It is four in the morning and Agent Stark is woken up by a phone call.
“Hello?” Alegra says with a half groggy voice.
“Stark. The results have come back.” Immediately, Alegra feels alert.
“Yes, Sir, And?”
“Nothing! It seems that the poison was a combination of two rare drugs, but with no specific match. I thought you might want to know,” the Director says.
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Any further incidents with the son?”
“No incidents this side, but will keep you posted, Sir.”
“Good job, Agent.”
The Director ends the call and Alegra begins readying her disguise.
*****
The crisp morning hours, his favourite time to work. As he sits behind his desk, his bald head shines from the desk lamp. He is seething with hatred. But, his hands are steady as he works. He carefully pours the poison into a tube, making sure not to spill.
He tightens the lid of the tube and removes his rubber gloves, which reveal his scar-covered hands and wipes the edges of the vial with a cloth to remove any residue. There can be no mistakes this time.
He stares at his reflection in the vial. A pair of cold eyes stare back.
“This time… this time I’ll get that bitch!”
*****
Edna and Theodore climb out of the taxi. Theodore offers his mother his arm for support. Once she is safely on the pavement, he gets the wheelchair from the boot. He then helps Florence out of the taxi and into the chair. His mother already paid the taxi driver and the three of them move towards the boutique.
“Jacques Lemur,” Edna says proudly, with a wide smile on her face. “Isn’t it just a perfect boutique?”
“Yes, Ma, wonderful,” Theodore says with sarcasm in his voice. He notices the slightly hurt look in his mother’s eye and feels guilty. He quickly squeezes her hand, apologetically, and she smiles at him.
Alegra keeps a look out, her eyes moving back and forth, from the door to the streets to the inside of the boutique. She keeps a steady hand on the concealed gun. She is ready.
“Florence, why don’t you help me find something unique for my god child? She’s graduating and is soon to be a marine biologist,” Edna asks.
“Okay, sweetie, but I’m not one for gift shopping,” Florence replies.
Edna and Florence browse around the boutique, searching for the perfect gift. Theodore watches the old woman carefully. She seemed harmless enough: frail, a bit forgetful and chatty… but something did not seem quite right to him.
Alegra tries to keep her eyes on all the customers as well as both Edna and Theodore. She thought that being out in the open like this was too risky. She decides to change tactics, and find the best possible present so that they could all leave.
As she wheels herself through the aisles, something catches her eye. It is an elegant seashell that seemed to have been formed from pure ivory, with a few rare streaks of pink, cream and peach, forming delicate spikes on the body. Underneath it has a sign that reads : Nautilus Calypso Shell.
“Sweetie,” she calls out and waves Edna over, “this is perfect: Nautilus Calypso shell, beautiful, elegant and precious. The prefect gift for your god child,” Florence says, trying to convince Edna.
“It’s beautiful, I think it’s perfect!” Edna carefully scoops up the shell and makes her way to the counter.
“I’m glad you like it, sweetie. Now, how about you go pay for it?” Florence gave a yawn. “I’m feeling slightly tired.”
“Sure thing.”
As Florence spoke, Theodore notices something. The old woman seems very nervous . . . anxious even. She is fidgeting, and her hands are bunched under her blanket. It did not make any sense to him. She senses his gaze on her and she scowls at him.
Oblivious to the tension between her son and her charge, Edna approaches the counter, she takes a card out of her handbag and places the shell on the counter. Edna gives the man behind the counter her bank card and a sweet smile to greet him.
Edna takes the pen that is on the counter and writes in the card:
Pearl St Thomas
The perfect gift for the perfect god child!
Congratulations
Love always
Edna.
She does not notice that the man uses plastic gloves to handle the shell.
***
Tell us: Do you think Agent Alegra is on the right track by investigating Edna and Theodore? If so, who do you think killed the filthy rich Fabiana between the two?