by L. B. Simon
"Jane?" A man snapped at her.
"Oui, Monsieur." She stared up at her supervisor.
"You are not supposed to be here!" The man glowered.
"The Monsieur asked me to empty this," she spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Doesn’t matter!" The tall man glared at her. He knocked at the door. "Put this back and then we will have a chat."
Savy obeyed, replacing the basket.
"Why was she in this hall?" Renaud turned to the supervisor who was hovering in the doorway.
"I am going to find out in a minute. I am truly sorry for the intrusion, Monsieur Renaud." The man said bowing his head meekly.
"Fire her! I don’t want anyone snooping around the house." Renaud commanded.
"Of course, Monsieur!" The man whirled on Savannah as she was coming back towards him. "Empty your pockets!" He ordered.
Savannah turned her pockets out, front, and back ones.
"Take your things and get the hell out of here!" He hissed.
She nodded and hurried out. He followed her all the way to the back exit.
"How do I get back?" Savy asked.
They had all been driven here, each morning and taken back to the office at the end of the day, so she had no access to transportation.
"That’s your problem!" He snarled callously. "You should have kept to your scheduled rooms, stupid immigrant, if you wanted to keep your job and the perks that come with it. Next time you steal a job from honest French people, remember this moment. Maybe you should go back where you came from, though, and take all your immigrant buddies with you!" He slammed the door into her face.
"What? You plan on like soiling your hands scrubbing toilets?" She whispered angrily under her breath.
Chapter 54
Savannah heaved a sigh; she was going to have to figure this one out on her own. She walked through the gate and onto the street, slipping her glasses off. There wasn’t a soul as far as she could see. When she was far enough from the property, she pulled out her phone and called Aidan.
"Hi! Just got sacked. On my way back, but it will take me a while. The supervisor sent me walking after giving me the immigrants steal our jobs speech."
"Where are you?" She could feel the anxiety in Aidan’s voice.
"Not sure. The street the house is on, I guess. Wait there is a car…" She glanced back to see a blue Audi pull up next to her. François appeared in the opened window.
"Get in!" He urged her.
"Savy! What is going on? Don’t get in the car! Savy?"
Savannah heard faintly her brother calling her name. She stared at François, not sure what to do.
"I got you fired, the least I can do is give you a ride! Come on! Before my father comes looking for you, and you do not want him to find you out here alone; believe me!"
Savy saw the tension in François’s face. She thought about his relationship with Mélisande and decided to trust him.
"It’s okay. Someone is giving me a lift," Savy informed her brother, hung up, took a deep breath, and got into the car.
"You are with that Carver guy, aren’t you? You both have this je ne sais quoi; a similar accent, maybe… And that watch is very distinct; a coiled snake swallowing its tail. I only saw one other similar piece; on Aidan. I heard that he was still in town, even though his job was done. So, I assume you are still investigating the… matter." François drove off.
Savy stayed mute but cursed herself internally. The watch; she had to wear the one item she had that could connect her to her brother… She seldom put it on, but she needed to keep time as she got a feel for the place, so she went for the unique wrist watch. Who else had noticed?
"Crazy man to send you alone into the devil’s den. What was he thinking?" He pulled out his phone and made a call. "Salut! You know that Carver guy? Yes, the thief. Found his girl snooping at Blanche’s. Luckily, I was there. I will drop her off with you. Can you get her to him? Great! See you soon!"
Savy had trouble catching the meaning of all he said in a furious French but got the meaning of it.
"Do you have the papers I gave you?" He inquired once he ended the call.
"Yes. Where are we going?" She hesitated.
"Somewhere I can drop you off safely."
"I’ll be okay at the nearest subway station," she ventured, suddenly regretting that she got in.
"Non! I will drop you off at my friend’s place. That is the best option right now."
She picked up the phone that was ringing again.
"I’m okay. I’m with François Renaud," Savy stated while Aidan yelled into her ear. "He’s taking me to a friend’s place, apparently someone that you know... Whatever!" She disconnected the call and threw the phone into her bag.
"Okay, now I feel a bit better." François’s hands on the steering wheel loosened their grip. "He should be more careful with his women."
"No shit…" Savy hissed under her breath. "Then again who are you to judge? It’s not like you are a saint," Savannah countered, facing the man. "You sold out Mélisande the first moment you got a chance. At least I try my best to help her. From what I heard, it sounds like she was a great person." Savannah realized it was best for her to keep quiet before she gave away too much.
"She was one spirited girl!" A sad smile touched his lips. "And I am helping you, now, aren’t I? I have a baby on the way. You don’t know my father. I have to live with my choices for the rest of my life, and never get a chance to tell my best friend how sorry I am!" He blinked rapidly to clear up the tears that blurred his vision.
"I’m sure that she knows." Savannah stared out the window. "I will be all right on my own."
"No, you won’t. Father will want to talk to you, see if you are a spy or something. I think a car is already tailing us." There was indeed a vehicle far behind them. "Get into the back, on the floor and don’t breathe if we are pulled over."
