Scorpios and Sapphires

by L. B. Simon

  "You will have to talk to my daughter. She runs the household." Belmont growled scornfully.

  "Poulin, when you see Mademoiselle Belmont, ask her to give you a key."

  "Oui Commandant!" The young police officer acknowledged the detective’s order.

  "Who installed the vault?" Lachance resumed grilling Belmont.

  "James Ward, an American who owns Soteria Security Inc." Belmont drummed his fingers against the armrest.

  "Aidan, you know him?" Kárpáti looked at the young man.

  "I know of the company. They have an office here in Paris. They have done really good work with museums in the US and Europe."

  "Could he be behind this?" Kárpáti wondered.

  "Rob his own job? That would be pretty darn stupid, as the owner of the company doing the installation, he would be an obvious suspect. It would also be a career suicide."

  "Poulin, see if you can find this guy. If he is in town bring him in for questioning. If not, let his company know that if he doesn’t show up in my office in the next twenty-four hours, a warrant will be issued for his arrest."

  Poulin took note and left.

  "I need a smoke." Aidan stretched. "Care to join me, Lachance?"

  "Of course!" Lachance followed Aidan out.

  Belmont began rising to go with them too, but Kárpáti drew back his attention to James Ward.

  "What is going on? I didn’t know that you smoked?" Lachance observed the thief as they walked down the museum like halls.

  "I want to talk to you, without the big man keeping tabs on us."

  Lachance nodded, then both men fell silent as they noticed a young woman wearing a uniform, lurking in the foyer. They waited to be outside before they spoke again.

  "What did you find out?" Lachance demanded.

  "There is something weird going on in this house. Can you be discreet about your findings in the back stairs?"

  The men stopped at a considerable distance from any buildings and spoke in hushed tones as not to be overheard.

  "Sure, but why?" The detective scowled as he reached for his box of Gitanes, and tapped the carton gently dislodging a cigarette.

  "Miss Belmont and the butler use that passage, they didn’t care to elaborate on the reasons. I got the feeling that they don’t want dearest papa to know about this."

  "You think they are having a secret tryst?" The detective guessed.

  "I have no idea. But she doesn’t seem like a happily engaged woman."

  Lachance snorted, igniting his cigarette then passing the packet to Aidan.

  "Huh! She’s engaged to the lad since shortly after her mother’s death; I doubt it was her idea." Lachance’s voice faltered as he mentioned Mélisande’s mother.

  Aidan stored this tidbit of information but said nothing on the subject.

  "Did you know that she had no access to her own jewelry? That is why they discovered the robbery together, he was going to put her earrings away." Aidan placed the unlit cigarette to his lips.

  "Hm," Lachance darkened with anger, his gaze roaming the gardens.

  "I take it you two have a history?" Aidan asked the obvious, but Lachance either didn’t hear him or chose to ignore the question.

  "Discretion; not a problem. Any findings other than what is relevant to the theft will remain confidential." Lachance studied Aidan. "Anything else you got off the girl while roaming the halls?" There was a teasing twinkle in the older man’s eyes.

  "Other than she is hiding something; no. And the butler is like a loyal dog, he will cover for her even if it will cost him his life." Aidan removed the cigarette, not sure what to do with it.

  "All right, good job, son. Let’s see if we can get this case closed and done with." Lachance exhaled heavily, his attention lost in some past events.

  "Let’s go through the back. I want to see the patio doors from the outside. That seems like a good place to have gained entrance to the house." Aidan suggested and they made their way around the garden path.

  "Do you miss pulling robberies?" The investigator inquired in a hushed voice.

  "Are you kidding me?" Aidan laughed and whispered: "This is the dream job! I get paid plenty to do what I got arrested for in the first place, seven years ago."

  Lachance’s features lit up with amusement.

  "For me, it was never about the money, it was always about the thrill of outsmarting the police," Aidan added.

  Once they returned to the library, the detective called the young officer who was stationed in the hall.

