deceit. (closed for detriment)

[paperxairplanes]

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Sunheri sat lazily at one of the high seats at the makeshift bar, sipping her glass of champagne. Her finger traced the glass as green eyes wandered, looking around the museum. It was the opening of the Taj exhibit, and she was here as the curator's date. Her lip twitched ever so slightly in disgust at the thought of the man she was here with, looking over at his plump figure by the door. Not her favourite customer by any means, but he did pay her a pretty penny. The young woman ran a hand through her curls, now thinking back to the earlier events of the day. She'd been called to the police again, which was not a new occurrence by any means. What was new this time was the circumstances under which she had been called. He had quite the record, the investigator had said, but it all could disappear if she considered his offer.

It wasn't a simple offer by any means. To work with the police as some sort of undercover agent. It was risky, but she had so much at stake. So Sunheri had rolled her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest and agreed, eyes narrowed all the while. She'd been told to start keeping an eye out, spot anything strange, put herself in places he'd appear. Green eyes glanced at the jewelled sword of Shah Jahan in its case, a soft smirk on her lips. If there was any place worth robbing in the city right now, it was the museum with it's priceless historical jewels.

Finishing her drink, her hand went up to casually beckon the bartender over before her eyes glanced at two men beside her. They were eyeing her a little too happily, raising their eyebrows and exchanging suggestive glances in between themselves. Sunheri kept her gaze on them, raising her own eyebrows until they caught her looking. "Need something, gentlemen?" There was the slightest hint of malicious in her voice.

 

[detriment]

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Outside the museum there stood a man casually reading a newspaper and sipping from a Starbucks coffee as he leaned against the glass wall of a bus shelter. He seemed half focused on the crossword puzzle in front of him and half content to let his attention wander to his surroundings, but really everywhere his eyes drifted was intentional.

He felt his phone vibrate silently in his pocket having counted down its timer. As he reached in to his pocket to stop the alarm he looked over to the steps of the museum and noted the janitor stepping outside to empty the trash cans. He got up at the same time as a bus pulled up to the shelter and let off a large group of people and mixed in with them as they left in their separate directions.

Making his way to the museum he closed in on the janitor changing the trash bags and came up behind him just as he was about to tie the bag closed.

"Excuse me friend. Do you mind if I get this in there?" He said reaching past the old man to toss his empty cup into the bag he held in front of him. At the same time he made contact by placing his hand on the mans upper back and pressed into him slightly to make sure he could reach around him to the bag. As he pulled away his hand dropped down the mans back and plucked his key card, bringing it inside his blazer in one swift movement as he turned to continue up the stairs.

The decrepit janitor didn't even have time to mumble a "Go ahead" before he was gone half way up the rest of the steps.

Once inside the museum he made his way directly to the restroom and found himself an empty stall to sit down in. He took out the card from his blazer and his IPhone from his pocket, as well as another small device. He plugged the device into the port at the bottom of his phone and a green light came on, at which point he slid the card into it and waited while looking at the phone screen. The old janitors picture appeared on his phone.

Without wasting any more time he hit the home button on his phone and unplugged the box. He stashed everything on himself again left the stall, making sure to flush the toilet before he did so. While he was walking to the sink another alarm made his phone vibrate in his pocket and he quickly shut it off before washing his hand and exiting the restroom.

Back in the main atrium he walked towards a non-descript door designed to be ignored by the visitors were it not for the same old janitor standing outside of it with two trash bags beside him feeling around his different pockets. Again he came up behind the man but this time held out the card to him.

"I noticed you dropped this outside." He said, making sure to look away from the old man as his eyes went from the card up to his face.

"Oh thank you sir, I thought I had lost that damned thing again." He said reaching out for the piece of plastic.

The younger man didn't say a word or make eye contact and as soon as he felt a tug on the card in his hand he let go and walked away. He heard a digital beep behind him and the door lock click open, as the janitor used his key. The man gave a quick exhale as he walked and let himself relax just enough to appear comfortable.

The exhibit wouldn't be open yet so rather than wait around and draw attention he decided to join the rest of the guests in a small bar. He recognized the curator as he walked in but again made no eye contact. The curator wouldn't recognize him anyway.

The bar was filled with high society ready to make an appearance at the event, he even noticed the mayor at a table entertaining a large group of mostly young women. The room seemed to be full of aristocrats mingling with one another, something he was desperate to avoid. If anything would blow his cover it would be trying to pass himself off as one of these people.

