ALICE Ch 383

Julieta graciously lets Ingrid into the room.

“Hello,” Ingrid says, a bit nervously. Julieta smiles at her and closes the door. Aki is by the bed, wearing a black pantsuit that she looks remarkably at home in. She vanished immediately after the race and has been off doing things since. She looks annoyed and winded as she pulls off her jacket, revealing sweat stains on her white blouse.

“Have you been running?” Ingrid asks. Aki isn’t just Japanese, she’s also well-connected. In Japan, she has an advantage even over someone like Irina Orlova.

“Can’t get a car near here, thanks to Kojima. Or I should say, his fans,” Aki says mildly. She begins to unbutton her blouse, then pauses to frown at Julieta, who is looking at her phone. “Julieta, be serious, please.” Julieta makes a face at her and says something in French. Aki replies in French.

Ingrid smiles patiently, as she often does.

Aki mutters something in Japanese and reaches into her pocket. She comes up with a key on a silver chain, and Julieta swiftly puts her phone away. Aki ignores that and walks over to Ingrid. She slips the necklace around Ingrid’s neck, then firmly tucks the key deep between the blonde’s breasts. She turns around and spreads her hands, giving Julieta a look.

Julieta licks her lips.

“Aki, what is this?” Ingrid asks, retrieving the key from her cleavage.

Aki absently reaches over and lifts Julieta’s skirt, revealing a chastity belt. She flips it down and gets back to taking off her blouse. “Let’s get on topic. I don’t think Lotte ever left this hotel. Unless it was in a suitcase.”

Ingrid frowns. “But she is not in her room.”

Aki pulls on a clean blouse and begins to button it, ignoring Julieta’s frosty stare. “My husband tells me I am too cynical. I believe Irina Orlova is behind a large amount of sabotage and misfortune recently.”

“Why?” Ingrid asks.

“That’s what made it difficult to understand at first. It looked like she was just causing trouble, but it is not random. She does not decide who wins a Grand Prix, but she can decide who loses one. She is in bed with some of the teams, but not others. She’s doing favors for F1 officials and buying her way into the organization’s logistical framework.”

Ingrid looks blank.

Julieta touches her arm. “Irina Orlova is doing bad things.”

“Oh.” Ingrid smiles and nods.

Aki finishes buttoning and pulls her jacket back on. “Mischief, Ingrid.”

“What?”

“Mischief. It’s what Orlova is doing. Do we know anyone who likes to cause mischief?”

Ingrid’s eyes pop open, her mouth falls open, and she slaps her fist into her open palm. “No! Lotte?”

Aki shrugs. “She was known to commit the occasional felony in service of her amusement when we were younger. Orlova has half the rooms in this building. Lotte must be in one of them.”

Ingrid is aghast. “You think she is helping Orlova against FUTA?”

Aki smiles at her. “Let’s go find her and ask. Everyone’s at the party. We won’t get another chance.”