Page 13 of Dustin
“Fine. But you do know I have contacts here that can get us into the same parties and the same places Vierra goes. It’ll be easier than just going to a restaurant that’ll be blocked off to the public anyway,” she says softly.
I ignore her. I need to do something. Staying in the room with her is driving me crazy.
“Dustin, I was asked to help you, so allow me to help you,” she says in frustration.
I sigh and move to sit on the bed, although I sit far away from her.
“Fine. Give me a refresher in Portuguese”
She arches an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
She obliges anyway and I mentally file away the translations for later use.
“Be careful, Dustin,” she says softly as I’m about to leave.
“Like you really care,” I reply before exiting the hotel room.
I head for the rented car and drive towards the restaurant. According to Madison, they close most of it down every time the target comes for lunch. But before that, they allow customers without reservations. All I have to do is get in there first. And not leave until Mr. Vierra shows up.
“Boa Tarde,” I greet the waitress, just like Madison taught me.
She smiles at me.
“You’re not from around here,” she guesses.
I smile back.
“What gave it away?”
“Your terrible accent, for one. And your good looks.”
“Well….Catina,” I say, reading her name off her name tag while moving closer. I make sure to maintain eye contact and smile. “Can I get a table?”
“On another day, I would have said yes without question. But an important guest is arriving soon. We can’t accept any walk-ins.”
“But I haven't eaten in a while, and I’m starving. I promise I’ll make it up to you,” I tell her, placing a flirty hand on her shoulder.
I give her my panty-dropping smile, and before I know it, I’m seated at a table eating a plate of some delicious Pastel De Nata. Catina made it clear I only had thirty minutes before they’d need the table back. Which means I have thirty minutesto disappear into the large restaurant. I look around for a hiding spot, but I can’t see anything suitable.
I get the opportunity to hide when Catina heads into the kitchen briefly. There’s no one else in the restaurant, and I hurriedly stand. I head for the bathroom first but then decide that it’s the first place they’ll look. I find a storage room beside the bathroom and sneak inside, hoping for the best. If I’m lucky, they’ll think I just left. I already placed money for the food on the table.
Moments later, I hear voices outside the door speaking rapid Portuguese. Then the conversation switches to English as someone else joins them.
“How was I supposed to know he would leave? He acted like he was going to ask for my number before he left,” Catalina complains.
Sorry gorgeous, but I have work to do. Maybe next time.
“You shouldn't have allowed him in so close to Mr. Vierra’s arrival,” another voice scolds, male this time.
“He was really good-looking. I’m sorry,” is Catalina’s response, and the man chuckles.
I smile to myself as their voices drift away until silence fills the air. A few minutes later, I hear people, I’m guessing are the restaurant staff, chorus a greeting.
“Boa Tarde, Mr. Vierra.”
I don’t hear his reply, but my body immediately becomes alert at his presence. I reach into my bag and grab the Sammy 1000. It’s a device Sam developed a few months ago that allows a person to see through walls – he sure does love naming these things after himself. It’s kinda like infrared, except instead of heat signatures, I’m seeing more details of the person and their movements, and can hear voices too. He’s a tech genius that guy, and this device is cool, except for the obnoxious name.
I grab the glasses and immediately get an almost clear view of Mr. Vierra. He’s not what I was expecting. For some reason, I was expecting a tall, intimidating man with a bald head and a permanent frown. Kind of like a mob boss.
