“Don’t worry, I’ve taken care of that,” he replied. I guessed that meant he’d created a privacy bubble like the one Sam had formed when we were talking in front of the office building. Too bad it didn’t work on someone like me, I thought, trying not to grin smugly.
“I think we’ve got him,” she said. “He doesn’t seem to suspect a thing, poor sap. Though he did spend an annoying amount of time talking about his upcoming wedding.”
Ha! I thought.
“How much did you get out of him?”
“Not too much, other than the wedding stuff. He didn’t want to talk about work.”
“Is that because he doesn’t trust you?”
“I think he’s feeling discouraged, and he doesn’t want to talk about that. Which puts him where we want him.”
“You’re sure you trust him?”
She laughed. “Him? I don’t think he has it in him to be deceptive. He’s just so very earnest. It’s kind of adorable. He wants to be a good boy and prove himself.”
“Are you sure that’s not what he’s doing, but for the other side?” His voice sounded so familiar, it was frustrating. I concentrated on his voice, trying to think of where I’d heard it before.
“Possibly. But it doesn’t matter. The more involved he gets, the better it is for us.”
“I’m assuming you’ve got a plan for our next demonstration.”
“I have something in the works. At least, I just got a brilliant idea.”
“Well, it better happen soon because I think the idiots are losing interest. We lost most of the group yesterday because they were easily talked out of it.” That’s where I knew him! He was the guy I’d dubbed “puppy” on the bus, who’d been part of the anti-magic group. I still couldn’t see his face, but I was pretty sure the voice matched. Or was that wishful thinking, since I hoped he’d be the key that linked Matilda to the anti-magic/magic exposure efforts? But would he associate me with Owen? If he knew that the person who’d splintered his group was the person marrying Owen, then both Owen’s and my operations were shot. But he didn’t say anything more.
“It wouldn’t hurt to let all our friends languish,” she said. “If they aren’t reporting things in a crackpot frenzy, then our big demonstration will have more impact.”
“I don’t know, I think we need to keep them interested or we might lose them.”
“But no one takes them seriously. They’ve served their purpose in getting some attention. I do want to keep that reporter on the hook, though. I think by now she’s seriously questioning.”
“Maybe we should set up a few less-public experiences just for her—no news releases or tips, just follow her in her daily life and make things happen. By the time we’re done with her, she’ll jump at the explanation the big event offers.”
“Oh, that’s good. Yes, do that. And I may see about a few events where our new friend is present, so he’ll remain under suspicion.”
I figured I’d heard enough. If they hadn’t spotted me and had that entire conversation for my benefit, I had a good idea what they had planned. No useful evidence, though. Even if I’d had a recording of the entire conversation, it would have done me no good. They hadn’t even needed the magical shield to keep anyone from eavesdropping. Nothing they’d said sounded all that suspicious.
I pretended to finish my crossword, put my newspaper in my bag, put on a pair of sunglasses, and stood. As I walked past their bench, I glanced in their general direction, as though I was looking at something behind them. It was just enough for me to tell that he was the guy I thought he was. Fortunately, they were still too busy talking to look at me. At least, they gave no sign of recognizing me.
Once I was away from the park, I caught the subway and headed back to my part of town, going straight to Owen’s place. He was already home, so as soon as I got inside, I said, “She’s definitely the one.”
At the same time, he said, “I think we’re on the wrong track.”
I recoiled. “Huh? What?”
“I don’t think she’s up to anything. I think she’s just feeling a bit down, with all her family’s gone through, and she reached out to someone who might understand.”
I tried to keep any animosity or bitterness out of my voice when I spoke, because I had a feeling it wouldn’t go over very well. “That’s funny, because when I followed her after your meeting, she got together with a guy who’s part of one of those anti-magic groups, and they talked about what their next steps would be. They’re definitely using you, counting on you being earnest and wanting to prove yourself.”
He shook his head forcefully. “No, I don’t believe it.”
“That’s what I heard.”
“All we talked about was what’s going on in our lives. She wanted to hear all about our wedding and what’s going on at work.”
“The work was what she wanted to know about. She said she was bored about the wedding. They’re planning their big final push, some showy thing that will make it obvious that magic is real, and then they’re going public. They don’t need you to actually do anything.” I collapsed onto the sofa. “They also talked about stopping the smaller demonstrations so the big one will be taken more seriously, except for specific people they’re targeting, like Carmen, the reporter. I think we need to bring her in on this. If she knows the truth, maybe she won’t fall for what they’re planning.”