I've always wanted to go on a Treasure Hunt - Part 45
Here’s the thing...
Every time I close my eyes, I see something different.
I’d like to think the cinema of my dreams is playing a double feature but it’s a bit like a comedy cartoon night on Fox.
But these dreams are nothing to laugh about.
Once again there's a new installment of an old feature, and we’re back on the treasure hunt.
The shrill ring tone of my phone woke me.
And, for a moment I was in a state of panic because I’d woken in unfamiliar surroundings. Until my eyes cleared and I realized I was still at Nadia’s.
And it was morning.
What the….
The phone was still ringing, and Nadia, lying on the bed beside me rolled over and said, sleepily, “Are you going to answer that?”
I picked up the phone off the bedside table and pressed the green button.
I already knew it was Boggs.
“Don’t you know what time it is?” It was nine, a respectable hour of the morning to call. It was just that I was tired.
“Where are you?”
I could lie, or I could tell the truth. I don’t think I should say at home because I suspect that was where Boggs was now. And my mother would be there, wondering what happened to me.
“Out and about. Nice day for some exercise. Why?”
“Your mother is not happy you didn’t come home. And I’m surprised. Where were you?”
Good question. One that needed time to consider, time I didn’t have.
“Surveillance. I’ve been watching Alex and his friends. It’s been a long night. What do you want?”
“I was going to head down towards Kentville, check on the other river. We need to drive down there.”
“Well, right now I’m busy, so it will have to wait until tomorrow morning. Sorry. I have a job to do, and then I have to get home before I go to work.”
“What was Alex up to?”
“Not over the phone. I’ll tell you when I see you. Come back home about lunchtime.”
I could tell by the silence he wasn’t happy.
“OK.” He hung up.
I glared at the phone and put it back on the table, then turned to look at Nadia. First thing I noted, we were both still in the clothes we were wearing the previous night.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.” A momentary look of disappointment crossed her face. “You were tired and I told you to stay.”
“Nothing can happen, or I’ll become Vince fodder.”
“I wouldn’t tell him.”
“He’d find out. He has walls as spies.” I looked around the room looking for potential spy cameras or bug locations.
“He wouldn’t dare.”
I climbed off the bed and smoothed out my clothes. It didn’t make much difference to the crumpled look. “At least it looks like I’ve been on an all-night surveillance assignment.”
“What are you going to tell Boggs.”
“Nothing. There’s nothing concrete to tell him yet, just that Alex is, like the rest of us, running around in circles.
Nadia remained on the bed, and even though she looked as messy as I did, hers was a far more alluring messy. I could feel the pangs of a forbidden desire. Time to go.
“Come back tonight. We can go on a voyage of discovery, see the mall as you’ve never seen it before.”
“Sounds like a Discovery Channel documentary advert.”
She sat up then stood and teased the knots out of her hair. It was the first time I’d seen it out. It gave her a whole new, softer look.
“Is that a look of desire I see in your eyes, Smidge?”
And the whole moment was shot to pieces.
“Don’t call me that. I’ll see you tonight, though I’m not sure why.”
I let myself out, after carefully checking to see if the way out was clear. The last thing I wanted, or needed, was to tangle with Vince.
Or ending up letting the dream become reality.
And, for a moment I was in a state of panic because I’d woken in unfamiliar surroundings. Until my eyes cleared and I realized I was still at Nadia’s.
And it was morning.
What the….
The phone was still ringing, and Nadia, lying on the bed beside me rolled over and said, sleepily, “Are you going to answer that?”
I picked up the phone off the bedside table and pressed the green button.
I already knew it was Boggs.
“Don’t you know what time it is?” It was nine, a respectable hour of the morning to call. It was just that I was tired.
“Where are you?”
I could lie, or I could tell the truth. I don’t think I should say at home because I suspect that was where Boggs was now. And my mother would be there, wondering what happened to me.
“Out and about. Nice day for some exercise. Why?”
“Your mother is not happy you didn’t come home. And I’m surprised. Where were you?”
Good question. One that needed time to consider, time I didn’t have.
“Surveillance. I’ve been watching Alex and his friends. It’s been a long night. What do you want?”
“I was going to head down towards Kentville, check on the other river. We need to drive down there.”
“Well, right now I’m busy, so it will have to wait until tomorrow morning. Sorry. I have a job to do, and then I have to get home before I go to work.”
“What was Alex up to?”
“Not over the phone. I’ll tell you when I see you. Come back home about lunchtime.”
I could tell by the silence he wasn’t happy.
“OK.” He hung up.
I glared at the phone and put it back on the table, then turned to look at Nadia. First thing I noted, we were both still in the clothes we were wearing the previous night.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.” A momentary look of disappointment crossed her face. “You were tired and I told you to stay.”
“Nothing can happen, or I’ll become Vince fodder.”
“I wouldn’t tell him.”
“He’d find out. He has walls as spies.” I looked around the room looking for potential spy cameras or bug locations.
“He wouldn’t dare.”
I climbed off the bed and smoothed out my clothes. It didn’t make much difference to the crumpled look. “At least it looks like I’ve been on an all-night surveillance assignment.”
“What are you going to tell Boggs.”
“Nothing. There’s nothing concrete to tell him yet, just that Alex is, like the rest of us, running around in circles.
Nadia remained on the bed, and even though she looked as messy as I did, hers was a far more alluring messy. I could feel the pangs of a forbidden desire. Time to go.
“Come back tonight. We can go on a voyage of discovery, see the mall as you’ve never seen it before.”
“Sounds like a Discovery Channel documentary advert.”
She sat up then stood and teased the knots out of her hair. It was the first time I’d seen it out. It gave her a whole new, softer look.
“Is that a look of desire I see in your eyes, Smidge?”
And the whole moment was shot to pieces.
“Don’t call me that. I’ll see you tonight, though I’m not sure why.”
I let myself out, after carefully checking to see if the way out was clear. The last thing I wanted, or needed, was to tangle with Vince.
Or ending up letting the dream become reality.
© Charles Heath 2020
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