Diary of a Detectress – Episode 10 – Task the second
This is Episode 10 in the Diary of a Detectress series. For previous episodes, please follow these links:
Episide 2 – Student record not found
Episide 3 – First steps towards success
Episode 7 – The explanation of a lifetime
Episode 8 – Tracking down a hacker
Episode 9 – What happens when you mess with the future
Dear Diary,
“Adam,” I repeat, grasping his warm hand and trying to ignore the blush I can feel spreading through my cheeks. I’m delighted to finally have a name to put with that grinning face. Adam seems somehow fitting. Perhaps it’s the biblical allusion; a testament to his divine looks.
Ok, Sophie focus! Let go of the man’s hand. Concentrate on why you’re here.
Having taken a seat at the narrow table, Adam leans back and contemplates me with one eyebrow raised. “So, Miss Dayton, what information do you have for me?”
I try to act equally nonchalant and inspect my fingernails, willing the heat in my cheeks to fade. I can't let him get away with the superior act. After all, he’s only a couple of years older than I am. “I found out that an organisation called The Future wiped my student record. Actually, they didn’t wipe me at all; they just changed my name and gender. The lecturers are probably all wondering why ‘Cole’ doesn’t turn up for his tutorials any more.”
Adam chuckles with a pleased expression on his face. “Well done! That’s the first test done with. And I’m pretty impressed at how quickly you did it. I wasn’t expecting to see you here for another few days. You must have already had some of the necessary contacts in place.”
“Yes I did.” I say, confidently. I don’t want to admit that it was just pure luck that I happened to know Layla, whose boyfriend knew Simon the Blade guy, who put me in touch with Ethan. Come to think of it, my success was entirely down to my contacts.
Lost in thought, I missed the start of Adam’s next sentence, “…was important for you to realise that there are alternatives to what we’re offering you. Members of The Future have already taken a special interest in you. It’s up to you where that leads. But whatever choice you make, we want you to enter this world with a clear mind and open eyes.”
“Who is ‘we’ exactly?” I ask. “I mean, what’s the name of your organisation?”
“I can see that it might be getting confusing now that you know about The Future. We have a few different names, but most people know us as The Arrangers.”
I bust out laughing. The name sounds like an episode of The Avengers got mixed up with a flower-arrangement class.
Adam is grinning, apparently pleased at my reaction. “A lot of people find it hard to take the name seriously. It comes in handy.”
“Misdirection huh?”
He nods. “So anyway, now it’s time to think about test number two. Actually your timing in solving the first task was perfect because there’s an ideal chance for you to complete the second one this very evening.”
“Oh. Um, that’s soon.”
“Yes. It’s the university’s Gala Dinner this evening. An agent from our organisation will be there.” He leans forward. “Your task is to identify him or her.”
“What, like pull off their mask and denounce them in front of the crowd? Scooby-Doo style?”
He shakes his head. “No of course not. The agent is there for another reason and you shouldn’t have any contact with them at all. This is simply an exercise in observation. You just have to tell me who he or she was next time we meet.”
“And how do I do that?”
He gestures dismissively. “You could describe what our agent was wearing for example.”
“Won’t everybody be wearing evening dress?”
“It’s a format event. So?”
“So if it’s a man, how am I supposed to distinguish between various men wearing identical tuxedos in my description?”
His grin is decidedly evil. “I’m sure you’ll find a way.” Rising from the table, he gives me a parting nod. “Good luck Sophie. Oh, and check your inbox.”
“But you don’t have my… Never mind” I mutter in the direction of his retreating back. Of course he has my email address.
Back home, I’m looking speculatively into my meagrely stocked wardrobe when Layla comes and knocks on my open door. “Do they multiply if you stare at them hard enough?” she comes to stand beside me and we both regard my grand total of 2 dresses.
“Not yet,” I reply. “Doesn’t stop me from trying though. What’s up?”
“I’m bored. Wondered if you had any more exciting excursions planned?”
“Oh I get it. You’re wondering if I’m going to any more geek gatherings where you can stun everyone with your elf impression and become their fairly elected queen?”
“It wasn’t like that! I only talked to them for a minute.”
I shake my head. “You know exactly what you’re doing, Elf Girl.” She slaps me. Ow. That girl is stronger than she looks. “Actually I am going out later. If I can cobble together a formal outfit out of these things that is.”
Sophie’s wardrobe inventory:
Layla’s shaking her head. “You’ll never do it. Borrow something from me.” She pulls me into her bedroom. I’m thinking how it’ll be a miracle if anything of hers actually fits me, but she finds a floaty black dress that’s loose enough to fit my slightly curvier frame. “You still haven’t told me where you’re going,” she remarks as she adjusts the sash around my waist.
