by J. A. Kalis
He was leaving.
The man waved a final goodbye, then stepped into the narrow street and set off at a brisk pace, disappearing from view. Left alone, the blonde slowly sipped her mineral water, her eyes staring down at the tall glass. Lorenzo realized this was his chance. A chance he shouldn’t miss. But first he chose to finish his coffee. No need to hurry, to appear pushy, he thought.
He took another sip of his drink while watching the girl over the rim of his cup, admiring her body. But all of a sudden the blonde fumbled in her purse, took out a few coins, put them on the table, and quickly left the terrace. Before he even had time to react, she was gone.
For a brief moment he regretted missing his opportunity, but he soon regained his composure. Not all was lost. Not yet. He wasn’t the type to give up so easily.
Unruffled, he lifted the coffee to his lips, draining the cup, then placing it back on the faux marble table top. The elderly lady next to him stood up, pushed her chair back and headed in the direction of the rest room. Eyeing her table, Lorenzo spotted the little silver plate with the bill and a ten-euro note. He waited until she’d disappeared inside the café, then looked around quickly to make sure nobody was watching him. In one swift move he grabbed the note and shoved it in his pocket. I need it, he justified.
Not losing another minute Lorenzo walked over to the bar counter and paid his bill with the ten-euro note he had just stolen.
Once outside the café, he lingered a moment while his sharp eyes scanned the almost deserted narrow medieval street lined with ancient beige sandstone and half-timbered houses, until they settled on a distant lone figure making its way slowly down the street, glancing occasionally at the window displays.
It was the blonde.
Heartened, he headed towards her, picking up his pace, his sneakers noiseless on the cobblestones. Unaware of being followed and apparently not in a hurry, the blonde didn’t accelerate her step. She stopped in front of the arched window of a jewellery shop, giving Lorenzo chance to catch up. He approached her silently from behind.
‘A nice piece. It would really look good around your neck.’ He pointed to a white gold amethyst pendant necklace.
Startled by his unannounced presence, the girl turned around rapidly and fixed him with an annoyed glare. In response he flashed her his most charming smile. Their eyes locked for a second.
She broke the gaze first. ‘Oh, it’s you, the guy who was eyeing me at the café.’
‘Isn’t it strange how we keep bumping into each other? Pretty amazing, don’t you think? It must be fate. Do you believe in destiny? I do.’
‘Are you following me?’
‘Come on, no need to be so hostile. Relax, why don’t you give me one of your beautiful smiles. I was just passing by and saw you standing. I thought to myself, such a beautiful girl shouldn’t be walking alone. It’s not safe. You never know what might happen on these empty streets, with no one to come to your rescue, no one to hear your screams.’ A weird teasing smile curled the corners of his mouth, an icy glint illuminated his eyes.
She turned her face away, her expression wary.
‘I want to protect you. I guess you aren’t from here around. I haven’t seen you before. And I wouldn’t have missed such a beautiful girl.’
‘Your guess is right; I don’t live here. I came to visit my aunt.’
The expression on her face told him she was telling the truth. He liked what he heard. Not many people would know her here, so if she disappeared not many people would look for her. He didn’t intend to kill her but he knew he couldn’t always control his temper. He knew he might lose it again despite his best intentions.
‘How long are you staying with her?’
‘Two weeks.’
Just enough time for a short fling, just how I like it, he thought to himself. He knew he should keep out of trouble and lay low, but that wasn’t going to stop him from trying his chances with her. The attraction he felt for her was too strong.
The blonde started to walk away. He followed her, keeping close to her side.
‘I’ll keep you company. What’s your name? I’m Lucien.’
‘I don’t need your company. You should stop following me. My aunt doesn’t live far away. And for your information, I have a boyfriend. You saw me with him at the café.’
