Reporters are very predictable. I knew this morning I will find them at the campus, waiting to know the mysterious girl in Quinn's life.
I decided to carpool with Oliver, I knew his old SUV that runs on borrowed time and emits smoke as it moves would hide me until I was inside the campus. It worked.
"We'll talk in the evening, if anything happens am a call away." Oliver waves as he walks towards the engineering building.
I look around, no one saw us. I don't want to drag Oliver in this mess I am in.
Am in a damp mood as I walk past the faculty of Finance. Am angry Andre stood me up, he didn't show up, yesterday. I find students crowded at the notice board. I walk past them ignoring whatever has their interest until I see Mr. Marcelo's picture pinned on it.
I can't read what is written beneath it unless I get closer. I start to sweat, what if it is a missing notice or death. What did Quinn do to him. Am relieved as I read that the university wishes to announce that Mr. Marcelo will not be teaching here and his contract has been terminated indefinitely. That is the best news this morning.
"You are the girl kissing Quinn Nickel in the papers." A girl with hair that looks like a burning bush points at me. I back away and pull my hood over my head.
I am forced to keep my head low as I dash into the classroom. All heads turn to my direction the moment I step in. I pretend to ignore them and feign a confident poise as I walk to my usual seat. Roxanna is not in class yet, neither is Quinn nor Ryan. And they never show up throughout the class or any other.
****
My classes end at three, I find Andre waiting for me at the parking lot. He has roses on his hand, he is leaning casually on his Ford car.
His face lights up when he sees me. He hugs me once am next to him.
"Are those for me?" I point at the roses.
"Yeah," He hands them over. "I hope am forgiven for being a terrible friend."
"Will Isabella not be jealous for giving another girl roses?" I tease him.
"She isn't the jealousy type."
"So we are seeing her again?"
"I have good feeling about her."
I sit at the shotgun. We drive to Cole's cafe. Andre chooses the furthest end. He settles opposite me and removes his laptop. A waiter comes to wait at our booth. He jots down our orders and leaves. When I see the Soduku on our table I remember the one Quinn circled with coded message. Luckily I have the same bag I had. I retrieve it and hand it to Andre. He has always been the smart one, more like a genius.
"You do know combination and permutation?"
"mmh" I nod.
"You can try that to see how it goes."
I nod in agreement and decide i will try later when i have the time.
I shove the paper back to my bag as the waiter places a large plate of fries on the table and chicken wings on the side. We love to eat fries from the same plate since we were kids. Seeing who will get the most curly or crunchy fries.
"How do you want to go about Quinn's issue?" Andre enquire as he seasons the fries with ketchup.
"We shake the family empire." I reply.
He tilts the laptop to face me, but it looks straining to work while we are on the opposite sides so joins me the other side.
"I just went through the financial records of the companies you stole from Quinn and the ones his family's auditing firm released to the public. They released the wrong information. It is either they are trying hide this companies irregularities or tax evasion or money laundering. All I know there is a reason why. We just have to find it out." Andre says.
"So this is not enough?" I ask.
"It is not enough but it is something that can discredit the integrity of the Nickels' audit Firm."
I know integrity is the key of any business. And for a firm like the Nickel Audit Firm to have its Integrity questioned it will shake it, as some of its client will lose trust in it.
"Let's do it then." I say.
"I just released the records, just sit, wait and see how the information works." Andre smiles.
I lean on his shoulder with a huge grin. Andre is a library of information. He says better be armed with information than a gun, your enemy will never see you coming, how and when. That's why he choose to be a computer geek and hacker.
"How are you holding up, after yesterday?" He asks after a while.
"Just peachy." I sigh. "I pray the world never knows of my identity."
"For now the focus will shift to the Nickel audit firm. Although their is always that reporter that is digging. They may find out about your past life like stripping but I can assure you. No one will ever know you are Cara Cooper the daughter of the legendary Cooper, ever." His eyes turn dark, almost dangerous but he is quick to hide it with a forced smile, "Unless you want them to find out."
"Not yet, I don't have a buffer to cushion my ass when I fall and fail to take back what is truly mine." I say.
"Am always here for you." Andre says, though his tone is off.
****
Oliver's classes end late in the evening. He finds me waiting at the parking lot. He looks unusually happy.
"Andre has already left?" He enquires.
I nod and stand. "And we finally released the first bomb to explode at the Nickels face." I announce.
"Count me out of it." He says and unlocks the SUV door by kicking it. Oliver has countlessly expressed his exclusion from my vergence plan. He believes in Karma, i don't.
"Dinner at my place." He says as we board the dying car. "I have a surprise for you." He adds and grins.
"I hate surprises." I remind him.
"I know but you will be proud."
It takes a while before his engine comes to life. An hour later we are driving at Unfamiliar neighborhood. However i keep my silence to see his surprise. We stop outside an apartment building.
"Where is the surprise?" I ask as we alight.
"I live here now." He points at the apartment. It looks quite expensive.
I follow him to the elevator. My eyes skimming every inch of it.
"How can you afford it?" I am still confused.
"Don't worry." He shrugs.
This time am not letting him off the hook easily. Something is off and i am going to get to the bottom of it.
The elevator stops and we get off.
"The other surprise is that, Nimo moved in with me." As he finishes talking. The door to his apartment opens and the witch herself appears with a smirk on her face.
Thanks all for the wishes am well now and we can resume uninterrupted with our story.