"Now you are like totally scaring me!" Savannah slid in between the two front seats. Fortunately, with the smoky windows, the other car could not see her. She sat down behind the driver seat and rolled into a ball. "Why would he be looking for me now, why not question me when I was still in the house?" It made no sense to her.
"You should be terrified! What do you think would have happened to you, when there are witnesses seeing you leaving the property, and anyone could have picked you up? Now, be quiet!" The man hissed and she felt the car slow down, before coming to a full stop.
"Salut!" A gravelly voice said, as François rolled down the window. "Have you seen that girl that got canned from the cleaning crew?"
"Non. Maybe she went the other way? Or someone gave her a ride."
Savannah pressed herself against the seat, clutching her bag, not daring to breathe.
"Patrice is heading that way, but he hadn’t seen her either." The man tried to see the back seat.
"You want to check my car?" François clenched his jaw. "Maybe I got her in the trunk? Oh! I know, she might be holding onto the undercarriage, like a superwoman or something."
"Sorry, François! I didn’t mean it that way. Just you were the one getting her fired, so I thought that you might feel sorry for the kid and…"
"Yeah, well, I don’t believe that father pays you to think, does he? I got places to be, so if you don’t mind, get the hell off my car!" François revved up the engine and closed the window. The man stepped back just in time as the car drove off. "He’ll follow us, so stay at the back and keep low." François hissed under his breath.
"Why are you helping me?" Savannah asked suddenly.
"Because I like you. And even though I want to bash in that thief’s face for indulging Méli’s folly in breaking into the vault, he was kind to her, as kind as I should have been. I am trying to redeem myself, I suppose." He admitted, an embarrassed flush tainting his cheeks. "I got one more thing for you; Céline has the sapphires."
"How do you know that?" Savannah stared up at him, from her new spot between the two seats.
"She wears t
hem as she revels in her imaginary victory. God, I hate that woman! It’s as if she won a battle when my poor cousin is resting in a grave!" He choked up. "Méli was a great girl. She didn’t deserve any of what she had been through. They never let us see the body. You know what that makes me think of? I think she died awfully…"
"I am sorry for your loss." Savy felt a need to tell him that Mélisande was well, but knew better than to do so. "Are we there yet?"
"Soon."
"So, you all conspired to get Mélisande’s fortune?" Savy decided to push her luck.
"I didn’t know what they were planning! I swear!" François said with force. "Father found out that I was married; almost killed me for crossing him…" The young man swallowed hard. "He threatened to get rid of my wife if I didn’t keep him informed of Méli’s activities. I am a damned coward; I sold out my dearest friend!" He slammed his fist against the steering wheel. "And now, that she is gone… It’s like… she never mattered… or existed… Father even invited Sandra to Céline’s party; welcoming her into the family with open arms."
"And what were you guys doing at the Blanche residence, anyway?" Savy studied his chiseled profile.
"House sitting." François shifted uncomfortably.
"House sitting? Wasn’t the desk covered in lists of all the valuables in the house?" She challenged.
"Very observant," he grumbled. "Yes. With her out of the house, father is deciding whether to approve of her as Belmont’s next wife. Marriage around here comes with a hefty price tag…"
"And what is the price tag for your wife?"
"That is yet to be seen…" François’s voice trembled as he said this.
Savy noted his white knuckles straining against the wheel and decided to change the subject.
"Do you know if you are having a boy or a girl?"
"A girl, most likely." François’s face lit up. "But you know there is always a chance that they missed something at the ultrasound. She is due in two weeks."
They chatted some more about the baby and the weather. François sent a text at a red light than a few minutes later turned on a small street and pulled up next to a wood door that stood in-between two store fronts.
"Get ready to run as soon as I tell you to," François said.
"Merci! At least I think." She smiled at him, tentatively.
"Be careful out there. Now go!" He nodded to someone, and Savy got out of the car. Her heart froze as she saw Samuel, but hurried to join him regardless the unease that settled over her.
Chapter 55
"Hi," Savy said as Samuel closed the door behind her.
Without answering, Samuel steered her to the elevators.
"What the hell were you thinking!" He whirled on her as soon as the doors closed on them. "Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?"
"Apparently not, as I am being lectured for the second time, and I am sure I have hell to pay when you deliver me to my brother. Heard it, got it, on to the next subject, please!" She crossed her arms defensively, her words sharp.
"This isn’t a joke. You were caught, where you were not supposed to be." Samuel said more calmly.
He placed a call on the phone Aidan had given him, the instant they got out on the third floor.
"I got her. She is safe. Should I bring her by? Sure, you can send someone to pick her up. Good. I’ll wait for your call." He opened the door, the second on their left. "Welcome to my temporary home."
"Nice." Savy entered a bare, beige hallway.
To her right was an open, glass double door giving on a spacious white living room with large windows and to her left, there was a wide kitchen and an eating area. From one of the rooms down the hall, she could hear the faint sounds of Edith Piaf singing La Vie En Rose.
Samuel motioned for her to go into the living room, decorated in a modern style. There were a loveseat and two armchairs, an ocean blue geometric carpet lay at the foot of the seats with a black coffee table atop. A thin white bookcase stood against the wall filled with travel books and novels.
