by L. B. Simon
And she was leaving behind so much more than just memories; she was leaving her heart and soul, with Aidan and her home. She will never again see Paris at night, in all its magical and magnificent glory, or enjoy a ballet performance at the Palais Garnier, nor have her daily jog through the Jardin du Luxembourg… Life was taking her away from everything and everyone that she loved.
Chapter 66
Aidan threw his arm around Mélisande, but there were only cold sheets beneath his skin. He woke up, wondering where she might have gone. He checked his bathroom, thinking that maybe she was in there, then the other rooms.
He looked into her closet, where half the hangers were empty. His heart dropped to his knees as if he was on one of those rides, that plunges you down towards the ground from a crazy height, before stopping just seconds from impact.
She was gone; just like Gia. Did Mélisande play him too? He collapsed onto the floor and began sobbing. He believed, hoped, that he had met the one woman with whom he would spend the rest of his life. Not that he had harbored any hopes with Gia, she was just an attractive woman; nothing more than a casual thing. But she had duped him in the worst way. He hadn’t seen it coming; just like he hadn’t expected Mélisande taking off just like that, without a goodbye.
He banged his head against the wall that supported him. He was shirtless and barefoot, lost and desperate. Last night was magical, but now he saw all her demeanor, the way she gave herself to him… it was all a farewell.
He crumbled up her impersonal note and fisted his palm around the Scorpio pendant that she had left with the message.
"I am a fool!" He spat under his breath. "Will I never learn?"
"Ace? I’m leaving for the airport soon. Are you here?" Savy called from the living room, before appearing in the doorway. "What the hell?" She rushed to him, suddenly frightened for her brother.
"She is gone, Savy. She is gone! Just like Gia; she used me and then discarded me," Aidan blurted, grabbing hold of her hand.
Savy sat back, her face hardening.
"Don’t compare her to that whore!" She chastised sternly, rising to her feet. "And of course, she is gone! What did you expect? For her to sit here and wait for you to walk out on her? The job is done, we are moving on. You never gave her any reasons to make plans that included you."
"You knew about this?" He looked at her, resentment mounting.
"Absolutely. I helped her set up her bank account, get access to her money. Even got her the plane tickets." Savy crossed her arms over her chest.
"Why?" Aidan studied his sister.
"Because you never asked her to stay!" She turned on her heels. "Her flight leaves in two hours for Madrid, from Paris Orly. Air Europa flight. Isa got her a job there at a friend’s restaurant."
Aidan rushed past her, got dressed and hurried out of the hotel. Vlad saw him in the main lobby and waved him to follow. They hurried to Vlad’s silver Peugeot CY.
The man drove as fast as he could with the beginning of the morning traffic, without exchanging a single word. They stopped at the main entrance of the airport, and Aidan darted into the building. He searched for the Air Europa check in. There was no sign of Mélisande in the lineup. He looked for the gate and saw her in line for security check.
"Excuse me, may I? My girlfriend is there and I got to stop her from leaving." Aidan smiled apologetically and people let him through. "Clara!" He called. "Clara!"
Finally, Mélisande looked over her shoulder and saw him. She began moving towards him too, a glimmer of hope radiating from her.
"Clara, please don’t go!" He pulled her into his arms. "I’m sorry, I should have spoken to you last night, but it was so nice… I want you to stay with us! With me! I need you… I don’t think I can live without you!"
She blinked to disperse the tears that threatened to spill, as he went on.
"I bought these, two days ago." He gave her several sheets.
"What are these?" She unfolded the papers to discover that they were e-tickets.
"Two weeks in the Dominican Republic at an all-inclusive resort; just you and your favorite crew." He grinned tentatively. "Please say yes…"
"I can’t," she whispered her voice breaking as she shook her head. "I can’t depend on your charity for the rest of my life. I have a waitress job waiting for me in Madrid. It’s decent money and I have enough savings for a year."
"What happened to the rest of the capital?" Aidan frowned.
