“I am, yes,” she replied. With a perfectly manicured hand she gestured to the very tan man sitting opposite her. “I’m Chase. This is Chester.”
The man didn’t take off his glasses but extended a tan leathery hand to shake, and Benedict took it, followed by the others. “Where’s Annalise?” Benedict asked.
The woman just smiled and said. “This is Orson.” She gestured toward an empty chair.
Oh. Oh dear. Sebastian cast a look at Evie, who returned it to him with what he assumed was the same concern. Who exactly were these people they were dealing with, and how delusional were they?
“Well, hello, Orson,” said Catherine in her soft voice. Sebastian was confused. The animal expert was hardly someone who played make-believe. “May I?” she asked Chase.
“Of course.”
Catherine leaned over, and that was when Sebastian finally understood. There was a little dog in the chair, a dog so small that he had been hidden from view. A scruffy-looking terrier with a sparkly collar and a dopey expression on his face.
“We’re here to meet with Annalise,” said Evie, trying to get them back on track, as always. It was some
thing Sebastian admired and respected about her.
The two Cs stared at her for a moment. Then they looked at each other. And finally Chester shrugged.
Chase tapped a hot pink nail on the table, then made a gesture to someone behind them. “They’re joining us,” she announced to a very tired-looking waiter. He nodded, and in an instant had brought over another small table and some chairs. “Sit,” Chase instructed with a small smile. Her face didn’t move an inch, though, when she did it. Talking to her was a bit like talking to a puppet.
They all sat. Chester leaned over and spoke softly to Catherine, “Do you have representation?” he asked.
“I’m not an actor,” she said quickly.
“Just in general. You’re fabulous. I’m sure I could get a hair product line to sponsor you,” he said.
“I don’t like sponsors,” she said, glancing at Benedict.
“Yes,” Benedict added, “people who control funding can be…controlling.”
Chester didn’t seem to understand, and Sebastian didn’t either. He supposed it had something to do with the old famous Filipendulous Five days. They probably once had sponsors themselves, maybe, though it was strange to picture either Catherine or Benedict doing commercials.
“So let’s talk about Annalise,” said Chase, looking conspiratorial.
“Shouldn’t we wait until she gets here?” asked Sebastian.
Chase considered him carefully. It was the first time she seemed to have noticed him. The little dog in Catherine’s arms whined then, and Sebastian saw that it was struggling a bit.
“She’s not coming. Again,” said Chester with an exaggerated sigh.
“Again?” asked Evie.
Chester was about to say something when the waiter returned with two large colorful salads and placed them before Chester and Chase.
Chester immediately reacted with a huff. “Take this back. I can’t have orange on my salad.”
The waiter practically bowed with his apologies as he took the plate away in haste. Chase shook her head in disappointment.
“I’m allergic to orange,” Chester explained to Catherine. Sebastian supposed that Chester had now decided Catherine was his friend.
“Oh, that’s too bad,” said Evie. “It’s a shame you can’t have them. Oranges are one of my favorite fruits.”
Chester sighed hard. “No,” said Chester, looking down his nose at her. “Not oranges. Orange.”
Evie glanced at Sebastian, then back at Chester.
“I don’t get it.”
“Or-ange,” Chester repeated slowly, enunciating each syllable.
“What, like the color orange?” asked Sebastian, still confused.
“Yes,” said Chester with relief. “Anything orange. I have the most violent reaction.” He turned to Chase, who nodded seriously.
Okay, this was just plain silly. “That makes no sense,” said Sebastian. “So anything that you eat that’s the color orange—”
“No. No, you don’t understand,” replied Chester with a sigh. “Anything orange, if it touches my skin, if I look at it without protection…I absolutely dread sunsets.”
“I guess also sunrises,” said Evie.
“Oh, they’re a nightmare,” said Chester, reaching over and patting her hand.
“Look,” Sebastian said. Maybe people could be allergic to a color. He’d never heard of such a thing, but new discoveries were made all the time. It didn’t really matter. What mattered was the Kid. And if Annalise wasn’t coming to this lunch, they needed to know where she was. “Do you know where Annalise is?”
Chase looked to Chester, and Chester looked to Chase. Chase eventually looked back at Sebastian. “Maybe.”
“It’s not actually her we’re trying to find…,” said Sebastian, but at that, Chase raised her hand and sighed.
“No, we can’t tell you where any of her clients are at the moment. It’s top secret. We don’t even know ourselves, but it’s a very exciting project. We were told,” said Chase. Each new sentence came out in a fit and not like she totally believed what she was saying.
“Well, I’m not excited,” said Chester.
