L'affaire Bob

27. I Slapped You, Let's Become Friends!

We landed in a small alley near Café Guillaume and continued the rest of the way on foot. If not for the slightly hotter weather and the golden, orange, and red color of the leaves decorating the streets, one would've thought we were still in the present.

And in a way, we were.

All these people walking around us right now were living in the moment, not in the least suspecting that for some people, this morning was already in the past.

Some were rushing to their offices while others were heading towards the café. All in all, this was another ordinary day for them, and, as far as they knew, nothing different or unusual would be happening.

But Amanda, Emma, and I knew better. Today might finally be the day where we would get answers, the day we-- or I-- have been waiting for from the beginning.

See, the only reason that made me believe what Amanda was saying to me the day we first met was that she claimed to know how to discover the truth about Bob's death. And I had followed her, hoping that she could help me find answers. Because, contrary to what Amanda had thought, I did not have a plan, nor knew where to begin. At least, back then.

Of course, if she had let me on my own, I would've made equal progress by now, if not more.

During our walk, Amanda kept throwing worried glances here and there, as if afraid someone might come and attack us. Emma, on the other hand, didn't seem as anxious or nervous as my guardian and kept looking straight ahead, not once turning her head in a different direction, despite everything happening around us.

Seeing them like that, I couldn't help but think about the other camp. Were they planning an onslaught against us? Or were they targeting one person at a time, starting with Mathias?

"But what if Mathias wasn't the one targeted?" asked my inner voice.

"Good point," I thought.

Indeed, they might have been waiting for any time-traveler to appear and be their next victim. Or, they might have taken Mathias for someone else, and attacked him by mistake.

Emma's theory was also valid. Maybe this was just a way to warn us, send a message through this ambush.

Maybe they weren't intending on doing word for word what Mathias had recounted a few days ago. "They will make sure no one will get out of this alive" had surely been an exaggeration, right?

I shuddered.

What was infuriating me the most was the fact that I wasn't with Mathias during this incident. If only I had been with him, I could've observed the gestures and facial expressions of the aggressors, or at least tried to look for clues. A small discussion with them would've been enough. At least, enough for me to analyze their tone, rhythm, and try to deduct from it whether they were satisfied, or on the contrary, stressed and anxious.

If their voices were laced with contempt and not at all hesitant, they might have been alone and attacking time-travelers for their own purposes. Now, why would they want to do that? What were their motives? I had absolutely no idea.

But if their breathing was shallow and their sentences sharp, quick, and demanding, they most probably would've been working for someone who wouldn't accept failure coming from his or her employees.

That, or they were simply psychopaths who liked to torture poor travelers. In both cases, it promised no good.

-"Where to, now?" asked Emma, interrupting my stream of thoughts.

-"Why don't we go to the café, sit around a table, and wait for Bob and Victor?" I suggested.

-"Good idea," Amanda agreed shakily. Then, more firmly, she added: "Let's do that."