Complication

Chapter Six

Glen was back at Old Charm Pawn early the next morning, a tight roll of ten thousand dollars in cash tucked snuggly into his pocket. With him was a boy, about ten years old. Glen led him to the counter with a heavy hand on his shoulder. “I hope you don’t mind I brought a business partner. I wanted my kid to see his new watch. Where is it?” he asked eagerly.

The old man pulled the watch from a bin beneath the glass case and set it on the counter top.

“It’s too big,” the boy said.

“You’ll have to grow then,” Glen said, “It doesn’t come in any other size.” He held a hand out over the counter. “May I have the leather swatch as well, or is that extra?” Glen sneered.

“It’s still in there,” the old man said. “You had expressed concern over the watch being ruined, and I didn’t feel that I could open it without some damage.” Glen clinched his jaw. “Not with the tools I have,” the man continued. “I can order some custom tools to be made, of course, I would need compensation.”

 “This is time sensitive. I cannot wait for special tools, just open the watch. I’m staying right here until it is finished.” He flashed the wad of money at the old man and crammed it back in his pocket.

There was a knock at the door.

“Send them away so you can get to work,” Glen said.

“I never send paying customers away, and I’m not going to start for you.”

“They aren’t going to spend ten thousand dollars.”

“No, but I don’t think you are going anywhere with the mayor’s stolen watch that everyone in the world would like to get their hands on.”

Glen conceded and sank back to the rear of the store. The old man put the watch in the bin and motored to the front door,   

Michael and Debora followed the old man as he rolled back to his place behind the counter and parked against the wall. His face was bare of expression as he looked out over his store of random items.

The book Michael purchased the day before contained a lot more information than he thought, and had only raised some more questions. Not only did it mention the complicator, but the Mayoral Replica as well. It seemed to link the two more that Michael had expected.

“We were hoping we could ask you a few questions,” Michael said.

The stool hummed and rotated so that the man’s face was aiming at Michael and Debora. “Questions about what? Who are you?”

“We were here yesterday, sir, we bought the book about ancient watches…”

“I just sell the stuff,” the man said. “I’m not a stinking librarian.” The stool hummed again and the man turned away.

Michael jabbed at Debora with an elbow, pointed with a glance through the top of the counter. Debora saw it too. The mayor’s watch was unmistakable. Michael cocked his head for her to go down the counter. She strolled casually, not knowing what the plan was. She stopped at a basket of rolled maps and began handling one, unrolling it. It caught the man’s attention and his stool buzzed over. “Samples are shown below, don’t unroll.”

 “Michael quickly leaned across the counter top and took the watch from the bin. He put it in his pants pocket and tried to get Debora’s attention.

“Michael Bandolier,” a booming voice said from behind. It made him grip the watch in his pocket as he turned around.

“We met on the boat,” he reminded him.