Page 10 of The Burnt (The Declan Hunt Mysteries #3)

Charlie opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling for a minute before his hand reached out to Declan’s side of the bed. Nothing. Declan was gone.

What time is it?

“What the fuck?”

He’d slept the whole morning away. Not surprising given what they’d gotten up to after Declan’s call from his old partner. He should get calls like that more often.

Charlie climbed out of bed, went to the bathroom and rinsed his mouth out with mouthwash.

His head was muddy from sleeping too long.

He made the bed, then a cup of coffee. As he padded around the apartment, Charlie remembered that they were supposed to be running a business and he should open up.

He threw on a pair of khakis and a shirt and made his way downstairs where he was confronted by the mess that camouflaged his desk. Charlie sighed.

“Ad for my replacement first, then I’ll tidy you up.”

He carefully stacked all of the files and invoices on the floor to give him and his coffee cup a chance to work.

Charlie located a copy of his original job description on his computer.

Other than sleeping with the boss, the job of office manager hadn’t changed much since he’d started last year.

He uploaded it to the same online job website that he’d used to get the job in the first place. His heart pounded as he hit ‘Post’.

Charlie’s train of thought was derailed by his stomach making a loud growl that sounded like a large cat trying to speak Swedish.

“Okay. Okay. Take it easy.”

He pushed back his chair then made his way down to Gwen’s café, Les Trois Magots .

“Good morning,” he chirped as he entered.

Gwen shot him a glance. “I don’t want to know why you’re so chipper.”

Charlie smiled. “Because it is a delightful, sunshiny winter’s day!”

“The only thing you’re missing are Snow White’s birds flitting about,” she said, wiggling her fingers around his head.

“Actually, what I’m missing is—” The cat in his stomach chattered away again.

“Ah, I see,” Gwen said. “Will it be the usual? Or can I entice you with one of my new treats, a breakfast bun consisting of a savoury scone surrounding a fried egg and brie? Or Roquefort if you’re more of the adventurous sort.”

He smiled and said, “Sort of a high-end McMuff—”

“If you dare finish that sentence, you will be barred from this shop for at least a year.”

From the look in her eye, Charlie knew she was serious.

“I think it sounds great. I’ll take one with brie, and a chocolate croissant. Please.”

A bag of baking in hand, Charlie mounted the stairs up to the office where he spent the next hour sorting all of the paperwork that had consumed his desk.

He looked triumphantly at the now organised chaos that was stacked on chairs, the couch and the coffee table in the reception area. Filing would be next.

Charlie made his way to the kitchenette to clean up his coffee mug, and had just finished drying it when he heard the chirp that signalled the ground floor door opening. A second chirp announced the opening of the office door.

Charlie stepped back into the main room and saw a woman looking at his piles of paper. She appeared to be in her early seventies. “Can I help you?” he said.

“Possibly. Is Declan in?”

“No. He stepped out.”

She looked at Charlie over the top of her glasses. “Do you expect him back any time soon?”

Charlie considered the question. “I’m not sure. He’s in the field at the moment.”

She nodded, but didn’t move.

“Perhaps I can help you. I’m his assistant, Charlie Watts,” he said, shaking her hand.

“Certainly not the drummer,” she said. “You are far cuter, and have a much firmer handshake.”

“Oh. So you’ve met Charlie Watts, from The Stones?” He had trouble concealing the scepticism in his tone.

“I certainly did,” she replied. “It was October 2005 at the Saddledome. I gave him the ride of his life later that night. Nice fellow, though. Still sent me a card on my birthday ’til he died.”

Charlie had been so engrossed in the woman’s conversation that he hadn’t noticed that the office door had opened and Declan had come in.

Declan was slapping his thighs from the cold. “Okay. I don’t care what they look like, I think it’s time I get a pair of long johns.” He stopped in his tracks. “Oh—my—God! Mrs B!” Declan yelled, then ran over to the woman, lifting her off the ground.

“Mrs Beckerman?” Charlie said.

“What are you doing here?” Declan asked. “I thought you were down south, tanning yourself on a beach somewhere with your new boyfriend.”

“I was ’til I realised how boring perpetual summer is. And as for Manuel…Well, he just wanted one thing, and it wasn’t fun. I just had to get back up here where life was normal.”

Charlie couldn’t believe it. He never thought he would meet the legendary Mrs B, the woman whose job he had taken six months ago.

“Charlie—?” Declan started to ask.

