Spirals

by Scott Bergin

  "No." Dana replied. "The only thing I knew my husband was in, was deep shit."

  "He is in that too." The officer assured her.

  "Good." Dana replied.

  "I take it that your marriage is in some turmoil." The officer said.

  "No." She replied. "As far as I am concerned, my marriage is over."

  "Well, that's good to know." He said.

  "Why?" Dana snapped. "You looking for a date?"

  "No ma'am." He replied. "I just think that you should not stay with any man who beats you, or any criminal for that matter."

  "So you were listening to our conversation." Dana replied.

  "Yes." The officer admitted. "In fact, the entire conversation has been recorded. This one is being recorded as well, which is why I feel that I should tell you I am married."

  "Relax." Dana said. "I was kidding about the date."

  "Oh." The officer replied. "Okay."

  "What do you need me down in Nice for, if you have already gotten the whole thing on tape?" Dana asked.

  "Well, we'd like a written statement." The man explained. "Besides, it would give you a chance to press charges against him, if you want to."

  "Oh, I want to." Dana assured him. "And I can give you a whole lot more than that."

  "What do you mean?" The officer asked.

  "I mean that I can give you a motive for murder." Dana replied.

  "A motive?" He asked.

  "You must have heard me call my husband a smuggler." She said.

  "We did." The officer replied.

  "Well, he is one of the largest smugglers of ivory in Europe." Dana explained. "Gabrielle Chambers must have found out about it, and tried to turn him in. So, he killed her."

  "That sounds like a reasonable theory." The officer said. "Can you prove it?"

  "How about I bring all his financial statements from his Swiss accounts, and have him try to explain where the money came from?" Dana offered.

  "That would be perfect." The officer said, sounding ecstatic. "But, can I ask you one question?"

  "Anything." She replied.

  "If he has all this money, why would you tell us?" He asked.

  "Because he has all the money." Dana explained. "I don't have access to any of it. Once I testify against him, I guarantee that I'll never see any of it. I'm just trying to make sure he never gets to see any of it either."

  "All right." The man said. "We can expect you to come down here in the next couple of days."

  "You can expect to see me a lot sooner than that." Dana replied. "I'll be driving down tonight."

  "Excellent." The officer replied.

  "I'll see you in a matter of hours." Dana said.

  "Can you hang on for one second?" He asked.

  Dana could hear the man covering the receiver, and arguing with another man. A moment later, he returned to the line.

  "Your husband would like to talk to you again." The officer said. "If you don't want to, you don't have to."

  "It's okay." Dana assured him.

  "All right." He replied. "If it gets too rough."

  "I'll hang up." Dana interrupted.

  "Right." The officer said. "He's all yours."

  "Dana?" Robert said.

  "Yes?" Dana replied.

  "You're not coming down here to turn me in." Robert said.

  "Actually, I am." Dana corrected him.

  "No." Robert replied. "You think you are, but you're not."

  "What are you talking about?" She asked.

  "You're not going to make it." He said. "You won't live that long."

  "What?" Dana asked in disbelief.

  "If you leave Paris, I'll have you killed." Robert replied.

  "That's enough." She could hear the officer saying, while attempting to take the phone away.

  "I'm sorry." The officer said, coming to the phone.

  "I'm putting a price on your head!" Robert shouted in the background. "You won't live through tomorrow if you leave Paris!"

  "Get him out of here!" The officer yelled.

  Dana could here struggling sounds, but she did not hear another word from Robert. A door slammed shut, then the same man returned to the phone again.

  "He didn't get to you, did he?" The officer asked.

  "Don't worry." Dana said. "I'm still coming."

  "I could have someone come up and get you." He offered.

  "No." Dana said. "Just don't let him make any more phone calls, not until I get there."

  "No problem." The officer assured her.

  "Then I'll see you tomorrow." Dana said.

  "Tomorrow." He replied politely, then hung up.

  Dana hung up the receiver, then turned to face her daughter. Christine had a look of horror on her face.

