# 6 bis
Cozy Cat Club, Wednesday in the evening (continued)
He choked and turned to the mature woman who had just spoken.
“Mary!”
She had a wide smile.
“Ah, dear Mr Kallistos, may I put my glass near yours without attracting your friends delicacy?
- Certainly. Not to mention that hurting you here is probably the most unhealthy thing to do, isn’t it?
- It is, but I wouldn’t like to get punched before they realise their mistake.”
She winked at the bodyguards who decided to give all their attention to their respective drinks. Kallistos ate a spoonful of his mixture.
“I’ve been surprised to learn you’ve opened your own night-club. I hadn’t imagined Peter giving you that kind of gift…”
He had a sarcastic smile and added:
“Or any gift at all now that I think about it.”
She pooched like an angry teenager and abruptly brushed her long fur scarf away.
“I can pretty well make my own way. Don’t exactly need to wait after Peter. Or you for that matter.
- I’m essentially surprised that he let you do in fact. He’s quite possessive.
- He has enough things to care about without putting his nose in my whereabouts. Not to mention that I can be pretty useful to him or anyone willing to deal in some delicate topics. My sweet pink feline has been the shelter for many important talks you know.
Kallistos had a lewd glance at her naked shoulder.
“Your sweet pink feline? What kind of…
- You’re getting distasteful. Hold your tongue.
- My tongue, well, we could…
- Shut up or I’ll make sure you never have to worry about your overload of hormones anymore.”
Her eyes were blazing with anger and Kallistos chose to find a less dangerous topic.
“Well, I guess you know many secrets with all those schemes and plots being woven and intersected in here?
- Not that much. Discretion and neutrality are the key elements of my success. By the way, do not bother asking me for the few things I know.
- Of course, of course.”
Kallistos was thoughtful. Something was titillating his senses. He slightly bent over the bar and whiffed. He squinted and his eyes rolled while a comical grimace of delight was twisting his traits.
“Smells like you’ve something in that cocktail that has been denied to me…
- Ah, you’re probably mistaking. You would be amazed to know all the flavours we can obtain through harmonious mixing of perfectly regular ingredients.
- Maybe, he replied, raising an eyebrow incredibly high, but I would most certainly be impressed if you can present me any chemist able to deceive my nose about this smell.”
Mary had a bright laugh.
“I can spare you a bottle if you’re in the need.
- I’ll remember that.”
He pushed his own cup away with a disgusted mood. Pointing to the stool Mary had taken, he smiled:
“Ah, that was a hot chick. Just out of curiosity: are women usually so direct and naughty in your club?
- Quite not.”
He sighed.
“Too bad, I guess I’ve just missed a golden opportunity then.
- Don’t get me wrong sweety. It’s not usual, but it happens. You just have to come often, or choose one who would do it for money.
- I will think about it.
- Of course this one had been paid.”
Mary sipped a few swallows of her cocktail. Kallistos kept silent, so she pursued:
“She was to tell you discretely that who you know is waiting for you in the last cubicle and that she would escort you there. Now I guess you’ll simply have to go straight to your rendezvous alone…”
He had an irritated sigh, almost a grunt.
“Yes, I suppose you’re right. Have a nice evening then.”
He stood and began to leave but Mary interrupted him:
“May I give you an advice?”
He stopped and turned around to look at her. She was still facing the bar.
“Yes?
- When planning your safety measures go for discretion or reactive gorillas, but not both.
- How kind of you.”
He walked straight to the opposite side of the club, leaving his bodyguards with Mary. A few customers gratified this angry little office employee with brief mocking glances. He couldn’t have cared less. A waiter had to step aside in extremis, miraculously saving silver plate full of champagne cups. Kallistos went directly in the last cubicle where he found Judge Peter in a comfortable padded maroon settee, working on some case file.
“You’re late.
- Yes, I had to cope with some… annoyance.
- And alone.
- As I said.”
The Judge simply waved a hand toward the opposite armchair, recapped his classy black pen and meticulously reassembled and closed the red folder in front of him. Mr Kallistos sat. He took off his hat and put it on the table.
“Were you unable to find any more conspicuous way of meeting me?
- Your household tends to be very talkative anyway.”
Kallistos ate the information with a nice composure, but the slight tightening of his eyelids could not escape Peter’s scrutiny anymore than a sudden palpitation in the neck.
“So, what is it you want?
- I’ve been told you were in a delicate situation.
- Don’t believe everything you’re told.
- Fine. What about some help to solve your non existent problems then?”
Kallistos leaned back in his chair. A bitter smile appeared on his mouth.
“Your help! I wish I had never received any help from you.
- You were not willing to pay the price.
- How do you come to think I am now?
- How do you hope to save your head from the Kamilet?
- I have allies.
- The Slavs had allies too.
- But I’ve not chosen mines among your pets.”
The Judge stared at Kallistos from behind his steel circled glasses. It was a cold inhuman glance from a face that must have been sharply carved out of a compact block of limestone.
“We could be friends. I know you still feel a strong resentment, but we have to settle this dispute.
- Resentment? You bet! You’ve stripped me off everything and I should thank you and ask for your help pretty please?
- The Kamilet stripped you off everything.
- I’m not only referring to business.”
He was burning with anger, all the more since the Judge showed no reaction at all, just as usual.
“And even in business: what about this suit? I lost almost everything! Granted, I’ve avoided prison but not exactly thanks to you anyway. The Kamilet might be my enemy, but at least they do not try to butter me.
- They will not spare you this time. As soon as they learn about those small talks you have with their underdogs…
- Do not underestimate me. I might prove harder to swallow than you think.
- I never underestimate our kind.”
There was a short pause. Kallistos waited patiently. The Judge pursued:
“The Kamilet is obviously backed up though.”
Kallistos tried to relax a little. “
Here we go”, he thought.
“Hear, I do not know who’s behind them and honestly, I’m not sure you would be the first person I would tell if I knew.”
He began to stand.
“Now, if you don’t have any further business…”
The Judge cast him a piercing glance. Exactly the one he used to pin down death penalty candidates during their examinations. Rumours said that many admitted their culpability and welcomed the electric chair only to escape the scrutiny of these cold eyes. For once, rumours were true.
“I have a last question.”
Kallistos literally fell back on his seat. The judge casually dragged a newspaper from his trench coat and dropped it on the table.
“Would you happen to have any amount of responsibility in that?”
