Free Dory's Avengers by Alison Jack Page B

bigoted. Up himself, was the expression Al used.’
    Jess laughed. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘I found him rather up himself too. I'm really not sure what Abi sees in him.’
    Moving on from the subject of Max Barrington, who had actually made a very bad first impression on Jess, she asked Dexter if they should see what Louis had been looking at so intently and secretively on the computer.
    â€˜I hate to pry on him,’ she said, ‘but he clearly didn't want even us to see. Maybe it might be as well to clear that particular search from the recent history.’
    â€˜I think you're right, Jess,’ said Dexter, remembering the Hotel and Catering Sponsors’ threat do perform random spot checks on The White Lion. ‘We'll share the guilt for prying.’
    Crossing to the computer Louis had been using earlier, Jess called up the recent search history and was soon faced with the sites Louis had been perusing.
    â€˜Louis, you're so sweet,’ said Jess quietly, smiling at Louis's naivety in thinking the computer wouldn't retain evidence of his searches, and wishing he were taking her daughter out rather than the conceited Max.
    â€˜Dex,’ she called over to the bar, which was still devoid of any customers. ‘We may have a problem!’
    Walking over to join Jess at the computer, Dexter looked at the picture of the St Benedict family, taken many years earlier.
    â€˜Why's he looking at that?’ he mused out loud. ‘Weren't Louis and the St Benedict boy thick as thieves when they were kids?’
    â€˜They were,’ replied Jess, ‘but no one's seen or heard of Theo SB for years. He had some sort of breakdown according to this. Poor kid!’
    â€˜I wonder why the sudden interest in the St Benedicts, though. I've a nasty feeling this could be related to the factthat Louis has come face to face with some harsh realities about Sponsorship just recently.’
    Wishing more and more that he hadn't burdened Louis with his own Sponsorship woes, Dexter told Jess all about the conversation he'd had with the young man earlier.
    â€˜I hope he doesn't do anything stupid,’ said Jess, concern clouding her pretty face. ‘I know only too well what the Sponsors are capable of doing to anyone who crosses them!’
    â€˜Someone needs to talk to him, fast. We can't go on keeping him in the dark.’
    â€˜Gideon!’ said Jess decisively. ‘We need to talk to Gideon.’
    If Louis had thought Gideon had been in a bad mood on the Tuesday, it was nothing compared to the temper he found his mentor to be in by Wednesday morning. Unlike the previous day, though, Gideon was quite specific about the reasons for launching a furious tirade on Louis the moment he walked through the door.
    â€˜Do you know what those things are on either side of your head? They're ears! Do you know what they're for? They're for listening. Do you have anything where your brains are supposed to be? I DON'T THINK SO! Stand over here, boy. There, in front of me, and take those fucking glasses off! It's like the middle of the night in here.’
    Surprised, Louis did as he was told.
    â€˜Why the sudden interest in St Benedict?’ asked Gideon without preamble. ‘I thought I told you not to stick your nose in! I thought I warned you how dangerous it is to get involved!’
    â€˜How did you know?’
    â€˜Search engines on computers show their recent history, you imbecile; anyone could have found out,’ snarled Gideon, before sinking his head into his hands. When he raised his head a few minutes later the anger had been replaced by a look of resignation.
    â€˜OK, Louis,’ he said, ‘I've been dreading this day, but I should have known it was inevitable. So, I take it you now know who's trying, in rather unorthodox fashion, to get in touch with you?’
    â€˜Yes, Gideon,’ said Louis. ‘Theo was my best friend when we were kids, but I haven't seen him