at the file on the desk in front of her. ‘It’s in my own handwriting,’ she added as though to convince herself of the legitimacy of the entry. ‘But please be assured, it was a long time ago and no information was given out. What little I have is intended only for you, Amy. In fact I must ask you to identify yourself before I can release it.’
‘I have my driver’s licence,’ I offered, reaching into my bag.
‘No, that’s not the kind of identification I need.’ She put the envelope down and stroked the scant file with one well-manicured finger. ‘I know this is unusual, but . . . do you have a birthmark?’
‘Yes.’
‘Would you describe it for me—and the position if you wouldn’t mind?’
I could feel a blush coming on before I even opened my mouth. ‘Well, it’s small and heart-shaped, and . . . it’s . . . on my right butt cheek.’ I glanced sideways just in time to see Jack’s eyebrows pop up.
‘Well, well, well,’ he said, unable to resist.
‘I’m afraid I must confirm that for myself before I can release the information to you,’ Lena said.
Hilary and Jack watched me stand with wide eyes. The birthmark was quite low and not in an easy-to-show location.
‘Turn around, you two,’ I said, frowning at Jack. He’d had his eyes on my backside ever since I’d announced the whereabouts of my birthmark. ‘Especially you, Jack!’
‘What! Why?’ he complained. ‘I want to see.’
‘Jack, would you just turn around.’
‘Fine,’ he said, looking disappointed.
I kept my eyes on him as I undid my zip and lowered my pants to reveal my birthmark.
‘Very good,’ Lena said, satisfied.
Jack snapped back around but he wasn’t as swift as me and all he saw was me doing up my jeans. I smiled my sweetest smile at him.
‘It’s just a bum,’ he said, rolling his eyes as he relaxed back into his seat.
‘My bum.’ I turned it to him and wiggled.
He opened his eyes wide. But the surprise soon turned into a grin. I looked away quickly.
Lena handed me the envelope. I turned it in my hand and ran my fingers across the front. The paper was handmade, fibrous, but smooth as silk. It was completely bare but for a seal which looked like some kind of pale pink resin, stamped with two elegant initials, T and F, woven together like lace. ‘What’s inside?’ I asked.
‘I have no idea,’ Lena said, rising from her seat. ‘My job was only to deliver it.’
‘And who gave you that job?’ Jack asked as we followed her to the door.
She turned to look at him, that same confused look on her face. ‘I wish I could remember.’
‘And there’s nothing else but this?’ I asked.
‘Not a thing,’ she said, heading for the door again.
‘How mysterious,’ Jack murmured as we made our way back down the hallway.
‘I’ll say,’ Hilary agreed, looking at the envelope I held in my hand.
‘A heart-shaped birthmark on your bum, Marla—sounds adorable. How come you’ve never mentioned it?’
We stepped into the elevator. ‘I don’t know why I would, Jack.’
He was staring straight at me and he had that cute half smile on his face. I looked away quickly.
Hilary smiled. ‘Leave her alone, Jack,’ she said, before turning to me. ‘Are you going to open that?’
I ran a finger across the seal. ‘I wonder who TF is?’
‘One way to find out,’ Hilary said.
I broke the seal and took a small piece of the same pale pink paper from the envelope. ‘It’s the name and address of a woman,’ I told my friends. ‘Ruby Dixon . . . Should we call her?’
‘Yeah sure, let’s do that,’ Jack said, before returning to the subject of my birthmark. ‘You’re not even going to let us have a tiny peek?’ he said as we stepped out of the elevator.
‘No, Jack, I’m not, and what do you mean by “us”? Hilary doesn’t seem to be that interested.’
‘You’ll show it to me one day,’ he predicted as he held the door open and followed us through.
‘I don’t
‘I have my driver’s licence,’ I offered, reaching into my bag.
‘No, that’s not the kind of identification I need.’ She put the envelope down and stroked the scant file with one well-manicured finger. ‘I know this is unusual, but . . . do you have a birthmark?’
‘Yes.’
‘Would you describe it for me—and the position if you wouldn’t mind?’
I could feel a blush coming on before I even opened my mouth. ‘Well, it’s small and heart-shaped, and . . . it’s . . . on my right butt cheek.’ I glanced sideways just in time to see Jack’s eyebrows pop up.
‘Well, well, well,’ he said, unable to resist.
‘I’m afraid I must confirm that for myself before I can release the information to you,’ Lena said.
Hilary and Jack watched me stand with wide eyes. The birthmark was quite low and not in an easy-to-show location.
‘Turn around, you two,’ I said, frowning at Jack. He’d had his eyes on my backside ever since I’d announced the whereabouts of my birthmark. ‘Especially you, Jack!’
‘What! Why?’ he complained. ‘I want to see.’
‘Jack, would you just turn around.’
‘Fine,’ he said, looking disappointed.
I kept my eyes on him as I undid my zip and lowered my pants to reveal my birthmark.
‘Very good,’ Lena said, satisfied.
Jack snapped back around but he wasn’t as swift as me and all he saw was me doing up my jeans. I smiled my sweetest smile at him.
‘It’s just a bum,’ he said, rolling his eyes as he relaxed back into his seat.
‘My bum.’ I turned it to him and wiggled.
He opened his eyes wide. But the surprise soon turned into a grin. I looked away quickly.
Lena handed me the envelope. I turned it in my hand and ran my fingers across the front. The paper was handmade, fibrous, but smooth as silk. It was completely bare but for a seal which looked like some kind of pale pink resin, stamped with two elegant initials, T and F, woven together like lace. ‘What’s inside?’ I asked.
‘I have no idea,’ Lena said, rising from her seat. ‘My job was only to deliver it.’
‘And who gave you that job?’ Jack asked as we followed her to the door.
She turned to look at him, that same confused look on her face. ‘I wish I could remember.’
‘And there’s nothing else but this?’ I asked.
‘Not a thing,’ she said, heading for the door again.
‘How mysterious,’ Jack murmured as we made our way back down the hallway.
‘I’ll say,’ Hilary agreed, looking at the envelope I held in my hand.
‘A heart-shaped birthmark on your bum, Marla—sounds adorable. How come you’ve never mentioned it?’
We stepped into the elevator. ‘I don’t know why I would, Jack.’
He was staring straight at me and he had that cute half smile on his face. I looked away quickly.
Hilary smiled. ‘Leave her alone, Jack,’ she said, before turning to me. ‘Are you going to open that?’
I ran a finger across the seal. ‘I wonder who TF is?’
‘One way to find out,’ Hilary said.
I broke the seal and took a small piece of the same pale pink paper from the envelope. ‘It’s the name and address of a woman,’ I told my friends. ‘Ruby Dixon . . . Should we call her?’
‘Yeah sure, let’s do that,’ Jack said, before returning to the subject of my birthmark. ‘You’re not even going to let us have a tiny peek?’ he said as we stepped out of the elevator.
‘No, Jack, I’m not, and what do you mean by “us”? Hilary doesn’t seem to be that interested.’
‘You’ll show it to me one day,’ he predicted as he held the door open and followed us through.
‘I don’t
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