Chapter 3: Accused
A few weeks later
Somehow Gascon's breath grew bated, as he looked over the cafe name. That seems strange, Gascon heaved his breath quietly as he tried to ring up that number. No answer at all. Seems that from his impressions with his mysterious client, he thought for a moment they will meet in some dingy pub outside of his apartments, and soon he will lead to some secret cult where he will be passed different passwords, maybe like an obscure reference of a French film or even worse interpretive hand gestures.
Instead, it was something similar as he entered the cafe, no one gave a copious gaze to him, let alone an air of suspicion that lingered by each person. He somehow held his breath slightly.
It should be nothing.
It could be just a regular day to get some coffee. He barely glanced at his phone, following the harrowing news on Meve and the Rivia family's estates, absorbed by the sounds of small talk (It could be categorized something like either gossip between girlfriends or a business deal), computer keyboards racing furiously for an important deadline and the whistles of steam from the milk foamer. The cashier looked at him pensively "Hello Sir may I take your order…"
"One tall latte please …" and soon he heard a buzz from his phone which reads like "G….the cheque…." Gascon closed his phone again glanced over the pastry cabinet. "Do you want something to go with your latte…."
"Oh…One pain au chocolat" as he scanned over the crowd, there is surely be someone looking for him. He smiled at her quietly as he heard another buzz which reads something urgent "Sorry…could you hold the Pain Au Chocolat… I will take the latte a moment please…." Somehow he felt his stomach churn slightly, as he quickly dropped the exact change to her. "Your name sir?"
"G…."
Gascon bit his tongue slightly as he scanned over the cafe crowd, where he glanced at a man in a particular suit, he seems to watch him pensively "Why did you stop halfway on your order.. you got something to hide…" Gascon noticed that he started to tap something on his iPad, but he barely turns his head to the computer. "Not much, About the cheque…"
Something is in amiss as Gascon received the buzz from his phone. "Watch…" his ears perked up to the final hiss of steam. "One tall latte for G…" even before he could reach for the collection station. He felt something protruding his neck. Gascon did not hesitate to press a button around his jacket but it came too late as he snatched it away and stomped it on the ground.
"We have matters that needed your presence. Our boss needs some airtime with you…"
Gascon rolled his eyes slightly "Should he come to me in the face…" as he saw a small piece of paper "And I suppose he is afraid to give me that thing in the face.." as he slipped it quietly "Would you ever be so kind to let me get my latte…before we speak of terms…."
Slowly another man came by with a scowl in his face. "I am afraid, you do not have the time to dilly dally…"
Meve cleared her throat slightly, as she repressed the trembling fear in her fists. Reynard steadied her slightly "You are brave madam to face them…" as he heard the mummers of the press "I wish this will never happen to you…"
"You wish…." somehow Meve's words grew heavier as she could hear the servants slowly manoeuvring what is left from the auction. Meve clutched her necklace slightly in fear. Her mind swirled with the what-ifs and whys while fighting the blinding flashlights, as she walked to the empty room with faces looking at her with horror and shame. It was once a venue which she could treasure a fleeting moment. But now many who question her liability including a certain Caldwell who sneered at her surrounded her.
"Say Meve… we have been associates for years am I right…"
"We did not need to escalate the situation drastically, all you simply need is to tell the press that, you, Meve will give your share as ordinates by your husband and conspired a common thief to steal the statue…You are in love with him…"
Meve sucked her breath and stared at Caldwell firmly "Caldwell….what you did is…." Caldwell did not hold back his empathy, as he looked over his heavy stack of documents with glee. "Simple, I oversee your husband writing his will, poor bastard has a shock of his life, at a party not too long while you are pregnant with Anesis. It was lucky that he slipped away from being armed." He smiled gleefully at Meve "Otherwise I will take it easier, but alas cannot count my chickens before they hatched…."
