Wild Fiction

Chapter 47

The fictionals found the author sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. Next to him was an empty bottle of Heineken - which will be a product placement when the book is turned into a movie. Spread out in front of him was a newspaper - which will not be a product placement and is, for that reason, unnamed.
Without saying a word, Genevieve walked over to a bowl full of business cards, bills, paperclips, and other odds and ends. She spilt the contents out onto the counter, partially covering the newspaper the author was reading.
The author looked at each one of them in turn. They were watching Genevieve’s fingers scratching like hen’s claws among the objects she had spilt, her nose held just over the pile of papers.
‘Found it,’ Genevieve said. ‘I knew he’d given me his business card. Here it is, G.R.O.V.I.J.O.H.N. just like I said. It doesn’t say which station he’s attached to though. It just has British Regional Police, his rank, and a telephone number. It’s an oh eight hundred number as well.’
‘Do you mind telling me what’s going on,’ the author asked.
‘Tell him, I’m calling this number,’ Genevieve said leaving the kitchen with the card firmly grasped in her hand.
When she returned they had only got to the dead squirrel part, so she sat patiently while they finished.
‘It was an answering service,’ she said. ‘Something’s not right about it either. It doesn’t sound like the sort of thing the Police would have.’
‘Maybe it’s a deep undercover operation and it isn’t supposed to sound like the police,’ James said. ‘Something like Mission Impossible where they’re not even acknowledged by the police and that’s why that woman at the police station didn’t know who he was.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Genevieve said. ‘Let’s take this card to the police station and ask that woman why this chap doesn’t show up on her computer.’
‘I’ll go,’ Conrad said taking the card from Genevieve.
‘We’ll both go,’ Genevieve said snatching it back from him.
‘What’s wrong if we all go?’ Rebecca asked looking directly at Conrad.
Conrad hesitated for a moment before answering. ‘I think it’s better if just Genevieve and I go. It’s a bit much with the four of us. Things just get a bit too complicated and confusing. Let’s keep it as simple as possible.’
Genevieve was looking out of the window and tapping her foot lightly on the floor. Rebecca stared at Conrad who dropped his eyes to the floor.
‘Are you going to be long?’ Rebecca asked.