Schoolteacher Fiona is on a mission for grandpa - find a missing Zimbabwean artefact, the precious soapstone "Bird of the Gods". Conrad - dodgy archaeologist contracted to the stunning influencer Amanda aka #mandalove - has the same job. When Fiona...
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Fiona's boots thudded on the stone walkway as she raced to the building's corner. At the edge of the parking lot, she spotted a copse of mint-green fir trees and dove into their midst. Sequestered in the forest-like thicket, she pulled out her phone and called Nigel Whip, a family acquaintance who resided in the Greater Montreal area.
What if Nigel's out of the country? Catching her breath, her toe tapped nervously. She hadn't spoken with the distinguished archeologist since a zoom call last Christmas.
"Fiona, lovely to hear from you."
"Nigel, I'm glad you answered. I'm in Montreal."
"Do you need a lift from the airport?"
"No, but thank you for the offer. I'm outside Villa Maria school. She peered through the branches checking on Conrad's whereabouts. "Unfortunately, I'm not here sightseeing. Grandpa Paul's tasked me with a rather pressing mission –solving some archaeological clues to find a lost artifact."
"That's a shame. I have a private tour of Notre Dame Basilica's Perseverance Tower, housing Jean-Baptiste, tomorrow. Twenty-four thousand pounds. The bell's so large that when it rings, it causes structural damage to the cathedral."
"Sounds like the annoying individual I've just encountered." A chilly gust of wind billowed several curls around her cheek. She brushed the unruly strands away from her face.
Nigel murmured appreciatively. "Yes, Soeur Marguerite can be quite forceful. I had my own run-in with her at the Cardinal's dinner last winter."
"Actually, she was quite helpful. It was another individual who was the nuisance."
"Globe trotting dilettante and a new love interest? Temple, your hidden depths never fail to astound me."
Fiona gritted her teeth. "All joking aside, I need your help." She glanced from the exit towards Villa Maria's subway station. Down the street, a crowd gathered under a heckling holographic Halloween billboard.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Give me a minute, Nigel." Keeping an eye out for Williams, she crossed the street. Her stomach growled as she checked the color-coordinated transit map posted near a tourism kiosk. Nearby, she noted a sign for a mouth-watering delicatessen. The enticing restaurant was only five minutes away. "Can you pick me up from the corner of Decarie and Côte-Saint-Luc Road? Outside of Dunn's Restaurant."
"Consider it done. I'll be there within the hour."
"Thank you, Nigel. I'll take the metro to Decarie and grab lunch while I wait." Tucking away her phone, Fiona scanned the vicinity. No sign of the bumbling idiot. Hurrying past the bustling kiosk towards the ticket counter, she laughed, remembering the stricken look on William's face.
Ninety minutes later, Fiona spied Nigel's black luxury sedan with his signature "I🖤RUINS" novelty plate pull up to the curb and park across from Dunns. Holding the lapels of her periwinkle North Face coat up against her chin, she stepped around a construction crew embedded in the bowels of the sidewalk. Was downtown Montreal always besieged with demolition? Eager to escape the ear-splitting dah-dah-dah of constant jackhammering she approached the idling sedan.
