“Eagle” came on by the time she finished her stretches, so she began her run. She was very careful not to mouth along with the words, this time. She’d had enough ribbing from everyone when they found out she was an Abba fan.
It took her fifteen minutes to make it to the southernmost end where she made her customary circuit of the botanical labyrinth. It still amazed her that no snow yet lay on the ground, but everyone assured her that it rarely did. January was usually when the snows came, and even so, it rarely stayed on the ground for long.
As she broke out of the tree line, she saw a woman standing at the entrance to the labyrinth. The woman turned her way, so Amanda waved, but got no response, even though the woman clearly saw her. Amanda wondered who the person was since the MNHN was only open to employees, students, and paying guests. As it was evening, however, the park was closed, so she assumed it was an employee.
Completing her circuit around the labyrinth, she made her way to the footpath at the southeastern end to continue her route around the grounds. The woman she’d seen at the labyrinth entrance was now standing in the middle of the footpath, looking at her as if she’d been waiting.
Without missing her stride, Amanda bid her a “bonjour” but didn’t expect a reply as she weaved around the woman and continued jogging. She felt, rather than heard, a whirring that ended in a loud whack.
“Oof!” was all Amanda managed as she fell on the hard gravel. Her right shoulder had gone numb. She rolled off the path into the thin copse of grass, vaguely wondering what had happened. Fortunately, help was at hand. She turned to her side to call out to the other woman for help.
Pain stung her palms as something slammed against it. Amanda screamed and held out her other hand. The light coming in from the street beyond the walls was weakened by the thick copse of trees, even though most were devoid of leaves.
Someone was hitting her with a rough branch or stick, stinging her hands and upper arms as she tried to ward off the blows. With her back in pain and the rough, frozen ground beneath her making it worse, Amanda kicked out, hoping to make contact. Unable to see clearly, her feet met thin air.
Another whizzing sound gave her some warning. Amanda thrust her arm to her right, deflecting a blow aimed at her thigh. She screamed as the rough piece of bark tore through the flesh of her upper arm, ripping her skin off as it withdrew. A whizzing sound from above gave her another warning. She managed to block it with her left arm, but it broke upon contact and the upper half struck her hard on the chin.
Amanda screamed as a booted foot stomped on her left shin. Another kicked her in her left thigh, followed by yet another below her ribs. All she could do was curl herself into a ball as more blows and kicks rained down on her.
In desperation, she kicked upward, hoping for better luck, this time. An “oomph” told her she’d scored. Honing in on that grunt, she kicked at what she hoped was her attacker’s shin. A shriek told her that her luck was changing. She kept kicking, but the attacker was backing off. She blindly reached above her head, hoping to locate the broken stick or branch she’d been whacked with as she continued screaming for help.
Another kick found her above her left thigh. Still squealing, Amanda’s found the stick. She clubbed the air to her left, praying she’d hit something. The stick made contact, a yell followed. Amanda desperately scrambled away, screaming as hard as she could while pointing the stick in the air to her left. She felt like passing out and hoped that help would arrive before it was too late.
*****
Arnaud was surprised. “Guillaume?”
Guillaume normally waited for Arnaud in the downstairs lobby unless he needed to carry something for his boss. This time, however, the faithful driver stood in the office with a frantic look. Marie, his wife, stood behind him, looking worried.
“Monsieur! It’s Amanda! She was attacked again. It’s serious, this time. They’ve taken her to the hospital. The Pierre and Marie!”
“Let’s go!”
But it was rush hour. The Pierre and Marie Curie University was just across the street from the MNHN. Arnaud punched his seat several times, but as usual, it did no good.
“What did the police say?” he barked.
“Only that she’d been severely beaten, monsieur. Some of the grounds keepers heard her screaming. Nothing yet on who did it.” Guillaume gulped. “But her injuries are severe.”
Arnaud gritted his teeth. The traffic wasn’t moving. Without another word, he opened the door and jumped out – quicker to get there on foot. He ignored Guillaume’s surprised yelp and kept running.
