PREVIOUSLY: Dickerson and Kittie deduce from the undercover agent’s poem that the next clue will be delivered in Lafayette Park. Dickerson has a secret meeting scheduled with the Illuminati operative called Bowler Hat, but he hasn’t come up with a plan for how to leave Kittie out of it…
After nearly having a heart attack over the Masons’ delivery plan of their last riddle, we had determined that the next Masonic rendezvous would be the next day in Lafayette Park. Step one of my day’s plan complete. Step two would come later that night, when I would meet Bowler Hat and probably listen to his pitches as to why I should hand the ring over to him. Fat Chance, but if the geezer was gonna toss some more money my way in the process, I’d hear him out long enough to laugh my way to the bank.
One major snag in this: Kittie. I couldn’t let her anywhere near Bowler Hat. He was playing for global stakes here, which made him far too dangerous for Kittie to even think about pulling the proverbial claws out on him. He’d be the proverbial curiosity to kitties, um, well, cat.
After we finished our lunch, Kittie and I wandered down K street towards Connecticut Ave.
“Bill,” Kittie began, “I’ve been doing some thinking.”
“Go on,” I responded, fishing a cigarette out of the pack in my back pocket.
“We’ve been sitting on a small fortune these past few days,” she went on, “don’t you think we should do some shopping and get some stuff we need?”
“What kind of stuff do you have in mind?” I answered, thinking that perhaps this was the opening I needed.
“Well, clothes for starters.” she said “We’ve been running around in the same couple of outfits for God knows how long. As often as we’ve had to wash and rewash what clothes we have, it’s a wonder they haven’t fallen to rags by now. And what about phones? I mean it’s not like they’re putting in more payphones anywhere. Hell, they’re starting to take them out of the Metro Stations! We need cell phones.”
With a sly, knowing grin, I reached into my pocket and fished out my wallet. Counting off two thousand dollars in fifties and hundreds, I handed Kittie the bills in a neatly folded knot.
“Here, babe, this oughta be enough to get what we need for now.” I said “Now you know my sizes and the kinds of things I tend to wear. I trust your shopping instincts better than I trust my own. So why don’t you go and get what we need?”
“And what exactly are you going to do while I go out and play ‘Frontier Village’?” She asked with an annoyed smirk.
“I’ll be in the MLK Library, researching other famous Masons to prepare for tomorrow’s riddle.” I answered.
To be continued…
