"The Eye of Horus Affair" Chapter 2 (a non-challenge story)

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Chapter 1 HERE

Napoleon exhaled a deep sigh as he knew he couldn’t avoid what had to be done next. It was time to contact Mr. Waverly. As he drew his communicator pen from his inside breast pocket, Illya reached over and stopped him.

“Perhaps we should return to the scene of the crime to see if we can locate the meter maid. She most certainly looked and sounded legitimate, as does this parking ticket.”

“Do you really think the thief would stick around for us to come find her?”

“It was merely a suggestion,” Kuryakin shrugged,”an alternative to contacting our superior at the moment until we have more of a concrete answer.”

“Good thought, but why put off the inevitable.” Napoleon set up the communicator with a practiced hand.

“Is there anyone else who had physical contact with you, did someone on the sidewalk bump into you?”

The only ...wait. Yiddel touched me. He put his hand against me as he was gesturing, getting us to look at all the showcases in the jewelry exchange.

“Open Channel D- Solo.”

“Mr. Solo, have you delivered diamond?”

“Well, not exactly sir.”

There was a distinct pause before the man responded.

“Please tell me you haven’t somehow lost The Eye of Horus?”

Napoleon cringed.”We didn’t exactly lose it sir.

“Dash it all man will you just spit it out!”

“I had it in my pocket sir in a case given to me by Mr. Khazanov but when arriving at Southerly’s it was gone. I am thinking that a little run in we had with a meter maid may have been when it happened. Maybe.”

“A meter maid?” Waverly sighed.

“Please do not tell me you had yet another dalliance Mr. Solo.”

“No sir, but we did get a parking ticket and when I tried to reason with the woman she became a bit confrontational as well as physical. It was my first thought that she could have picked my pocket”

“How the devil could she have known you had the diamond in your possession? Have you checked yourselves for any sort of listening device?” The man’s annoyance was pretty clear.

“No sir.”

“I suggest you do so, and then return to headquarters before you proceed further. Out.”

Napoleon moaned.” Oh boy, he’s mad all right.”

“Do you think so? You lose a nearly priceless diamond, what was he going to do a song and dance” Illya asked.” And what do you mean by ‘we’? I was not in possession of the stone and can therefore not be held responsible for its loss.”

“Now is not the time to pick an argument  and anyway weren’t you supposed to have my back, or in this case my front. You’re a pickpocket; how is it you didn’t see her do it?”

“My friend, I am wondering if she did indeed do it. If the woman was able to do so, then she is the greatest pickpocket ever..  She merely poked you with her finger, and pushed you back with an open hand.  There was no distraction to enable her to slip her other hand inside your jacket pocket. Waverly is right, how could she have known it was there. Are you positive it might have been her?”

“No,  I’m not convinced it was her. I’m not sure what to think. You know what, you’re right, let’s go back to the supposed scene of the crime.”

“But we were ordered to return to headquarters.”

“And we will, but first a little detour.”

They were back on 47th Street in no time,  not far from where they’d first parked the car.  And there she was, the same meter maid  working the other side of the street, handing out more parking tickets.

“Excuse me Miss,” Napoleon approached her.

“Well look who’s back; I hope you parked legally this time?”

“I don’t think that’ll be an issue,” Napoleon smiled.

There was a ‘pffft’ as Illya stepped out from behind his partner and darted the meter maid.

Napoleon grabbed her, cradling the woman in his arms and with some help from his partner they dragged her to a nearby alley.

“Hey, what are you doing to that woman? A passerby called out.

“She just fainted, and we did not want her sprawled out on the sidewalk,’ Illya replied. “Do not worry, my friend here is a doctor and will look to her well being.”

“Maybe an ambulance I should call?” The man replied.

“No, that’s not necessary,” Napoleon said.” She’ll be fine in a few minutes, you can go on about your business.”

The good Samaritan merely shrugged his shoulders and did as he was told.

The agents quickly checked her identification found in her black leather shoulder bag.

“Theresa Moody. Age twenty-five. Five feet six, weight 135 pounds. Hair brown, eyes  brown.  Her face matches her photo identification,” Illya announced.

