Before Another War

Chapter Eighteen

Five minutes before twelve, they walked into a little cafe situated on a busy corner of the main high street. It was only a short walk, but Alex hoped she wouldn't be the last one to arrive. The cafe itself was one of Raf's favourite places in Edinburgh, and he often popped in in the mornings for a coffee. 

The others were already there when Alex and Sapphire walked in, shivering with the cold. Raf was glancing around anxiously for them while Matt was leaning back in his chair, taking sips from a sugary cappuccino. They both looked up as Alex and Sapphire approached.

'Finally! We've been here ages,' said Matt while Raf gave them a small smile.

'Sorry, we got caught at the market for longer than we thought,' she explained, sitting next to Sapphire on one of the cushioned armchairs. Everything smelt of a potent mix of coffee and sugar. The scent flew up Alex's nose, making her feel even sicker. 

'Here.' Matt pushed a mug full of brown liquid towards her. 'We got you a coffee and a coke for Saph.'

'Thanks,' Alex said, staring down at the mug, not sure if she wanted to drink it. 

Her stomach was still fit to burst from their time at the market. As she picked up the napkin, she noticed a small emblem on the corner resembling an elephant in brown ink. In fact, the whole cafe was full of little elephants — pictures, tiny sculptures and even the menu followed the theme. Alex wasn't sure why Raf liked the place so much, but she could admit it had character.

'So what are we here for?' asked Raf. 

Alex could tell he was a little impatient, not wanting to be gone from the office for too long. 'It's about something Sapphire gave me. A note.' She fished the crumpled paper from her coat pocket, unfolded it, and set it down on the table. 'I think there's something important in the house. Something we need to find.'

'You think it's why they took her?' Matt asked, peering at the note.

Alex nodded, waiting for them to digest the information. Sapphire sat watching expectantly, hoping they'd help. 

 After a while, Raf sat up and said, 'Is that Nadia's place?'

'Yeah, I think so.'

'So, what's it pointing to?'

'I don't know, but if we find it, I bet it will lead us to Nadia.'

Matt leaned back in his chair. 'I'm in,' he said without a moment's hesitation, relaying his decision to Sapphire, who grinned widely. 

However, Raf was uncertain. 'I thought we said we'd give everything we found to the police.'

'Don't you want to find her? We could be really close here.' Matt placed his elbows on the table, staring Raf in the eyes.

'Tell you what,' Alex began, 'If we go to the house and find something, we'll take it straight to the police, okay?'

Raf crossed his arms. 'We could be walking into a trap here.'

'Come on, it's hardly likely. It'll probably just be some old family heirloom worth a bit of dosh,' Matt butted in.

Raf sighed, thinking his options over. Alex really wanted him on their side, knowing she'd need all the help she could get breaking into the house.

'Okay. But any danger,' he held up a finger to make his point, 'and we go to the police.'

Matt grinned. 'Let's get ready then. We'll meet after work.'

The group nodded in agreement and Sapphire signed to Matt, asking what the plan was. He quickly explained and she jumped out of her seat in excitement.

'Looks like Saph's up for it too,' Matt sat back, smiling and sipping his coffee.