Partners by Chance

Chapter 21 - The Library

Félix

The National Library of France, in Paris, was full of people, mainly college students, professors and other scholars researching for their works. And then there was Félix.

The round reading room of the library illuminated by the giant skylight in the roof had several users, either reading, picking books or working in the computers. Félix was sitting in one of the desks, saying to anyone getting close to the seat immediately in front of him that the place was taken. The lamps in the division between the workplace he was using and the one right in front of him were turned on to make reading easier. He didn't get why Lila wanted to meet him there.

Looking to one side and the other, he started thinking how bad would it be to pick his phone and check his social media accounts or browse the internet. No one was really paying attention, they were too busy looking for the right book, paper or document in the haystack that was the 36 million items collection of the library.

As he picked up the phone, he received a message from Lila.

"Look back"

He looked back, but he regretted doing it in that exact moment. Lila was looking at him just a few centimeters away from him, in such a spooky way he didn't scream by a miracle.

"Couldn't have you touched me in the arm or something?" he asked.

"Of course." she replied, trying to contain the laugh "But that way I couldn't have seen that look in your face."

Lila and Félix had went on a few meetings. You can call them dates, if you please, but they had nothing romantic. They felt that, for a long time, they were the first people that truly understood each other. How long until they understand that they have something completely evil in common?

"So, you won't believe what I've discovered yesterday." she said, after going around the desks and appearing in the workplace in front of him.

"I surely won't if you keep all that mystery about it." he shoot "I'm yet to understand why had we to meet in a library..."

"Fair enough." she replied.

Lila looked to one side and then the other, their line of workstations were totally free, so nobody would hear what they were saying. Yet Lila looked cautious. Something was off...

"I found out who Hawk Moth is." she whispered to Félix's ear.

He looked at her with a strange look. That sure was a big scoop, but... why so secretive? Hawk Moth saved his skin las time he was in Paris, but he still was a criminal and police should give a fat reward for his identity...

"And... may I know who he is?" he asked.

She smirked and then whispered the answer.

"Your uncle, Gabriel Agreste."

It took sometime to Félix to understand the meaning of those words. Gabriel Agreste, the world renowned fashion designer was the most wanted criminal in France since King Louis XVI... And, worse of all, Félix stole something from him... Oh great...

"That's... wow..." he said, yet thinking about all the consequences of his past actions following this new information "Are you one hundred percent sure?"

"He transformed in front of me." she said.

In that moment, Félix started thinking in something else...

"Why would he transform in front of someone else? I mean, he should be more careful. Where were you?"

In that moment, Lila stopped to think about to say next. She was obviously going to lie. Félix knew when she was lying. She said several lie and he undercovered them all. She simply couldn't lie to him, and she seemed to have understood it because she sighted.