Project Shady

Questions

Clara looked herself over in the mirror again for the tenth time. She'd styled her hair so it was held with a few bobby pins keeping most of it out of her face, apart from a few strands which framed her face. It was a style that she hoped wasn't going to get her recognised because Curtis would have seen her with her hair down last time.

The dress was floor length and it really executed every aspect of her body, which either made her slightly uncomfortable or in awe of herself. It was very rare that she'd wear a dress with such grace, but it's length allowed her to conceal her handgun which she'd strapped to her thigh. Clara expected the worst and wasn't going to go unprepared.

The second she slid into the rose gold heels she'd bought that day, a knock resonated from outside her flat. Glancing down at her phone she noticed that it was the exact time Marshall had said he'd pick her up, leading to her thinking he either had perfect timing or he'd stood outside the door until the precise second just to impress her. Whichever one it was, it didn't matter because she answered the door seconds later. She was met with Marshall and he looked at her as if she'd grown another head. His mouth was slightly agape and it opened and closed as if he was a fish. Clara could just about hear the stuttering noises he was making, but not a coherent sentence was formed.

''What you never seen a woman in a dress before?'' Clara asked him, raising an eyebrow before turning her back on him to make sure the door was locked. When she turned around again he was still stood looking her, however, this time he spoke actual words.

''Not like you though,'' he mumbled, before then saying louder ''the car's waiting come on,'' before anything else could be exchanged between the two he'd already taken off down the stairs, leaving Clara to follow behind. She couldn't help but smile as she followed him, it appeared that her appearance full stop had rendered him at a loss for words completely.

There was a silence between the two as Marshall held open the door of the car for her to let her in. There was a driver so he went around the other side and slid into the passenger seat next to her. Clara took a moment to take in his appearance, he wasn't exactly in a suit nor was he entirely causal, it appeared he had gone for a smart casual look as to not look too out of place. Clara knew for a fact that fifty would be wearing a suit because he had been last time and she hadn't expected Marshall to wear one at all though, she had been right not to expect.

''Curtis said he recognised you, something you wanna tell me?'' The question proposed by Marshall was not one she had been expecting. It was also one she didn't exactly have an answer already lined up for, since it was something she thought him of all people wouldn't ask her.

''Probably at some other charity event, my last boss was into that and so I went along as a representative if he couldn't make it. I've never spoken to him if that's what you're really asking,'' Clara smirked as he let out an audible sigh of relief.

''Why'd you say yes? You didn't have to come with me, I kinda half expected you to say no to be honest.''

''You said we need to get to know each other, that's what I'm trying to do. You know since it didn't go so well yesterday,'' Clara explained, Marshall nodded and it told her that he'd excepted the half-arsed apology she'd just given him for how the night before had ended.

''I still got some of your shit still at my house you wanna pick it up after tonight?'' He asked, turning to face her. Clara fiddled with the clutch in her lap for a minute before replying. She didn't reply because in truth she had no idea how the night was going to end, but she had to give him an answer so she didn't even think when the words left her lips once she'd made her decision.

''Yeah.''

°°°

''There you are, when did you get here?'' Clara jumped as Rose crept up behind her whispering into her ear. Her and Marshall had in fact just arrived, much later than everyone else as it seemed he'd given the driver the wrong address, so they'd ended up getting lost for over twenty minutes.

''Just now, we had a little trouble with the car,'' she admitted.

''Hmm, I bet you did,'' Rose teased and Clara just rolled her eyes at her friend.

''Oh fuck off. Come on I need a drink if I'm going to survive this shit,'' Rose giggled and the two women made their way over to the bar, which was centred in the far corner of the room, giving the two of them the whole view of the room the gala was taking place in. It allowed them to take in everybody who wandered around, meaning that they'd be able to spot their targets quicker.

''Clara, look,'' Rose subtly pointed with the wine glass in her hand towards a familiar looking blonde head of hair.

It wasn't until they turned around that it became clear as to why her friend had pointed them out. Samatha Torez looked exactly like the picture that they had found on google. It wasn't just her appearance that had caught Rose's attention because the man that turned around for a split second before turning back to talk to her was quite clearly none other than Travis Clayton.

''Well isn't that a coincidence,'' Clara mumbled, taking her phone out to grab a couple of quick photos of the two, ''if they disappear at any point tonight together, one of us needs to follow and one should stay on the floor to look out for Marshall and Curtis. I have a feeling they'll be sticking together so it shouldn't be too hard,'' Rose nodded at Clara's plan keeping her eyes much like her partners trained on the targets.

''Sounds like a plan.''

''What sounds like a plan?'' the voice startled both girls, a bark of laughter followed behind, ''actually, I don't care, Rose can I talk to your friend for a second?'' Clara didn't need to turn around to know who was talking.

Her breath hitched knowing what he was going to ask and pray that he wouldn't. Rose nodded and moved away to a position to where she had eyes on Marshall who seemed to have friend someone he knew since he seemed to be in a comfortable joking conversation with them.

''Whatca wanna know?'' Clara came straight out with the question and Curtis was a little taken aback by the bit in her tone. It was just noticeable, but it told him she wasn't someone he wanted to mess with anytime soon.

''I've been trying to figure out where I know you from and I think I got it. You were on the balcony when that dude died,'' now that was a statement she had not expected in the slightest. It was a comment she hadn't been prepared for him to ask, but it was a response she had in her head just in case anyone asked about it from that night.

''Er yeah, I didn't kill him if that's what you're trying to insinuate,'' the toothy grin and shake of the rappers head was a clear enough signal that he didn't think that.

''Nah it's just the fact that two days after you're working for my man and you were there. Was he your boss or something?''

''No, my boss had business with him, we'd just discussed something in his office and come out to the balcony. Well, I'm guessing you know the rest of the story,'' Clara explained.

''Somone poisoned the champagne yeah. Felt like some sort of Bond movie plot,'' he joked, before turning away from her to get to the bar. Clara guessed the conversation was over.

''Oh if only you knew who that champagne was really meant for,'' she muttered before focusing back on Samatha and Travis. Well, she would have focused on them if they'd hadn't slid around a corridor at the far side of the room the moment she turned around. Giving a quick signal to Rose she moved as quickly as she could across the room until she made her way around the corner.

The problem being that she hadn't noticed the person following closely behind her.