The staff at the reception lobby were no help. Nor were the police who were milling around. He was no relation to the woman, so they refused to tell him anything, not even to confirm or deny that an Amanda Sorensen had been brought in. He told them his name, but they just looked blank. Frustrated, he stormed away to make a few calls. It didn’t take very long.
“Monsieur du Lac!” said the portly man in a three-piece suit who practically ran to him. “Forgive me, but we weren’t expecting you. We...”
“What is the status of Amanda Sorensen!?”
“Mme. Who?” the university’s CEO spluttered. He knew who buttered his bread, as well as that of the facility.
“Sorensen. Amanda Sorensen. Find out!”
“Oui, Mr. du Lac. Right away, sir.” And off he went waddling toward the reception desk. He wasn’t gone long. “Ah, Mr. du Lac? Ahah, yes. Eh... the madame is still being treated in... eh, yes, the X-ray room,” he said as he glanced at a clipboard. “Yes, eh... I’m afraid we don’t yet know the status of her condition. Some concussion, perhaps some fractures, quite a few cuts, internal bleeding is possible,” the man continued to babble as he read out a list, completely oblivious to how pale Arnaud had become.
“I’ll wait,” Arnaud growled in a dangerous voice.
“Oh,” the man blinked as he quickly stepped back. “Eh... of course, monsieur. I’ll see to it they provide you with whatever you need in the lobby, eh...” At Arnaud’s look, the man gulped. “M-m-my office is this way, Mr. du Lac. Eh... please f-f-follow me, yes.”
Still stuck in traffic mere meters away, Guillaume prayed as he sat behind the wheel of the limo. “Please, Blessed Virgin. I know she’s British. Worse, she’s a Protestant, but it’s not her fault. She’s British, you understand?” He shrugged. “But if you could please see Amanda through this...”
*****
Amanda awoke to white light. No. It was a white room with yellow light. You fell asleep with the lights on, again! she chided herself. Not that she recalled her studio being anywhere near this big. Or as sterile.
She jerked in panic at the sight of the man sitting beside her. That was a bad idea. Movement hurt. But how the hell did he get in here? And who... Oh!
It was Arnaud. He was dozing off with his mouth open on a chair. Not one she recognized, which made her even more suspicious. Opening her eyes wider, she realized she wasn’t in her studio, which explained the size.
Oh crap! I’m in a hospital. But why?
Memory returned and she winced. There was an IV needle in her arm, as well as bandages on her face, arms, and hands. She could feel more on her body, but otherwise, the pain wasn’t as bad as she’d expected.
Probably the drugs, she realized. Must also explain why it feels so good to see him... or am I? Is that you, Arnaud? Or am I so drugged that I think I’m seeing you? Whatever. It’s nice to see you again. Even if you are a figment of my drugged up imagination.
Amanda realized she missed him. And that she’d never seen him asleep. He looked funny with his mouth open and his head rolled back over the chair. It couldn’t possibly be comfortable, but there he was.
Note to self: stay drugged so he stays there. She giggled at the thought then winced. She hurt.
“You’re awake.”
She flinched. “Oh. Apparently, so are you, handsome. Must tell the doctor to give me more of that good stuff.”
Arnaud got
up, stretched, and walked over to her. “How do you feel?”
“Good, now that you’re here. I missed you!”
He was about to take her hands but stopped. “I think they might have given you too much medication.”
“Must have,” Amanda sighed happily. “I like seeing you here.”
“I hope you still feel that way when the medication wears off.”
Amanda thought about that for a moment. “You have a point. Hmmm... So does that mean you’re really here?”
Arnaud waved his hands in frustration. “I want to touch you, but,” he waved at her bandages. “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll find out who did this to you.” His hands clenched into fists. “I’ll make them pay.”
“Now, now,” Amanda clucked. “Don’t fret. You’re here. That’s all that matters. Ummm... Arnaud?”
“Oui?”
“Why are you here?”