  "Poulin; one last thing, get some men onto the grounds, see if there is a good place to enter the property unseen."

  "Oui, Commandant." The young man rushed off.

  Aidan saw with delight that Mélisande had joined the men in the library and sat in one of the armchairs, her long legs crossed, her hands folded on her lap.

  "The inventory is completed, nothing else is missing from the house," Belmont informed them, a self-satisfied smile on his lips.

  "Thank you. I have men going through the grounds; our perps could have easily strolled in from the gardens." Lachance walked to the desk and sat in one of the plush chairs.

  "What else can your expert tell us about the thief?" Belmont snarled. "I mean, any of your men could have come up with what this kid has found out so far!"

  "Not much more at this point, I’m afraid. I need to break into your vault to have a clearer idea on how the robbery was pulled off." Aidan dropped the bomb.

  Chapter 7

  Mélisande’s head snapped up and wide, excited eyes bore into him. Now he had her full attention. Belmont jumped out of his seat, his round face crimson.

  "Quoi?!" He glared at Lachance, his fists clenched tight at his sides. "Is this a joke? My house was just violated and now you have this criminal wanting to steal whatever is left?"

  "Well, first of all, this is MY home. Second, there is not much left in the vault to steal, is there?" Mélisande got to her feet, a fiery glow brightening her cheeks. "I think it is a splendid idea. And I am going to join you in the break-in!"

  "Excuse me?" Aidan almost choked on his saliva, not sure he had heard her right.

  "Est-ce que tu es folle?" Belmont howled, his eyes bulging with fury.

  There was something menacing in the way the man stood. Aidan tensed ready to defend Mélisande if the man made a move towards his daughter.

  "My sanity, we will question at another time, Papa." She pierced him with a cold, dismissive glance, much like her father’s. "Let us call this your insurance policy, I will make sure that Dalton brother here, does not snatch any of YOUR precious belongings." She hissed in a venomous tone. "D’accord?"

  Aidan recalled vaguely watching a cartoon as a child, Lucky Luke, where the villain thieves were four brothers named Dalton. He wasn’t sure if he should laugh or be offended.

  "Pas question!" A man spoke from behind them, his tone forbidding.

  Mélisande spun to face the intruder, her whole being tensed as if ready for a fight.

  "You can not stop me!" She retorted, daring the man to contradict her. "This is still my house. Not one of you has a say in how I run things around here!" Her color was rising slightly.

  Aidan did not like the idea of having her on this false burglary, but the way these men tried to steamroll her, was making his blood boil. She was surrounded by men who couldn’t deal with a wee girl with money and power. He swore to himself, that he will not stand in her way.

  "I will not hear of this!" The man, just slightly older than Mélisande and a head taller, walked up to her, stepping into her space.

  His hazel stare was ablaze; his blond hair disheveled by the wind, but his Valentino suit and tie were impeccable.

  "You will do no such thing!" He thundered, his whole being and stance aiming to intimidate.

  Aidan turned to Lachance, eyebrows arched, asking wordlessly if they should interfere, but the detective shook his head ever so slightly.

  "I am no Raiponce, mon chéri, whom y
ou can lock up in the ivory tower!" She somehow seemed to grow two inches as she stood up to the man, and compared herself to Rapunzel. "I assume you know about the robbery? Then let me introduce you, I think it will be more constructive, or at least polite, non?" She spun to face her guests. "Gentleman, this charming man is none other than my fiancé, François Renaud. Chéri, these are Commandant Lachance, Investigator Kárpáti from the insurance and our very own theft expert, Aidan Carver. I will be assisting him in figuring out how the robbery was done, right?" She pinned Aidan with a stare that left no place for contradiction, not if he wanted to leave this house in one piece.

  "Ahem," Aidan cleared his throat. "I don’t see a… problem with that… But it is up to my boss…" He glanced at Kárpáti who cursed him with his glare.

  "Well… Let us sit down and discuss what is it Aidan plans to do and what will be the best approach," Kárpáti began.

