A Matter of Trust

4 - One Last Favour

"This guy who threatened you, what actually happened?"

Gretta studied her glass of wine, one fingernail scraping the edge of another, then she told him what she had done and how she had gotten away and what she proposed to do next.

Arnold just sat gawking. Who was this woman? One minute the office drool for he and his buddies, the next a multi-lingual, globetrotting, treasure hunting, self reliant expert super woman! His mouth closed slowly as she rested her hand on the back of his and smiled shyly.

"So- aaah, I mean you ah, you're going to go to Mexico and hunt for this treasure!" He managed, collecting himself.

"In a word, yes." Her chin set defiantly.

"What do you know about archaeology? How would you finance such an undertaking?" He laughed shortly and sat back on the sofa, giving her a baffled look. Don't under estimate her, Arnold.

"Don't underestimate me, Arnold. You really know very little about me."

That was true. Aside from belonging to the 'Wouldn't it be great to get Gretta' club at work, he knew nothing . . . well, he now knew she was capable of breaking his fingers. He finished his second glass of wine and looked at hers.

"No thanks," she said.

"When is all this- this adventure going to happen?"

"It has to happen now," she answered without hesitation. "Now Vincent will be after me for the statue and what I did to him."

"Vincent?"

"The man who called me at work, the one I-"

"Right. And this backer guy?"

"I only know his name is Gravestone. I don't know where he is or anything else about him. But I'm not letting anybody stop me, Arny; I'm going to get this done." She answered quickly.

Arnold took their empty glasses to the kitchen and stopped short. The clock read two in the morning. He went back to the living room and pointed to his watch.

"Look at the time! We've gotta get to work soon."

"I won't be going back, Arny. I'm going after this treasure." She stood and put on her jacket, picked up the bag and aimed for the door.

"Gretta I- do you want me to say anything . . . at work?"

"No!" She turned quickly and put a hand on his cheek. "No, don't tell anyone. Please." She smiled and let him go past to the door. "Thanks for helping, Arny. I won't forget you."

He stood out in the hall and watched her disappear down the stairs, listening for the street door to click shut. The sound had a sad finality and he went back into his apartment and slowly closed the door. His cheek was burning where she'd touched him. Happy Birthday Arnold!

*****

The meeting with the Reynolds people was a huge success and Arnold accepted the accolades from Harvey Starbuck on behalf of his fellow team members. Cutter and Glimb were about to enter the arena of corporate advertising with one of their largest accounts to date.

The celebration was long and noisy and none of the team managed to get back to the office that day. Arnold headed home, feet firmly floating on air and his enlarged head bumping the clouds.

Thank you, Mister Glimb, he imagined himself saying, I accept the huge raise, but I prefer to stay in the department that gave me this opportunity. Partnership just doesn't appeal to me at this time.

He reached his building and looked up at the window of his living room pausing and frowning at the fact that the light was on; a mistake he rarely made.

Arnold hurried up the stairs after checking the mail and was about to put his key in the lock when he saw that the door was ajar. His tongue suddenly felt thick in his mouth and a shiver made his shoulders jiggle.

He pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Gretta was sitting on the sofa, twisting a handkerchief in her fingers.

"What the hell!"

She started and jumped up. "Oh Arny! I'm so sorry." She rushed over and threw her arms around his neck, a circumstance that immediately drained his brain of rational thought. "I came over to see you before I left and found your door open and your apartment like this." She stepped back and he saw for the first time that the place had been trashed.

"What the Hell!"

"I'm afraid that it was Vincent. He must have found out somehow that I came to see you last night." She pressed her hands to her lips and stood with her shoulders hunched.

"Jesus Christ! I'm calling the cops." He started for the phone but Gretta grabbed his arm and pulled him back with disturbing ease.

"No, please. If I get tied up with the police I won't get to Mexico."

"So just go, Gretta, I won't mention you at all. I'll just say I came home and found it like this."

"But you can't mention Vincent, the police will tie him to me if they get him."

"Hey, look around here. This is my home and it's been wrecked." He walked over and picked up a broken bowl that once held some decorative glass balls. "Look at this. I got this as an award for a campaign I designed in college." He tossed it on the sofa and looked at her.

Gretta wrung her hands some more then went to the window and drew the curtains. "He could still be out there," she said, ominously.

"What?"

"Vincent. He could still be out there. What if he saw me come in and waited until we were both together?"

"Gretta . . ." Arnold flapped his arms and went to the window, parting the curtains and scanning the street carefully. "I think you'd better get on your way to Mexico or wherever, I'm gonna think about this for a bit before I decide what to do."

She nodded and gathered up her purse and jacket and dragged a large flight bag from behind his sofa. "Do you think you could maybe see me to the airport . . . I'm really nervous about Vincent."

"Oh man! I don't have a car, Gretta. We'd have to go by taxi and then I have to get all the way home again."

"I'll pay. Please, Arny, please? Just this one last favour?"

He stared at the woman, thinking about all the times he would have gladly died for a glance or a smile at work and now here he was being begged to help her and he was thinking about it!

Arnold, you dolt, you just had the best day of your life business wise and now you have a chance to be a real hero with this- this goddess- for crying out loud man, move! "Okay, okay. Call a taxi and I'll just get out of this suit and into something more comfortable."

"That might have been a nice line under different circumstances," she smiled, heading for the phone.

He braked in the hallway and processed her comment, walking much slower to his room.