She seemed to be an aloof kind of woman. Maybe she considered herself too good for him. Or was she playing hard to get? Either way, he wasn’t in the mood to play games. He knew her type. She was pretending not to be interested. Yet in the café, the way she’d looked at him implied quite the opposite. He had to tread carefully now, not to turn her off, but he knew he would eventually get her. No doubt about that. He always got what he wanted. Then, he would teach her a lesson, make her pay for playing games with him. She definitely deserved to be punished. His face tensed. A shadow crossed it. He made an effort to control his rising anger. A moment later his jaw relaxed. He even managed a faint smile. When he spoke, his voice sounded calm and steady to his own ears.
‘Even so, you can still talk to me. There’s no harm in talking. I’m not bothered that you have a boyfriend. I am not the jealous type.’ His smile broadened into a grin. But the girl didn’t acknowledge his attempt at humour.
In response she simply quickened her pace. Undeterred, he followed her. They reached the end of the street and entered a small square with a centuries-old stone fountain in the middle. Unlike the street, the square wasn’t shaded. Instantly, they both felt the hot sunrays scorch their unprotected skin. It was a sweltering hot day, the air heavy without even the slightest stir of a breeze. The locals were wise to stay indoors, behind thick walls and closed shutters. They crossed the small square in silence and entered another narrow, deserted street, relieved to find shade again.
‘I’m almost home now. My aunt lives over there.’ She pointed towards a two-storey house with a heavy, weathered, wooden front door a few metres further down the street. ‘You may go your way now.’
Oh, now she didn’t need him anymore. What an ungrateful bitch. But he wasn’t done with her yet.
‘Can we meet again? I can show you around the town; I know all the interesting places. We could take a walk to the fortified bridge crossing the Lot River, le Pont Valentré. You must have heard of it. It’s quite famous. Did you know it’s also called the devil’s bridge? Do you know why? Because it took so long to construct it that the architect got impatient and called the devil to help him finish it. Some say the devil answered his call, and has never left the place since. Pretty cool, isn’t it?’ Again, his mouth curved in a wry grin.
Not bothering to respond, the blonde turned away from him and, on reaching her aunt’s, pushed open the door.
‘Wait! There are also some wonderful caves here around. I know them all well, even the places not open to the general public. I could give you a private tour. Actually, I work as a cave tour guide.’ He tried not to sound too desperate, thinking such a small lie wouldn’t hurt anybody, but would make him appear more interesting. Anyway, it wasn’t really a lie – he was going to be a guide soon. It was only a matter of time.
The girl stepped inside the building. Then she stopped with her hand still on the doorknob. Lorenzo exhaled, relieved. Did his last words catch her attention? It seemed so. Several more seconds passed before she turned to face him. He fixed his eyes on hers. He could have sworn he detected some guilt in them. Guilt for treating him so badly? For misjudging him? When she finally spoke, there was a hint of hesitation in her voice.
‘Really? That’s such a cool job. I’d love to be a cave tour guide. Sorry, I didn’t tell you my name. I’m Véronique. Caves fascinate me. That’s why I chose to study geology. In fact, I was planning to visit some of the caves around here. But I don’t like the idea of walking on my own in the desolate countryside. I’d feel much safer if I had somebody to accompany me. Especially someone like you who knows well the area and can show me all the interesting places worth visiting. My boyfriend can�
�t go with me as he has already left for Lyon. He –’ She paused, and looked as if she dreaded she had said too much. Then she fumbled in her bag until she found a pen and a piece of paper. She scribbled her phone number on it. ‘Here’s my phone number. Call me to let me know when you’ll be free to show me around.’
‘No need – we can go tomorrow. Tomorrow is my day off. You see, I work only three days a week. You won’t regret it. The place is really fantastic.’ His eyes lightened up as he said it. ‘I can come to pick you up in my car around eleven o’clock. I’ll wait for you by the fountain we’ve just passed.’
‘Fine. See you tomorrow.’ Véronique disappeared inside the building, the door closing behind her with a clunk.
