The Remarried

Chapter ten

The look on Jordan's face is priceless. He reaches for the necklace with shaking hands, only touching it with the tips of his fingers. "Is this really it?" he whispers.

"When he gave this to me, Edmond said that there was no better place for his secrets than the heart of a woman who loved him above anything else," I smile. "But I don't know what is on that disc. I never looked at it."

There is silence in the room. Jordan shakes his head and laughs. "You really wore this necklace around Senator Wintercourt?"

"Every single day," I say.

"I can't believe it!" he laughs. "It could have been lost forever if you didn't take the necklace with you."

"I would never leave it behind," I shake my head. "Not because of the flash disc, though."

"This means so much for us. For the whole country," Jordan says. "Thank you, Eleanor."

"You are welcome. Edmond would want this thing to happen."

Jordan reaches for the necklace again. In that moment, I cover it with my hand. "You'll have to make a copy," I say. "I want the necklace back."

Jordan laughs nervously. "I don't think that it would be safe..."

"I don't care what you think, Jordan," I say calmly. "You'll have a copy or you'll have nothing. The necklace is mine. I want it back."

He hesitates. Then he looks me in the eyes, trying to either intimidate me or persuade me that I am wrong. But I don't move an inch from my demands.

"All right," he resigns then. "We'll make a copy, delete it and give you the necklace back."

"No, you don't understand," I say, my patience wearing thin. "I want the necklace, and everything that is on it. It belongs to me. Edmond gave it to me. I decide what happens to it."

"Why would you care about the plans?"

"Why?" I laugh. "Maybe because my husband cared about them a lot. And I want to make sure that they are used, and that they are used well. I want this plan to go through."

"But that is what we want," Jordan objects.

"Maybe. Or you want to make sure nobody gets to know your names. To erase the traces."

"Why don't you trust us?"

"I don't trust anyone," I say harshly. "I don't even trust myself."

The silent war of stares and lips tightly pressed together goes on for a while.

"All right," Jordan says then. "As you wish."

***

I walk out on the street and once I find my way out of the web of small alleys, I head to Covent Garden. I have to have at least some story prepared, and losing track of time while shopping seems plausible enough. I plan on buying some things I don't really need and then hiring a cab or taking the bus. I could afford the cab, but somehow the bus sounds more exciting.

I enter the central building and look around. I enter a few shops and buy a scarf and a perfume without really thinking about it. My mind is still in the small room with Jordan and the rest of Edmond's friends and I can't stop wrecking my brain over whether he would have liked me meeting them. And especially, whether he would want me to trust them or not.

"I spy with my little eye... my favorite client," a raspy voice says behind my back.

I turn around briskly. "Barbara!" I exclaim. "What a surprise!"