“Oh, sorry. Mrs Beckerman, can I get you something?”

“Just a small coffee, black. One sugar. And I’d love one of Gwen’s pastries if it isn’t too much trouble.”

Charlie nodded and headed down to the café on the ground floor.

* * * *

Declan ushered Mrs B to the couch. He moved several piles of paper off of it and placed them back on the desk. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll grab some plates and napkins from the kitchenette.”

When he returned, she was flipping through the magazines on the coffee table. “These are the same magazines that were here when I left. I’m going to have to let Mr Watts know that they don’t just replace themselves.”

“Don’t be too hard on him. He’s trying his best.”

“And I’m sure having to deal with you is a full-time job unto itself,” she said.

“You’d know, wouldn’t you.”

Mrs B smiled and nodded. She raised a single eyebrow. “Last time you emailed me, you said he was cute, but I don’t think you did him justice. And from the look in your eye, there’s something more going on here than him just answering phones.”

“As a matter of fact, that’s true. Charlie’s getting his PI licence and I’ve been shifting him into case work.”

“That’s not what I was referring to.”

The door burst open and Charlie came in with a cardboard tray with three coffee cups and a bag held between his teeth.

“Gen fend ese uff. He fed—” Declan took the bag out of his mouth. “Gwen sent these up. She said they were your favourites. She’s so excited that you’re back in town.”

“You see, I never got this down in Bogotá.”

Charlie put the pastries and cookies down on the coffee table, then sat on a chair beside Declan, across from Mrs B.

She took a sip of her coffee. “So, Charlie. How’s it been working for Declan? I hope you’re not letting him off too easy.”

Charlie looked at Declan. “It’s definitely a challenging job. I understand you didn’t let him get away with anything.”

“Oh, he wasn’t all that bad. Other than occasionally coming back bruised, bleeding and covered in garbage.”

Charlie nodded. “Some things never change.”

“So…” Mrs B smiled. “Declan says that you’re moving into case work.”

Charlie grinned. “I hope to have my PI licence in a couple of months.”

“My God, you’re even younger than he was when he started out,” she said, pointing to Declan.

Declan didn’t like the direction the conversation had taken. “So how long are you back for?” he asked, hoping to change the topic.

“For good, I suspect. I’ve moved in with my sister Irene until I can find a place of my own.”

“And what will you do to pass the time?” Declan asked.

“I haven’t given it any thought. My stay in Colombia after my heart attack taught me not to plan too far ahead. Opportunities can pop up at the last minute.”

Declan smiled. “Funny you should say that. I know of an opportunity that might interest you. How would you feel about coming back here as our office manager? Charlie here can’t handle the admin job on top of his case work.”

She looked at the piles of paper stacked around the office. “So it would appear. But there’s already two of you here. Where would I be working…if I said yes, that is?”

“Declan thought I could set up over there,” Charlie said, pointing to the corner between Declan’s office door and the window. “Eventually we could put up a wall so you wouldn’t have me staring at you all the time. It would give you more privacy.”

“That sounds sensible,” she replied.

Declan turned to Mrs B. “What do you say? Do you want to rejoin Declan Hunt Investigations?”

She smiled. “I have a hunch that the two of you are going to need as much help as you can get. I was just popping in for a visit, but it might be fun to come back…for old times’ sake.”

“Is that a yes?” Declan asked.

“Yes,” Mrs B said as she finished her coffee. “Well, I shouldn’t take up more of your time. I’m sure you’re very busy.”

She stood.

“I’ll start on Monday, if that’s all right.

By then maybe Charlie will have sorted out the desk situation.

” She turned to him. “You might want to check with Gwen. I believe she has a store of old office furniture left over from the previous tenants. I’m sure she’d be happy to see it put to good use. ”

She nodded curtly and headed to the door, then turned and said, “And thank you for not making me ask to come back. I’ve missed the old place.”

Declan grinned. “While Charlie’s sorting out furniture, do you have time for a bite to eat? Maybe a late lunch and a drink to celebrate?”

“Are you buying?”

“Of course.”

“Then let’s go.”

Charlie said, “While you’re having lunch, I’ll pull the job posting I put up this morning.”

Declan said, “Fantastic.”

As they turned to go, Charlie asked, “You will take me seriously, won’t you, Mrs B?”

She laughed. “I never took Declan seriously. Why should I treat you any differently? Now I expect these piles of paper to be filed before I come in on Monday.”

She held out her arm to Declan and they made their way down the stairs and out of the building.