to smuggle her out of Russia…”
John tried to lean forward, as well, but wedged in the corner, it was a losing battle. “Maybe she’s a spy, well, not a spy an…an agent of some sorts. Stealing…”
Lou gave them all a disturbed look. “Stealing what? Sheet music?”
“Maybe it’s her cover.”
“Her cover?” Lou shook her head. “Yes, John, Aggie just happens to be a gifted spying cellist.”
John ignored her and talked directly to Nick and Edie. “And just maybe it’s got something encoded on the sheet music,” John said, very pleased with his scenario.
“And Lou will get caught up in it because she loves the Russian,” Edie said dreamily.
“Nah, those movies never turn out good,” Nick said. “Too much murder…”
John laughed. “Murder in E flat.”
“No!” Edie said. “ Comrade X was a romantic comedy…” She sat back and grinned. “Love in E flat is much better.”
“My little romantic.” John leaned over to kiss his wife.
“You two are disgusting,” Lou said. “There is no murder or love. This is not a Russian spy novel. Now let’s all relax. There’s a logical reason for Aggie to be in that building.”
“Something with her passport.” Edie bit at her bottom lip. “I don’t know for sure, but since Russia is basically no longer a Communist state, I think if you have a valid international passport, you are allowed to travel.”
“And in Aggie’s case, being an international celebrity of sorts, you’d think she wouldn’t have any problems traveling abroad.”
John shrugged and said absently. “Maybe it’s not for her.”
As John watched the building, Lou, Nick, and Edie exchanged glances.
“Edie,” Lou started, “when you first contacted Aggie for the interview, did she say anything about traveling with anyone?”
“No. As a matter of fact, we talked about her being alone and away from friends. We talked about her parents and grandmother, who are deceased. I got the distinct impression she traveled alone. If she’s trying to get someone out of Russia, I don’t think it’s a family member. She told me she had no siblings, no relatives she keeps in contact with.”
Lou rubbed her forehead. “There shouldn’t be any more of this cloak-and-dagger crap with Russia. No more comrades. Right?” She looked at John and Edie.
“Change doesn’t happen overnight,” Nick said quietly. “Maybe some Russians like the old ways. Keep people in the dark.”
Edie grunted. “Like certain Republicans.”
“That’s my little left-winger.” John patted her hand. “But all Republicans are not evil.”
“I said certain.”
“She’s been up there how long?” Lou glanced at her watch.
“About twenty minutes, I figure,” Nick said.
“I feel ridiculous now,” Edie said, blowing on the steamy cup of coffee.
“Only now?” Lou asked.
“And I need more coffee. We could be sitting at a nice restaurant for lunch instead of playing Sam Spade.”
“Sam Spade,” John said. “Was that Bogie’s character in The Big Sleep ?”
“I think so,” Edie said.
“Hmm,” Nick said thoughtfully, taking a drink of coffee. “That was The Maltese Falcon , I think.”
“Shoot me now.” Lou groaned as she listened, lightly banging her head against the cab window. As she watched the building, she prayed for Agata’s quick exit.
“Then what was his name in The Big Sleep ?” John asked.
“Wasn’t it Rick or something?”
“I don’t think so.” John took a drink of coffee. “I think Rick was from Casablanca .”
“Right, right,” Nick said and smiled. “Oh, Ingrid Bergman. What a beauty.”
“No kidding,” John agreed.
“They shoulda gone together at the end of that movie,” Nick said.
“Agreed,” John said, raising his cup.
“Instead of that Frenchman,” Edie said. “What was his name?”
“Paul Henreid,” Nick said casually. “Ya know, from that movie with Bette Davis…”
“Oh, Now Voyager ,” Edie said dreamily. “Now that
John tried to lean forward, as well, but wedged in the corner, it was a losing battle. “Maybe she’s a spy, well, not a spy an…an agent of some sorts. Stealing…”
Lou gave them all a disturbed look. “Stealing what? Sheet music?”
“Maybe it’s her cover.”
“Her cover?” Lou shook her head. “Yes, John, Aggie just happens to be a gifted spying cellist.”
John ignored her and talked directly to Nick and Edie. “And just maybe it’s got something encoded on the sheet music,” John said, very pleased with his scenario.
“And Lou will get caught up in it because she loves the Russian,” Edie said dreamily.
“Nah, those movies never turn out good,” Nick said. “Too much murder…”
John laughed. “Murder in E flat.”
“No!” Edie said. “ Comrade X was a romantic comedy…” She sat back and grinned. “Love in E flat is much better.”
“My little romantic.” John leaned over to kiss his wife.
“You two are disgusting,” Lou said. “There is no murder or love. This is not a Russian spy novel. Now let’s all relax. There’s a logical reason for Aggie to be in that building.”
“Something with her passport.” Edie bit at her bottom lip. “I don’t know for sure, but since Russia is basically no longer a Communist state, I think if you have a valid international passport, you are allowed to travel.”
“And in Aggie’s case, being an international celebrity of sorts, you’d think she wouldn’t have any problems traveling abroad.”
John shrugged and said absently. “Maybe it’s not for her.”
As John watched the building, Lou, Nick, and Edie exchanged glances.
“Edie,” Lou started, “when you first contacted Aggie for the interview, did she say anything about traveling with anyone?”
“No. As a matter of fact, we talked about her being alone and away from friends. We talked about her parents and grandmother, who are deceased. I got the distinct impression she traveled alone. If she’s trying to get someone out of Russia, I don’t think it’s a family member. She told me she had no siblings, no relatives she keeps in contact with.”
Lou rubbed her forehead. “There shouldn’t be any more of this cloak-and-dagger crap with Russia. No more comrades. Right?” She looked at John and Edie.
“Change doesn’t happen overnight,” Nick said quietly. “Maybe some Russians like the old ways. Keep people in the dark.”
Edie grunted. “Like certain Republicans.”
“That’s my little left-winger.” John patted her hand. “But all Republicans are not evil.”
“I said certain.”
“She’s been up there how long?” Lou glanced at her watch.
“About twenty minutes, I figure,” Nick said.
“I feel ridiculous now,” Edie said, blowing on the steamy cup of coffee.
“Only now?” Lou asked.
“And I need more coffee. We could be sitting at a nice restaurant for lunch instead of playing Sam Spade.”
“Sam Spade,” John said. “Was that Bogie’s character in The Big Sleep ?”
“I think so,” Edie said.
“Hmm,” Nick said thoughtfully, taking a drink of coffee. “That was The Maltese Falcon , I think.”
“Shoot me now.” Lou groaned as she listened, lightly banging her head against the cab window. As she watched the building, she prayed for Agata’s quick exit.
“Then what was his name in The Big Sleep ?” John asked.
“Wasn’t it Rick or something?”
“I don’t think so.” John took a drink of coffee. “I think Rick was from Casablanca .”
“Right, right,” Nick said and smiled. “Oh, Ingrid Bergman. What a beauty.”
“No kidding,” John agreed.
“They shoulda gone together at the end of that movie,” Nick said.
“Agreed,” John said, raising his cup.
“Instead of that Frenchman,” Edie said. “What was his name?”
“Paul Henreid,” Nick said casually. “Ya know, from that movie with Bette Davis…”
“Oh, Now Voyager ,” Edie said dreamily. “Now that
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