A few minutes later, Lukewarm suddenly stopped in his tracks, his fingers interlaced with Vanessa's. "We're not alone," he whispered.
"You're right," someone said. A tall figure appeared before them. He had blond, short-cropped hair and spoke with a heavy accent.
Lukewarm clutched his bat tightly.
"Who's this, Lukewarm?" Andrea said nervously.
The man in the white suit spoke: "I am Karl Schaffhausen. I'm sure you're familiar with my brother, Wilhelm."
"What do you want, Karl?" Lukewarm barked.
"I come in peace." He merely shrugged. "I want to help you."
"Why would you want to help us?" Vanessa glared at him.
"Lukewarm, you know that I'm an FBI agent as well as a Revolutionary. But my greatest desire is to see Wilhelm brought down to his knees."
"Why would you want that?" Lukewarm questioned Karl.
"Because I loved Serena Addams." He had tears in his eyes. "I knew she would never be mine because her heart belonged to Wilhelm. I didn't mind it as long as she was happy..."
"But then Wilhelm killed her in cold blood," Vanessa interjected. "Revenge– that's what you want, don't you?"
"Yes." Karl lowered his gaze. "I know I've done some terrible things in the past, but I wish to redeem myself. I am sorry for everything I've done to you, Lukewarm."
Lukewarm realized that the man was sincere enough and patted his shoulder. "Karl, it's all in the past. We don't want our very own elite double-crosser to be a sobbing mess now, do we?"
Everybody laughed. Then Jennifer explained their plan to Karl.
Karl laughed and said, "How do you plan to break into the Empire State Building? I mean, have you taken a look at yourselves?"
Lukewarm's smile faded. "You're right..." He suddenly had a wicked grin on his face. "Wait a minute. I have an idea."
***
Karl grinned as he saw everybody step out of Bloomingdale's simultaneously. "Now you look worthy enough of entering an exclusive restaurant in the Empire State Building."
Lukewarm was dressed lavishly. His suit was blue and sharp-looking. It fit well and made him look very handsome indeed.
Vanessa wore a red, satin cocktail dress that cut off her shoulder with a low décolletage. Lukewarm thought she looked magnificent, almost akin to a nymph.
On the other hand, Jennifer was clothed in a yellow evening dress with ruffles around her waist. "This is so Victorian," she drawled.
The moment Andrea walked out of the designer boutique, all eyes were upon her. She was dressed like a goddess, her brocaded lavender ball gown accenting her dark, bewitching features.
"Wow," Karl uttered. "All of your clothes have cost me a fortune, so this plan better work!"
***
The elevator doors parted to reveal a charmingly old-fashioned restaurant.
"Welcome to The STATE Grill and Bar," Karl said to Andrea. "You remember the plan, don't you?"
"Of course I do," replied Andrea. She walked over to the atrium in the center and whispered something into the ears of the manager.
"We have a pleasant surprise!" the manager announced. "Give it up for Andrea Miller!"
Andrea noticed Wilhelm Schaffhausen in a corner. She held the mic and began singing, staring seductively into his eyes.
In olden days, a glimpse of stocking was
Looked on as something shocking now,
Heaven knows
Anything goes...
After she sang that note, she began vocalizing gently. The lyrics returned after an alluring moment.
Good authors too, who once knew better words
Now only use four-letter words,
Writing prose
Anything goes...
***
Andrea went on with her song, staring ever so seductively into Wilhelm's eyes as she continued—
The world's gone mad today,
Good's bad today,
Black's white today,
And day's night today,
And all the guys today,
That women prize today,
Are just, silly gigolos—
Anything goes,
Anything goes...
Wilhelm's eyes widened. This singer knew more than she revealed. The way she'd stared into his eyes while she sang had left him with a queer, unsettling feeling.
All of a sudden, he saw his younger brother standing in front of him. "Karl," he uttered. "Why are you here?"
Karl handed him a note and left without saying anything.
Wilhelm broke into a cold sweat when he read the contents of the note.
Meet me on the roof at Level 102.
—Jonathan Lukewarm
He growled in frustration. Within mere moments, he was headed towards the elevator.
YOU ARE READING
On the Run: A Lukewarm Adventure
Action•The Second Lukewarm Novel• Dr Greymatter is a seemingly harmless doctor practising in London, but he is harbouring a dangerous secret - his real name is Jonathan Lukewarm, a fugitive NYPD detective trying to clear his name after being framed for a...
