The Peculiar Case of Agnes Astor Smith Page 10

  “Hmm?” I pressed, tilting my head curiously.

  “Oh. Nicolas Flamel. He was notoriously self absorbed. Just something I read in my studies. He wouldn’t focus his energy on something like helping others—no he would just find some way to amuse himself for the rest of eternity,” she corrected casually. I chuckled, throwing my arm over my eyes. At the very least, Agnes seemed to be in better spirits. She wasn’t particularly bothered by the break I was taking, it seemed. Though I suppose I had been doing very little to help. I sat upright with a soft sigh, bringing the book closer to myself and scanning the pages again. The words seemed to blur together, and I couldn’t help cursing how utterly exhausted I felt.

  “He’d have his wife to keep him company, at least,” I pointed out. Agnes barked out a laugh, flipping furiously through the pages of her book. I raised a brow, unsure of what had her so edgy.

  “Flamel wasn’t the type to remain loyal for long,” she said dismissively. I wondered where on Earth she had found such personal accounts on the man’s life, especially considering how little seemed to actually be known about him. I wanted to ask, but I was sure she would just laugh me off; I didn’t want to appear uneducated. I liked to think I had begun to prove my worth, but if my smarts didn’t amount to much, I had no doubt Agnes could find a replacement.

  “He seems like he was a jerk. Is a jerk, if these ancient texts are to be believed,” I chuckled. She laughed again, a warmer sound this time around. She pushed back from her desk, rising to her feet and stretching her arms over her head. “What, the great Agnes Astor Smith is putting her books away?” I teased. She rolled her eyes, gesturing for me to follow her. I obliged, hands tucked in my pockets as I trailed behind her.

  “There’s no use studying on an empty stomach,” she said with a sigh, her voice seeming to grow tense again. “I’m going to order some takeout, then we can pick up where we left off. I think... I think we’re getting close, but I can’t be sure. I need to be sure,” she said urgently, something of a sizzle in the air from her intensity. I tilted my head, resting a hand on my stomach but making no move to stop her. I was hungry, and even if she was on a trail, it would do little good for either of us to find ourselves in another bad mood.

  “Agnes...,” I began, my voice a bit weak with trepidation. She glanced back at me, smiling gently in spite of her otherwise stressed expression. Her eyes looked weary, the most tired I had ever seen them. I could scarcely even believe Agnes could get tired, as ridiculous as that thought was. I’d seen her tired before, so it wasn’t anything terribly new. Still, something about this weariness seemed different. More intense.

  “What is it, Miss Bean?” She asked softly, guiding me into the den of Stefan’s estate. She grabbed his landline, flipping through the phone book beside it with a soft sigh. I could have easily done a web search for restaurants to choose from, but she seemed content with the old fashioned way. I inhaled a shaking breath, realizing for the first time just how nervous I was. She had never been extremely cold or callous with me, so I wasn’t sure what had me feeling so timid. I just didn’t want to upset her any more than necessary, I guess.

  “I think it would help... help a lot, if I knew what we were actually looking for,” I said quietly, tapping my fingertips together in a nervous little tic. She considered me for a moment, looking away from the phone book and seeming to think over my words. Her lips curled in a faint smile, and she stepped away from the phone to rest a hand on my shoulder.

  “I don’t think you’re quite ready, yet. But soon, dear. Soon.”

  I could only hope she was being truthful.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I’ve got it!” Agnes said victoriously, a linguini noodle hanging limply from her mouth as she made her cheerful proclamation. I smiled a bit, tapping the corner of my mouth as she looked towards me. She looked chagrined for a moment before slurping to noodle up and placing the rest of her food aside. I had finished mine some time ago, and it was a bit of a change from Agnes’ usual desperate devouring of her meals. She had been too consumed in her studies to actually eat; not that I could blame her. I still didn’t know what I was supposed to be looking for, but from what I could tell, it was important. Granted, I doubted there was a world where Agnes would waste her time with anything less than crucial. Multiverse theory be damned, even in a universe with unlimited possibilities, it just wasn’t possible.