“Chester…”
“I’m not, Chase. I’m really not. You don’t sign on to a mysterious project and then disappear without a trace. And not without your agent going over the contract first. That’s so disrespectful to Annalise. Actors don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to that kind of thing. They simply don’t. And when they pretend like they don’t need any help…so wrong,” he said. He spoke in a flurry, though his voice was oddly flat. Not like Benedict’s natural calm pleasant voice, but almost robot-like. With a slight upward lilt at the end of his sentences.
“What are you talking about?” asked Benedict, as calm as ever.
“Annalise has lost all her clients to a mysterious project. She was quite upset about it. That’s why we were taking her out to lunch. But now she’s a no-show, like she’s been a no-show for days now, and I’ve been dog-sitting for her, and you know how I am around dogs,” said Chester, once again to Chase.
“Oh, are you allergic to them too?” asked Evie.
“What? No. How absurd. Allergic to dogs?” Chester stared at her incredulously.
“It’s not a weird thing,” said Evie quietly, almost to herself.
“I can’t stand them. I mean, look how he can’t sit still in that fabulous woman’s arms,” he said. And it was true. Orson the dog had been fidgeting the whole time, which was weird, seeing as how good Catherine normally was with animals. Weirder, and kind of creepier still, the dog kept staring right at Sebastian. And Sebastian really didn’t know why. Did he have something on his face?
There was a loud “Hey, girl!” and Sebastian turned around to see who’d said it. No one was there. He turned back in time to see Chase eyeing her phone. Evidently that had been her message alert sound.
“Oh my,” she said with a wry laugh. “You are not going to believe this.”
“What?” asked Chester, leaning over with excitement.
“It’s Annalise.”
“It is?” asked Catherine quickly. “Ask her where Jason…that is to say, where Charles Wu is.”
Chase waved her off. “She’s saying that she’s decided to quit the business and move to the South of France.”
“That sounds suspicious,” said Evie.
“And she abandoned her dog,” said Catherine, her voice as cold as ice. Chase finally looked up from her phone, and even her unmovable expression seemed a little frightened at the explorer’s tone.
“Let me ask her what’s going on,” Chase said quietly.
Everyone watched her type away on her phone. Then waited.
And waited.
And waited.
“She’s not answering,” said Chase.
“It’s only been a few minutes,” said Benedict.
“Exactly,” said Chester, shaking his head. “Well, that’s it. I’m done with her. This is unforgivable. Abandoning that beast with me. Not showing up to lunch. I’m never talking to her again. Unless she invites us to the South of France, of course.”
“Of course,” agreed Chase.
“Right. So she’s gone,” said Sebastian, trying to figure out their next move, “and many clients of hers have gone missing?”
“Yes.”
Great, just great, he thought.
Orson started whimpering, and everyone looked at him then. He was staring up at Sebastian with a meaningful expression, but the boy just stared back with his brow furrowed.
“I think he needs to do his business,” said Chase.
“Business?” asked Sebastian.
“The dog has to go outside to defecate or urinate or maybe both,” explained Catherine.
Chase made a face. “You don’t have to b
e so literal.”
“Yes, I think she does,” said Evie.
“I’ll take him,” said Catherine. But the dog bolted from her lap and ran over to Sebastian’s side.
“Why is he doing that?” asked Sebastian, watching as the dog gazed intently up at him.
“I think he likes you,” said Evie.
“Why?” This was strange. Since when were animals drawn to him? That was not usual. Okay, so maybe the pig in the teeny hat had liked him, but that had been an exception. Or. Maybe not. He didn’t know.
“Do you want me to take him outside?” Catherine asked Sebastian.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll go.” He got up awkwardly.
“I’ll come too,” said Evie, jumping up.
Sebastian looked at her and had the sense that, like him, she was starting to get frustrated with C Squared. They seemed like silly people. Besides, it was a good sign that she wanted to be with him, wasn’t as tired anymore. Or whatever it was that had been bugging her.
He nodded and reached down to pick up the tiny dog. It didn’t struggle in his arms, and that was good.
“We’ll be right back!” said Evie.
And the two of them made their way out of the restaurant.
Sebastian stood at the curb as Orson the dog sniffed about the only fire hydrant in the vicinity. Evie had wandered down the street a little to window-shop, so he was alone with the beast, confused by its decision-making process. It seemed like the animal was trying to decide if he liked this particular hydrant or not, but Sebastian wanted him to hurry up. They were missing important happenings inside! Well, probably not, now that he thought about it. It seemed no one was any the wiser about where the Kid was, but at least the group now had more information. The Kid wasn’t the only one missing, and it seemed like he was actually working. Somewhere. It still all felt like too much. How was it that an explorer on an isolated volcano accessible only through a mysterious hidden town had been easier to find than a stunt-car driver in Hollywood?
The Quest for the Kid Page 8
