“I haven’t done anything about it yet. She only gave them to me late this morning.”
“Well come on then, get your finger out girl. The sooner you get this sorted the better.” With that Alice took the phone from her bag and dialled the number of the sex shop. Holding it to her ear she waited for the call to be answered before passing the phone to Laura. A rapid shake of her head and a silently mouthed ‘no’ told Alice she didn’t want to take the call. A stern look and the phone thrust toward her convinced her that she had little choice.
“Hello, can I help you?” The female voice sounded quite young, not the sleazy old man voice she had expected.
“Er… yes, I mean, I don’t know.”
“There’s no need to be shy about anything madam we’re used to dealing with all sorts of inquiry’s.”
“I’m sure you are, yes. Look, I was just wondering whether you had an order waiting for me.”
“We don’t do orders from the shop madam but there is a separate department who deal with the online stuff. I can put you through to them if you like.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary.”
“What exactly is it you’re after?”
“It may sound odd but it’s a pawn.”
“Madam it doesn’t sound odd, this is an adult store we’ve got loads of the stuff.” Alice, listening in to the conversation gave a smirk.
“No not P.O.R.N, P.A.W.N as in chess. I thought somebody may have left one there for me. My name’s Miller, Laura Miller.”
“Well Mrs Miller, I can assure you that we only have the other sort and there are no orders awaiting delivery.”
“OK then I must have got it wrong, but thanks for your help anyway.”
“No problem Mrs Miller but if you do want anything in the future you get back to us, ask for Sandy.”
“I will yes, Thanks, Bye.” After pushing ‘End call’ she passed the phone back to Alice. “I think we can safely cross that one off the list. God, that was awkward.”
“It would have been more awkward if she had it. You’d have had to go there and ask for it.”
“That wouldn’t bother me, as long as I got the thing back. Besides I’m sure you would have gone with me. We could be the pervy sisters. Lets finish this, then you can call the Pawn Brokers, we’ll see if you’re any better.”
After finishing their meal Alice made the call.
“Hello, is that the pawn shop?”
“It is indeed, how can I help you?” The very well spoken male voice asked.
“Well, it may sound odd but I’m looking for a pawn.”
“Is this a joke, ‘a wind up’ I think they call it these days?”
“No really, I am looking for a pawn.”
“Lady, fish shops sell fish and bookshops sell books but pawn shops don’t sell pawns.”
“I know that. I’m after a proper pawn, the chess sort.”
“Why didn’t you say, we have a couple of chess sets somewhere.”
“No, I don’t want a whole set. Has anybody brought in just a single pawn?”
“Of course not, why on earth would anybody do that?”
“I don’t think you have what I’m looking for. Thank you very much for you’re time.” Alice said, and ended the call before having to give any more of an explanation.
“I don’t know which was better,” Laura said, “mine thought I was a pervert, yours thought you were an idiot. Have you got to rush back or do you want another coffee?”
“Oh go on, let’s have another. I don’t want to miss you calling the strip joint. And if you get through don’t forget to ask where you get those little tassels for your nips.”
“There’s no need. If you’re not working that night I’ll borrow yours.”
With two fresh coffees before them they studied Abbie’s notes. After looking at the website they had all the basic information.
“The only thing it doesn’t say” Laura said, “is what the prize is. I’ll ring and ask.” After their two practice runs she felt a lot more confident. Finding it difficult to hear as the place was filling up with office workers she went outside. She returned a few minutes later to an Alice eager to hear the news.
“Come on then, what did they say?”
“Not a lot. He was very vague.”
“Oh, that’s not very helpful.”
“No it’s not really,” Laura said, “but it fits in though. Ever since this started nothing has been clear. Nobody gives a straight answer to anything and he was no different. I suppose that’s quite encouraging really. If it was as simple as ‘the best stripper wins’, he’d have told me what the prize was, but he didn’t.”
“What did he say then?”
“He said, ‘we try to make the prize pertinent to the winner’, when I pushed him some more he started talking round in circles again, just like Weston does. I mean why would you answer like that if it was all legit?”
“Hmm. Sounds like you need to practice your routine.” A beaming smile spread across Alice’s face. “You know, this could be the start of a whole new career for you. I can see it now, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, for one night only we present to you, Leggy Laura’.”