His eyes settled on an empty seat at the bar. At least there he could sit be left mostly to himself he hoped.

As he seated himself he over heard the woman next to him speak across to a pair of men with a hit of terseness in her voice. "Need something, gentlemen?"

He caught the bartender's attention with a nod and asked for a rum and coke. He knew he should stay out of whatever was taking place next to him. He knew better, but a quick glance over at the woman and he found himself compelled to interject.

"There's no problem is there ma'am?"

He immediately regretted his actions. What was he doing talking to a woman at a time like this. Of all the weaknesses to have, he thought this to be the least likely for him to succumb to.

 

[paperxairplanes]

Her finely arched eyebrow stayed arched, challenging the two men to speak up; to tell her what they were whispering amongst themselves. When she spoke up they glanced at her nervously, turning their eyes away and coughing and they started to call the bartender over. Acting as if nothing had happened. Sunheri was about to roll her eyes and turn her attention back to her drink when she heard another voice speak up, directed at her and the situation.

She leaned over to look past the men at the source of the voice, green eyes giving him the once over. "No problem at all," she confirmed with a small turn of the corner of her lip, sending one last glare at the men. She turned back to her drink, remembering now that it was empty. She knew she'd need to be a little tipsy to get through the night, but then came the nagging voice. 'You're supposed to be looking out for Mr Has-The-Police Department-Scrambling-Like-Headless-Chickens, remember?' She sighed, once again calling the tender over and pulling out her credit card. "Balance my tab on here," she said, waiting for him to turn away. Sunheri stood up now, ready to leave and maybe go attach herself to the curator's side when the bartender returned.

"Sorry miss, but the card's been declined."

Green eyes narrowed at him at once before reaching out to take the card, flustered and embarrassed at the situation. "Decline? How?"

"I'm not sure, miss."

 

[detriment]

He was relieved when the woman handled the situation himself, absolving him of the need for any further interaction. She seemed comfortable dealing with these sorts of situations, an abrasiveness he noted that set her apart from the type of guest he had been expecting. Although it could have simply been the alcohol. He continued to observe as the woman tried to settle her tab and leave.

He found himself coming to a crossroads. He knew with every instinct he had, trained or otherwise that the best decision would be to just let the conversation die and go back to his reconnaissance but for some reason he found himself taking the other path. As he got out of his chair and walked around the two men he felt his mind race to justify his actions.

She would be useful as a cover.

He had already made conversation, it would be suspicious to just abandon it now.

What could be the harm?

But he knew it was empty reasoning as his own logical side cut them all down. It was a strange thing watching himself make a mistake, while he knew it was one. As he moved around the two men the woman came back into his view. She was beautiful to be sure. In fact she was remarkably beautiful. Could it be that was enough to derail all his training. Or had he just gotten so bored with going through the motions he deliberately making it more interesting for himself.

“Here let me take care of that. How about another?” He asked but didn’t wait for the response. He reached in to his pocket and pulled out his wallet, trying to keep large amount of cash relatively hidden as he withdrew two hundred dollar bills and passed them folded lengthwise to the bartender.

“Another glass please.” He pocketed his wallet and took another sip from his own drink. “So I take it your here to see the exhibit?”

 

[paperxairplanes]

Sunheri had now taken to glaring at her credit card, her hand slipping into her clutch to pull out her phone--ready to call the bank. This had to be Inspector Bryan's fault, she knew he had some hand in this. 'Goddamn him.' As she clicked through her contacts to the bank's number, the voice from earlier spoke up again. He didn't wait to see if she'd accept his offer, and instead her eyes watched him slide the money to the bartender.

Her eyes wandered back up to him, arching a brow again and resting her hand on the bar. "So is that the plan? Pretend to be concerned when those two try and pull a move only to come over and do it yourself?" Her voice was back to have that tinge of aggressiveness. She usually put in so much more effort into being charming, but the current situation she found herself in just didn't make her want to try.

"No, I'm the curator's date," she gave him the sort of look, wanting him to know she wasn't in any sort of relationship with the man except strictly business. Shaking her head slightly, she began to pull out her own wallet, "How much was it?" She asked, referring to her now paid tab.

