Mercy spent the next five hours hacking away at the old man's computer after hacking into and cloning his phone. I spent an hour positioning him on the bed and stripping him of his clothes, leaving him in his underwear, and the remaining hours writing the next two chapters of my book. As the sun peeked over the horizon, throwing shards of light into the room, I began to worry. I wasn't certain if Joseph would survive another dose of the chloroform.
"Let's just go if you are worried. I have more than enough material to blackmail the man and a dozen others."
"Wait, why are we still here if you were already done? You should have said something."
"I wanted to see what else I could discover. No wonder he walks with his laptop everywhere he goes. I have secrets that no one should get their hands on. You should have seen the firewall on this thing, it even had a remotely triggered camera to capture anyone who tried to hack into it."
"What are you saying, somebody was watching us?"
"No, I said it had. I have developed a habit of intruding into prominent people's secure folders. Believe me, I just don't start typing away and hoping for the best. All I am saying is his firewall was one of the more sophisticated ones I have encountered. I am impressed by whoever set it up. Even his phone was protected."
"Let's get out of here if you are done, we are already pushing it."
I left the old man a note saying I had a great time and we should meet again before helping Mercy, who had insisted on wiping down every surface we had come into contact with. We managed to get out of the hotel before the old man woke up. Because he did not have my number, it would take him some time before contacting me. Thanks to Mercy's bugs, we would also be aware of every move he made without requiring Thomas' services.
Upon Mercy's insistence, I drove us back to my house as she refused to part with the information she had obtained until I explained what I hoped to do with them. Whatever she had discovered had intrigued her, a fact that further aroused my curiosity. Mercy rubbed shoulders with the seedy underground world and all it had to offer; it took something extraordinary to pique her interest. She refused to discuss anything until we got home, so for the remainder of the one-and-a-half-hour drive, we sang along to the latest pop songs that were blasting through my stereo. Despite the messed-up situation I was in, in the duration of the drive, nostalgia roped me back into much happier times.
Sunshine was waiting for me by the door by the time I came out of the garage. She looked at Mercy with naked curiosity, and Mercy mirrored her expression. Even though I had not called to tell her I was on my way back, she had anticipated my arrival, judging from the rich aroma that filled the house. Having completed my mission, my mind quickly went back to Sunshine and how predictable I had become to her. It honestly gave me a sick sense of joy seeing her perplexed over Mercy's presence in the house. As an act of rebellion, I ignored her curiosity, choosing instead to usher Mercy into the kitchen.
"Who is she, Mercy?" asked as soon as she sat down
"Officially my housekeeper, unofficially none of your business."
"Oh, so she is the one dragging you into the dirty world of crime."
"What makes you think I did not drag her?"
"Honey, we may have lost touch for a while there, but remember I know you. We spent four glorious years together, in case you have forgotten. At most, you proposed an idea, you need someone to actualize most of the things you come up with."
It was truly disturbing how those close to me could easily read and anticipate my moves. I had always prided myself on my ability to be closed off, but I was slowly beginning to realize that it was all a delusion. It seemed keeping my distance from people had been my only saving grace.
"Am I that transparent?"
"No, to be honest, you were high ninety percent of the time we were together. When you get inebriated, you turn into the most honest person to ever walk on earth. When you are sober, you are like a mirror, you adopt a personality suitable for the person across from you. Watching your two sides was one of my favorite things to do, and it was Claire who pointed it out."
It was cold comfort, but comfort nonetheless. Sunshine was silent as always, setting the table, but the weight of her stare could be felt by both Mercy, who was squirming with discomfort in her seat, and me. I held my tongue, refusing to make the introduction she was itching to have. It was a childish gesture, but one I held onto with indignation. Her food was warm and scrumptious as always, it was the taste of home, my home. We all ate in silence until my phone's ringtone filled the air, diverting everyone's attention to it. I picked up the device and felt a shot of anxiety hit me at the unknown caller ID displayed on the screen. Without picking up the phone, I was already certain it was Joseph calling.
"Hello?" I called out into the receiver, trying to steady my voice.
"Hello..." the old man's unmistakable voice filtered through the speaker on my phone.
"I guess you are awake…Should I ask how you got my number, or should I go with it? It was my brother," I asked in the most cheerful voice I could master.
"It was your brother who gave it to me," he replied, his voice laced with so much uncertainty that his statement sounded like a question.
"I hope you slept well. I don't know what happened, but you fell asleep before we even got into it. I almost called an ambulance, but you were breathing well enough, and I did not want to cause any unnecessary embarrassment for both of us, so I let you rest. I wrote you a note before leaving this morning, and I only remembered I did not have your number after I had already left."
"I…how…okay, I am glad you got home safely. We will talk later," he replied, his confusion glaringly apparent even through the phone. It was only reasonable that he had a lot of questions to ask, but he hung up without saying anything else.
"That's the old man?" Mercy asked
"Yeah, I guess he finally woke up," I said while signing to include Sunshine in the conversation.
Sunshine glared at me, her disapproval of the situation had doubled during our meal. She had barely eaten off her plate, but she forcefully stood from the table, sending her chair flying in the opposite direction. She picked up her plate and emptied it in the bin before striding to her room, banging the door behind her. I tried to elude the word, but her irrational actions all spoke of jealousy, and Mercy had already picked up on it, judging from the way her eyes bounced back and forth from Sunshine's door to me and vice versa. She opened her mouth to say something, but I held my hand, stopping her in her tracks. I did not want to discuss Sunshine with her, I wouldn't even know what to say. Once we were done with our breakfast, I led Mercy to my spot on the beach underneath my umbrella.
"What do you want to know?" I asked as soon as we were both seated. Mercy took her time settling into her chair before replying.
"I want to know everything. From the facts to your motives, I think I deserve complete honesty if I am going to risk my freedom for you. It's quite the bargain for you, don't you think?"
It was indeed a bargain for me. The truth in exchange for access to personal information on my targets and resources to track them was a highly favorable deal. So, I chose to tell her everything, starting from the beginning.