"It’s where it’s most needed; charities, a trust fund for François’s baby, Samuel’s education. I don’t need it; especially after all this. Money is nothing but trouble!" She said defiantly and Aidan nodded, understanding her reasons.
"But you can’t leave us! We need one more person on the team, someone I can trust. And I want you with me for as long as you will have me." Aidan’ eyes filled with tears.
She scrutinized his face a long moment then shook her head.
"You don’t need me; you just don’t want me to go." She averted her gaze. "But I must. Come see me in Madrid in a year. If we still feel the same way about each other, then maybe we can try and see where it goes."
"I mean it! I need you on my team. There aren’t many people that I can trust, you have a keen gut instinct and you can read people like no one else I know. You also have a way with them, you gain their confidence and cooperation; that is one hell of a valuable skill in my line of work. Look at how you got Svetlana Naumova on our side. You think I could have done that or Isa? I won’t even mention Savy, with her bite and bark. We need you! Please don’t waste your talents in Madrid," Aidan pleaded. "Join us and do what you were born to do! You are a natural, we need you! Hum? Will you? Please?"
"Yes," she whispered.
He lifted her up and kissed her passionately as onlookers cheered and applauded. Feeling slightly embarrassed by all the attention, they retraced their steps.
"Why didn’t you tell me about your plans?" He squeezed her hand gently as they neared the exit.
"I guess, for a similar reason as you not telling me about yours; I just wanted to enjoy every second we had together." She rested her cheek against his arm. "I am glad that you came. It was the hardest thing ever to leave you in your bed."
"So, why did you?" They stopped outside.
"If you had walked away from me, it would have been so much worse," she confessed. "This way I would have had the reassurance that it was my decision, not you abandoning me because you didn’t feel the same about me."
His heart tightened and he pulled her to him, kissing her.
"I’m not walking away from you, not ever!" Aidan vowed.
"Ah! The Lioness is back!" Vlad shouted, interrupting the moment, and pulling her into his arms. "Come here!" The Russian kissed her cheeks. "I missed you!"
"I just said goodbye to you," she laughed.
"It feels like it was ages ago, dochen'ka!" He took her carry-on case.
Mélisande’s heart warmed; at least, there was one person left in this world who thought of her as a daughter.
"Have you checked in your luggage?" Aidan remembered suddenly.
"No, I’m traveling light." She pointed at her carry-on case and smiled as Vlad opened the door for her.
"You, young man, keep this beauty close by from now on, or you will have to deal with Vlad’s fury!"
"Yes, sir!" Aidan saluted the man and slid into the back seat after Mélisande. "And thank you, Vlad, for getting me here just in time." Aidan pulled her close, as Vlad started the engine.
Chapter 67
Aidan, Mélisande, Isa, Philip, and Savannah stretched out on the white sand beach, enjoying the shade and the pleasant breeze. There were blue sky and azure water, for as far as they could see. The waves were crashing on the beach, calling them to dip their toes in the warm water.
The couples lay on dark blue beach towels, while Savannah leaned back on a chaise lounge, sipping a cocktail. She was the only one who had not worn a swimsuit but rather opted for shorts and a high-
neck bikini top.
"Ohhh, mi amor," Isa moaned, "this is the high-life! I feel like we are in heaven…"
"Should we move here permanently, babe?" Philip rubbed sunscreen on his wife’s back.
"Maybe we should get a sailboat and sail around these beautiful islands for the rest of our lives," she sighed.
"Whatever it is you want, my love!" They kissed.
"Hello!" They turned around at the sound of the voice to see Samuel.
He was still wearing long pants and a dress shirt, though he had undone a few buttons. Mélisande and Isa rushed to greet him and the men shook his hand. Only Savannah stayed in her chair, her body rigid.
"Finally! You made it!" Mélisande beamed happily.