 

[detriment]

He had to admit, in his preoccupation it hadn’t crossed his mind that he would be greeted as warmly as the other two men had. The last thing he needed was this glass of champagne thrown in his face before the exhibit even
opened.

He listened to her speak and only came to regret his mistake more. Until she answered his question on why she happened to be here.

"No, I'm the curator's date,"

This was interesting. He felt himself coming to another crossroads. His logical side told him to abandon the whole conversation and go back to observing from afar, he was good at that. On the other hand she provided an opportunity he didn’t have before to gain some proximity to the curator.

As she retrieved her wallet he thought to himself to err more on the side of caution and not push much further.

She asked him how much he had spent.

“It’s fine. If you wont accept it as an offer then how about as an apology.” He waved at her to show he wouldn’t take any of her money.

His mind then went to the curator. He looked him up and down, for the first time as a man and not a target. How could he possibly be involved with the woman sitting next to him.

He brought his glass up to his lips again, gesturing with it in the curators direction as he did so.

“He must have a great sense of humour.”

He had to admit, in his preoccupation it hadn’t crossed his mind that he would be greeted as warmly as the other two men had. The last thing he needed was this glass of champagne thrown in his face before the exhibit even
opened.

He listened to her speak and only came to regret his mistake more. Until she answered his question on why she happened to be here.

"No, I'm the curator's date,"

This was interesting. He felt himself coming to another crossroads. His logical side told him to abandon the whole conversation and go back to observing from afar, he was good at that. On the other hand she provided an opportunity he didn’t have before to gain some proximity to the curator.

As she retrieved her wallet he thought to himself to err more on the side of caution and not push much further.

She asked him how much he had spent.

“It’s fine. If you wont accept it as an offer then how about as an apology.” He waved at her to show he wouldn’t take any of her money.

His mind then went to the curator. He looked him up and down, for the first time as a man and not a target. How could he possibly be involved with the woman sitting next to him.

He brought his glass up to his lips again, gesturing with it in the curators direction as he did so.

“He must have a great sense of humour.”

 

[paperxairplanes]

Sunheri would have usually just smiled and let the man buy her a drink. Normally she would have acted far more alluring instead of hostile, hoping to add another customer to her cliental. Instead, her eyes were threateningly narrowed, mind now wondering, thinking maybe this guy was hired by Bryan to keep an eye on her.

As he refused her offer, Sunheri's hand slid out of her clutch with a sigh. She told herself to calm down, the guy hadn't meant any harm. At his next comment, she raised her eyebrow again, but for the first time, not in malice. Instead, her expression was amused, "Absolutely hilarious." Her lips turned up in a bit of a smirk as she looked away from him, shaking her head slightly before looking back at the man. "So I take it you're here to see the exhibit?" turning his question back on himself.

 

[detriment]

He found himself relieved when the woman seemed to relax. Perhaps he could pursue this and not have a drink thrown in his face after all. He was glad his comment about the curator had registered, judging by the coy smile he received there was definitely something amiss about that relationship.

To his surprise the woman not only reciprocated his jab at the curator but asked a question of her own in return, though it was the same one he had asked her a moment before.

“Exhibit? No. I just wander around museums trying to meet women.” He took the last sip from his drink before placing it on the bar and tapping the glass. Covering the woman’s champagne earlier had caught the bartenders attention and he quickly came over to replace the man’s glass. “Why is something special being shown tonight?”

He gently swirled the ice in his fresh glass a few times before bringing it up to his lips again, devoting what seemed like most of his attention to the task. The lie was obvious and meant to be seen through, whether she did or not didn’t matter to him.

 

[paperxairplanes]

Sunheri only laughed slightly as his response, starting to warm up ever so slightly to this guy. She liked the way he talked, he was interesting to her, she decided then. More interesting than the curator or the other guests she'd be forced to entertain. There was nothing wrong with actually enjoying yourself once in a while. "Well, you've managed to meet one then." She laughed again at the ridiculousness of his words, placing her clutch back on the bar now. "Taj exhibit, with Shah Jahan's artifacts. Jewels as eternal as his love," she recited from the brochures which were constantly being handed to those gathered around the lobby. "But I'm sure you knew that already," after all, who wouldn't.

 

[detriment]

He placed his own drink on the bar realizing he was already into his second. He couldn’t afford to be in anyway intoxicated tonight, he still had work to do.

