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James took an early train into the city. It was three
days after their trip to the Dakota, a glorious late
spring morning. The sun sparkled down from a cloudless
sky and through the train window he watched the shadows
dance.
Manhattan seemed more tranquil than normal. He cut
down Park Avenue and then across 39th Street all the
way to Broadway. It was an old street from the times
when the Dutch administered the city. James liked the
way it ignored the block system, going where it would
with diagonal impudence.
The day felt as if it were his. Every light seemed
to change just as he reached it. On the heels of their
success at the Dakota, James' severance check had arrived.
He was delighted that Doberman was finally out of the
story.
As planned, they had taken samples of the loot to the
police and press. Sue delivered them by hand. She had
to hang around the police precinct for an hour to make
sure they got the message, but eventually they did.
"People with guns," she told James later,
"usually aren't very smart." She gave a sad
sigh.
Bill and Sophie were arrested that night. They could
probably have put up an impressive fight but instead
they went quietly. That was something of a puzzle to
Sue but the others didn't mention it so Sue kept quiet.
Word about American Invisible had spread quickly. They
received scores of telephone calls and a dozen serious
offers of cash for an exclusive. Kath had stepped in
to take all the calls, skillfully playing one bidder
against the next until the fee climbed to a satisfyingly
high level.
Sue was already in the office when he got there. Proudly
he showed her the severance check. "It's just for
the original amount. He didn't pay anything extra, but
at least we got it."
"I really thought he'd pay triple like I told
him to." She thought for a while. "We'll have
to punish him. Want to come and watch?"
"What do you mean?"
"Take me to breakfast. I had an idea." There
was a glint in her eye.
"What idea?"
"You'll see. Come on."
In a diner that looked on to the north side of the
Empire State Building she made a special effort to take
a window booth. She watched the street constantly as
they ate.
"Are you OK?" James asked.
"Shh. Yes. Just wait. Eat your food quickly. We
might need to leave in a hurry." She didn't even
look at him when she spoke. "You'd better get the
check right away."
"The food only just arrived!"
She grinned at him. "Trust me."
He could tell that she wouldn't be drawn so he changed
the subject. "So what happens next? We need to
get some more business."
"I was hoping to get back to Harker's lab and
figure out what he's doing."
"It might be a mystery but there's no hint of
a crime."
"I know," she confessed. "It just bugs
me that it's all so secretive and bizarre. I'm just
sure he's up to no good." She sighed. "All
this publicity ought to bring us some kind of paying
client. We'll get some boring case and then never get
time to find out about Harker."
"I don't mind how boring it is as long as it pays.
Deb did the household accounts yesterday. Our bank statements
are showing numbers very close to zero."
"I can't remember the last time mine looked that
good. Hey! I forgot to tell you. I was thinking about
the museum tapes. Debbie was wrong. No one stopped them.
The stuff really did just vanish. That's why they couldn't
trace the break in."
"So Bill and Sophie really used magic. Wow!"
They had just finished eating when Sue tapped his arm.
Across the street he saw Doberman, striding confidently
along. When anyone crossed his path he stared hard at
them and they seemed to defer automatically, moving
aside to let him pass.
"Come on," Sue said, urgently. She led him
out to the street. As he walked through the door James
heard a shriek. Someone across the street was pointing
and staring. It took James a moment to understand that
she was pointing at Doberman.
At first he ignored her. He also ignored two people
ahead of him who stopped to stare. But then more people
stopped and laughed and it was no longer tenable for
him to ignore the situation.
A large black man passed by. "Hey Man," he
said with a friendly smile. He was mocking Doberman
but there was no hint of unkindness about him. "Live
like you wanna live. Ain't no one gonna stop you."
He looked Doberman up and down.
Doberman still could not understand why this was happening.
James could. He could see what the poor victim could
not. Everything Doberman wore, except his shoes, socks
and underwear, had vanished. The underwear was a tight
pink thong, set low on the hip.
"Are you doing this?" James asked, a grin
of delight gradually spreading across his face.
Sue was triumphant. "Oh, I would have to say 'yes'
to that question."
People were beginning to gather around Doberman to
look. His confidence faltered visibly.
"Hey! Floss!" someone called, rather uncharitably,
and he seemed suddenly to understand. He looked down
with an expression of horror. He touched his leg and
James guessed that he felt the fabric of his suit though
he could not see it.
He turned around, once, twice, and then fled in blind
panic, back towards the office.
They heard a voice behind them, familiar yet unexpected.
"Now that's what I call a miracle on 34th Street,"
said Hamlet.
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