✏️ The Littlest Spy

33. Wild Card

This chapter is dedicated to Matilde. Thank you for your support!

The sun was already low in the sky as Brock sauntered up the road towards Victor Solomon's house. It wasn't even a mile away from Tennyson Avenue, although the layout of Evergreen Estates favoured picturesque avenues and many green spaces over providing a direct route between any two properties. As a result, it had taken nearly an hour to reach the eastern side of the community, where a narrow road with an unmanned security gate connected Evergreen Estates to the Yaxley club.

Victor's house was the last property along that road before the gate; which meant that he had one of the largest gardens in the area, as well as probably the largest landscaping bill. There were three cars on the gravel in front of the house, and Brock noticed that if he'd chosen to drive here today, he would have been forced to park on the grass opposite. Walking had been a good choice for more than one reason, then.

He stood opposite and took a deep breath. The evening breeze carried the faint scent of something agricultural from beyond this little sheltered community, as well as the flowers in the hedges and the familiar spring aroma of freshly cut lawns. In front of Brock, Victor's house sprawled lazily across the large plot, like a young professional reluctant to get out of his bed. It was a wide house rather than tall, maybe designed for someone who didn't like climbing stairs or perhaps that had just been the fashion for new homes a few years ago. It occupied enough land that fitting in all the rooms he needed wouldn't have been a concern.

The building itself was a modern structure of glass and steel, a little different from its neighbours. Perhaps being on the edge of the neighbourhood, out of sight from everyone else, also conveyed a little extra freedom. It was sheltered by high hedges in any case, hiding it from both the other gardens and the country club on the far side, although there were carefully trimmed gaps in the hedge, trying to look natural while giving Victor and his hypothetical family carefully selected views of the manicured fairways and the rural landscapes beyond.

Glancing to one side, Brock noted a door on a lower level; perhaps a basement service entrance. But he was here to meet with powerful friends today, so he strode purposefully towards the front door, gravel crunching under his feet. He could already make out the sound of cheerful voices from within, all of them male. It sounded like there was already alcohol being consumed as well; and Brock glanced down at the bottle of scotch he held in one hand. It would probably be appreciated.

He raised his hand to the bell and depressed the button firmly, with the easy confidence of a man who was always exactly where he was supposed to be, and never gave it a second thought. He half expected a buzz from the intercom in response; maybe even a housekeeper asking for his name before bothering the man of the house. But instead, the door swung open with a light click which suggested it hadn't been locked, and Victor was standing there with a jovial smile and a tumbler of some pale liquid in his hand.

"Bernard!" he exclaimed, "Glad you could make it. Come on in, we're just getting started. The guys are all in the den. Mr Arrencani said he'll be along later, but he has business to deal with first. I'm sure you know what that's like." There was a little nervousness in his voice that didn't quite fit the words; a momentary glance to one side that said Victor was more concerned with the Arrancani's business than he wanted to let on. Somehow, the nature of that business concerned him; though it wasn't clear whether it was the crime syndicate or one of the family's legitimate businesses. Still, the microscopic clue was enough to raise Victor to a more prominent place in Brock's assessment of the social dynamics of this area. The explicit mention of his expected presence also seemed to imply that Lorenzo wasn't a regular member of these gatherings, which raised more questions than it answered. Brock made a mental note to watch the two men if or when Arrencani actually arrived, so that he might get a better handle on the situation.