Lorenzo’s mood heightened. A smug, self-satisfied smile brightened his face. He was pleased with himself. As usual, his natural charm had worked. He knew exactly where to take her tomorrow, the perfect place where he’d be able to do what he wanted to her. And after he was finished, nobody would find her in that desolate place. But just to be on the safe side, he would take care to remove every trace of his presence. The thought set his mind at ease, and a sense of serenity engulfed him. He turned around and headed in the direction of his rented apartment.
CHAPTER 8
It was going on two in the afternoon when Carol’s phone finally rang. She answered it immediately.
‘We can meet now. I found someone to replace me. Come to the front desk. I’ll be waiting for you there.’
Fifteen minutes later Corinne and Carol were sitting at a small round table in the farthest corner of a café terrace overlooking a deep ravine.
With the sun high in the clear blue sky, it was another scorching summer afternoon. The heat was so intense that the air, saturated with the aroma of dry herbs mixed with a subtle hint of pine, was slightly quivering from it. As expected, many people sought shade under big umbrellas; almost all the tables on the terrace were occupied. But the girls had managed to find a secluded spot out of earshot of the other customers.
The view from where they sat was impressive. Down in the valley, the river gleamed like a silver ribbon weaving its way through the rich green clusters of trees, all of them bright and sharply outlined. A fine bluish haze enveloped the other, forested side of the gorge, giving it a dreamlike appearance.
Yet neither of the girls really took in the splendid view, their minds too preoccupied with other matters.
As soon as they had sat down and ordered a bottle of mineral water, Carol enquired in a low voice, ‘Can we talk here safely?’
‘Yes, we can. Don’t worry, here we are fine.’
A pronounced odour of garlic bread and cheese crept up their nostrils as a waiter passed on his way to a middle-aged couple seated two tables away.
‘So, tell me what happened? How did Sandy die? Did someone kill her? Was it Lucien?’
Corinne shook her head.
‘Nobody killed your sister. It was just a tragic accident. You must believe me.’ She fixed Carol with a look between sheepish and suspicious.
‘Why didn’t you contact us, I mean me or my parents, to tell us what had happened?’ There was an accusing look on Carol’s face. ‘You can’t imagine how hard it’s been for us all. The strain, the distress of not knowing whether she was still alive.’
‘I wanted to, but he wouldn’t let me. You don’t know him so you can’t understand; he’s paranoid and despotic, and he’s so violent with me sometimes. We were both scared we’d be blamed. I guess we still are.’
‘And the last email we received from her? I know it wasn’t from her. Was it you or Lucien who wrote it?’
‘It was Lucien. It was his idea. He thought it would stop you from worrying.’
‘It didn’t. Just tell me how … how it happened. How she died.’
‘We were walking up in the mountains. It was such an arduous climb, the track so badly marked. The walk exhausted us all but at the same time it was very rewarding because it brought us to a place with a splendid view. Sandy wanted to take a picture. We warned her to keep a safe distance from the edge, but she wouldn’t listen. I don’t know exactly how it happened … the whole thing was over so quickly. I suppose she slipped on a wet stone and fell. I can’t say for sure. She screamed but it was already too late to save her.’ Corinne paused and took a deep breath. ‘We saw her lying a few metres down, on a rocky outcrop. There was no doubt in our minds she was dead. All that blood. So much of it around her head. We panicked. We were both so scared that nobody would believe us if we told them what had happened. The police would accuse us of pushing her. They would arrest us and put in prison. You wouldn’t understand, you haven’t been there. It’s nothing like here. It’s a post-communist country, the prisons are so awful and you never know what to expect with the police there. They can be very severe. We had to run away.’
Carol listened without interrupting the rapid flow of words, undecided about whether to believe the story she had just heard or not. Her narrowed eyes watched Corinne closely for any sign of a lie. She found none. Corrine looked genuinely frightened, as well as sorry and guilt ridden. But although she could detect nothing in Corinne’s behaviour that would trigger her suspicion, doubt nagged her.
Several minutes went by with neither girl knowing how to break the silence, each wrestling with her own thoughts.
Carol looked again at the expression on Corinne’s face, deciding she could trust her. For now, she pushed away the feeling of reproach and hate that was budding inside her. She had more questions for which she needed answers. She had to learn where the body of her little sister was.