“You know what? I can’t imagine getting through life without your undying support.”
9
As the afternoon wore on Laura found it more and more difficult to concentrate on her work. Finding the pieces was going to prove more difficult than she had initially anticipated, especially if nobody would provide her with straight answers to her questions. She decided to call Andrew and seek his advice.
They talked over their options and, as she feared, their joint decision was for her to call Weston. If Andrew called it may be regarded as weakness on her part. If Weston’s response still left them struggling for direction he would then make an attempt himself.
Weston answered his phone on the second ring. “Hello Laura. Oh dear, he hasn’t upset you again has he?”
“Has who upset me?”
“The Colonel, Alistair. Said he had some business out your way this week and would call in on you. You know, see if you were doing any better with observing the rules.”
“I haven’t seen him, no. When did he say he was coming?”
“He didn’t. Just that it might be convenient this week. Is that a problem?”
“No, of course not, why should it be?” Weston felt sure he detected a defensive note in her words but also a hint of pride in the last remark, ‘Why should it be’. And indeed he was correct. She had conformed to their rules. The area between her legs was always kept smooth, completely free of new growth and never covered with underwear.
“Oh that’s good. I’m sure he’d be sorry to have to enforce the rules, he likes you.”
“That’s not what my backside thinks.”
“Oh, don’t be like that. Last time he was only advising you of the rules. He really wouldn’t like it if you broke them on purpose. That backside of yours would really know about it then.”
Not that she actually needed to but Laura made a mental note to make sure that she was groomed and dressed in the correct manner at all times–just in case. As a matter of fact she quite liked having to conform to their bizarre rules. She liked having the secret, kept from those around her as she went about her daily routines.
“Anyway,” Weston continued, “if he hasn’t been yet, to what do I owe the pleasure of hearing those sultry tones on such a mundane afternoon?”
Before making the call she had felt uncomfortable, asking for help from anybody never sat well with her. But if she was going to narrow her search, asking for his guidance seemed to be the only option. Appealing to him for that guidance would hurt her pride but trying to somehow disguise the request would be easily uncovered and that would damage her self esteem. No, she would have to be upfront with him and accept the expected scoffing.
“I’m calling because of a problem with locating your pawns.”
“You mean your pawns. They’ll only be mine again when you return them.” She could see he was going to do it again: talk in circles and give her no answers.
“Okay then, my pawns. Whoever they belong to doesn’t matter does it, if neither of us has them.”
“I see your point. Have you tried looking for them?”
“Of course I’ve bloo-” She broke off her sentence once she realised he was playing with her, trying to get her annoyed. “Yes I have looked,” she said calmly, “in three places so far. Do you really expect me to take part in an amateur strip show just to get one of those pawns?” She heard Weston laugh out loud.
“Laura, Laura, where did you come up with that? That’s priceless.”
“It all fits. We’ve found it all out.”
“What ‘fits’? And what did you find out?” Was he just testing her or trying to bluff her?
“The pubs called The White Pawn and the winner of the contest gets a prize that’s ‘pertinent to the winner’. Are you telling me that’s coincidence and not what I’m looking for?”
“Oh Laura, I’m ashamed to say that I’m tempted to string you along then book my seat in the front row. Much as I’d enjoy the show my conscience wouldn’t allow it.” The news proved to be a double edged sword. Laura’s relief at not having to go through with the strip was offset by the disappointment of seeing the last of her options disappear.
“But that means I’m left with nothing, nowhere to look.”
“Perhaps you’re looking too far away. Have you tried closer to home?”
“What do you mean, ‘closer to home’?”
“I don’t mean anything. All I’m saying is that when people, like the police for example, do searches they start from a certain point and then widen the search. It sounds as though you may have started too wide.”
“You mean somebody I know has the pawns?”
“I don’t know. I’m just saying that it might be worth looking into.”
“Well it’s not Andrew so it’s somebody at work right?”
“Worth considering.”
“Who then?” she asked impatiently.
“Who do you think?”
“I don’t know.” She enunciated each word. “I can hardly just go around and ask them one by one can I?”
“I doubt that they’d just hand it over anyway.” He said. “They’d probably want something for it.”
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