  “What have you got, then?” I said amicably, waiting for her to go off on a tirade that made sense to hardly anyone but herself. She smiled brightly, grabbing several sheets of paper she'd been making notes on. On the papers, I saw she had recorded everything we’d found in our time prior, as well as making note of particular happenings that might have been of special significance. Additionally, she had marked some nearby locations, and the specific relevance they held to... whatever it is that we were seeking. She hadn’t clarified, even on her own notes, what I was supposed to be searching for. I could only suspect it was a piece of paper similar to the one the strange man had withdrawn from the wall at the Village of the Papyri—but then again, that was just a guess. There was any number of things I could have been looking for, but I had to assure myself that I would recognize it when I saw it. How hard could it be?

  “If you’ll look over these notes, you’ll find that I’ve found several potential clues. I have written down those most likely to help our cause. I have also recruited someone to drive you around town while you piece together the final pieces of the puzzle,” Agnes said with a grin. Suddenly, Stefan’s doorbell rang... once, twice, three times. Agnes narrowed her eyes in the direction of the entryway, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me along. The older woman pulled the door open, forcing a smile at the younger woman on the other side. Isabella quirked a sly smile, and I grinned upon seeing my new friend.

  “I thought you two didn’t get along,” I pointed out, noting the way Agnes exhaled a snort through her nose.

  “We don’t. But she seems to care about your wellbeing, and I suppose I should make good use of her,” Agnes said casually. Isabella saluted mockingly, leaning against the doorframe and spinning her keys on her fingers.

  “Not that I’m doing this purely out of the goodness of my heart. Since your boss got me fired, I could use the spare cash to get by,” Isabella said coolly. My eyes widened, and I looked towards Agnes with an incredulous expression. The older woman shrugged, smiling sheepishly. “Anyway, not that it matters. I’m supposed to be taking you on some super secret mission, right?” Isabella said with a small smile, and I hesitated for a moment before smiling a bit as well.

  “Your guess is as good as mine, really,” I said, trying not to look as chagrined as I felt. “You don’t have to do this, you know. You’ve helped me plenty, and all we did was get you fired,” I said sheepishly. Isabella rolled her eyes, looking at Agnes with a raised brow.

  “Good Lord. Do you beat the kid or something? Come on, Little Bean, grow a spine. Boss me around something proper, it’s on your boss’s dime, after all,” Isabella grumbled, and Agnes laughed airily.

  “Not everyone uses violence to get what they need, Isabella, dear,” the older woman said with a smirk. I huffed a bit indignantly, stepping out the door with the notes clutched in my hands.

  “And not everyone is as bossy as the two of you,” I said haughtily. Isabella scrutinized me for a moment before barking out a laugh.

  “Later, Aggie. I’ll bring your little princess back in one piece, alright?” The former tour guide said snarkily, turning her back on us and striding towards a beat down little car that was parked in the driveway. I glanced at Agnes, drawing my lip worriedly between my teeth.

  “You really got her fired?” I whispered, hands fidgeting nervously together.

  “I wasn’t thinking clearly. In any case, she’ll be better served helping us if she proves her worth,” Agnes said with a grin. I sighed a bit melodramatically, shuffling the papers in my hands before making my way to my new friend’s car. Isabella stood
by her car downing what looked like a Ding Dong. She licked the wrapper after disposing of the Dong.

  “It’s been a rough day, alright? Don’t give me that look,” Isabella said, tossing the wrapper into the back seat and starting the ignition.

  “You’ll gain weight,” I pointed out, a bit more snidely than I intended. She only chuckled, not sparing me a glance as we backed out of Stefan’s driveway.

  “Don’t go making promises you can’t keep, kid,” she hummed, shifting into gear and guiding her sputtering car down the street. I stared critically at her, and she rolled her eyes. “I’m kidding. It’s not like that job was the only thing going for me, anyway. I have a pretty steep inheritance to my name, it just gets boring sitting at home all day and rolling in hundred dollar bills,” she exhaled.

  “You’re kidding,” I said blankly, just as the car shuddered. She chuckled, shaking her head.

  “Well, I don’t keep a wad of hundreds on me at any given time, no. As far as Bessie, here, she’s just something my mom left behind for me. She wasn’t loaded like my dad’s side, but she gave what she could,” Isabella muttered, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel.

