“I forgot to tell you something. Tomorrow we have to be here at six am instead of seven am. Sure enough meat from abroad is arriving and they dispatch it very early.”
“I don’t mind coming here very early. But swear to me you were teasing me when you said you have a crush on that girl,” said Sylvanus in a desperate way.
“I was not teasing you but I accept your advice. We will be friends for life. And we will be bachelors for the rest of our life. But now just focus on our customers very thoroughly. They come and go with frenzy and we have to ensnare them with our mastery. I forgot to ask you a favour. Do you mind contacting Araon as soon as we finish working today? It’s been a long time since we saw him. I want you either to phone him or surprise him by going to his flat as soon as possible, find a good excuse and arrange a meeting for the middle of the week.”.
“I’ll do it. But I don’t think it is wrong that you contact them first. I am also nosey to know if Jill is pregnant or not. I am not in their shoes but I am sure that a baby is a source of great joy for them.”
The two friends spent the rest of the day speaking fondly and dealing with very satisfied customers. Time for closing arrived early being they were very much into the job and they left the place on their way back home.
Araon and Doctor Van der Baast were keen-witted on their respective goals. They met up in the hospital after a very busy weekend. Van der Baast looked tired with puffy and swollen eyes. “What desires have pushed you here dude?” he said to Araon watching him suspiciously.
“We made an agreement if you remember. We decided to cooperate secretly in the disentangling of our mystery. I have come here since it’s a long time since we have seen each other. The more time passes, the more we lose hope to reach a clue. I hope I am not disturbing you now,” said Araon steadily.
“Not at all. I simply ask you the patience to wait for a while. I have to visit all the patients. By the way, do you remember the man with diabetes who risked the amputation of one leg? Now he has totally recovered and left the hospital one week ago. You cannot imagine the joy of the relatives. I finally feel free from blame. Now wait for me here. I’ll come back soon. By the way, would you like a cup of coffee? Serve yourself from the machine; I leave the coins for you here.”
“Thank you. I’m looking forward to talking to you.”
Van der Baast went quickly to fulfil his duty and Araon was all alone in the obscure office of his friend. He started to be a bit nosey and rummaged in a drawer. What a surprise! He found subtle documents about the ligated tubes of an unnamed woman. There was a passport where it could be read just the code number, the name of the woman and her nationality completely cancelled. Other documents witnessed the donation of organs from other volunteers. Van der Baast entered his office without knocking on the door, earlier than anticipated and found his friend with those documents in his hands.
“What are you doing dude? You know you shouldn’t search my private correspondence?”
“I’m very sorry but I was bored and I acted stupidly. But tell me, man: who is the woman with the tubes ligated? Why didn’t you talk to me about it?”
“Well I kept the news secret because I couldn’t compromise my career. I cannot help a woman to have the tubes ligated. She was a prostitute who decided to change her life and was going to live abroad with a better job. She left me the documents which could ruin her one day. I could read only the number of the passport but it was not enough to have news from the consulate about the whereabouts of the woman. She must have used a new kind of acid that cancels the data on a paper slowly. I came to check the document not in time enough to have the details of the lady. She disappeared over four months ago and I decided not to talk to you about this fact in order not to confuse your investigations. I’m sure the woman has nothing to do with the drama of the Van Gogh Museum,” said Van der Baast with a placatory tone.
“But she was a prostitute. Do you know the danger these women face every day? Yes, they are protected by the law but they still live a low life! I’m not angry with you because of this. I have also hidden something from you. I have undergone some blood tests on general health and prostate cancer. There were some changed values but according to the doctor there is nothing I have to be worried about. He told me that I must be careful with my liver. I did those tests in order to know if I have the downside of infertility. But tell me one thing: did you do that bloody operation when you told me you were not at the hospital for a talk on updating?”
“I don’t remember well but I think you are right. You see this hospital has too many underhand situations. Some women come here to have an abortion and we don’t authorize it. Somebody did it clandestinely not to compromise his career, not because he was a conscience objector. But the worst has gone away. I’m looking for a better future with a plan to retire as late as I can.”
“I wish you good luck but try to be sincere and clear.”
“I’ll do it. If you don’t mind, I leave those documents to you to make them disappear. I cannot go any further with my enquires on the whereabouts of that woman right now. I just saved the papers which contain information on the dead organ donors. I’ll keep you informed about anything useful as soon as I can.”
“I hope so. Now I have to go. Jill will be waiting for me patiently at home. But now we have no excuses in the foreseeable future we will discuss the Sunflower painting and the missing corpse all day long. Have a good day.”
“The same to you.”
Araon felt definitely disgusted by Van der Baast’s behaviour. He was wondering if he still had some friends who were trustworthy. But he didn’t want to show Jill the disappointment which appeared on his face and went to buy some flowers for her. He picked fifty red roses, Jill’s favourite flowers.
She was waiting for him with huge patience. He wasn’t late though. He decided to confess to her about his blood analysis to keep his mind clear from concern.
Jill welcomed him with her usual hug and she was visibly elated at the sight of the flowers. “These are for you love. I feel better when I see you. I had a harsh day today and I’m finally at home,” said Araon hiding his excitement.
