Charade

Benji

The only thing more awkward than having a girl's father walk in and see you lying in bed with his daughter is having to meet up and work together only a few hours later. Vic and I walked into Stewart Wright's office at two o'clock that afternoon, and I wondered if I was supposed to further explain what he'd witnessed that morning, or if I was supposed to tell him that Lily was like my little sister and I would never in a million years see her as anything more, or if I supposed to keep my mouth shut and pretend it had never happened. In the end, I chose the latter.

"So who are we scamming today?" I asked brightly, flopping down into Stewart's chair.

"A man named Eddie Louis. I met him in the airport about a week ago."

"The airport? What were you doing at the airport?"

"Singling out rich businessmen who might be interested in expanding their wealth." He said flawlessly, making me wonder who the hell actually speaks like that.

"Oh, well, that's nice." I said awkwardly.

Fifteen minutes later, Eddie Louis was ushered into the room by a smart-looking woman in her thirties. He waved her off and I let him inside. He smiled at me kindly, thanked me, and went to Vic, who stood to shake his hand.

"Good to see you again, Mr Johnson," he said charmingly, words thick with an Irish accent.

"Likewise, Mr Louis. Please, have a seat."

Eddie did as he was told and they both sat.

"You know, Mr Johnson, I had no idea you owned this building. I was still under the impression that it belonged to Mr Wright."

"I bought it off him recently. I thought it would be a nice upgrade from my last business residence."

"Oh? Where was that?"

"Rundle Mall. Terrible building. The whole place was falling off its hinges."

Vic and Eddie sat at the table and I stayed standing by the door, watching the scam unfold. I gulped. I had serious doubts about this one. As much as I trusted Vic, there was no way he could pull this off... right?

"So have you decided to take me up on my offer, Mr Louis?"

"Well, yes, I have. I think you're right about how I could benefit from such a transaction."

"Well, I'm glad we see eye to eye. Are there any concerns you have before we proceed?"

"Just one," he said. "I'd like to see the documents that prove you own the business."

Vic smiled.

"Of course," he said.

Vic opened the top drawer to his desk and pulled out a few files, thick with paperwork.

"Everything you need is in here."

Eddie smiled and slid a pair of glasses over his nose. Then, he took the files, spreading them out on his side of the desk, and began flipping through. My muscles tensed as I watched, knowing that there wasn't a single sheet of legitimate paperwork in any of those files.

"Mr Johnson," Eddie said carefully. "Do you know how long I've worked in this business?"

Vic and I frowned.

"No," Vic said. "I don't."

"Twenty seven years," Eddie replied. "And in those twenty seven years, I have learnt one very important thing: how to spot a fake."

My whole body went cold, my stomach dropping to my knees, and my frantic eyes turned to Vic.

"A fake?" He asked, smiling, but I saw the fear in his eyes. "I think you have me mistaken."

"If you were a real businessman, selling me the real ownership rights to Adelaide Casino, you would be aware of the recent law changes. Proof of ownership has changed, Mr Johnson – or whatever your real name is – but you would know that if you were legit."

"Mr Louis," Vic chuckled. "I apologise but I don't follow your logic."

"Drop the act," Eddie sneered. "People like you make me sick. Selling things that don't belong to you. How long have you been doing this? Years? Decades?"

"I'm not who you think I am."

"Oh, I know that," Eddie said.

Eddie jumped out of his chair and Vic did the same.

"People like you are the reason people are dead, and if you think I'm going to let you get away with it, you've got another thing coming."

I watched Eddie stare into Vic's eyes, so deep and intense, filled with so much anger. Then, before he left, he glanced at me too. A look like that can make you shrivel up like a sultana. When the door closed behind him, my heart exploded in my chest. I looked frantically at Vic, who looked just as terrified as I did, which made the situation that much worse. If Vic was afraid, then something catastrophic was about to happen.

© A.G. Travers 2015