Page 35 of Equalizer
“I’ve got it,” Winston called from the study. They joined him moments later, and he looked up from where he had written down the message.
“It’s from Louisa. She says Pearl agreed and that she’ll meet you at a coffee shop she mentions so that you can arrive together,” Winston translated.
“Please let her know we’re fine with that,” Owen said, and Winston tapped out the reply.
“If I may ask—” Winston began.
“Absolutely. We’re going to need your help.” Owen recounted the plan they had concocted with Louisa, including the need for a glamour to hide their identities.
“That’s going to be a very interesting evening,” Winston observed. “Your own tuxedos are too high quality for bodyguards. I will obtain two that are more suitable for this event. I can also devise a spell to hide your true faces. Such things can only last a few hours, but it should be enough to get you in, give you time to mingle, and get away.”
“We don’t know if there will be witches there, but it seems likely,” Calvin said. “Will they see through the glamour?”
Winston looked thoughtful. “A lot depends on how strong the witch is. But in a crowd, the disguise should hold unless the witch focuses their attention on you. Seeing you in passing without that focus should maintain the glamour. Notice that I said ‘should.’ A very powerful witch might not be fooled.”
“Great,” Owen muttered.
“In a crowded room, you may well be able to evade detection,” Winston said. “Given the nature of the guests, you’re probably not going to be the only ones with a need to hide your identity. As long as the glamour isn’t highly unusual, it might be overlooked as just another sort of mask.”
“And if it doesn’t get overlooked?” Calvin asked.
“Then I suggest you carry your usual weapons,” Winston deadpanned.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Owen shuddered. “It’s not the sort of crowd I want to fight my way out of.”
“Louisa said that even the police attend,” Calvin pointed out. “I’d prefer not to be found out, but if we are, they may just assume that we’re on the take like the rest of them.”
“Not something I’m usually happy about, but it could come in handy,” Owen agreed.
“Louisa sent us.”Owen approached the woman who met the description his friend had given them. Pearl Hart was handsome, with a strong jaw and high cheekbones accentuated by a short, boyish haircut only partly camouflaged by a hat.
“I was expecting you.” Pearl extended a hand to shake and rose to meet them. By unspoken agreement, no names were exchanged. “She’s told me about your discussion.” Pearl gestured for them to sit. “I wouldn’t normally have an escort for something like that, but I understand the reasons.”
Pearl was even more direct and plain-spoken than Louisa and their journalist friends. If she bothered with cosmetics, they were extremely subtle, and her short hair defied convention. She was tall and slender with an athletic body beneath a simple, unadorned dress.
Owen had no difficulty picturing her riding in a rodeo and doubted that she rode sidesaddle. He had heard of women wearing wide split skirts that nodded to propriety while allowing riding astride. While such things were considered scandalous ineveryday society, he suspected that Pearl was the sort of woman who didn’t hold to rules unless they suited her.
Despite her outlaw reputation, he admired her independence.
“Louisa believes you can work the room.” Calvin kept his voice low although no one was near enough to overhear. “Play to their vanity to get them talking more than they should about their new secret projects.”
Pearl gave an unladylike snort. “Sadly, it doesn’t take much in most cases. If I stand still and look in their direction, they’ll think I’m fascinated by their brilliance and go on at length.”
Owen snickered. “You’re right about that. But they’re much more likely to brag and posture to you than to us. We’ll be close enough, of course, to hear everything. And while I understand that you’re quite capable of taking care of yourself, the attendees are an unsavory sort.”
Pearl fixed him with an amused look. “That’s my favorite type. Proper folks are stuffy and boring.”
“We’ll have weapons?—”
“So will I.”
Calvin nodded. “I didn’t think otherwise. I suspect that most of the attendees will, except perhaps for the society gawkers in the high seats who want to feel like they’re taking a risk without actually being in danger.”
Pearl made a derisive sound. “Posers, the lot of them.”
“We can brief you on who to look for and who to avoid,” Calvin said. “There may be some people at the ball who could be more useful to chat up than others, who we suspect may know more about the situation and might be tempted to brag to the right person.”
“Louisa said you’re looking into body snatchers who want to use pieces and parts. I’d heard rumors, but I thought they werejust wild stories. She assured me that such things are possible. Imagine that.” Pearl shook her head.