‘You must tell me where it happened – the exact spot – so that we can find her body and bury it,’ she implored. ‘Then I will be able to call my father and tell him where to look for her.’
‘Don’t worry, I will show you. I marked it all on a map – the trail we took and the place where it happened. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember the name of the village. They have such difficult to pronounce names. But I wrote it on a piece of paper. Wait a moment, I have it here somewhere.’ She fumbled in the small rucksack she’d brought with her. ‘How strange, I can’t find it. I could have sworn it was in here.’ The confusion on her face was plain to see. ‘I don’t believe it – I must have left it in my car. How stupid of me.’
‘Can’t you go and fetch it. I’ll wait.’
‘Oh, but it’s quite a walk. I left my car at that big car park down there. And I don’t have much time.’ She looked at her watch, looking nervous now. ‘I’ve got another appointment. I must get there on time. I’m sorry I messed things up. It would be better if you came with me to the car. I hope you don’t mind.’
‘It’s okay, I’ll go with you.’
Without finishing their drinks, they stood up. Before Carol had managed to extract some change from her purse, Corinne held up her hand.
‘Don’t bother. I’ll pay for the drinks.’
She put one euro and three two-euro coins on the table and they headed towards the street, which was filled with crowds of tourists despite the hot weather.
‘What else are you going to do, go to the police?’ Corinne asked while they were walking.
‘The police? You mean here? No, I don’t think so. But my father has asked the Georgian police to help him, so he’ll be able to tell them where her body is.’
‘When do you leave here?’
‘For home? Tomorrow. I should go and see my mother as soon as possible and tell her what I’ve learnt.’
As they reached the car park, Corinne stopped short. There were no other people in sight but the place was packed with cars. Cupping her right hand over her brow to shield her eyes from the sun, she scanned the whole area.
A couple of minutes went by before Corinne moved. Strangely, she seemed to have forgotten where she’d parked her car. Visibly tense, she kept silent as she walked among rows of vehicles, scrutinizing each of them, searching for the one she owned. At the same time, she kept casting furtiv
e looks around her, as if she was afraid that someone might be watching them from afar.
‘What’s the matter? Is something wrong?’ Carol didn’t bother to hide the annoyance in her voice.
‘It’s nothing. I’m always forgetting where I parked my car. I’m so forgetful!’ She laughed nervously.
A few minutes elapsed before Corinne managed at last to locate the vehicle, a large old Peugeot.
Carol breathed a sigh of relief. She had started to get really impatient, feeling the burning touch of the blaring sun on the unprotected skin of her arms and face growing more insistent with each moment that passed.
Keys in hand and her confidence regained, Corinne strode to the back of the car. Seeing Carol’s slightly puzzled look, she explained, ‘I left it in the boot.’
Before she pressed the latch, her gaze darted around again. She motioned for Carol to come closer. The boot lid sprang open, and she leaned over to search through the stuff inside the vehicle.
‘Yes, I was right, I’ve got it. Come on, I’ll show you,’ she called without turning around.
Curious, Carol drew nearer and peered inside the boot.
Apart from a roll of tape and two coils of rope, it was empty.
‘I don’t understand. Where is it?’
The moment the words left her mouth, she felt something cold and sharp pressing into her lower back. Instinctively she froze. She heard a man’s voice speaking in a calm, measured tone.
‘Don’t say a word, just do what I tell you. Don’t even think about trying to run away or calling for help. Nobody will come to your rescue.’
Was it an armed robbery? Had they been attacked? Maybe Corinne could run to safety and fetch help?
Carol tried to turn her head to look at the assailant, but he tightened his grip on her arm. ‘Don’t move! Don’t try to put up a struggle if you don’t want to get hurt.’
Out of the corner of her eye she caught some movement, and instantly knew it was Corinne. Why wasn’t she trying to run away?
Corrine straightened up and stepped aside, and Carol noticed her hands were clutching the roll of tape and two coils of rope.
