The Mountain Shadow

‘What did you say?’

‘I told him Scorpio George was a friend of mine, and I knew he was looking for him. I asked what it was all about, and why he was dogging my friend.’

‘And?’

‘He’s a lawyer,’ Divya cut in.

‘Will you let me tell it, please?’ Naveen grumbled, grinding his teeth. ‘He says he’s a lawyer, and that he has an important message for Scorpio, only he calls him Mr George Bradley. Is that Scorpio’s last name?’

‘Yeah. Did Wilson say what the message was about?’

‘He keeps the lid screwed down pretty tight, this guy. I’d like him for my lawyer. But he did say it wasn’t anything that could harm Scorpio.’

‘It was me who got him to tell you that!’ Divya hissed.

‘Yeah, by threatening to rip your blouse and shout that he attacked you in the lift. A little over the top, if you ask me.’

‘That’s what the top is for, stupid! It’s for going over. What else would the top be for?’

‘He say anything else?’ I asked.

‘No. He won’t say anything more. Professional ethics, he said.’

‘If you’d just let me scream,’ Divya said, ‘you’d know it all by now. But oh, no! Screaming isn’t an acceptable tactic, for the great detective!’

‘And if you screamed your way into a police cell, would I be doing my job?’ Naveen demanded.

‘How come you guys are still together?’ I asked. ‘Didn’t you sort out the wannabe Bollywood actor guy already?’

‘We did,’ Naveen sighed. ‘But her father has this big business deal going down –’

‘Mukesh Devnani doesn’t do big deals, chamcha,’ Divya interrupted. ‘My father does huge, humungous deals.’

‘Her father has this huge, humungous deal going down,’ Naveen continued, ‘and apparently there’s been some bad blood among the parties who aren’t party to the deal. There’ve been some threats. Nasty stuff. Her dad’s playing safe. He asked me to stay on with this brat for a couple of weeks, until the deal’s done.’

‘I’m not a brat!’ Divya snapped, sticking out her tongue. ‘And the end of this arrangement can’t come fast enough for me, I’m telling you!’

‘Did you just stick your tongue out at me?’ Naveen asked, astounded.

‘It’s a legitimate response,’ she pouted.

‘Sure, if you’re four years old.’

‘So . . . ’ I cut in. ‘What happened with Wilson?’

‘I knew you were here,’ Naveen said quickly. ‘One of the guests at the party upstairs said he saw you, on the way up. He said you were having dinner with Ranjit Choudry. I thought this might be the only chance to bring this thing to a conclusion, so I told Wilson to meet us outside, on the sea wall. He’s waiting there now. What do you think?’

‘I think we should talk with this guy. If he’s what he says he is, we should take him to the Zodiac Georges. Divya, will you stay here with my girlfriend, Lisa?’

‘Don’t you start!’ she growled.

‘That’s what we were fighting about, before,’ Naveen explained. ‘I told her if you wanted to go with me to see the Georges with this guy Wilson, she should stay here at the hotel, in safety. She won’t buy it.’

‘Are you kidding?’ she snapped. ‘The most interesting thing to happen for like, a grillion years, going with this mystery man to see these Zodiac guys, whoever the fuck they are, and you want me to sit it out like a good little girl? No way. I’m a bad girl. I’m coming with.’

I glanced at Naveen. His half-smile and resigned shrug told me how much he’d become accustomed to giving in to the girl, in the days they’d been together.

‘Okay. Wait here. I’ll tell Lisa.’

I went back to the table, put my hands on the back of her chair, and leaned in close to whisper in her ear. I told her the situation, and then made an apology to the table.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry to say that I’ve been called to an emergency, involving a friend. Please excuse me.’

‘We agreed to have dinner with Ranjit,’ Lisa said, furious and loud.

‘Lisa –’

‘And if you haven’t noticed, that’s what we’re in the middle of doing.’

‘Yeah, but –’

‘It’s just rude,’ she said flatly.

‘It’s an emergency. It’s Scorpio, Lisa.’

‘Is that why you’re leaving?’ she demanded angrily. ‘Or is it because Karla isn’t here?’

I stared at her, feeling hurt without knowing exactly why. Scorpio and Gemini were our friends, and it was important for them.

She stared back at me evenly, her eyes betraying nothing but anger. Ranjit broke the silence.

‘Well, we’ll be very sorry to see you leave, Lin. But rest assured, Lisa will be in good hands. And perhaps you’ll return from your . . . pressing matter . . . in time for dessert. I dare say we’ll be here for a while yet.’

He looked at me, his smile as open and ingenuous as ever. Lisa didn’t move.

‘Really,’ Ranjit said, putting his hand over Lisa’s on the table. ‘We’ll do our best to keep Lisa entertained. Don’t worry.’

‘Just go!’ Lisa said. ‘If it’s so important, just go.’

I stared at them for a moment; stared at Ranjit, and their hands together on the table. A perverse and completely honest instinct made me want to hit Ranjit hard. Anywhere would do.