by Lj McEvoy
As David got dressed he began to hear shouting in the corridor and doors being barged open, ‘what the hell is happening now’ he thought he could hear people coming towards his room. As he walked forward to the door it burst open and the Colombian police started to scream at him, their machine guns pointing to the floor. David knew not to disagree with their orders.
Chapter 39
Lauren arrived at the farm and beeped the horn, Jean-Pierre came out with Chantal, ‘Can I leave Emma with you and I’ll pick her up on my way back?’ she shouted to him. He nodded but didn’t smile; Emma jumped out of the car and ran over.
He greeted her with a kiss and a hug then walked over to Lauren, ‘Will you be long in Marseille?’
Lauren was surprised at his question, ‘No I’m coming straight back, but if it’s a problem I’ll bring Emma with me.’
‘No, No I didn’t mean it that way,’ he replied nervously, ‘just come straight back.’ He walked away because the telephone was ringing, Lauren stared after him but he didn’t even wave goodbye.
‘That’s weird,’ she thought as she checked Chantal was strapped in and drove away.
When Lauren arrived back, the door was ajar and an unfamiliar car was parked in the yard. Jean-Pierre looked out he was talking on the telephone again and motioned for her to come in.
‘Mon Dieu, I hope that’s not the same call,’ she joked to him.
Jean-Pierre didn’t respond, his face was serious and he pointed toward the kitchen. Lauren entered and stopped, in front of her sitting at the table were Gabrielle, Joel, Veronique and a stranger, they returned her stare worry etched on each face. Pierre and Emma were playing football in the back garden.
‘What’s happened?’ her worst fears beginning to surface.
***************
‘He’s done what!’ Lauren couldn’t believe her ears.
Veronique stretched over to hold Lauren’s hand, Jean-Pierre then entered the room ‘Lauren, keep calm. It will be sorted and David will be home.’
Lauren looked at him, ‘Do you know the laws in Colombia when it comes to drugs? I’ve been there and although I couldn’t understand the newspapers I knew what they were saying by the pictures, its big time and big money for the Colombian terrorist organisation FARC. The authorities are trying every tactic they’re allowed to stamp out FARC getting their funding through drugs. And you say he’s been tested and it’s positive? Christ, he told me he’s never taking anything before.’
‘He can’t deny what has happened Lauren?’ Joel answered, ‘but I know David he wouldn’t call with this news if he intentionally had taken them.’
Lauren’s mind was racing, what should she do just accept what has happened and believe David or finish it here and now, just walk away from the whole mess. The combination of her problems in Dublin and now this, if it got public and she was connected it would put everybody back home and David in an uncertain predicament. Maybe it would cause problems for herself and her children. She turned to Gabrielle who was silent throughout the whole revelation, what was she thinking, ‘if you were me, Gabrielle what would you do.’
Lauren turned to the stranger sitting at the table, ‘Who are you?’ But before Jacques could answer she began again, ‘Is it definitely David’s group they’re holding in prison?’ Lauren fired questions at him, ‘Are you sure someone’s been injured or are they dead? Who’s in charge on the Colombian side of things? Does France have any influence in their government? What is the French government doing?’
They all sat silently looking at her as the Jacques tried to answer her questions, but she re-questioned every piece of information he gave. He wasn’t used to this type of interrogation.
Jean-Pierre cautiously watched, listening, hoping he was right in what he was thinking. It was a risk, an illegal port of call but if the authorities couldn’t help then he would attempt another route. ‘David was not going to rot in a Colombian jail, he was innocent and my son will come home regardless of the method.’ Watching Lauren he knew now why she was so successful in her former business; she covered everything and was so straightforward and demanding. It was a different Lauren who sat at their table now, her experience and training shining through. And if what David told him was true about her parents and husband’s company then she was the one who would bring home his son, not any entertainment solicitor or government official.