On the right-side of the space, framed photos depicted Naomi Itumeleng and another stunningly beautiful woman, their skin colors a drastic contrast. There were a few shots of groups too, including some of Samuel with both women.
"Make yourself at home. I’ll get you a drink. Water or juice?" He stood by the door waiting stoically for her response.
"Don’t you have anything with a kick?" She avoided his gaze, perusing the photos on the wall.
"Are you over eighteen?" He narrowed his eyes at her dubiously.
"Are you deliberately trying to insult me?" She inhaled sharply, facing him.
"It’s illegal for me to offer you hard liquor if you are under age."
A door opened down the hall and a few seconds later Naomi appeared.
"Ah! Bonjour! I did not know that we had a guest!" The woman was even more beautiful in person, with her warm broad smile. "Samuel, would you please get our guest a drink? And bring some crackers and cheese." She instructed as she walked into the room. "Please sit down. I am Naomi."
"My friends call me Savy."
"Lovely to meet you." The tall, gracious woman glanced towards the kitchen and sat down in the nearest chair. "Don’t mind Sam, he’s a grumpy hagfish, nowadays. He lost his niece, job and began this senseless lawsuit against the family that had ignored him for most of his life. Well, those that remain alive, had. Only the good die young…"
Savy felt a pang; Naomi seemed so kind and friendly, she could not help but like her.
"I love the photos! Are you a model?"
"Working on it," Naomi laughed. "But it is a cutthroat industry and the competition is huge. And women of color have even a harder time."
"I had a taste of the hate of immigrants myself this morning… Not that it is anything like what you go through on daily basis, of course!" Savy caught herself.
"Humanity still has a long way to go to understand and accept individual uniqueness. I’m afraid it won’t happen in our lifetime… So, you lost your job, I gather?"
"It wasn’t a real job, but it ended in a rather ugly way."
Samuel entered at this moment.
"What happened? Was it François?" He scowled, handing her a plate of cheese and crackers. The drinks, he placed on the coffee table.
"No, it was the other guy, who followed us. I don’t want to think of what would have happened if François hadn’t come when he did." A cold shiver ran down Savy’s spine at the thought.
"Oh, Samuel! Stop being a stick in the mud! She is obviously in her twenties, and she had a frightful day! Here is the drink." Naomi gave her the glass, and Savy emptied it in a gulp.
"Don’t try to get her drunk, will you? Here is a glass of water, drink it too and eat something!" Samuel ordered Savy. "She is staying with her brother; what will I tell him if she’s in the cups?"
"Don’t worry, I have no intentions of getting her drunk." Naomi gave him a significant look.
"You are meeting someone, no?" He demanded.
"Yes, I am. It was lovely to meet you, Savy. Have fun!" Naomi winked at Samuel and left the room, closing the doors behind her.
"What happened?" Samuel sat down in the empty armchair.
"I was given a diluted drink; that’s what happened," Savy remarked, studying her empty glass.
"That’s how we drink pastis," Samuel informed her sternly.
Savy stared at him as if he had grown a second head. He hid his grin behind his own drink.
"So, I’m not only a kid, but a dumb one?" She rolled her eyes.
"I’ll ask again; what happened?"
"Not much, a guy pulled François over and then followed us here. At least I think he did."
"Where were you? While the guy stopped the car."
"On the floor, behind François."
"It must have been scary…"
Savannah studied him for a long moment; his starched white shirt and gray slacks, leaning back in his chair, swirling his drink slowly.
"Am I that obvious?" He arched an eyebrow.
"You are." She returned her attention to the photos, falling silent, lost within her thoughts.
"Where is that friendly, open girl I met at the cemetery? You are so quiet, one would think that you are shy."
"Maybe you do not know me. Maybe the girl you met that day was doing her job; pretending to be someone she’s not." Savy shrugged.
"I remember you brandishing a lamp over my head to save your brother."
"Why do you call this your temporary home? It’s lovely."
"I can’t be crashing in Naomi’s spare room forever…"
"I thought you two were together." She fidgeted with her purse string, not meeting his eyes.
"I’m definitely not her type," Samuel chuckled lifting his drink and taking a sip.
Savy gazed at him, waiting to see bitterness, but he didn’t seem troubled by this. Then her muddled brain added the bits of odd exchanges between the two as well as the pictures and her lips rounded.
"I see…"
"You have a problem with that?"
"Why would I?" Savy frowned. "Whom a person loves, is no one else’s business. And besides, we do not choose who we are attracted to." She rose and moved to an opening in the wall.
"Stay away from the windows!" Samuel ordered. "If the guy followed you, he might be circling the block; we don’t want him to know that you are here. François is bound to run out of luck sooner or later. Renaud finding out that he helped you, might be the last straw…"
She nodded, peeking inside the adjoining space.
"That’s my room." He added and Savy straightened blushing.
"Sorry…"
"No problems, you are welcome to snoop in there too."
Chapter 56
Savy had no intention of prying, she was in fact about to step away, when she noticed a framed photo on his bedside table.