  "No problems? That is wonderful! So, it is all settled then!" She ignored Kárpáti and beamed at all the men present.

  "Good Lord, my daughter is a delinquent!" Belmont muttered grabbing his head with both hands.

  "Anyone who has a problem with this knows where the door is, should it not be the case, Samuel will be delighted to show you out!" She batted her lashes at them innocently. "Monsieur Carver, shall we go to discuss our plans?" She linked her arm through his, leading him out of the room.

  "Méli, écoute!" Out in the hall, the young, thin fiancé caught up with them.

  She whirled on him.

  "Non! I will not listen! Last night my house was burglarized, while we were entertaining. I will figure out who did this, mark my words!" She walked right up to François, furious. "I am tired of sitting back and let others fix everything for me, and by this, I really mean that I am sick and tired of having others run my life!"

  She took a calming breath and stared into her fiancé’s face. She placed a loving hand on his arm and Aidan saw the friendship that truly bonded the two, rather than romantic love.

  "But do you really think it is wise?"

  "Oui!" She exhaled her frustration, then softened, a smile brushing her lips. "Everything will be okay. I know what I am doing!"

  "I sure hope that you are right." He kissed her forehead and returned to the library, slamming the door shut behind him.

  Chapter 8

  Aidan found Belmont and François gone when he returned to the library. His meeting with Mélisande was brief; he could tell that she was tired regardless of her eagerness to start planning the burglary, so they agreed to meet later that evening after she had some rest. Kárpáti wasn’t happy with him, and he knew that the next time the man will get him alone, there will be hell to pay, but at that moment Aidan didn’t care; deep in his heart, he knew that he had done the right thing.

  Lachance and Kárpáti sat in front of laptops, reviewing photos of the night before. There was one station empty; Aidan took it. No one looked up or spoke. He was going through thousands of photos of the rich, powerful, and privileged. After awhile the images began to blur and dance on the screen. He sat back, rubbing his temples, moving his head, stretching his neck; this was torture.

  His mind was wondering too by now, thinking of the young heiress, as images of her posing for the photographer laughing with a model here and an actor there, flashed on the screen. Then there were the candid photos; the tension between Mélisande and her fiancé, something off in the way the father stood next to his daughter, and the eerie feeling that she did not belong in this crowd.

  Aidan frowned. There was something wrong in this family. Friends being forced to marry, and jewels locked up in vaults, off limits to the owner… One would think that money and status paved the way to a happy, blissful life, but the images that flashed across his screen spoke of something else.

  He thought of the way she showed him into the dining room across the hall, how her eyes lit up at the prospect of the break-in. It wasn’t boredom, per say, that he felt to be the source of her motivation, nor the desperate need to do something, anything to break up the monotony of everyday pampered life… Was it loneliness? She had mentioned an ivory tower and Rapunzel; the solitary girl held captive. Did Mélisande relate to the story?

  He wasn’t sure what to make of this young woman; on one hand, she had a strong character, fighting for herself tooth and nail. On the other, here were photos of a grand evening, plenty of people to talk to, but her smiles and laughs lacked something as if she was not connecting with anyone. Or rather, there was no one for her to connect with.

  Then her comments resonated in his mind: ‘I am sorry about that,’ she had said, gesturing to the door. ‘Sometimes, it is just so overwhelming…’ She had taken a deep breath reining in her emotions and then looked at Aidan dismissing her problems. ‘How are we going to proceed?’

  Aidan wasn’t sure if she was strong, bipolar or a grand actress. This last possibility scared him the most. He would never ever be a fool again, but once more, the temptation was too sweet and strong. Her perfume was still hounding him and the images of her malachite stare did nothing to help.

  "Tell me again why are we doing this?" Kárpáti groaned, interrupting Aidan’s reverie. "Don’t you have facial recognition software in your office or something?"

  Aidan felt relieved that the man’s anger was focused on Lachance; at least for the time being. There was hope for him to survive this day, after all.