“My god. Isn’t it obvious!?”
“But you’re married.”
His shoulders slumped as he looked away. “My marriage, it’s... it’s complicated. My wife, she... look, Amanda. It’s a very long story. None of that matters. What matters now is that you have to get better, all right?”
Amanda shook her head. “I don’t like cheaters. Did you know I was supposed to get married?”
“Supposed to? I thought... you said you were married. At the party, you said...”
“I said I don’t go for married men. I was about to get married. Richie. He’s an accountant. We had the date all set up and the caterers and everything. And at the last minute,” she sighed. “Well, he got cold feet.”
“I’m sorry, Amanda.”
“Ran off with Jada, he did. I still don’t get it. Even his parents were furious.”
“Amanda, I’d never run off on you. I promise, I’ll tell you more when you get better. But I really think we can make it work out, if you’ll give us a chance. Just think about it, will you? Amanda?”
But she was asleep. He bent down tenderly to give her a tentative kiss on the only part of her that wasn’t too badly bruised – her forehead. As he walked out of her room, however, the expression on his face left no doubt that he was of the old aristocratic stock. Nurses and orderlies scuttled out of his way as he made his way to the lobby.
“Anything yet?” he asked Guillaume as he got into the back seat of his limo.
“No, monsieur. The police cordoned the area off last night and searched the grounds, but...” he shrugged. “I believe they’re still at it this morning, hoping to catch anything they might have missed in the dark.”
Arnaud decided that it was time to call a personal friend of his – a man who was currently serving as the director-general of the National Police. By the time the call ended, he had a slight grin on his face. At least till he got a call.
It was Camille. “You’d better come home, dear. It’s Sophie.”
“What’s wrong?”
“She’s up and about. And she’s talking about traveling.”
Arnaud groaned. “The 16th, Guillaume.”
“The patio,” was all his aunt said when Arnaud finally made it.
Heart pounding, he called out to her, “Sophie?” She was sitting on a lounge chair looking out at the garden through the glass doors. Dressed in a long-sleeved woolen sweater and white slacks, she looked beautiful and serene with her long, ash-blond hair coifed into a bun above her head.
He wondered if she’d lapsed back into a vegetative state and was about to look for her nurse when she turned to him. Arnaud walked up to her slowly, cautiously, not knowing what to expect. She was so unpredictable.
“I’d like to travel for a while,” she said in a raspy voice.
Arnaud slowly crouched before her, careful to maintain some space between them. The last time he’d tried to touch her, she went hysterical. “Ok. Where would you like to go, Sophie?”
She shrugged. “Australia, for a start. After that, who knows? As I recall, Australia is wonderful this time of the year.”
“It’s summer there now, I believe.”
“Yes that’s it. I’d also love to see their strange animals. Like wallabies. Do you know what a wallaby is?”
“A small kangaroo.”
She clapped her hands in delight. “Very good! Why don’t you come with me? It’s been a while since we’ve been anywhere together, non?”
He took a deep breath. “I can’t just up and leave, Sophie. Things at work, they...”
Her smile vanished as her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. “Typical,” she sneered. “Always the excuses. Non! I don’t want to hear it. But I’d like to take the plane.” She was referring to their Boeing Super 27.
“We sold that, Sophie.”
“Oh?” Her anger dissolved as she pondered that. “Why would we do something like that?”
“Too expensive. We still have the Falcon, but it won’t get as far as Australia.”
Sophie shook her head. “There has to be a way for me to get to Australia!” she sobbed. “Now! Now! Now!”
He took put his hand out, then withdrew it. “You can take a commercial flight, Sophie. I’ll see to it that...”
“Non! I want to go to Australia now!”
Sophie’s nurse came in and put her arms around her charge. Arnaud stood there helplessly as Sophie calmed down instantly. The nurse made discreet shooing noises at him so he made his way to the kitchen. He needed a drink.
Camille was already there pouring a Scotch for him. He took it gratefully. “So when did she get ideas about traveling, all of a sudden?”
