Visitor Part 2

That encounter left her with more questions than answers. He clearly had brought her to his home for a reason, but whatever that was was unclear. What did that mean? Why had he brought her here in the first place? What had it changed to? What did he want now? It was pointless trying to make sense of his parting words. What hope did she have of making any sense of it when he, himself, was confused? She flopped onto the bed and groaned into the pillow, giving up.

Alex came over around seven the next afternoon, escorted in by Kelby.
'Hey choma!' she squealed, running to Cairo with open arms.
'Hi. I've missed you so much!' Cairo growled. The pain in her side was much easier to ignore.
'Have you heard anything on the investigation yet?' asked Alex, pulling away from her.
'Not yet. And on your side?
'Nothing,' said Alex.
'I have been seeing a therapist now, and it's helped a lot with panic attacks and nightmares.'
'That makes me so happy. Vargar's paying for it right?' she added sternly.
'Yes...' Cairo sighed.
'Good!!! As he should.' Alex grinned unapologetically. 'Did you tell your mother?' she asked.
'No. She doesn't need the extra stress. Besides, you know she's not the type to check in too much, because she knows how busy I get. Promise me you won't tell her!' she demanded.
'Ok. I won't tell her anything. I promise,' said Alex
'So what's been happening?'
'Tjo! Where to start?' Alex's eyes focused on the ceiling.
'At the beginning. Hau!' Cairo teased.
'Graham's still grumpy. We're all avoiding him like the plague he is. Rumour has it, he dumped all his loose panties. The guy's gone straight and narrow. Cleaned up his act and left the poker table, brah! His new routine includes going to the gym, which isn't that new really, healthy eating and no more nicotine. He's even quit drinking over the weekends. At work, he's a grouch. Before his first call of duty, he rounds us all up for news about you. Lord forbid if we don't. We're all convinced he's getting orders straight from hell to torture us brah.' The hatred in her expression was evidence enough.
Graham had always been fairly decent to work for. But they all knew that he did a 180 when you pushed his buttons or messed up badly. He was a perfectionist of pedantic inspiration. They taught themselves to emulate the same. It was no wonder the man hadn't settled as yet.
'It's starting to get on my nerves,' she grumbled. 'He sulks all day after that. But at least he isn't scrutinising all our faults with the fixation of a starving hyena. That was heavy! Cleo and I are great. She's amazing and perfect. I couldn't want anything more from a girlfriend. And work is work, choma! Hustle and bustle. No rest for those who serve the wicked. We must have been terrible people in our past lives to deserve this, choma.' she said in mock horror.
'Graham turning over a new leaf is great news, but it's pretty OVER the TOP though!' said Cairo dubiously.
Alex's mouth fell open with a groan. 'Hoh!' she said, slapping a hand to her forehead, exasperated. 'Cairo, you're lucky I have nothing to throw at you.'
'What?' asked Cairo, with genuine innocence.
'You have been known to inspire greater than this little tweak, Numb-nut! Look at The London Grand Hotel and the chain attached to it. Who was responsible for the "great shift" from drab to fab? The directors took all the credit, without any protest from you. But we all know who to blame for the success.'
Cairo shrugged it off casually.
'Your mom called the hotel. She hasn't been able to get a hold of you.'
'Oh snap! I haven't spoken to her at all in weeks. Does she know about my... predicament?' asked Cairo, uncertain of how to continue.
'Ja, that's why she called, and she said to thank you for the extra cash you were able to send home this month. She's surprised you sent anything home, considering,' said Alex, freezing mid-sentence. Cairo's face was locked into lines of horror and surprise. She gasped.
'What?' asked Alex, alarmed.
'I never sent a cent...' she moaned.
They drifted into comprehending silence as they looked at each other.
'Do you think...' started Alex.
'Who else?' asked Cairo.
'Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!' Alex sniggered. 'There it is! Tjo! Tjo! Tjo...!' They stared through the window in stunned silence. Cairo's mind ran away with her. She couldn't comprehend Mr Vargar's motivation for performing this latest stunt. Collectively, it presented an even greater quandary. She didn't even want to dare to contemplate the amount of money she now owed him.
Harry walked in, snapping them out of their reveries.
'Will you ladies be dining here or in the dining area?' asked Harry. Cairo looked at Alex askance.
'Erm, we'll stay in here,' offered Alex. Harry nodded out. 'I've been thinking about his motives, and I've come up with a few theories,' she continued after Harry left.
'I'm listening,' said Cairo, turning her body to Alex.
'He must have questions about why we, or you, rather as the team leader, did what you did at the party. If he hasn't questioned you yet, then he's working on the format. You looked after him. He didn't miss that. You basically ordered us to shut up to all gathered parties, and you never sold him out for a juicy stack of cash to the tabloids. That's something he didn't miss. I guarantee you,' said Alex, throwing her head back and smacking her hands together the way she did when she was in no doubt about a theory.
'So... he brought you here to make sure the beans stay in the pot.'
'His employees are the ones he should be worried about spilling his beans. They've been telling me loads. But weirdly enough, he seems totally unfazed by that. It's like he knows every word that passes through these walls somehow. So I guess his assurance lies in the fact that they gossip amongst themselves and no outsiders.'
'Did you say anything?'
'Nope!' The 'of course not' was in her tone.
'He's checking on you. So, you are here under scrutiny. A whole twenty-four-hour surveillance. He's waiting to see if you stuff up.' Alex speculated. 'There's something else burning where the light is scarce, brah! I can't shake the feeling that he's got other motives behind his generosity. A lot more.' She drawled.
'I hate it when you speculate. You're probably not very far off the mark.' Cairo grimaced. Inez walked in with a tray for the two of them.
'Call if you need more,' Inez smiled and bowed out.
'By the way, you look like hell!' Alex grinned.
'Hai thanks man,' Cairo replied.
'You look like you need sleep, Joe. Lots of it,'
'I do. You know how well I handle the confusion,' she said ironically. 'But I'll sleep better soon.' Alex smiled at this.