  "What's the matter?" Dana asked.

  "Daddy is a smuggler?" She asked.

  "No." Dana replied. "Daddy was a smuggler. Now, he is a criminal."

  "And we're going down there to testify against him?" Christine asked.

  "That is the good news." She replied. "We'll be free from him sooner than we hoped."

  "We don't have to go to London either." Christine said enthusiastically.

  "Well, we'll discuss that along the way." Dana said. "Now, go pack some things."

  Within fifteen minutes, Dana and Christine finished packing what they needed into Robert's silver BMW, including Robert's Swiss bank books. They filled it with gas, and drove off toward Nice. Dana felt it was unnecessary to worry Christine with Robert's idle threats. He was in prison. What power could he possibly have? Dana switched on the radio, and drove on. She didn't have a worry in the world. Within a couple of days, she would be free of Robert Mason forever. She thought about permanently switching her name back to Barlow, and she started to chuckle. With Robert safely behind bars, Dana was the happiest she had been in years.

  Chapter 58

  April 21

  1:35 a.m.

  The Loire River Valley, France

  The lack of sleep was beginning to get the best of Thomas LaRue. He was finding his head becoming more and more difficult to hold up, as each minute passed. The monotony of the slow windshield wipers only furthered his desire for sleep. The rain had all but stopped. It only began within the last hour, and never amounted to more than a light sprinkle. Thomas shook his head around, waking himself back up. He could not afford to pull over and sleep. Time was too precious. Thomas gripped the Volvo's steering wheel tight, and swore he would remain awake.

  The two passenger wheels drifted into the grass. The Volvo bounced around, and Thomas woke up. When he saw the car heading quickly off the right side of the road, he quickly turned the wheel to the left. The car swung back onto the pavement, the wet pavement. Thomas immediately lost control of the car. The Volvo spun and spun. Thomas was about ready to throw up, when the car finally hit. A large tree slapped into the front of the car, just ahead of the driver's compartment. The force of the impact was so great, it reversed the direction of the car's spin. The Volvo rotated half way around, and came to a stop. Its single headlight stared back through the darkness, at the road it had once been on. Thomas put the car into first gear, and simply spun the tires. Besides having only three functioning wheels, the car was also steeped in mud. Thomas killed the engine. He tried to force his door open, but he couldn't. The impact with the tree had pinned it shut. The passenger door opened with ease. Thomas crawled across the seats, and out the open door. The mud flowed up onto Thomas' ankles, then half way to his knees. As he made his way back to the road, he fought to keep his shoes on every step of the way. He collapsed from exhaustion after reaching the side of the road. Thomas looked back at his car, fifty feet off the side of the road. He knew there was no hope of making it to Chambord in that. What he needed now, was a new set of wheels. Thomas looked around. No cars were coming in either direction. He took off his shoes and socks, and made his way back through the mud. Thomas returned to the Volvo, and quickly removed all of his supplies from the back. With supplies
and equipment in hand, Thomas returned to the side of the road. He sat down on the wet pavement, and waited. As he put his muddied socks and shoes back on, he waited for another car to come along that same stretch of road. Within ten minutes, Thomas got his wish. A single car, headed south, came down the road.

  "Is that a car?" Christine asked, pointing out her mother's side of the windshield.

  "I don't know." Dana admitted.

  Dana softly applied the brakes, and the silver BMW came to a stop. The rain lifted, and they could see clearly that the light belonged to a car, up against a tree.

  "Do you think someone is in it?" Christine asked.

  "I don't know." Dana repeated.

  Thomas flickered the light on his miner's helmet. It gained the attention of them both. As soon as it did, Thomas shut the light off again. He waved, but did not approach the vehicle.

  "What do you think?" Dana asked.

  "I think he would know if someone else is in that car." Christine replied.

  "That isn't what I meant." Dana said.

  "Yes." Christine said. "I think we should help him."

  "All right." Dana agreed.

