Back to Night Moves.

I arrived at Nightmoves a bit after twenty to twelve found a seat in the area designated for lunch time however before I could settle in Joe had politely asked me to follow him. We wandered up a carpeted curved stairway to an upper lounge area which Joe told me was a VIP area, it wasn't huge by any means but private. At the top of the stairs was a landing that overlooked the lower floors. There were five tables along the landing balcony. I followed Joe's lead and sat opposite him. There was already a water jug and glasses ready on the table. He said the menu was not large, probably a variety of ten different choices plus a range of burgers. The fish sounded good so I ordered that. Joe followed suit. With that out of the way, we talked casually and about nothing in particular until he asked if I knew how I was going to handle the confrontation with Liz.

“Joe I was wondering whether I could avail you of the services of one of your waiting staff to deliver a envelope to my wife when she is sitting at the table. Here's the item I'd want them to give her.”

I passed Joe an A4 envelope which had items inside as well as a note, Joe looked inside and I told him to read the note. He did, put the note back in and then passed it back. “That's it Mike?, I'd have to say that's not what I was expecting at all but that has to be the most unique way to get a message across I've ever seen, I can't see that not getting her undivided attention, of course you can use one of the waitresses, I think I'll see if Louise can do it for us, she dealt with a husband who was cheating her last year.”

“You know Mike, I know I've been banging on about you and Virginia buying my bar, but I'll tell you something for nothing, I've always had a knack of picking good people by talking to them. The night that we talked here and at the Library proved to me that you were both good people, morally principled and trustworthy...”

I had to stop him, I held my hand up. “Joe there was nothing we were doing that night that was either moral, we had come to glean information, record it, as we did and if anything break trust with anybody that we could get information out of.”

“Oh so Mike you and Virginia are neither morally principled or trustworthy with each other?”

“Yes Joe yes we are, we've known each other a long time, but I was meaning you, wasn't that what you were meaning?”

“Why would you want to be morally principled or risk your trust with me, you don't or didn't know me, did you?”

“Ah no, but, I think we maybe at cross purposes here, I'm not sure if I know what you're saying.”

“Mike it wasn't about me, this is all about what I observed, you do a lot of that when you work round bars. Its something the 'Old Bill' should...” He saw the mystified look on my face, “Sorry Mike, Old Bill, are the Cops, it's what the Cops should do – make them all do barman for a year, they'd be far better at their day jobs. Anyways just observing can tell a lot about people. Besides you maybe weren't so clandestine as you may have thought you were, My Doorman and Bar Manager both had you pegged within five minutes of being here. We knew reasonably early you weren't Undercover Cop's or ATF just not arrogant enough. You were also dressed wrong, we thought you maybe private dicks but again there was none of the familiar characteristics, they sit observe mark their targets they want to talk to and go in, you two sat under the brightest lights and shared everything, with anybody. Oh look I love being flirted with like the best of them so it certainly did no harm at all having to deal with Virginia's advances. What was most obvious was you both cared about each other deeply. Oh and you both respected one another and it rubbed off on how you treated me as well, you showed respect for me. There was a reason you moved so fast to distance both of you once you'd talked to me, I suspected that there could have been an overlap of circumstances I just didn't know what, the final observation that sealed your approval was the handshake when you got up to leave. You can tell a lot about people by their handshake. Your body position to me was square or straight on. Your other hand fell by your side, your hand was straight out, no over the top handshake and mannerisms were as an equal, or respect, not only that but both of you mirrored one another which meant a belief in what you do.”

I think I'd just got a lesson in target threat analysis by a professional. Fortunately our lunches arrived.

As we ate, Joe explained that he wasn't wanting to sell out, he was after partners, not money people, he'd been there, found they were on the whole morally corrupt or worse were devoid of morals, had no concept of looking after anything including asset's and staff unless it was associated by a zero cost and failed to get involved with the nuts and bolts, oh and they were narcissistic to the ****. For the same reason's or similar he disliked accountants, trading bank's and family. He was not demanding and to be honest I was warming to the idea, I told him I was not discounting the idea, I just maybe needed some time to consider, I didn't bring Virginia's name other than to suggest he maybe right to approach her initially get in contact with me and I could talk to her as well.

By the time we finished our lunch it was twenty past twelve, a couple minutes later a nervous looking Liz walked in the door with two rather large gentlemen (as in beer belly large) and a female all in their early thirties I guessed. All three were heavily tattooed and the women had face piercings. Just as they were ordering their lunches Louise arrived and after being explained the task I wanted carried out she asked me to identify Liz, we did and then Joe asked Louise to just hold off for a few moments I realised that Mike had rung the kitchen and told them to hold the orders until he got back to them. He'd held up Louise for two reasons, both bouncers and the Bar manager had both entered the bar should something go wrong, and there all of a sudden seemed to be more male's around than what there was ten minutes ago, curiously they were hovering or close around that one table.

We sat and watched Louise walk up, she looked down at Liz and asked her name, she then told her that she had an item for her and handed the envelope to Liz. The other's looked on curiously. Liz opened it and first pulled out the note put it on the table still folded. She looked in the envelope and couldn't quite figure out what it was she was looking at. She reached into the bag and with a nervous smile on her face started pulling out whatever it was she had only got one out and realised she didn't know what it was she was looking at, when she pulled three of the same out, they were all sealed and joined in one long strip, the other women burst out laughing, “They're condoms honey, you'll need them today, he-he.”

Billy-Joe and Cletus both had shit-eating grins on their faces. Liz was still looking down at the sealed packets like they were a **** warrant. Without looking directly at the table she reached across and picked up the note opening it slowly so only she could see it. Sammy-Joe asked “What's it say love, have fun.” All three burst out laughing.

She would be reading it now, the words, it wasn't much, just enough to say what it meant, 'Make sure they wear these, and if they do, don't bother coming home. Mike.'

She just sat staring at the note for a full minute. I figured she was probably weighing up her options. Finally she looked up, saw Louise standing there and promptly asked her who gave her the envelope. Louise pointed up to where we were seated and said, “The envelope came from a man having lunch with my boss.”

She looked up and saw me sitting with Joe, she looked back and forth between us. I could see the distress when she looked in my eye's but when she saw and realised I knew Joe she showed a level of complete defeat I don't think I will ever witness again. Joe was on his phone again, “Phil get those three scum out of my bar, tell them as nice as you can they will be right out of order if they come back here.”

After that I decided that it maybe best if I disappeared I shook Joe's hand, I realised what he meant the handshake is only part of the symbolism its how the rest of the body interprets that handshake, Joe would understand the deep respect and trust I hoped I was showing him. The broad patent smile was there but this time there was a tinge of sadness attached. Whether my wife was going to come with me was probably debatable. I walked past where she sat and to my surprise she ran to my side, she tried to place her hand in mine. I made a point of letting it go as we left and with out stopping or looking at her as she struggled to grab my hand again, I said to her loud enough for her to understand, “WE are not good.”