"Yes. I got delayed. I had an interesting meeting regarding my lawsuit." Samuel looked out at the ocean. "Great-uncle, Marius, chose to settle the case out of court. I got almost everything that I had asked for as compensation. Adeline’s portrait, the one you had in your room, is now hanging in my new apartment in the Montparnasse Quarter, along with the other items. Though, they refused to let me have the Claudel lovers. It is probably for the best, I think it would clash with the rest of my living room décor."
Everyone laughed, except for Savy.
"So now you are a free man, mate," Philip studied Samuel, "what will you do?"
"Not sure! All this freedom; it’s kind of overwhelming. I also inherited a nice sum from my niece. Apparently, she had included me in her will. Great-uncle had to honor the will, seeing how she was betrayed by her own father; and I may have threatened to expose some nasty family secrets if he did not reinstate her name in good standing in the family book…" He kissed Mélisande on the forehead. "She was a sweet girl, my niece. She deserves to have her name cleared. And I miss her something awful!"
"How are François and his family?" Mélisande eyes moistened with emotion.
"The baby is beautiful. They named her after you, did you know that? And Sandra got the strangest gift of all; a huge diamond ring… She loved it. It was a perfect heart cut, just what she had always wanted." Samuel hugged Mélisande, once more.
"Excuse me. I will head back; forgot to do something." Savannah got to her feet and headed up the sandy hill, passing towels and chairs, towards the houses.
Samuel looked after her, but she never spared him a glance.
"How about that swim?" Isa suggested. "It’s getting hot."
"That’s a brilliant idea!" Mélisande nodded and they went down to the water.
"I’ll join you in a bit. I’m not dressed for the occasion." Samuel told the men and followed Savy.
The smell from the open-air restaurant beckoned him as well as the bars. He promised himself to visit the one that served the swimming pool. It must be nice to be in the water on a bar stool and sip a margarita.
He watched Savy as she walked the path, amid the greenery, palm trees, and flowers. He wondered if they were staying in the same complex, as he lost sight of her when she turned onto the path he was to take to his building. Making his way up the steps to his apartment, an angry Savannah met him in the staircase.
"Why are you following me?" She had her arms crossed over her chest, her stormy eyes narrowed.
"I am staying on the next floor." He raised his key, showing her his room number.
She whirled on her heels and hurried up the stairs.
"I’m sorry about what happened," Samuel caught up with her.
"Whatever!" She dismissed him without even looking his way.
"Listen," he noted that she was in the room right next to his.
"I don’t want to hear what you have to say!" She fumbled with her key. "I heard enough. It is your loss that you can’t see me for who I am. I really don’t care."
"Savy, I am too old for you! You are just starting your adulthood, and I am past the age of fun and play. I can’t just disregard that…" He fisted his hands in frustration.
"Well don’t! There are plenty of guys my age as well as yours who would love to have me! So, who cares," she groaned as she still couldn’t open her door. "Damned key…"
Then suddenly her eyes widened and she straightened up. Samuel had moved against her, his breath tickling her neck.
"I’m scared, Savy," he breathed, wrapping his arms around her. "I’m scared of being left all alone."
"If you don’t try being with other people, you will be anyway all alone, don’t you think?" She whispered as she relaxed against his body.
Chapter 68
Lachance entered his office and immediately noticed the courier box on his desk. He looked at it and saw an unfamiliar name. He was about to toss it aside when he thought better of it and reached for his letter opener. Inside he found a used DNA swab, three letters, and the Scorpio bracelet. Frowning, he unfolded one of the sheets and saw that it was a permission to do a DNA test, the second was a letter addressed to him. The third paper was a photocopy of Belmont’s medical report; the man was definitely not Mélisande’s father.
Lachance had suddenly trouble breathing. Dropping into his chair, he picked up the letter and read it. It was from Mélisande, though she used a different name.
Dear Commandant Lachance, it seems that the man who claimed to be my father is not. I should have had this conversation with you in person when I had a chance, but I guess I am too much of a coward. I’m not sure if you would like to know the truth, so I leave this test with you, to do as you wish. I will always remember you as the man who stood by me as a true father should. Sincerely yours, M.