“The university’s gala dinner.”
She peeks up at me. “Oh? Um… didn’t you say you weren’t a student? I got the impression there was some bad feeling between you and the university. Sorry I don’t mean to pry.”
I smile cheerfully. “Actually Ethan helped me to clear all that up. No hard feelings whatsoever any more. No, I’m going because a friend gave me a ticket and I’m, erm, just curious. I like people watching. You know?” Although I trust her I don’t feel comfortable sharing the details of my mission without permission from Adam.
She claps her hands. “Ooh I should come too. And I’ll bring Dylan! We can people-watch together.”
I squirm slightly. “I’d love that, Layla, but I’ve only got one ticket…”
She laughs. “I can get a ticket for anything. Photographer, remember? I’ll just tell them I’m covering the gala for the local paper. They never check these things up. It should be easy to get a couple of passes.”
“Ok, sure.” I brighten. It can’t hurt to have another pair of eyes. Two pairs if she’s bringing her boyfriend too. I don’t have to tell her why I’m really there, and maybe she’ll turn out to be really useful like last time.
Sure enough, it was as easy as a single phone call for Layla to get two extra tickets for the event. When we arrive and step out of Dylan’s red Volvo, the area outside the main university building is milling with people in fancy clothes who are greeting each other with fake enthusiasm. A few of them are our age, but most are older. Members of the university board, esteemed professors and rich alumni I guess. All of them are dressed to impress, mostly in black but with splashes of colour here and there.
She’s also socially proficient and falls into conversation with various people naturally, directing them to pose together or asking questions about their reasons for attending the gala. When Dylan joins her, I’m surprised to see that he also has a knack for small talk. I never would have guessed from his brooding appearance.
I watch and listen like a hawk as the two of them work the room, but no-one drops any hints about any ulterior motive for being at the gala. And of course they don’t! Who would announce something like that to a stranger? I’m starting to wonder exactly how Adam wants me to complete this task.
The evening wears on. There are plenty of boring speeches from grateful alumni. The buffet dinner, featuring a chocolate fountain (that probably wins Layla's 'most photographed' award), was a highlight, but otherwise there is little to distract people from what is clearly a networking event.
Sitting on a chair at the side of the room and gazing around, I’m growing more and more agitated. Adam didn’t mention what the penalty would be if I didn’t spot the agent. Do I get a second chance on another occasion? Or does failure this evening mean that I’ve blown my chances of ever being accepted into The Arrangers? Adam hinted that I could pursue a career with The Future instead, but at this point it’s clear where my priorities lie. The only thing The Future have done for me so far has been to manipulate my studying career without any explanation whatsoever. I call that rude.
A hand claps my shoulder and I jump. Looking up I see that the newcomer is Ethan. “HI!” I exclaim, a little too loudly. “What are you doing here?”
“Representative for the university gaming team,” he says with a resigned air, sinking down into the chair next to me. “We’re doing pretty well so they feel obliged to invite us to these things. I come mainly for the food. Did you see the chocolate fountain?”
I nod glumly. But Ethan’s eyes have already been drawn by something on the other side of the room.
“Oh my god, it’s her!” he exclaims. “It’s Elf Girl!” I swear he sounds like nothing so much as a teenaged girl.
“Her name is Lalya. And didn’t you guys have a whole conversation about your social media needs and what she’s going to do to help you out?”
“Oh yeah, but it’s different seeing her in person.” He still looks awestruck. Then his expression darkens. “Wait, who’s that gorilla beside her.”
“That’s her boyfriend.”
“Oh.” He deflates. “Looks like a musician.”
“Yeah. He is.”
Ethan stares at his feet for a while; apparently very put out at the thought that Elf Girl might dare to have a boyfriend and a life of her own.
I decide to try and utilize his geek brain for my own benefit. “Ethan can you see anyone in here who looks like they don’t belong?”
He casts me a speculative glance. “You don’t look entirely at home. What are you doing here anyway? Didn’t you say you were done with university? What was all that hacking I did for you in aid of?”
I’m saved by having to answer this by the arrival of Layla and Dylan who’ve come looking for me. Ethan greets Layla enthusiastically and they get into a conversation about Ethan’s social media accounts. Dylan stands by and glowers at Ethan, which only seems to make the skinnier guy babble more determinedly.
I go back to observing the crowd. Identifying a secret agent isn’t as easy as listening for someone ordering a vodka martini. How am I going to I win this?
This is an original piece, written for Steemit by @Victoria-Kelly. Thanks for reading!
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Images from Pixabay
Ok. Totally hooked! I love how you are writing Adam's character, very charming.