  “Was your father some sort of businessman? Or royalty... or—,” I began to babble, getting excited. Isabella rolled her eyes, snatching one of the papers out of my hands.

  “Nothing as romantic as royalty, I’m afraid. I could have used that to pick up dates, but no such luck. No one really knows where my pops got his share of wealth. People always liked to make up rumors. My favorite rumor was involving my apparent relation to Nicolas Flamel,” she snorted, looking over the paper. “Anyway. Have you even looked at these? Are you getting some kind of feeling from all this mess?” She pressed, and I sighed before shuffling the papers through my hands. I hadn’t looked at them much, hadn’t been given the opportunity until that very moment. However, as I looked over the clues that Agnes had pieced together, something seemed... wrong. Isabella picked up on my anxiety, reaching out to pat me on the shoulder.

  “I just... I have this weird feeling,” I muttered. The clues seemed to point to one distinct location, but it just didn’t speak to me. It wasn’t anything rooted in fact, just an odd feeling I had. All the same, it wasn’t as if I could tell Agnes that she was wrong without even exploring the option.

  “Weird feeling, huh? I’m full of ‘em. Usually means I’m hungry,” Isabella said bluntly, turning on her turn signal. “Back to my old haunt, huh? You seem to spend a lot of time there,” she mused. I nodded quietly, examining the paper. The clues looked as if they could point to something, but something about them seemed off. “Anyway, you two are lucky I didn’t get banned from the villa. My boss was just aching to kick me out. Not even a ‘have a nice day, Isabella’. Now I have to figure out what the hell I’m going to do from here,” she rumbled, pulling into the parking area. She unfastened her seatbelt and got out.

  “Now, lead the way,” she replied, gesturing grandly to the entrance of the ruins. I exhaled sharply, leading the way in spite of the bad feeling in my gut—a feeling that had nothing to do with the minor bit of garbage. Something told me that I wasn’t going to find what Agnes expected with these clues, and I wasn’t entirely prepared to face her with another failure. I was determined to solve the mystery of this place, and prove myself as her employee.

  “Okay, so... I think I know where this should lead,” I said nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. Isabella looked over my shoulder, grunting in acknowledgement.

  “Yeah, I know this chamber. Come on,” she announced, striding ahead of me. I rushed to keep up, the uncertainty I felt creeping up my throat like bile.

  “Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in,” one of the tour guides pointed out upon seeing Isabella. She offered him a one finger salute, sticking her tongue out as she pulled me along.

  “Oh, come on. A cat? Anyone can tell that Little Bean here is a stone cold fox,” she teased, giving me a little nudge. I rolled my eyes, giving her a slight shove in response.

  “I can be crazy like a fox too, so you better look out,” I said, a sudden surge of boldness overcoming me. The tour guide simply frowned at us, and Isabella cackled as we rushed through the hall. I shook my head in disbelief at myself, laughing breathily as we walked in the direction of the chamber.

  “You know, I thought that guy was my friend. Turns out, I’m not as charming and likeable as I thought. He just wanted in my pants,” Isabella said casually, and I stiffened a bit. I grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to face me.

  “You are totally likeable! I’m not exactly the type of person who makes a lot of friends, but you’ve been nice to me from the start. Don’t let some dumb guy make you think poorly of yourself,” I said forcefully. She rolled her eyes, flicking my forehead.

  “Thanks for the pep talk, kiddo. Keep your eye on the prize, though. We’re supposed to be finding something about...,” she paused, turning into the next corridor. “Here, right?” She finished, pointing to the back wall. I nodded, dread creeping up on me once more as I approached the wall and began to press against the bricks with my hands, feeling for any loose stones. I could feel Isabella watching me from a safe distance, and I tried not to make my frantic searching too obvious. This had to be it. It had to be the right place, it’s where Agnes told me to come.

  “I don’t think there’s anything here,” the former tour guide said gently, as my roving hands became more desperate. I scraped my hands trying to pry one of the stones loose, looking for something—anything.