“Let’s double check that,” Napoleon opened his communicator.” Open Channel D.”

“Yes Mr. Solo? How can I help you?” It was the voice of Lois Coleman. She sounded rather frosty considering she and Solo had a date only a week ago.

“Lois, hi. We need to have the identification of one Theresa Moody verified with the Department of Transportation. Is she supposed to be working a route on 47th Street?”

“That’ll take a few minutes, can you hold on?”

“For you, always,” he smiled, though there was no response.

Finally Lois got back to him.”Yes, she’s working the diamond district.” She gave a matching description of the woman, plus the fact that she’d been employed by the DOT for six years and just received a promotion to supervisor as well as a pay raise.

“Thanks Lois. Are you okay? You sound a bit...well, not like yourself.”

“Well to be truthful, I’m a little upset.  Why haven’t you called me?”

Illya shook his head, tapping his wristwatch in warning.

“Gee, I haven’t really had the time.”

“Oh you haven’t? Seems to me you’ve had time with Carmen, Angela, Christine and…”

“I get the point. Tell you what, why don’t we discuss this over dinner on Saturday night?”

“Really? Well, that would be nice.”

“Good then it’s a date. Solo out.”  He put away the communicator, just in time as Miss Coleman’s eyes began to flutter open.

When she came to, she scrambled backwards, pushing herself away from Napoleon.

“What the hell!”

“Take it easy Miss, you’re fine. Nothing’s happened to you other than fainting.”

“What? I fainted?” She screwed up her face.” I’ve never fainted in my life.”

“Well apparently this time you did,”Illya said.”Just as you spoke to us, you swooned.  Mr. Solo caught you and…”

“Why am I in an alley. Oh my God did you try to …?”

“Now calm down,” Napoleon said. He pulled out his gold ID card and showed it to her. “We’re with the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement otherwise known as U.N.C.L.E.”

“I’ve heard of it, yes.”

“We brought you here as we didn’t think you wanted to be spread eagle on the sidewalk for the world to see,”Illya said.” Now may we help you back to your feet Miss?”

“Coleman, Theresa Coleman and I guess I owe you a thank you?”

“It was the least we could do,”Napoleon flashed her a smile as she what helped to her feet.

“ I feel badly the way I yelled at your earlier today. Tell you what, let me tear up that parking ticket for you.”

“No, no. You were just doing our job,” he answered.” Now let my partner and I escort you back to the street to make sure you’re all right.”

After doing so, they bid the meter maid farewell and headed across the street towards the jewelry exchange.

“I presume you do not think she is culpable, since we left Miss Coleman to return to her work,”Illya said.

“My instincts tell me she’s innocent.”

“Then where do we go from here?”

“Back to the exchange and talk to Yiddel.”

Illya cocked an eyebrow at that. “Napoleon, do you think he would disgrace his father by taking the diamond? These diamantaires stake their honor on themselves and that of their families.”

“The boy expressed quite a dissatisfaction with his current life. Let’s just see what he has to say tovarisch.”

As they reached the exchange Yiddel was coming out the door and as he spotted them, the boy took off down the street, and they agents took after him in hot pursuit.

The problem was, the streets were packed with Hassidim and they rallied to the boy, blocking Napoleon and Illya for getting to him.

They threatened violence, enough that made the UNCLE agents back off. Heading back to their car; Napoleon immediately contacted Waverly.”

“Sir, it’s safe to assume that young Yiddel Khazanov had something to do with the disappearance of the diamond. As soon as he saw us, he bolted.”

“The Hasidic community is tight knit one, and is very protective of its members."Waverly responded. "It will be impossible to locate the boy for that reason. It behooves us then to speak to his father and let him know the situation. A word of caution Mr. Solo, Mr. Khazanov may not take it well having his son being accused of possibly being a thief.”


Chapter 3

Comments

[jantojones.livejournal.com]

The plot thickens. You've got me well and truly hooked with this :-)

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Chuckle...thank you. Glad someone is hooked. Am working on Chapter 3 now. I still need to get back and catch up on some stories posted last week? Monday? I can't remember. Life is a bit confused right now.

Thanks for reading and commenting!