Modern
Intelligence
.
“Perhaps your friend would like me to give him a tour of the building whilst you meet with Merriweather in private?” Gerald offered discreetly, as if he had done this more than a few times. Talvi nodded and sent Chivanni on his way, then slipped silently through the door. He was careful to not make a sound as he shut it behind him, gently turning the deadbolt.
A woman sat at a huge desk covered in very tall and very neat stacks of papers and folios, with her back to the door. She wore a long-sleeved maroon sweater dress, and high-heeled black boots. Her thick black hair was pulled to one side in an elegant chignon, and she was holding a telephone to her pointed ear, taking notes on a pad of paper.
“I’ll let you know what I find out. Ta-ta for now,” she said, and hung up the phone. She swiveled her chair around and let out a laugh as she recognized who was standing in front of her desk.
“What
ever
did the cat drag in?” she mused, and leaned back in her chair with a bewildered and wry smile. She appeared older than Talvi, but not by much. “You look like you’ve been through the ringer…and then shat out of a hyena’s arse.”
“A pleasure to see you too, Merri,” he said, flashing a conceited grin at her. He sat on the edge of her desk, plopping the report from Asbjorn in front of her.
“I honestly wish I could say the same for you,” she said, studying his gaunt face and the way his clothes were hanging on him. “You look absolutely dreadful. I thought your hiatus would have treated you better, but it appears your personal matters have not been resolved. Are you alright?”
“I’ve had worse. Though, I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in months.”
“It’s not because of what I think it is, is it?” she asked with an incredulous smile.
Talvi shook his head and tapped the thick folio with his forefinger, and Merriweather opened it up to the first page. Her smile began to fade, and a moment later she looked up at him with her dark eyes. “Why have you brought me this? What’s happened to Asbjorn and Pavlo?”
“They’re both fine. Asbjorn’s well at home with his family. I thought I would save him the trip and deliver his report to you in person.”
“How uncharacteristically thoughtful of you,” she said, looking relieved. She pulled open one of her drawers and reached far into the back of it, retrieving a small rectangular object. She stood it upright on the file that Talvi had dropped on her desk. It was an antique silver flip-top lighter with the words ‘cheeky bastard’ engraved on the front in a flourished script.
“Where did you find this?” he asked, snatching it and inspecting it closely. “I thought I lost it.”
“It was found in my last assistant’s desk after she resigned,” Merriweather said, letting the corner of her mouth turn upwards. “She finally realized that it’s bad luck in anyone’s hands but yours. I’ve been holding onto it for you ever since, so perhaps that’s why I’m now having a run of bad luck. I’ve also been waiting months for this information. Do you mind entertaining yourself while I have a quick look?”
“Not at all,” Talvi said, and left his perch on her desk, putting the lighter in his back pocket. He walked over to a little bar and took two glasses from inside the cabinet, but he left the bottles alone. Instead, he brought the two glasses back over to Merriweather’s desk, setting them down with a soft
clink
. Then he knelt down beside her as she skimmed over the pages, and opened the bottom desk drawer, pulling out a bottle.
“Oh yes, do help yourself to my very best scotch,” she said, looking annoyed. It did nothing to stop him from pouring them both a drink. Talvi lit a cigarette with his long lost lighter and took a slow walk around her office, swirling scotch in his mouth as he gazed out the huge windows at the late afternoon London skyline. He hadn’t seen this view in almost two
Intelligence
.
“Perhaps your friend would like me to give him a tour of the building whilst you meet with Merriweather in private?” Gerald offered discreetly, as if he had done this more than a few times. Talvi nodded and sent Chivanni on his way, then slipped silently through the door. He was careful to not make a sound as he shut it behind him, gently turning the deadbolt.
A woman sat at a huge desk covered in very tall and very neat stacks of papers and folios, with her back to the door. She wore a long-sleeved maroon sweater dress, and high-heeled black boots. Her thick black hair was pulled to one side in an elegant chignon, and she was holding a telephone to her pointed ear, taking notes on a pad of paper.
“I’ll let you know what I find out. Ta-ta for now,” she said, and hung up the phone. She swiveled her chair around and let out a laugh as she recognized who was standing in front of her desk.
“What
ever
did the cat drag in?” she mused, and leaned back in her chair with a bewildered and wry smile. She appeared older than Talvi, but not by much. “You look like you’ve been through the ringer…and then shat out of a hyena’s arse.”
“A pleasure to see you too, Merri,” he said, flashing a conceited grin at her. He sat on the edge of her desk, plopping the report from Asbjorn in front of her.
“I honestly wish I could say the same for you,” she said, studying his gaunt face and the way his clothes were hanging on him. “You look absolutely dreadful. I thought your hiatus would have treated you better, but it appears your personal matters have not been resolved. Are you alright?”
“I’ve had worse. Though, I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in months.”
“It’s not because of what I think it is, is it?” she asked with an incredulous smile.
Talvi shook his head and tapped the thick folio with his forefinger, and Merriweather opened it up to the first page. Her smile began to fade, and a moment later she looked up at him with her dark eyes. “Why have you brought me this? What’s happened to Asbjorn and Pavlo?”
“They’re both fine. Asbjorn’s well at home with his family. I thought I would save him the trip and deliver his report to you in person.”
“How uncharacteristically thoughtful of you,” she said, looking relieved. She pulled open one of her drawers and reached far into the back of it, retrieving a small rectangular object. She stood it upright on the file that Talvi had dropped on her desk. It was an antique silver flip-top lighter with the words ‘cheeky bastard’ engraved on the front in a flourished script.
“Where did you find this?” he asked, snatching it and inspecting it closely. “I thought I lost it.”
“It was found in my last assistant’s desk after she resigned,” Merriweather said, letting the corner of her mouth turn upwards. “She finally realized that it’s bad luck in anyone’s hands but yours. I’ve been holding onto it for you ever since, so perhaps that’s why I’m now having a run of bad luck. I’ve also been waiting months for this information. Do you mind entertaining yourself while I have a quick look?”
“Not at all,” Talvi said, and left his perch on her desk, putting the lighter in his back pocket. He walked over to a little bar and took two glasses from inside the cabinet, but he left the bottles alone. Instead, he brought the two glasses back over to Merriweather’s desk, setting them down with a soft
clink
. Then he knelt down beside her as she skimmed over the pages, and opened the bottom desk drawer, pulling out a bottle.
“Oh yes, do help yourself to my very best scotch,” she said, looking annoyed. It did nothing to stop him from pouring them both a drink. Talvi lit a cigarette with his long lost lighter and took a slow walk around her office, swirling scotch in his mouth as he gazed out the huge windows at the late afternoon London skyline. He hadn’t seen this view in almost two
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