“What went wrong? I cooked a nice meal for you. It’s ready on the table,” said Jill.
“Well, you know I was up and down in the streets as a vagabond thinking of you. I haven’t disclosed a secret to you yet. Some time ago I underwent a blood test for the fear of being infertile and there were bad values on my liver. But there is nothing to be worried about. I hope you forgive me about my stupid secrecy,” said Araon.
“What a fuss! Why should I be angry? You did the best thing you could do. But now come here and relax yourself. Oh, wait a moment. I forgot to tell you that five minutes ago somebody called you on the phone you left at home He was a certain Doctor Van der Baast. He told me that he would call you later on,” said Jill.
Araon made a leap and the two sat at the table wonderfully.
Araon felt to be invincible. The day after the meeting with Van der Baast he made further progress in the investigation on his own. He woke up early when Jill was still fast asleep. He dressed with casually so as not to attract people’s attention, made a first quick visit to his working place and, after that, he went straight to the graveyard. The quiet and peace of the place tarnished the most frightening and horrendous of all enemies: death. A widower crying over a gravestone prompted him to buy some flowers for his beloved uncle who was resting nearby. After that he made his best to act cunningly. to proceed with his best intention over his secret matter. He had clear in mind a goal to follow and nobody would stop him. He went undisturbed to the office of the graveyard and, to his joy, he noticed the employee of that place was momentarily out. The door was open. Maybe the man in charge had been absent-minded while dealing with his job. Araon had no visible obstacles for the moment. He opened the door slowly making sure that nobody would see him and entered the room of the register of the faithful departed and started rummaging. There were sever
al drawers he would have liked to have a glance at. He looked for the key to open them everywhere. He finally found it hanging on the wall. He opened the first drawer on the left of the desk and found the record of all the people who had burial over there and of the ones who had been cremated. There were notes on the ones who had donated their organs to the hospitals. They were all women. There was a list of those organs: kidney, liver, ovarian organs. There was a green cross on three of those women as a reference mark. The notes said that those women were members of the Methodist Church. Araon was to figure an explanation for that proceeding being cremation allowed by all religions now.
He heard some noise from outside and his heart started to beat steadily. He calmed down when he learnt that the noise was due to a squirrel passing by and nobody was around. Anyway, he went out of the room trying to make all traces of his presence there disappear. He made sure that nobody could see him and went walking around the cemetery. The silence of the place was interrupted by some moans coming from a family vault. He turned his face it and he saw a half-naked young couple kissing each other with passion among the graves. He didn’t understand the young guys decision to profane the tomb. but he went away minding his own business. He was focused on the information he had found in the office. He didn’t find anything concerning a woman who disappeared from home four months earlier. Anyway, prostitutes had to be buried in the poorest parts of the cemetery. He didn’t find any news of a cremation which might have taken place four months earlier. Araon was puzzling his already confused mind. He left the cemetery and went away with nothing clear in mind about all the proceedings of his investigation on the Van Gogh Museum case. He reached Piazza Dam by bus. The place was more crowded than ever. Some portrait painters occupied a side of the square. He was curious about all those people from every walk of life waiting in queue to have a portrait of their own. Araon approached them and was struck by the portrait of a naked woman in profile. The finest of her traits was her Greek nose. He asked the painter who the woman was who had been so unprejudiced in a public place. The painter explained to him that the woman in that portrait was a prostitute who had left her job to work abroad. He made her portrait out of a photograph. She told us that she wanted to be remembered by her former customers in that way.
“What is her name, if you don’t mind?” asked Araon.
“Unfortunately, we cannot give the name of our models. We can say just that she left this place over three months ago. We work with the authorization of the minister of the arts and whatever we do here is lawful. If you wish to have a portrait, we’ll do it straight now.”
“No, thanks. I was just nosey. I wish you good luck” Araon was handling the pieces of the puzzle little by little Why a murderer would leave evidence of a misdeed that would lead to the hiding of a woman corpse so well? Definitely the woman of the portrait might be the prostitute that left the brothel three months earlier. But she must be alive. Araon figure out the destiny of that charming woman. He imagined her working in a striptease club in Paris, a fashionable place. He also imagined her working as a waitress in a posh London restaurant. But definitely he didn’t imagine her dead. Anyway, he was so confused. Never mind, the mystery of the Van Gogh Museum case was to be disentangled very soon. He got on another bus and stopped at Rokin not far from his house. He had a dreamlike expression when he saw Jill in the same street. She was dressed in jeans with a white shirt, good sneakers and a pony tail which embellished the fine traits of her face. “Jill, darling, what are you doing here?”
“You can see I have this big bag with mushrooms What are YOU doing here now?”
“I was at work to check if everything is going well and, then, I had a walk before coming back home,” said Araon blushing.
“But it’s nearly lunch time. You must have enjoyed yourself a lot.”
“Not at all. I was missing you. Would you like a cup of coffee before lunch?”
“Yes, it’s a good idea. There is a fashionable bar at the end of the street.”
“You forgot the most important thing: you forgot to give me a kiss.”