Jacques left assuring everybody that if he got any further information they would be the first to know. Claude arrived nearly crashing into Jacques car as it was exiting the small gateway. He was ashen-faced, ‘It’s not true, Papa Maman,’ he looked at them both tears welling up in his eyes, ‘Tell me, it’s not true!’
Veronique walked back into the house crying Joel quickly followed her. Lauren’s mind was racing; Jean-Pierre turned to her and suggested going for a walk.
Claude and Gabrielle were hugging but stopped puzzled, ‘why on earth are you going for a walk now and with Lauren?’
Jean-Pierre waited for a response; Lauren stared at him just as baffled as the others. He answered for her, ‘Lets go,’ and he took her arm informing the others they’ll be back in a few minutes.
There was silence as they walked toward one of the fields where some of the goats were grazing. Everything was going through Lauren’s mind, Jean-Pierre wasn’t looking at her and took out his pipe and a cigarette offering it to her, ‘I won’t tell David if you smoke it,’ he said kindly to her.
Lauren gladly accepted, she hadn’t thought of a cigarette since she left Dublin but boy, did she need one now. They stopped at the fence and stared out onto the field, ‘Do you think you’ll get the opportunity to squeal on me,’ she asked inhaling the cigarette.
Jean-Pierre looked at her responding gravely, ‘Can your family help us?’
Lauren nearly choked and gasped for air, ‘Jesus Christ he’s told them, David fucking told them.’
Jean-Pierre patted her back, ‘It’s okay Lauren. David let it slip when he was drunk one night. It was the week of Francoise’s funeral,’ Jean-Pierre then reassured her, ‘I don’t think he even remembers telling me and I was alone. Nobody else knows, nobody else will.’
Lauren’s expression changed, ‘I don’t know how you think my family can help. I have no connection with that business anymore and I don’t want any connection,’ she saw the look of disappointment in his face, ‘I’m sorry Jean-Pierre but I’d rather die than ask my mother for help.’
He looked away over the field again, ‘And David too.’
Lauren let out a gasp holding her hand up to her mouth in shock, would Jean-Pierre blame her if she couldn’t help and David was executed or in prison for the rest of his life?
‘What do you expect me or that woman to do?’ she angrily asked.
‘She has connections in Colombia David said, can she try that direction?’
Lauren sarcastically laughed, ‘not very legal connections, if my sources are correct,’ what was the man thinking. She knew exactly how Patricia would react to a request like that; she put her hand on his shoulder and said solemnly, ‘Jean-Pierre, my darling mother is under suspicion of murdering my husband,’ she took a deep breath, ‘do you honestly think she will help me save my boyfriend.’
‘You mean Fiancé,’ he smiled.
Lauren returned the smile, ‘He wasn’t drunk when he let that slip out, was he? He confides everything to you.’
‘It’s amazing what information I can squeeze out of my sons while painting in my studio,’ he winked as he started to return to the farmhouse. Lauren volunteered to bring Emma and Pierre to her house and let the family talk. Jean-Pierre refused stating that the children were fine as they were, ‘and anyhow are you not a member too?’ he smiled to her.
Although Lauren felt warmth in his smile she could read the disappointment in his eyes.
When they returned there was still no news, the television was turned on a rare daytime occasion in the Corvasieur household. The phone kept ringing, reporters wanting an
interview with the family; Joel put the telephone off the hook.
‘No, don’t do that!’ Gabrielle snapped at him but then quickly apologised reminding him that Jacques might try to get through. It rang again, Lauren picked it up and answered in English, it was another reporter, ‘Sorry but I think you have the wrong number,’ she said in English then repeated in pretend broken French. She hung up, noticing everybody was looking at her, ‘If I answer in English, they might stop and clear the line.’
The day dragged by with no word from Jacques, a small group of reporters gathered at the farmhouse gate, the local police were there to stop them from trespassing. Lauren and Claude left to collect Chantal, Keith and Helene. Reporters followed in a car, one was trying to take photos as the other tackled the small winding roads. A tractor was coming out of one of the fields Lauren increased her speed and got by but the reporter’s car got stuck.
