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Chapter 50
I was free and couldn't wait to shake the low life of London and the smoke of Smokey's out of my hair.
Part of me said 'just leave' - and knew that this was the safest course.
A much bigger part said I had to say goodbye and worried that there were reasons why I shouldn't go.
So first I popped round to see my number one private eye. She'd given me a note of her address but I'd never been round before. She opened the door of her tiny brick terraced property not far from Jennifer's apartment and greeted me with surprise.
"Hello, my dear. I was just thinking of you." She ushered me into front room.
There were books everywhere, stacked in untidy piles, some read and discarded, some still open at the page she'd reached before her interest had been drawn elsewhere. Yet, amid the clutter, her small apartment was spotlessly clean and full of memories. Photographs cascaded everywhere, some pinned to notice boards, others framed with her standing formally with satisfied clients. Many had been signed with messages of gratitude.
In some she was young and beautiful, in others more middle-aged and then finally there was the inevitable gathering to commemorate her retirement as she reached old age. Yet the youthful twinkle in her eyes was always there as was the sharp glint of intelligence in her eyes.
This evening, she was wearing a light pink dress caught at the waist with a thin blue belt and a serene smile. She smoothed her dress carefully as she sat on the sofa in a space she created by pushing the books aside. I followed her lead and sat at the other end.
"I decided to take a little holiday," I said. "I thought I'd better check with you before I went."
She gazed at me perceptively.
"You're taking some time out! You'll be better for it - more able to decide what to do."
"Also, it's been a while since I spent some time with my mother. We've never been terribly close but there is a limit to how far I can let things drift apart."
She nodded.
"Are you going by yourself?"
"I think it is probably for the best. Gerda seems to have teamed up with Bruno even more than before and Jennifer seems to prefer we never see each other."
"I've not got any more information about Jennifer yet. But time will tell, it always does. You can be sure that I will keep an eye on her while you're away."
I gave her my best Barry is a very grateful smile. It was all I had to offer and she more than deserved it.
She continued:
"I have some information you might find interesting. Bruno is getting very friendly with Ron. It wouldn't surprise me if there was a partnership looming or some sort of joint venture."
I pressed my hand to my forehead in a sign of exasperation.
"I can't understand why they all love him so much. Can't they see him for what he is?"
"He's very generous, my dear. He buys people drinks, he listens to their needs and if he can do anything to help them, they don't have to ask, it's just done."
I sighed in exasperation.
"You know that he got Gerda a better place to live?"
"That doesn't surprise me. Perhaps you would be better off swimming with the tide instead of against it!"
"Perhaps I would be better off just getting out. There must be better ways of making a living than pandering to people's base instincts."
She looked at me shrewdly again. Perhaps it was the way she tilted her head but I always got the impression that she could read my mind but kept quiet about what she saw.
"There's nothing wrong with base instincts in the right place and at the right time," she said, smiling gently.
I looked around at some of the young, good-looking and powerful older men in the photos and wondered how many had held her in their arms.
"Quite a few," she said, with a chuckle. She had read my mind perfectly.
I looked at her and again wondered whether one day she'd claim her fee for services rendered and then quickly thought about something else in case she was still reading my mind.
"Do you think I will have a job when I come back?"
"You will always have a job, my dear," she said, serenely. "But it won't always be at Smokey's and definitely not working for Bruno. You are capable of much better things."
It was a nice thought and, as I left, I leaned down and gave her a little peck in the corner of her mouth. At least that's where I intended to land the kiss but she turned her face slightly and my kiss ended up partly on her lips which were much more peaches and cream than I expected.
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