Prologue
The man clad in dark clothes shuddered when the cold wind blew against his black mask. He felt the snow crunching under his boots as he walked towards the Seine. He stopped suddenly, waiting for someone. Sitting on a bench , he glanced at his priceless watch with golden eyes. The small waves of the river broke the silence and reflected the moonlight beckoning the dangerous aura that hung in the air.
It was only when the man released a faint sigh that a sudden movement behind him made him turn his head towards the sound.
" Good evening Monsieur De Chagny" he muttered as he recognised the shadow. " On time as usual I see."
De Chagny chuckled softly.
" Now, now Monsieur. I've always known you as a patient man. Why should my delay irritate you so?" he replied as he lit a cigarette.
" Receiving a phone call in the middle of the night is enough to test my patience. But turning up half-an-hour late to this so called "urgent meeting" at two o-clock in the morning is beyond my control."
" Well it seems that it wasn't so urgent after all"
" I swear to you De Chagny that if I could, I would kill you." The man snarled.
To this De Chagny smiled and fiddled his brown scarf.
" Yes … I know ….We've been at each others fortune since we were pointed out as the " richest men in France". The death of one could only bring joy to the other." He then paused and looked up to the stars. " I suppose it is the reason of this meeting" he continued.
The man stood up and stared at the businessman before him.
" I don't understand you De Chagny. What are you trying to say?" he growled
"My my Monsieur. I thought you were smarter than that. You see, we are both very wealthy but it seems that you have gained quite a lot of money these last months."
" You can not blame me for taking your clients Monsieur. They do what pleases them. I am not forcing them to leave you."
" I know" De Chagny "but that still makes you an… obstacle. And surely, you do know how I hate complications."
De Chagny stared in the man's eyes and lifted his hand. A gunshot echoed in the empty street. The man looked at him then down at his gloved hand that was holding his chest as his blood poured over it.
"You bastard! " he spat
De Chagny merely shrugged and called out:" Joseph you can come out now. "
A short figure came out of the bushes still holding a fuming gun. He gave a toothless grin to the dying man.
" Seems that I didn't miss me target sir."
"No, you didn't. There's your money as we agreed" The man watched De Chagny handing the money for Joseph's services, his vision blurring. Rage coursed through him as his energy was draining away. He fell on the pavement tainting the snow beneath him. The fatal wound didn't hurt him, neither did his fall. He could only feel the dancing snowflakes descending on his bare skin, mocking him as they played around in his restrained eyesight. A foot prodded him, disturbing this brief moment of peace.
" He's losing consciousness sir. What shall we do with his body?"
" Throw him in the river … but before lets see what he has been hiding from me.» The man felt someone taking his mask off. He tried to defend himself but his muscles would not respond. An icy breeze suddenly caressed his cheek.
" What the fuck is this thing?" he heard Joseph shout
" Hush you stupid man. You'll wake up everyone in Paris. I think we've done the world a big favour by killing him." The man heard them laughing and once the mask placed carefully back on him they both lifted him up and threw him into the river that had seemed so peaceful a few minutes ago.
De Chagny watched the corpse sinking into the deeps of the Seine. He crushed his cigarette under his foot, satisfied. Turning away, he whispered his farewells in the wind "Adieu Erik Destler"
Erik felt the water entering his lungs. He looked at the moon that shone so brightly in the depths of the Seine. He let himself go, knowing it would be useless to fight against his certain death. He closed his eyes , his thoughts full with hate against the man that had killed him.