Jill put her lips to Araon’s and joyfully went with him for a snack. The weather was blistering hot. It didn’t help their happiness to shine. They were a normal and average couple blessed by destiny to extreme limits.
The owner of the bar was very rude. He was used to giving the customers the right change and he didn’t send waiters to the table. Araon and Jill had a better idea: to fly back home and to cuddle each other with a restorative lunch. Araon confessed to Jill his jealousy on seeing her dressed like a teen. She was simply fantastic. He didn’t understand why she used to wear more motherly dresses when they planned to go out together. Anyway, he kept silent. He didn’t want to burden Jill with his stupid jealousy.
While in the kitchen Jill immediately put the mushrooms in the frying pan. “Do you remember the dinner at the Steakhouse in London? I’m making mushrooms like the ones served at that restaurant. That will satisfy your appetite, I’m sure of this. By the way, I heard at the knitting course that the Steakhouse has changed the conduct of the business and the food is not the same. The furniture is not the same any more as well. What a pity! I loved to eat there, good meals watching Piccadilly outside the windows,” said Jill hastily.
“Yes. It is a pity. But I don’t blame myself for other missed occasions of eating healthy outside. You are the best cook in the world. Try not to deny it. By the way: you mentioned me the knitting course. How is it going?”
“Not bad at all. I overcame the crisis of the first days and, apparently, I’m making constant progress. I have just to keep an eye to the gossip woman who sat next to me all the time. She has started to confide to me her best secret since the beginning of the course. They are such weird stories! Oh! How stupid. I don’t remember where I have put the oil and the salt.”
“Here they are, darling. They were behind you. I hope my presence is not making you nervous. I’ll go to have a shower and leave you alone.”
Araon discovered the joy of tenderness. He had noticed all the expedients that Jill did to attract him to her. For a moment he considered telling her everything about the story of the Van Gogh Museum. But it was just a moment of fragility. He was so forlorn. He wanted to relax under the shower but the water was not warm enough even for the good weather they were enjoying at the time. They never used the heater during the spring and now he thought it was a bit of a mistake. He finished his shower quickly and covered himself with the bathrobe. Then he went to the bedroom where he picked some jeans and a white shirt. He wanted to be similar to Jill in everything. What he disliked most were his unkempt beard and moustaches. He planned to go to the barber after lunch. “You never complain sweetheart. Are my beard and moustaches irritating?” he asked Jill.
“Not so much. I love you for what you are. But you are free to go to the barber. Tell me: you are thinking of going there after lunch, won’t you? It means I’ll be alone for another hour.”
“You read my mind, Jill. But I’ll be back as soon as possible. I’ll go to the shop at the end of St. Luciensteeg Street. Meanwhile you can have a rest. I see you are so absent-minded today. Are you sure there are not flirts?”
“Flirts? What flirts. I love you with all my heart and I like it when you say to me, I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. You must be very tired and stressed. Follow my advice and everything will be OK. Go or you will find the shop too busy:”
The barber was surprised to see Araon after such a long time. He found him untidy and not clean at all. “Come you are the first,” he said as soon as Araon entered the shop. He was a privileged customer even if there was not a clear reason for it. “I’m giving a trimming to your hair. Your beard and mustaches are not so bad even though I understand they can annoy your wife.” Another customer arrived. He looked like a beggar. He started to chat to Araon as if he was an old friend. He was hilarious in his frenzy.
“What is your name?” he asked with a grimace in his mouth.
>
“My name is Araon. I come here occasionally. What about you?”
“I am Vank. I came here prompted by my nephew who told me I look like a beggar. I am very fond of him. He is currently unemployed and he is on unemployment benefit. He has recently written a book called The Hen and The Mud which will be published shortly. He dreams of huge success. He wishes to sell a million of books worldwide. At least he is able to dream.”
“That sounds interesting. I wish your nephew good luck. There is nothing to be worried about,” said Araon pretending to be interested in the chat. Mosquitos were flying everywhere. They were so bothersome. The barber confessed that he was unable to kill even the smallest animals not even an ant.
“How much is it?” said Araon at the end of the trimming.
“Oh, you can go. It’s free because of the mosquitos’ annoyance.”
“You must be crazy. I have to pay.”
“Not now. You can go.”
Araon left the shop reluctantly. He felt guilty for not having paid at all. He was finally free to spend the rest of the day with Jill. He arrived at home at four pm. As anticipated, Jill was waiting for him lying on the sofa. She was knitting a baby dress. She pretended not to be interested in her husband’s new look. Araon felt a bit nervous. He told Jill that he would like to watch Monte Carlo grand prix on TV, His favourite driver was likely to win the race. Jill nodded.
She took from the fridge a bottle of beer to enjoy the show. The Braham was going terrifically from the start to Araon’s joy. A bottle of beer after another accompanied him to the end of the show. “We have won Grace. Are you happy?”
“I would be happier if you hadn’t enjoyed so much beer. Are you OK now?”
“You have to keep calm. After all my plan is to spend all the day in our little flat with you. Have you got any suggestion about the occasion?”
The Red Box Page 27