Inner Workings

Inner Workings - Part 21

Massaru couldn't smell anything over acrid gastric juices. "How can you smell coffee?"

"I just can," replied Louis. "He must have gone into a café and swallowed some of air."

Massaru frowned. "If you and Will are linked in a way that allows him to taste what you taste, what is to stop you from smelling what he smells?"

Louis hesitated. "I don't know, but any more connections with Fanboy and I'm going to file for a divorce."

Will's voice cut through the thrumming of his heart. "Parvati Devi?"

Massaru sat up straight as if shocked by a faulty electrical wire. "Paro?!"

***

Will clapped a hand over his mouth as the Indian woman and her son stared at him.

Oh shit, think fast, think fast, think fast.

Parvati spoke first. "Do we know you?"

"No," replied Will, almost breathless as his mind spun for a good yarn to get out of the situation. Massaru's phone slipped into his pocket. "I don't believe so. I'm sorry I—"

Parvati got to her feet, her gaze pointed at the luggage Will lugged behind him. "That's Massaru's bag."

Not thinking fast enough!

***

"Good job, Fanboy," said Louis, kicking the stomach wall. "Whatever happened to staying undercover, idiot!"

"How is Will talking to my wife!" exclaimed Massaru. "How did he even run into her?"

***

Suddenly Will's mind picked up on a glimmer of an idea and went with it. He lightened the tone of his voice and went into an awkward smile. Center and exude an air of trust.

"Wait. So you are Parvati Devi?"

"Yes," said Parvati, puzzled.

Will chuckled and held out his free hand, palm tilted up. "Talk about a small world; or small city! I'm Will Rowe, Massaru Devi's work associate."

After shaking Parvati's hand he turned to her son. "And you must be Rama?"

The young man held back for a second before shaking Will's hand. "Ram is fine."

***

Reese scrolled down the list of explosive technicians around San Francisco. Apparently a person couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting some sort of movie technician or actor wannabe. He wanted a can of monster and a donut.

"This is not as easy as I originally thought."

Beni slapped down a piece of paper on his desk. "Just became easier. Got this from Cetz. Harold Manning, one of the guys that ran Will down this afternoon."

Reese typed the name into the Watch database and narrowed down the people by California residence. "Is Will alright?"

"Cetz didn't say." Beni leaned over the desk to get a better look at the screen.

Reese kept typing, muttering profanities under his breath.

"You know, Megan or Teegan would have had this name search cracked by now," mentioned Beni.

"I'm not Meg or Teeg." Another key tap and a face matching the description came up on the screen. "Aha! Harold Manning."

"Jerk."