  Dana opened her door, and stepped out of the car. She left the door open intentionally, in case it turned out to be a trap. Suddenly, she recalled what Robert had said to her. He had warned her not to come to Nice. Robert had told her that she would be killed if she left Paris. Dana started to wonder if this was what he had been talking about. She was sure that the police would have monitored all of his phone calls. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if he had somehow gotten a message passed them. Dana paid no attention to the thought. She knew that it was not really possible for Robert to have such a scheme set up so quickly.

  "Are you all right?" Dana asked as she approached.

  "I think so." Thomas replied, trying not to scare her away.

  "Are you alone?" She asked.

  "Oh. Don't worry." Thomas assured her. "There is no one else in the car."

  "Then I should go and get some help for you." Dana asked, motioning to her car.

  "All I really need is a ride." Thomas explained.

  Dana walked to within ten feet of him. She could see all of his supplies on the ground. At first, she wondered if there were any mines in the surrounding towns. While she pondered that question, Dana glanced off toward the Volvo. She could now identify what kind of car it was. Thomas had left the passenger door open, and Dana could see the child's seat in the back. All at once, Dana felt like a fool and a paranoid bitch. The man was obviously a family man, trying to get home to his wife and child. She couldn't find any reason not to trust him.

  "Where are you headed?" She finally asked.

  "If you could just bring me to the nearest town." Thomas explained.

  Thomas looked passed her when he spoke. Over her shoulder he could see into the silver BMW. It was still running. With the door open, he could see inside. There was only one passenger. Thomas guessed that the passenger was a child of some kind. If it was a man, he would have been the more likely candidate to confront a stranger on an empty road. The only uncertainty Thomas had, was whether or not the car had a phone. The last thing he needed was some child calling the police to come help him. There was a pretty good chance that they were already looking for him, especially if Alex found Gabrielle's body. Thomas needed a distraction, something to take the child's attention away from its mother. Thomas patiently waited, and focused his attention back onto the mother.

  "I can give you a lift." Dana said.

  "South would be fine." Thomas replied.

  "No." She said. "You probably want to get back home, to your child."

  "My child?" Thomas asked.

  Dana motioned to the car seat, which was clearly visible. Thomas turned, and spotted it. He couldn't help but grin. He never imagined that his idea of putting an empty car seat in the back would pay off so well.

  "Yes. My child." Thomas replied quickly. "For a moment I thought I knew you."

  "No." She said. "I'm just very perceptive."

  "Actually, I'm trying to get back to my wife." Thomas lied. "It's her birthday."

  "Oh no." Dana replied, putting a hand to her mouth.

  "That's why I would really appreciate a lift." Thomas lied.

  "Certainly." She said. "Let's go."

  "Could I bring my equipment?" Thomas asked, motioning to the supplies on the roadside.

  "Well." Dana said hesitantly.

  "It's just that they are rather expensive." Thomas explained. "I promise they won't even dirty your trunk."

  "All right." She finally agreed.

  "If we each take some, I think we can get it in one trip." Thomas said, not giving her a chance to get back to the safety of her car.

  Dana took the few steps forward to the side of the road. She looked down at the supplies, and bent down to gather some of them.

  "What do you want me to carry?" Dana asked politely.

  When Dana looked up at Thomas, he was staring back at the BMW. The look in Thomas' eyes told her that something was wrong. He looked as if he were waiting for something to happen. Dana quickly looked around. There was no one else in sight. At first, Dana took comfort in that thought. At least he wasn't waiting for his partners to arrive. Then, Dana became very frightened. She realized exactly how vulnerable she and Christine were, alone on an empty road in the early morning. Dana stood upright, and was about to confront Thomas, when she saw what he saw.

  Christine laid her seat backward, and stared at the car ceiling. She started to wonder if her mother was trying to give the guy a lift, or ask him to dinner. Growing impatient, Christine folded her arms, and closed her eyes.