She shrugged. “She came in last night, babbling about it.”
“She came in last night?”
“Those two went out driving. The nurse thought it would help Sophie, a change of scenery instead of just staying here. She’s been getting more and more lucid, lately. Though with Sophie...”
He nodded.
“Bit of a panic, though. Nothing serious, or so the nurse says. But reading between the lines, I take it that she lost Sophie for a while. Did you notice her hands? They have cuts and welts on them. Probably went wandering off. So where were you last night? I tried calling your apartment, but no one was answering.” She grinned. “Out with someone, eh?”
“I spent the night at the hospital. Amanda was attacked.”
“Bon dieu! Attacked how?”
“She went out jogging and someone...” he cringed. “She’s alright, now.”
“When was this?”
“The police blotter said about half past six, thereabouts. No leads, yet. But I made sure they prioritize it.”
“You must really like this woman.”
He took a deep breath and let it out in a long, drawn out sigh as he stared into his empty glass.
“I see. In that case, perhaps like isn’t the word?”
“Don’t know if it’s mutual, though.”
“Sophie can’t possibly travel on a commercial flight. She’s far too unpredictable. But I’ll do what I can to get her to Australia.” At his amazed look, she smiled. “You leave it to me. It’s about time you learned to be happy again.” She chuckled as he hugged her tightly. “If I can’t get her that far, I’ll get her out of the country for a while. I doubt she’d know the difference between Australia and Africa at this point.”
Chapter 10
Amanda woke up to see several bouquets. She groaned then startled when Savitri’s face popped up over her.
“Oi, you’re awake! About time, too. And no, most of these flowers are from everyone in the office. That one’s from Mme. Dimanche. And that one,” she pointed, “is from his lordship.” Amanda craned her neck to see a spectacular array of flowers towering over her head. “Impressive, isn’t it?
Wow,” was all she managed to croak out.
Savitri’s fake cheer broke into a sob, “Didn’t I tell you that jogging is unhealthy for you!? Didn’t I!? Why the heck do you do that, huh!?” Amanda reached out a shaky hand to comfort her friend as she sobbed ove
r her. “You’re my best friend, you idiot! How’d you think I’d feel if I lost you! From now on, you can only go out to work and shop, do you hear me!?”
“Yes, mummy,” she replied meekly.
“I mean it, too! Do you remember how everyone back in school used to bully me? You’re the only one who ever stood up for me. So like it or not, you’re under house arrest! Don’t worry, I’ll feed you. In fact, I’ll fatten you up so much you’ll never be able to fit out the door. We’ll grow old together, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“Sav, it hurts to laugh,” she wheezed.
“Oh, you think I’m joking?” Savitri backed off as she wiped her tears. “Seriously, though. How you feelin’, luv?”
Amanda leaned back and shook her head. “I’ve been better. Any leads yet on who did this to me?”
“Bloody useless police. All the employees were accounted for, so it can’t have been one of us. Look, don’t worry about that now, hey? You just have to focus on getting better. That way, we can get you out of here and I can start stuffing your face.”
They were still laughing uproariously when Arnaud walked in. “Ooh, just remembered something. I’ll be back in an hour. Maybe two,” Savitri added as she walked out the door and gave Arnaud a wink.
“That’s a good friend you have there,” he said as the door clicked shut.
“Yes, she is. Thank you for the flowers. They’re... wow, they’re bigger than me!”
He shrugged and walked up to her. He reached out a hand, but pulled back.
“You can touch me. I’m not fragile. No broken bones, just bruises and a few cracked ribs that’ll heal in no time. These,” she raised her bandaged hands, “are healing nicely.”
He stared at her for what seemed like long minutes. “Do you want me to touch you?” His eyes were pleading.
“I’m not mad at you, if that’s what you mean. Well, not anymore.” She took a deep breath and let it out loudly. “Ok. Woo-hoo! How do I put this? Ermm... yes. Yes, Arnaud. I want you to touch me. In fact, I’d love you to touch me.”
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