P.S. Should you choose to find me, our friends know where I am.
He looked at the second letter. It stated clearly that an Emily Smith, daughter of a Jane Smith, had reason to believe that Alain Lachance could be her father. Should he wish to pursue the matter she submitted her DNA for testing and gave him permission to do so.
Lachance smiled; Philip must have written the letter to make sure it was legal and binding, using his preferred alias, Smith. He smiled, remembering a young John Smith, who had crossed his path some five years ago. He nodded to himself approvingly; the common foreigner pseudonyms made any inquiry into who the women were, more complicated.
Mélisande, the brave, strong, brilliant young woman, could be his daughter! The man felt an unfamiliar stirring in his heart; fatherly pride.
Lachance got up, taking the letters and the swab with him, and headed down to the lab. He ran into the medical examiner just as he exited the stairwell.
"I was coming to see you," Lachance told his old friend. "I need a favor."
"I’m listening." The man kept on walking towards the laboratory and Lachance followed, handing him the letter.
"This could be a scam," the man noted, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Um, I have reasons to believe that it might not be…"
"You want me to run the test? Skip all the crimes waiting to be solved, and use my facilities to run a paternity test for my friend? Isn’t that abusing power?"
Lachance didn’t respond.
"Bah! What are friends for? Right? Get swabbed and bring it to me. You are in luck; we are just about to go ahead prepping the next sample for the test so I can squeeze you in, immediately."
Lachance nodded gratefully, went into the supplies room, and found a sealed swab.
The technician doing the tests was not too pleased to have the procedures bent, but seeing Lachance and the look in his eyes she went to work without further protests.
Lachance, refusing to leave, made himself at home in his friend’s office. After a long time, he finally fell asleep in an armchair, but it was already past midnight by then. The examiner awakened him, holding up a paper. Lachance straightened, rubbing at his face to clear his foggy mind.
"So, what are the results, doc?" Lachance stared at the man, not daring to breathe.
"It’s a bit complicated; it is not like in the movies or talk shows, take a swab and get a 98% result. Seeing how we do not have the mother’s DNA for comparison, I can only
say for sure that the sample is definitely from a family relation. You could be the father or the uncle."
"I have no siblings." The detective stood up. "Oh, mon Dieu!" Lachance choked on his tears. "Oh! My God!" He repeated. "This is not real… I had a daughter all these years, and I had no idea! How can that be?"
"Well, look at the bright side. I assume that the girl is alive seeing how she sent you a letter. You have a chance to get to know her. It is more than I can say for the rest of my clients."
The man’s bluntness brought a smile to Lachance’s face.
"You are right." Lachance nodded and stood up. "Thank you, my friend! I think I will finally take those vacation days that I have piled up!"
The detective walked back to his office and wrote a quick note to his supervisor. There was not much to say, he realized, so he jotted down one line; taking time off to go find my daughter. Then stormed out of the police station.
Epilogue
"Here is to you, Lachance!" Aidan raised his glass of Mama Juana. "You are really something, Commandant! I am stunned by how you played us all! I truly am!" Both men stood by the open-air beach bar waiting for their friends, enjoying the Caribbean breeze.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Lachance scowled.
"Oh! Just the brilliance of your revenge! It was magnificent!" Aidan couldn’t mask his admiration. "How long did you plan Belmont’s downfall? The full twelve years? And how you had pulled in others into your schemes! Wow! That was genius! James Ward, you had him arrested before he went legitimate, when was it? Seven or eight years ago? How did you get him to work for you? Gave him a sweet deal? Be your informant or rot in jail? But I am the most impressed by Samuel. Did you buy his collaboration with a motorcycle, or was he just as eager as you to get even with Belmont? What was it you called him? The catalyst? No, it wasn’t Samuel, the catalyst, or at least not just him; it was you all along!" Aidan nodded approvingly.