  Dana felt more alone than ever. With Christine's seat laying down, she could see nothing. Dana felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up. She knew that something was terribly wrong. Dana turned away from Thomas. She was willing to run into the deep mud, if that was what it was going to take to get away from him. Thomas put his left hand on Dana's right shoulder as she turned. He quickly spun her back around. She was about to scream, when she felt the knife. The blade sank quickly into her chest, piercing her heart. As it went in, a single gush of blood spewed out of her chest. The rich red wave landed across Thomas' chest and face. He took it in stride, smiling. Dana took one step backward, and stood wavering. A feeling of disbelief swept over her. How had she let Robert get the best of her? Dana was determined not to give up the fight so easily. She grabbed onto the handle, and tried to pull it free. Thomas put a finger to his cheek. He wiped some of her blood onto his finger, and tasted it.

  "So sweet." He whispered.

  Dana stopped trying to remove the knife. It was in too deep, and she was becoming too weak. She let her hands fall to her sides. A strange numbness crept up her body, and Dana waited to fall. Thomas looked back at the car. The passenger seat was still reclined. His actions had gone unnoticed. Thomas couldn't risk the police being called, and so couldn't wait for Dana to die on her own. She would require further assistance. All Dana could do, was watch in horror, as Thomas took one step backward. He raised one leg quickly, and kicked the knife deeper. Dana coughed up blood, as the blade tore through her back. She spun around once, and landed in the mud face down. Dana could feel nothing from her neck down. She managed to turn her head to the side, to keep from drowning in the mud. Thomas knelt down beside her to watch her die. He thought about retrieving the knife, then decided against it. The blade stuck three inches out her back, which meant that the handle had sunk completely inside her. Dana knew that this man had not been sent by Robert to kill her. She wished that he had. It would have meant that Christine would be safe. If this man was the kind of lunatic Dana now thought he was, Christine would soon suffer a similar fate. Dana did not mind dying so much, if she could be sure that Christine would be all right. She knew that she lacked the strength to ask the man if he were sent by Robert or not. Instead, she decided to beg him not to kill her daughter.

  "Chris."
She mumbled.

  "What was that?" Thomas asked.

  "Chri." Dana mumbled, growing weaker by the second.

  "I can't understand you." Thomas mocked. "If you want someone to understand what you are saying, you should finish your mud, then speak."

  "Chri." Dana tried to holler. The blood pouring out her mouth made it no louder than a whisper. Tears streaked down Dana's face, as she tried desperately to be understood.

  "I was only teasing." Thomas said cheerfully, spotting the tears that washed the mud from her cheek. "Don't fret. Christ can't help you now."

  Thomas grabbed Dana's head, and forced her petite face into the mud. She resisted so little, Thomas wondered if she wanted to die. He didn't blame her. The wound in her chest had to be extremely painful. Thomas let go of her head, and she did not move. He stood up, and turned back to the road. The seat in the BMW was still reclined. Thomas quickly gathered up all his supplies, and headed toward the silver car.

  Christine grew too impatient. She put her seat back into the upright position. Her seatbelt caught her, and prevented the seat from going too far forward. She looked out the windshield and saw the man approaching the vehicle. He was so close to the driver's side of the car that the headlights didn't shine on him any longer. The inside light provided the most visibility of him, and it only shined on his legs. His face was obscured by the roof. His chest was blocked by an armload of supplies. Christine assumed that her mother would open the trunk, so the man could put his things in it. Then she remembered that the car was still running. The only way to open the trunk was from the inside. Christine saw the man come around the driver's door, and she leaned over to release the trunk. She looked up at him as she released it, but she still couldn't see his face. Thomas walked to the back of the car, and threw his supplies into the trunk. When he slammed it shut, Christine finally realized that her mother was no longer in sight. She wondered if her mother had gone up to the Volvo. She hadn't. Christine could see all around, but she couldn't see her mother anywhere. Just as panic was about to set in, she saw the man getting into the driver's seat.

  "Where's my mother?" Christine asked, as the man put his legs inside the vehicle.