After supper, Alex popped out a stunner. 'Why don't you give Graham a chance?' Cairo choked on her last bite of pizza.
'Come again?' Alex continued chewing by way of response. She raised her shoulders and eyebrow in the universal gesture for 'why not?'
'You are foolish! Perish!' The suggestion puzzled Cairo. Alex simply stared at her, with the patience of a parent waiting for a tantrum-throwing toddler to get over it. Nobody was budging...
'Old habits don't kick the bucket, brah. That man is too gorgeous to stay committed.'
'Thank you, Captain OBVIOUS! And?'
'Ok,' Cairo conceded, 'If you're right, and all this is for me, I'll give the fashion world a try,' said Cairo.
'Ha Ha! You are on Gal!' said Alex, with her mouth full.
'Bring it,' Cairo challenged, her hand extended. 'But, If I'm right, you've got to buy me a new phone,'
'Tjo! Listen to you,' said Alex in disbelief.
'HAAAA! Alex doesn't tell me you're doubting your supernatural clairvoyance now,' Cairo goaded. 'You? Scared? Hah! I can't believe it!'
'Look, all you're gonna do is sign your name to some agency list. I'm gonna lose cash brah.'
'I'll be jeopardising my physical and mental health. That's more valuable than a phone.' Alex stopped to think about it for a while, chewing on a piece of meat.
'Deal,' said Alex.
'Awe!'

Alex slept in Cairo's room that night, so he didn't go in to check up on her.
He sat down in front of the fireplace with a glass of brandy. What was going on with him? Why did what she thought and felt matter? She was nothing more than a waitress for crying out loud. Somehow, that dishonoured her. He knew at his core that that wasn't true. But he couldn't allow himself to think that. He had done his research, and she was clean.
He knew why she was in London, but he couldn't give her the benefit of the doubt. People like that didn't exist in this day and age, which was ironic given the 'old-world values' speech he had given her a few days ago. She couldn't be that selfless. She was too beautiful for that, and beautiful people were too self-absorbed. He would know. He had twenty years of experience with one.
Then there was that glacial distance. She was constantly surrounded by an emotional shield he felt compelled to break. He got up and walked over to the window.
'Why do you care, Amar?'
The answer sprang up before he could ignore the question. He didn't like the answer. Unfortunately, he couldn't hide from himself. The truth was staring right at him, and he couldn't see how he had reached that point. He laughed at himself, thinking of how badly things had backfired. His initial purpose was a vague memory. She had the power to destroy him, and keeping her under his thumb was what he needed to do. He needed to placate her and thus keep her quiet. But she hadn't even whispered her knowledge to the four walls, let alone his nosy staff. He had brought her here to test her, and she had passed with flying colours.
The next thing he knew, he was sneaking into her room at night to watch the girl sleep. She drew him like a magnet. It was bizarre to be drawn to her so soon. There was nothing she could do to keep attention away from herself. That must explain why he couldn't seem to stay away from her.
He knew her questions had remained unanswered, the very questions that now plagued him. No point asking, he thought, heading up to his room to retire for the night or at least try.