Sorcha's Secret World, Part 2: Mystery and Mischief.

Chapter 23, Strip Scrabble.

"I was surprised to get called in for a job, I thought it was agreed that for now I'd focus on Beaumont and the Asgardian army camping in my front yard," I said innocently, knowing very well that that wasn't the reason I was called into Richard's office.
"True, which is why that isn't the reason I called you in today," Richard folded his fingers in the shape of a tent and looked at me expectantly.
"Is there something you wish to confess, Sorcha?"
"I really like ham and pineapple pizza?" I offered.
Richard raised an eyebrow.
"That... is disgusting. But not what I meant. Perhaps something about your activity last night?"
I looked at the carpet and blushed. "I'd really prefer to keep my sex life private and I don't see how that is any of your business anyway. I am a married woman," I murmured.
"Agent Laufeyson! May I remind you that you are still in our employ and under my command?"
Richard stood up and began pacing. I kept my eyes firmly on the red plush carpet below my feet.
"Very well, perhaps this will jog your memory: Last night, a certain priceless object of great historical value was vandalised. None of the people that were present at the venue, and there were quite a few of them, remember anything about the night in question. Leading us to believe some sort of mind-control magic was in place. "
I said nothing.
"The similarities with the heists committed by your husband while under Halja's sway have not escaped my notice."
"Perhaps it was Beaumont or one of the clones?" I suggested.
"That thought had crossed my mind. Except for the fact that the technology used to hack the security system is remarkably similar to our own, or so I have been told by our experts. Uncannily so, actually."
I shuffled my feet but didn't say a thing.
"Out of curiosity, I pulled up the data on your phone's whereabouts but strangely enough the tracker was disabled during the time of the heist. Do you have an explanation for that?"
"I don't. I just use the phone, I have no idea how the technology works. I have no idea how to disable the tracker." I said honestly. Disabling the tracker had been Loki's handiwork.
Richard glared at me.
"Let me try once again: Where were you and your husband last night?"
"At home," I lied, not looking Richard in the eye. "We were playing Scrabble."
Richard blinked. "Then why answer that your sex life is none of my business, earlier?"
"Strip Scrabble," I blustered, mentally kicking myself for saying it the moment it came out of my mouth.
"Strip Scrabble?" The corner of Richard's mouth began to twitch. "That's a thing?"
"It is with Loki," I had no choice but to stick with it now. I blushed even deeper.
"He says poker isn't fun because he can read my face too well. Not that it matters, he always wins at Scrabble as well, he has an unfairly large vocabulary."
Richard buried his face in his hands.
"Sorcha, I can't help you if you aren't going to be honest with me. If I wanted a pack of lies, I would have invited Loki in your stead."
I looked up.
"Right now, you have asked and I have answered your question. If anyone else looked closer into it, you can claim plausible deniability.
Pry further, and you might learn things you do not really wish to be complicit in."
"Plausible deniability?" Richard scoffed. "That is Loki talking. Did he tell you to say that?"
I nodded silently.
"Sorcha..." Richard shook his head and rubbed his brow.
"Plausible deniability..." he murmured.
I nodded again at him, hoping he'd know me well enough to be able to read the warning on my face. Richard eyed me for a moment, and then slowly nodded back.
"Very well, you were at home, playing Scrabble, and your phone malfunctioned," Richard admitted defeat.
"Exactly," I smiled gratefully.
"Thank you for your answer, I will put it in the file. You are dismissed, agent."
I sighed in relief and turned around to leave.
"Sorcha?"
I turned back again.
"This better have been worth it," Richard warned me.
"It was," I promised him. "I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for the greater good.
Play Strip Scrabble, that is. Which is what I did last night.
For the greater good." I blabbered.
Richard laughed despite himself and shook his head again.
"Did Loki tell you to say that too?"
"No," I admitted morosely, "That was all me!"

It hadn't been a complete lie. Well, the Strip Scrabble was, although I probably should suggest that to Loki at some point, he'd enjoy that.
But the sex wasn't. The danger, adventure and success of the heist had an interesting effect on my husband, or so I found out afterwards.
However, once he had finally been fully satisfied, and I had fallen asleep, Loki snuck out of the bedroom and started working on the staff.
By the time I woke up, he and Carter were debating the best way to carefully smelt a piece of silvery Jotunn metal to create a new setting on the staff for the replacement gem.
I had left them to it, realising I wouldn't be much use but that both of them would appreciate some breakfast. By the time I had finished cooking the staff was cooling down, the new gem carefully placed in the fangs of the metal serpent.
Before Loki could test if the staff truly worked, I was called into Temple Hall.