TCC07
DINER RECEIPT
RECEIPT NUMBER: TCC07
RECEIPT DATE: 12 14 1988
MANAGER TITLE: MON AMOUR
RECEIPT NOTES:
Well, that’s that. Not the Cafe, of course—I think mon amour is being a bit bone-headed about that. Then again, he’s been a bit bone-headed in general lately. Too caught up in getting ahead to realize he’s already crossed the finish line more than once. It’ll catch up to him eventually. I know it will. And maybe it’ll ease his paranoia to know the Zulus—Shaka specifically—are finally done snooping around. He got what he wanted from me, but I got what I wanted from him, too.
Obviously, I can’t say too much here in the Diner about the whole exchange. One of the conditions of our talks was that I couldn’t let the CaDCom record the transcript. But I can speak in general terms about what I shared and what I learned. Shaka now knows everything I know about Miss. Others, the mysterious customer I was investigating a few weeks back. He wasn’t satisfied with my account alone, so I believe he’s gone to see her himself. Good luck with that.
As for what I got in return, I now know what’s been troubling you, mon amour, in far greater detail than before. I had an inkling, of course—I wasn’t blind to your fear of Fate. I doubt any of us have been. But now I understand it. And honestly? I’m a little peeved I had to learn the whole truth from a Mysterious Benefactor instead of from you. Still, I suppose it’s a miracle I found out at all.
So, now that I know…
What do you want to do? What can we do? I get why you kept it from us, I do. But where do we go from here? Turn the neons back on and wait it out? Shut down the Cafe and hope things work out this time around? Whatever you want to do, mon amour… we’ll do it.