  "Too many famous faces. The office will be running these images too if we do not find anything, but I hope we will get lucky doing this the old fashion way. And we must protect the privacy of the guests; in the office, there is a chance that the photos will be leaked to the paparazzi."

  "You said it! There are too many famous faces, how are we supposed to find anyone suspicious, I don’t get it!" Kárpáti got to his feet. "I give up! I can’t stand the sight of another mogul, royalty or celebrity."

  Aidan sat up straight, something clicking in his brain. There was one image that was nagging at him. He began browsing through the slides he had just viewed. There was that one face; the lazy eye, the moon crescent profile with the jutting chin, the uneven lips… He was suddenly sure that he had seen it before, and it was not the face of a famous person.

  "Do we all have the same images?" Aidan glanced up at the detective who confirmed with a nod. "Find image 6054_3045." Both men focused their attention on the image folder. "That man, in the upper right corner; that looks like Dierk Foerstner. In the next shot, the man to his right, I think that is Heinrich Meissner also German, both career criminals. They have been working together for a decade or so now."

  "I’m going to get the facial recognition system concentrate on these two and check with Belmont if he recognizes them." Lachance walked to the door just as it opened and François entered.

  "Can we talk?" François walked up to Aidan, his tone, and movements brusque.

  "Sure." Aidan rose, glancing at his watch, as Kárpáti followed Lachance out.

  "I would like to ask you not to allow Méli to assist you in your work," the French man spoke in a heavy accent, stressing the wrong syllables. "She has been having a rough time, her mother’s death anniversary is coming up and she has not been herself lately…" François’s eyes were imploring, showing genuine concern.

  "I think there are things that we need to butt out of." Aidan flexed his hands. "And let others decide what they want to do. I think this is one of them. Miss Belmont is the boss here, as I understand; she is also the sole victim of this crime, this is her house, and without her permission, I can’t do my work, obviously." Aidan took a deep breath, softening towards the man, remembering that he did seem to care about Mélisande. "I promise you that she will be safe at all times."

  François snorted as if the idea was ridiculous. His expression became frustrated and angry. Aidan’s lack of cooperation was trying his patience.

  "Monsieur Carver, there are things that are way beyond YOUR understanding at play here. If you want to help her, don’t let h
er indulge in this folly. She is just being rebellious; she will only get hurt if she goes through with this…" The man’s face hardened. "You need to put your foot down with her, and tell her no!"

  "I am sorry, but my mother taught me to treat women with gentleness and respect. I am not like her father, or you, as it seems, to make decisions for her. She will be safe, that is all you need to know. Have a good day!" And Aidan stormed out of the room, shutting the door none too gently behind him.

  He did not notice the figure standing just around the corner, close to the servants’ staircase, leaning against the wall, tears running down her face. Mélisande waited for him to vanish down the opposite hall and hurried back to the hidden passage before her fiancé left the library too.

  Chapter 9

  Right on the clock, as evening began setting in, Mélisande strolled into the library. She was wearing the same clothes, but she somehow seemed more refreshed. Aidan guessed that she must have slept at least a little. She seemed happy, even hopeful. His heart skipped a beat as their eyes met. She walked towards Aidan, but Lachance waved her to him. She joined the detective who held up two printed photos.

  "Do you recognize either one of these men, Mademoiselle Belmont?" The man spoke to her in French, scrutinizing her features for any signs of recognition.

  She frowned, studying each image for a long moment.

  "I should, should I not?" She said finally. "This is my party, these two men are amongst my guests, yet I have no idea who they are." She glanced at the detective, her eyes darkening with apprehension. "Have you identified them?"

  "We will soon, Mademoiselle. Don’t worry; maybe your father knows them. Did he have any special guests, maybe people who you are not familiar with?"

  Aidan could overhear the conversation from where he sat and noted that the detective omitted to inform the heiress that Belmont had already been asked about the men’s identity and had denied knowing them.

  "I am not personally acquainted with all the guests, but I thought that I knew the faces and names of each one… I wonder why I have not noticed them last night." She paled, deeply perturbed.