‘Mon Dieu, with that sort of driving we should have let you tackle the Arc de Triomphe, David would be proud of you,’ Claude laughed.
Lauren responded determinedly, ‘They’re not getting any photos of the children.’
Chapter 40
Everybody was silent, now eating the morsel of food that the prison guards reluctantly gave to them. David hands were no longer handcuffed as with all the others. The guards decided there was no need to retie them after they robbed everybody of their money, jewellery and whatever else they could find. He watched as the guards had searched and pulled off watches, rings, necklaces from all members of the cast and crew, everybody was in fear of their lives and only protested when the doctors arrived to take blood tests. David hid Lauren’s ring in his shoe and managed to make a quick phone call to home before a guard screamed at him to hang up. That was the only contact they were allowed, one phone call and hopefully Jacques and his family were now making every effort to sort this out.
Three armed men were now standing guard as another walked around, David watched him as he held a heap of passports in his hand, checking and dividing the different nationalities.
Forty-two in all, Xavier was pleased, ‘Right people,’ he shouted to the prisoners in very clear English, ‘I want Americans on the right, Europeans on the left, Colombians at the back and I’ll check if someone is trying to hide!’ he sarcastically laughed. People started to groan as they moved.
Jacqueline turned to David for guidance she couldn’t understand English. ‘It’s okay, just stay where you are, the Americans are to go over there,’ he said.
Jacqueline cried, ‘Why is this happening to us? What do they think they can achieve from this?’
David shrugged replying, ‘I don’t know, someone must have informed the police there were drugs at the party last night, so they raided the hotel this morning. Just stay calm Jacqueline and you’ll get through this,’ he was still watching Xavier who was now walking around matching faces with passports. Xavier turned to David and Jacqueline and then looked at the technician bending down to sit with them, ‘Only three French and four English, that’s a shame I hoped for more.’
David instantly recognised the madness and evil glistening in Xavier’s eyes, was it not what he was trying to achieve over the past few weeks? David shivered and Jacqueline held his hand misunderstanding his reaction.
Xavier turned to the fourteen Colombians, ‘you all can come with me, we have no quarrel against our own people.’
As the guards opened the cell gate they started to quickly file out the door fearful the commander might change his mind.
Jacqueline was clinging onto David, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, he felt numb with perspiration running down his face and his back.
‘Oh God, will we ever get out alive!’ Jacqueline cried.
As night fell everybody was quietly talking among themselves; the fear and tension enveloped the jail cell. Jacqueline was asleep so David gently placed her lying on the floor, he walked over to the American Director, Steven Carly and started talking, needing to have a sensible conversation. They both had good rapport with each other and now they consoled one another, talking of family, hobbies and trivial matters. David also enquired if Steven had contacted the American Embassy with his one phone call.
‘Of course I did, did you not contact your French Embassy?’
‘No I phoned home, however stupid it sounds I knew that Jacqueline or Frank the camera technician would contact the Embassy there was no need for all three of us to repeat the same story to them. What was your Embassy’s response?’
‘Ah, the usual stuff – co-operate, bide our time and they would clear up the whole misunderstanding before night fall.’
David looked out towards the open courtyard, ‘I hate to state the obvious Steven’
‘Yeah, I know I guess I should’ve got them to confirm which nightfall, today or tomorrow or next weeks.’
One of the guards noticed David had moved to the opposite side and screamed at him in Spanish to go back. Steven advised him to return, they shook hands not knowing what lay ahead and David walked back to Jacqueline.
‘What were you doing?’ Jacqueline was panicking again, ‘are you trying to get yourself killed?’ she reprimanded him, ‘did he not tell her to only move when ordered?’
David didn’t look or respond to her as he closed his eyes, talking to Steven made him think of home, of his family and Lauren, what must they be going through now. It started to rain heavily outside; they could hear the clatter of rain hitting the tiles of the prison roof and the courtyard. ‘Oh Christ, Lauren,’ he whispered.
