I pressed the button to 15th floor and prepared to have my ass handed to me for being hungover on the job again. Maybe my saving of Niles would help me get back into Jo’s good graces, because I was doing a poor job of it with my drinking and handling of the case.

The elevator doors dinged, and there I was again. I was as uneasy as usual, the floor feeling like it would give up anytime. I went straight to Jo’s office, where she was on the phone. She nodded at me, and gestured for me to wait. I nodded back and went in search of another coffee. I’d need it.

When I came back, the phone was ringing. Jo told me to get in and wait. On the phone, Gianni’s office.

I sipped my coffee while she put the speaker on so I could hear the conversation. I desperately wanted a cigarette, but Jo’s office was non smoking. I’d have to get one later.

On the phone, Cecile was talking. The mere sound of their voice irritated me to no end. I still hadn’t forgiven them from the humiliation of the butterfly net.

“So, how is Tina doing? I do hope she recovered from her awful hangover” they said as an introduction. I muttered under my breath, but Jo shot me a scalding look. I was to listen but not talk here. “She’s fine, thank you for asking. What can we do for you?”

The idiot on the phone spoke again. “So, what new developments? I don’t mean to sound insistent but we would like to be able to get this done as quickly as possible, for everyone’s good.” I was fuming, but kept to myself. We didn’t need to aggravate them. We needed them to cooperate. We had requests after all.

Jo seemed to be fuming too from the red of her face. I could almost see the smoke coming out of her ears. She increased her grip on her empty mug, so much so that her joints turned white.

When she spoke, it was through clenched teeth. “We would like to speak to your master, Cecile.”

Cecile laughed. “He can hear you, just like I’m sure Tina can hear me. Go ahead.” Oh how I wanted to strangle them. I looked at Josephine, and made a decision. “I’ll grab you a coffee” I mouthed, and went to the pumpkin. I grabbed us a latte each, while Jo was trying to calm down.

When I returned to the office, Cecile was talking, asking if there was anyone on the line. “Yes, there is someone on the line. Now stop being a thorn in our sides and let us speak.”

There was silence. Jo sighed. “Okay so, here’s where we’re at. Tina, if you please?”

I took my time and a sip of latte. I needed the words to be coherent. I needed the prince to accede to Eileen’s demands. Deep breath, and on I went. “I met with the princess. She has agreed to a meeting, but she has demands. Are you willing to hear them?”

“Yes”, came the answer. Gianni’s voice. He was indeed on the other end of the phone after all.

“She won’t get married to you until she has some insurance. She wants to study quantum physics, and you are to pay for that. And she wants a garden to plant things in. Doesn’t have to be big, but it has to be hers. I’ll let you think on it.” Jo smiled at me. I had gained the upper hand.

There were hushed whispers on the other end of the line. They grew more frantic as time passed. Jo and I drank our lattes, confident that our demands would be met.

Then Gianni spoke again. “Fine, but the studies will have to start only next year. It’s a lot of money I suppose, and we need to secure the kingdom first. We also have demands. She must agree to marry within the coming 2 months. And the garden, which we agree on, will have to be used to help develop new varieties of plants to help with the kingdom’s agricultural development.”

That would please Eileen, but I couldn’t speak for her. I nodded to Jo and let her do her thing. Her time to talk. “We will talk this out with the princess and come back to you in the coming week. Thank you for your cooperation.” She cut the line.

We both sighed. This had gone better than expected, but not as well as we’d hoped. Cecile was a right ass, for starters. And we hadn’t counted on the prince being in such a hurry.

“You have to go see the girl again today, Tina. Tell her what that headache inducer said. Let’s hope she agrees to this, and we can arrange a meeting as soon as possible. I want this case closed, the sooner the better. Oh, and you have to report on your other cases tomorrow, this one takes precedence but the others can’t be tossed aside.”

I finished my coffee in a gulp and nodded. “Will do, thanks Jo”. I went back to floor 9 and started working.