  “That’s impossible,” I bit out, slamming my fists against the wall. I winced as the skin of one of my knuckles busted open, drawing away with a frown. “I think you’re right,” I admitted, examining my knuckle.

  “I’m starting to think this place is too dangerous for you, Little Bean,” Isabella chuckled, rubbing my shoulder reassuringly.

  “Yeah. Maybe. I guess we should report back to Agnes...,” I mumbled, crossing my arms. She shook her head, holding up a finger and wagging it. She curled it towards herself, turning to make her way to the exit. I trailed behind her, feeling bad for how sullen and immature I was acting. It still didn’t seem fair, not by any means. How was I going to explain this to Agnes.

  “Yeah, Aggie?” I heard Isabella say abruptly, and the blood drained from my face as I saw her chatting into her cell phone. “You sent us on a wild goose chase, silver fox,” Isabella said casually, her expression calm even as I heard Agnes growing irate on the line. “Well, even geniuses can be wrong sometimes. Take it from me,” Isabella sighed, glancing at me and winking. I buried my face in my hands, feeling simultaneously cursed and blessed for having made a new friend on this trip. At least she could deal with a raving Agnes, but I dreaded seeing the older woman when I returned to Stefan’s estate. “Anyway, I’m taking the kid out on a day trip. You don’t mind, do ya? She’s really stressed out over this whole mess,” the former tour guide continued, gripping me by the wrist and pulling me towards her car. I stared at her in confusion as she hummed in agreement with whatever Agnes was saying. “Alright. Later, sweet cheeks,” she said, swiping her phone to disconnect the call before shoving it in her pocket. I couldn’t think of what to say, what to ask. I was sure I would be fired as soon as I returned to Stefan’s estate, but Isabella didn’t look awfully concerned.

  “Sweet cheeks?” I asked weakly. It was the only thing I could bring myself to question.

  “Yeah, the pet names really tick her off. It’s great. But yeah, she was pretty okay with it. We’re going to explore Naples a bit and get your big beautiful brain off of this mystery for a while,” the older woman said casually, slipping into the driver’s side of her car. I fumbled with my own door for a moment before nearly yanking it off the hinges. Isabella raised a brow, blowing a puff of smoke out the window.

  “It was really that easy?” I asked in obvious disbelief.

  “She probably thinks it’s my fault, somehow. We’ll go with it. In the meantime, just buckle in and get
ready to have your mind blown,” she grinned. I sagged into the seat, fastening the seat belt and allowing my head to slump against the head rest.

  I stared out the window at the landscape that passed us by as we raced towards the main city. She hummed under her breath, and I moved to turn the radio up, only to be answered by static. “You actually think the radio works in this death trap?” She snorted.

  “I hoped I could die in comfort, at least,” I retorted. She pressed a button on the display, and suddenly a familiar song began to echo through the car. I grinned like a maniac.

  “Dumb luck,” she teased.

  “Shut up, this is my favorite song,” I ordered, swaying from side to side in my seat. At the same time, we both began loudly singing the chorus to the bubbly pop song. I snickered as Isabella belted out the more scandalous lines, fading into one of the rapping bits of the song as if it were nothing.

  “Doesn’t strike me as your tastes, little Bean,” she said breathlessly when her apparent favorite part ended, and I chuckled before loudly singing the next few lines.

  “I’m not just an old fuddy duddy, you know,” I grinned wildly. She raised a brow, and I groaned, burying my face in my hands again. “I didn’t just use the phrase fuddy duddy,” I muttered.

  “Aggie must be rubbing off on you,” she snickered, pulling into the parking lot of a large store. I recognized it almost immediately as the strange store we had initially lost Agnes’ target inside. I glanced at Isabella for any sign that she knew that little bit of information, but she only unfastened her seatbelt and moved to slip out of the car. “The guy who runs this shop loves me. He’s a real Flamel fanboy, and his wife usually makes some cookies for him to bring to the shop,” she grinned, meandering towards the door. I trailed nervously behind her, remaining close to her as she greeted the shop owner. He had a kind face, his voice booming out a greeting as he spied Isabella. She gestured to me, and his expression drooped for a moment before he shook his head and stuck his hand out for me to shake.