I called Cordelia with my mind. Come on, dude, get over here. I need some help.
A moment later, Cordelia appeared on the dock behind me, her teeth bared and her fighting face on full display.
“Not that kind of help,” I said.
She looked up at me, frowning. Then what’s the rush?
I gestured to the poet. “Xavier needs your help with something. And if you help him, then he’ll help me.”
She shifted to sit upright on her butt and stared at him. What does he want? Does he know I work for kebabs?
I looked at him. “Can you understand her?”
“No. But it’s a thieving job.”
I like thieving.
“She’s interested.” I frowned, my former cop self not quite liking the sound of this. “But who would she be stealing from?”
“No one good, that’s for sure,” Xavier said.
Strangely enough, I believed him. “Is it dangerous?”
He shrugged. “Not more so than anything else. I need her to sneak into a club through a back alley and retrieve something.”
I can do it. Cordelia looked at me. We’ll have to talk terms, though. Kebab terms.
I nodded at her, wondering where the hell my life had gone off the tracks. I was the intermediary between a man and a raccoon as they discussed payment for theft. Not what I’d imagined for my life.
This was ten times better.
“She’s agreed to it,” I said. “Can we work it out after you help us?”
Xavier nodded, his gaze moving briefly to Eve, then away. “Sure. Come aboard. We can deal with payment next week.”
“Thanks.” I stepped onto the boat, feeling like I was venturing into a whole new world.
12
Carrow
The narrowboat rocked underfoot as I moved closer to Xavier. Eve and Cordelia joined us, and he gestured to the bench. “Have a seat, and we’ll be on our way.”
We sat, and he moved gracefully around the boat, untying it from its moorings and turning it on. The fog had grown thicker over the river, but he piloted expertly away from the small marina and out into the wide expanse of the Thames.
I leaned closer to Eve and whispered. “You have a history with this guy?”
“Not one that I’m going to discuss right now.”
“Fair enough.” I leaned back and looked out at the city, trying to see it through the fog. It was nearly impossible. The thick gray stuff obscured everything.
Xavier seemed to know where he was going, though I couldn’t see any kind of radar. He stared off into the distance, turning the big wooden wheel slightly to keep us on track.
The current was stronger in the middle of the river, hurrying twigs and leaves along. In the depths, I could see golden sparkles shooting through the dark water. Small splashes rose to the surface, seeming to come from deep within the river.
“What’s in there?” I asked.
“Things you can’t imagine,” Xavier said.