Bob's POV
Marie leaned against a white d-max clad in a short floral dress and chewing the tips of her brown sun glasses. Like usual she had a crazy hair due on that almost always matched with her shoes. Today, she had plaited green with a shade of white and her shoes were the same colour. Now if someone tried to copy her bold fashion statement, they would be ruled out as clowns but not Marie. She embraced crazy and treated it like second nature. Multiple colours made her brighter, more radiant. She basically reminded me of a rainbow, appearing at the greatest of storms. The minute she spotted me a carefree smile appeared on her lips.
"Out of all the places, a hotel?"
Marie laughed lightly while flipping her hair, always the show off.
"Didn't binge watching prison break teach you nothing? Scofield liked blending in crowds thus drawing less suspicion."
She flipped her hair again, it was getting annoying.
"Nini mbaya na nywele?"
The death glare I received almost sent me reeling over the side walk.
"Do I look dumb? Hii si uslay queen, I'm sending out a signal."
She did another flip.
"To a sniper or?"
The question was meant as a joke but this was Marie, she might look like a cute crazy bunny but in real sense she was a downright full blown gangster.
"Haha very funny darling."
She didn't explain further, I didn't pursue. I knew better than to meddle in Marie's 'covert operations.' She took out a head band and tied her hair in a pony tail. I figured that the signal business was over.
"Tea old friend?"
I responded to the question with a nod. As much as I feared being spotted I was seriously famished.
The Eros hotel wasn't a grand five star kind of hotel but it did have its standards. Marie led me to a corner table and had me seated facing her. She slumped in an opposite seat, her eyes scanning the hotel. Once she was satisfied she shot me a corny smile.
"All clear."
A waitress approached our table and took our orders. Marie would definitely have to pay, I had no dime in my pocket. Well there was a first time for everything.
"So, how did you do it?"
Marie's eyes sparkled excitedly, I could almost see the adrenaline in her body heighten.
"A few strings were pulled, a few deals were made. I will tell you with time. First I need to prove my innocence."
Marie's face formed a pout as disappointment ate away her bones. It's not that I didn't trust her, I just couldn't put anything at stake. Marie was an innate hardcore con woman with a series of jail records. One mistake and I would end up back in the pit, I couldn't go back there. Especially now that I had seen Sue and my little girl, if she was my little girl. Besides, Darren was beating Sue, somebody had to put an end to that.
"What made you want to escape? I thought you had a plea hearing next year."
The waitress brought our tea and four scones, I had really missed scones.
"Sue's engagement kind of triggered my caged man impulse, I couldn't let her get married to that bastard."
My blood started boiling as I pictured Sue being lashed out by Darren. Marie remained unmoved sipping her tea while scrolling through her phone. The thing with Marie is that she always had a poker face on, you could never tell her emotions, that made her the best con woman there ever was.
"I need a ride to Naivasha Marie. If I don't get there in time, chances are my free days will be short lived to hours."
I didn't realise how desperate I sounded until Marie's eyes shot up from her phone.
Suddenly there was a commotion outside the hotel and a sound of an engine blasting to life. Marie took me by the arm and yanked me so hard causing the toppling over of my cap. I tried to pick it but Marie was one strong woman, she held me tight and led me towards the exit of the hotel refusing to hear my deliberate request of going back for my cap.
An old man looked our way thrice before fully recognising who I was.
"Njenga! Shika huyo ni yule mtu wa TV."