Jacqueline looked at him then sadly turned away.
Chapter 41
By 9.30pm, Lauren decided to leave for her own home Jacques had telephoned once to inform them of the Colombian’s accusations. When Joel repeated Jacques’s information to the assembled, Lauren cynically laughed at the hopelessness of the situation. Everybody turned to her as she stated, ‘No South American government would give up the chance to internationally show the world what they are doing with tackling their drug and terrorist problems and this is just the perfect opportunity to show that the problem is not just internal.’
Lauren’s mind was working in the fast lane, scheming, she needed to get back to her house. Dropping a hint to Jean-Pierre that she wanted another cigarette, he obliged her and joined her outside in the back garden. It was unusually quiet; both felt that even the animals could sense something was amiss.
Lauren looked to the ground, kicking some small stones and inhaling deeply on the cigarette. ‘I’m not asking my mother for help Jean-Pierre,’ she looked up at him as he lit his pipe so she continued, ‘but I think there’s another way,’ she hesitated not knowing if he would agree with what she was going to suggest. Jean-Pierre didn’t respond just waited for her to continue. ‘I’m going to bribe her and force her into helping, if I can get a flight tomorrow and there’s no sign of David being released on bail, I’ll go to Dublin but I can’t promise you anything.’
‘Would you like the children to stay here,’ he asked solemnly knowing the full danger of what Lauren was prepared to do.
She walked away simply responding, ‘Yes.’
When Lauren and the children arrived back home, there were two messages on her answer machine, hoping one was maybe David to say he was okay she quickly checked them. Her heart sank as both messages were blank, she knew it was Paul ‘he’s panicking,’ she thought.
Commencing with her nightly routine of preparing Emma and Keith, she was dreading the thoughts of handing over Peter’s file and all her work from the previous night to Patricia but what else could she do. She entered Emma’s room to read a story but Emma was reading her French schoolbook and Keith was lying on the bed beside her content to just listen.
Turning to Lauren she said, ‘It’s okay Mammy, I’m killing two birds with the one stone,’ she giggled as she said it.
‘What do you mean?’ Lauren asked.
‘I’m reading a story to Keith and I’m doing some homework, it’s simple!’
lightening her voice as she jokingly scolded Lauren for not copping on. Lauren kissed and hugged them both, ‘when will I see you both again,’ she nearly cried out.
As she slowly walked down the stairs listening to Emma reading her schoolbook to Keith, she smiled at Emma’s knowledge of an old phrase like that. ‘Killing two birds with one stone, where did she get that from,’ Lauren laughed aloud. She stopped; ‘Killing two birds with one stone!’ she exclaimed and immediately ran down the stairs to telephone Paul.
By midnight Jean-Pierre, Veronique and Claude arrived at Lauren’s house, ‘the authorities won’t release them, not even the Americans can persuade them,’ Jean-Pierre was grave.
‘David will be home soon,’ Lauren said with certainty.
‘How can you say that!’ Claude burst out, he was furious how could she give them such false hope. Glaring at her, he wanted to believe her but how could she know. His fists were clenched and both Veronique and Jean-Pierre were holding his arms.
‘Lauren what are you saying?’ Jean-Pierre said softly.
‘Are you willing to give up on him that easily Jean-Pierre,’ tears were forming in her eyes, ‘I know he’ll be home soon, I can feel it, I’ll be leaving for Ireland in the morning,’ Lauren held a closed hand to her heart as she said those words, then she added ‘I need you to take care of Emma and Keith, a plane is collecting me at 3am.’
Jean-Pierre took a deep breath as Claude started asking why was she going but Jean-Pierre motioned him to keep quiet and agreed to Lauren’s request without hesitation.
As Lauren left for the airport she told Jean-Pierre there was a note for Emma and Keith explaining where she was gone. Then added, ‘There’s another two envelopes in case I don’t come back,’ her voice was shaking, ‘one is for the children and the other for David,’ quickly looking away trying to hide the tears.
