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James turned to André. “Would it be possible to get a table for three for dinner?”

“Oh sure, of course,” André replied, ushering them inside.

The dining area was warm and modestly lit, the clinking of cutlery faint in the background. James and Alice took a seat near the window, and after a quiet moment, James leaned in slightly.

“I don’t think André and Francesca took the documents,” he said under his breath. “If they had, I doubt they’d be so careless as to leave those fragments behind. And they could’ve just burned the whole box, and we’d have nothing.”

Alice looked at him, “I think it was someone who was a little drunk,” James continued. “Someone sloppy. They spilled whiskey, didn’t notice the paper bits, maybe didn’t even realize how important it was. It’s starting to look more like a rushed decision than a planned one.”

As James finished his thought, the bell above the front entrance gave a soft chime.

They both turned as Marco stepped into the restaurant, his leather jacket slung over one shoulder and a polite smile on his face. He looked relaxed, maybe even too relaxed given the day’s events.

“Evening,” he greeted, giving a small nod as he approached their table. "How was your afternoon?"

James smiled faintly, leaning back in his chair. “Not bad. Found some new information.”

Marco raised his eyebrows. “Really? It better be important.”

James gave a small nod. “Could be. Still figuring out.”

Marco chuckled, the sound light but not quite relaxed. “Well, sounds like you had an interesting afternoon.”

He leaned forward slightly, eyes glinting with curiosity. “Want to hear mine?”

James nodded, signaling for Marco to go ahead.