Page 90 of The Suitcase Swap

As they docked on their return trip, she opened the second envelope and took out the note.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

‘I can’t believe you haven’t made it to Chinatown yet,’ Edie said. ‘Look at this place. I could spendweekshere.’

‘I’m afraid all you’ll have is the amount of time it takes to eat lunch,’ Marisa said as she led them to a place where they apparently had a reservation. Even though today had already been full of surprises, Sophie was still astonished to see Manny there holding a table for them.

‘Finally,’ Manny said. ‘I was starting to get looks from people who wanted our table.’ He handed an envelope to Sophie as they all took their seats and settled in. Sophie tore it open immediately.

Dear Sophie,

I’m going to write these as if you’re opening all of them, as if despite everything, you’re choosing to play along. This might be foolishly hopeful, but if so, then that’s how I want to be. I’d rather that than be wisely hopeless, at least with regard to you. I think you’ll like Chinatown. It’s a colourful place, full of hidden corners and a variety of eateries. Welcome to Joe’s Shanghai. I picked this one because they’re credited with bringing xiao long bao, aka the soup dumpling, to New Yorkers. Enjoy your meal and your time in a place almost as vibrant as you. If you so choose, Manny has another envelope for you.

Mike

Sophie didn’t ask for the next envelope. Much as she had on the ferry, she put the decision aside as they ordered their meal. They stuffed themselves on soup dumplings, rice cakes, noodles and Peking duck. It was only as they sipped tea, their bellies full and the bill whisked magically away by Edie, that she thought about what she wanted to do.

She thought about the hurt she’d felt during the past week and, not for the first time, she thought about the hurt she might have caused. Only instead of brushing that aside as she had been, Sophie fully examined that thought. This entire time, she’d been wallowing in the fact that Mike had so easily walked away. That he hadn’t talked to her, hadn’t tried, hadn’t said, ‘To hell with the mature, measured response and waiting – I want to know where we stand now.’

It still hurt. Sophie hadn’t realized how much she’d wanted him to do that until he’d gone. But the thing was, she hadn’t done that either, and she could no longer pretend that Mike had walked away unaffected, or she wouldn’t be here. With that in mind, she realized she’d made another assumption. ‘Edie, did Tom and Marisa send for you? To visit me, I mean.’

Edie drained her cup. ‘Nope. Imagine my surprise when none other than Michael Tremblay arrived on my doorstep, asking – practically begging – for my help.’

‘This was all your idea, then?’ Sophie asked.

‘No,’ Edie said with a tiny shake of her head. ‘It was Mike’s, but he needed help getting hold of everyone, and with some of the finer details.’

Sophie turned to Manny.

‘Mike sent Marisa armed with a care package for Stanley Poochie,’ he admitted. ‘I figured, well, even if you told him to fuck off, at least you’d get a good meal out of it.’ He sighed. ‘Besides, I kind of owed him for the bingo help.’ He tilted his head to the side, questioning. ‘You want the envelope?’

‘I think I do,’ Sophie said, and held out her hand.

The next envelope took them to Central Park South. Manny didn’t go with her, but Edie and Marisa were apparently along for the ride. Sophie assumed that they’d be meeting Tom in the park, since the pattern appeared to be a new person joining her at each location, so she was surprised when they got to their destination and he was nowhere in sight. There were, however, several black carriages lined up at the edge of the park, each with a well-groomed horse attached.

A young woman waved at them from a spot next to one of the horses. She was short, with tanned skin and purple streaks in her black hair, and though she seemed to recognize them, Sophie had no idea who she was . . . until she grinned. Sophie might not know the face, but apparently Mike’s lopsided grin was etched deeply into her memory.

She waved back, before offering a hand. ‘You must be Amaya?’

‘In the flesh,’ Amaya said, handing her an envelope. ‘I hope it’s okay that I’m here. I know you don’t know me but . . .’ She waved at the carriage, with its handsome chestnut-coloured horse and elegantly dressed driver. ‘Look at this? Basically, I weaselled my way in.’ She nodded at the envelope, now in Sophie’s hands. ‘Whether or not you decide to keep playing along, I hope you take pity on me and let me ride in the carriage.’

Amaya put her hands together in an adorable caricature of supplication. ‘Please. In return, I can tell you things. Embarrassing things. Funny things. Delightful things. I’ve been given permission to let you into the family vaults and answer any questions you might have.’

‘Well,’ Sophie said, opening the envelope, ‘hard to say no to that.’

Dear Sophie,

You’re standing in a bit of New York history. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, Central Park opened in 1858. You’re about to spend almost an hour riding through this urban oasis. And because I know you: yes, there are photo stops and yes, the tour I booked includes treats for the horses. I’m reasonably certain this horse won’t eat your shirt like that Highland steer, but take care regardless. Use the pictures for your blog or keep them for yourself. Like everything else today, this is for you, and how you decide to use it is your choice.

Mike

PS Assuming you don’t run off with the carriage driver, Amaya will give you the next envelope at Rockefeller Center.

The ride was a delight. The afternoon air was hot and sticky, but no one cared. They posed for photos at each stop. The driver charmed them with facts and stories about the park and the city and Edie could not get enough of his accent. Sophie wasn’t entirely certain, but she thought they might have exchanged numbers at the end of the ride.

They walked to Rockefeller Center, stopping to get water along the way. Sophie thought Tom might meet them there, but no one greeted them. She didn’t expect Mike to turn up yet . . . but she hoped a little. Not that she wasn’t having fun. Edie and Marisa were two of her favourite people and in almost no time at all, Amaya was acquiring similar status. She didn’tneedMike to be there, but it turned out she wanted him to be there.

After poking around the gardens and taking a few more photos, Sophie asked Amaya for her next clue.

---