Joe Trebble and the Bio Tech Conspiracy
Chapter 11: English Toffee
Chapter 11: English Toffee
Back to Chapter 1: A Hot Pink Car
Joe sat in the tea shop shaking his
head in his hands. “I just couldn’t quite tell her.”
Devin put a hand on Joe’s shoulder.
“There will be plenty of time for that later. Now’s not the time to worry about
that, you have to prepare for the mission. Besides, perhaps it’s a good thing.
If anyone close to you thinks you’re hiding anything, you’ve got that to fall
back on.”
“You’re right.” Joe looked up into
Devin’s green eyes. “Heh, you’re always right.” Joe scanned the old tea shop,
one of his quiet refuges, and meeting places, for the past couple years. “I
think I might miss this place.”
Over in the corner he saw old Dick
working through his crosswords, with a chessboard beside him, ready for a game.
Alice puttered away behind the counter, making the tea and baked goods.
Claudette was by the till, chatting on her mobile, her French accent
contrasting the pure Englishness of everything else in the shop.
“Come on, time to go.” Devin stood and
strode to the till, disrupting Claudette’s call.
“Toffee?”
Joe was startled by the question, but
managed not to overly show it.
“My dear, you still have to work on
your peripheral senses. Now would you like some good old fashioned English
Toffee for the road?”
Joe smiled at the silver haired woman.
“But of course Alice, you sly one. I may need to work on my peripheral senses,
but isn’t Dick the only one who’s ever heard you coming?”
“And that’s why I married him,” Alice
replied as Joe grabbed a handful of toffee. “Now you run along my little
Canuk.”
Joe stood and put on his jacket and
cowboy hat as Devin returned to the table.
“All ready for your debriefing?”
Joe nodded and turned to follow Devin
out of the shop. After one step he paused. Turned back around and faced Alice.
“Now don’t you break down on me,” Joe said as he wiped the small tear from
Alice’s cheek, and then gave her a kiss on both cheeks. “Bye Dick,” Joe said as
he walked towards the door.
“Good riddance to you boy,” Dick spat
back with fatherly love.
“Eleven down is pusillanimity.” Joe
opened the door, looked at Dick with a smile and a wink.
Dick scowled back, and, as Joe left,
looked at eleven down; “By George Alice, he’s right."
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