The woman next to him let out a laugh. He smiled at her, as much enjoying the picture before him as he did causing it. He was struck again with how attractive this woman was. He listened as she recited the tag-line for the exhibit, a line she seemed very practiced at. Perhaps she was the curators girlfriend after all.

“I wouldn’t assume I know anything.” He spoke slowly and casually, resting half a beat before adding “Including your name.”

He offered his hand, now empty of the glass, to the woman. “I’m Steven.”

 

[paperxairplanes]

His words struck her as odd, did he have something to hide? That was something Sunheri knew a lot about, she did work in a trade of secrets. Not to assume he knew anything? She mulled the words over in her head as he introduced himself, taking his hand as it was given. "Pleasure, Steven," her voice was still distant as she looked him over again, trying to figure what it was that wasn't sitting well. "Name's Katrina," was added, her work name.

 

[detriment]

He took her hand when she accepted his and shook it gently before letting it go.

It seemed something had put her on guard again, though this time she seemed more curious than aggressive. She was interesting to him, she showed flickers of emotion but seemed to know how to only show what she wanted. At this point he just wasn’t sure if it was a practiced skill or something else keeping her reserved.

“A pleasure to meet you as well Katrina.” His eyes went back around the room watching the other visitors mingle around them. Eventually his eyes made their way back to the curator. Something still seemed off about her and that relationship, if there even was one.

“So are your really here as his date? Or was that just to get rid of me.”

 

[paperxairplanes]

She watched his eyes wander, letting her own now too, before they fell back on her and he spoke. Sunheri smirked, "No, he really is my date." Green eyes washed over his features once, trying to figure out why he seemed so interested in the fact she might be involved with the curator. "I have other ways to get rid of people, I think you saw one of them already," she added, nodding towards the two men from earlier.

 

[detriment]

She answered his question again with the same answer. So either it hadn’t been a defensive mechanism to disinterest him or she was sticking to it.

He caught her eyes when she looked back at him and found himself distracted. They seemed like eyes a man could lose himself in entirely. Thankfully he was brought back by her voice, something equally as pleasant.

He laughed softly at her second comment, thinking for a moment it had been about him before she nodded in the direction of the other men.

“Well I’m sure you get a lot of attention, especially if these are the circles you normally travel in.” He waited. She definitely did stick out. Sure there were the women at the mayor’s table and a few other notable ones on the arms of powerful looking men scattered throughout the room, but none of them seemed to match her. “How do you think he feels about that.” He added, referring to the curator.

 

[paperxairplanes]

Her eyes went to the curator who was now talking jovially with the mayor about one thing or another, waving his arms around. Sunheri's nose scrunched up ever so slightly at the thought that she was going to have to go home with this man, but the expression was hardly noticeable. Green eyes turned back to him, raising a brow now. Was he just trying to scope out how serious she was with the curator to see if he could pull a move? Either way, she decided to just set the record straight now, "I'm sure he doesn't, it's strictly business."

 

[detriment]

He brought his eyes away from the Curator and back to her as she looked over to her date. He thought he caught a flicker of some emotion cross her face but it was to faint and gone to quickly. It could have been embarrassment he though, though it just as easily could have been an itch on her face.

She looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. It felt like she was trying to read into him but it would have been impossible for her to infer anything of real consequence from their conversation.

"I'm sure he doesn't, it's strictly business."

He remembered her regurgitation of the brochure tagline she had given him before and connected to her comment about business.

“Oh so you’re working here tonight as well. Great you can show me around the exhibit then”

 

[paperxairplanes]

Something about the way they were talking was striking her as so strange, yet try as hard as she could, Sunheri couldn't read this guy. His expression wasn't giving anything away. So he was either very practiced at what he was doing, or this really was the casual conversation he was making it out to be. She turned now to him before shaking her head, "I'd be a horrible tour guide," she had been shown around the exhibit the night before, but hadn't been paying attention at the time. History bored her.

 

[detriment]

He felt as if he had put her on guard again, though he was not sure why. He knew nothing about this woman but she seemed to be very practiced at reading people, and trying very hard to read him. His paranoia nagged at him in the back of his mind. He had no reason to believe she was a police agent, there was no way they could be on to him. He had taken every precaution.

She spoke again and it helped to pull him back out of his own mind.

“I'd be a horrible tour guide,"

“Well then you need some practice, don’t you?” He answered quickly.