"Do not mock me…"
Caldwell grimaced quietly "I do not intend too, madam…I have documents all of the years, and you do not have the fight, even Reynard witness our conversations when your husband pen his words in the moment of sanity…"
Meve bit her lip angrily, muting out any sound of anger out of her mouth. Reynard withdraws slightly from the argument. Perhaps to some extent, he was right, however, Meve found it unlawful and thought of someone else. "I have an old friend mine, and his…" Meve muttered pensively to Caldwell "He, too helped my husband to oversee his collection and he will put a case against your head and my sons…"
Caldwell rendered himself silent. Maybe it is out of glee to see Meve holding back the tears. He took that opportunity to waltz out from the room "I will not play my cards that high if I were you…" Meve could read his expression that he would rather saunter quickly, and Reynard came to her side rather swiftly "Come, I think they all seek you…" Her eyes glared fiercely at him, she only mutters angrily that he will deserve a harrowing end.
Now she must face the show.
Meve struggled to catch a breath, as she looked over the peering crowd who lurked at her vulnerability. They probably have many questions on that scandal. "I speak, in behalf of myself and my family- yes that issue of the missing statute looms in us. I vouch that I will have the magpie in chains, and facing every worse penalty. Yes, I may be grieving..but I beg all to never escalate the situation…"
"Apologies Meve may I interrupt this press statement for a moment…we got some breaking news…"
Soon a harrowing remark came over Caldwell and he deliciously savoured the moments of torment "We deeply regret the death of our client Reginald, yes he may have a tender heart but alas when it comes to that sculpture, which we are working with the law to recover that…." as he pressed the remote control to switch one of the slides to that face. "As of now, we managed to capture him at a designated point, apparently he has been paid highly to rob the statue…"
He glared at Meve cruelly "Initially it was planned that we will take it to court over the will However recent evidence shows that she worked with a con thief…" as he clicked one of the slides to one of the emails. Meve's eyes widened with horror on these words. "G.. attached here are the maps to my estate… you can make your way…". Meve's face grew pale with horror, beads of sweat dripped from her forehead. All lies… all lies…
"I object that..traitors! Traitors! Traitors!"
The press caved in like vultures hungering for fresh meat. Soon Caldwell's men clasped her in handcuffs "As for now…you will be escorted to somewhere to suit your needs under a small court, and your rights to vouch are absolved…" Caldwell's eyes glanced at her gleefully "Any parting words to the press, before I made a statement that you tarnished your husband's reputation…."
Meve flared her nostrils "Nothing " She could hear a pop in her knuckles as she clenched it so tightly. "I want you to see you rotting in jail, and everyone will forget you… or better…" She tried to steady her breaths by posing herself calmly and giving him a cold shoulder.
"No matter what you said, you will twist my words into heinous lies…"
"Now, now, now Meve… controversial… yes…" Caldwell interrupted slightly as he delighted himself with her stiffness "I wish that Reynard would be easily swayed…" He glanced at Reynard glaring at him defiantly, as his hands are locked in handcuffs by one of his men "We discuss a while back, should you took yourself to fight me, I offered him a good sum and lifetime insurance in exchange that he will vouch for me…"
"Sadly he would rather stay with you…"
Caldwell gave a pregnant pause as if to spite her even more. "I knew that Reginald is too soft for him. And knowing him, he rather throws the fire towards you…"
Somehow Meve held her breath, as she looked over at the window of her car- she and Reynard are rendered silent "What are you going to do now…" Reynard pondered at the corner of the window, for the swarms of crowds escort them. Chatter dulled her ears and soon she slipped herself into the black car, Meve shielded herself from the glaring flashes.
"I am taking all who accomplished Caldwell…" Meve sucked her breath. "They will be sorry if they ever crossed with me.." Meanwhile, Meve's eyes trailed to another car, and she recognised that face. That stupid face. He seems to be in ease with his arrest, along with all of Caldwell's men trailing the path. He entertained his many fans by blowing kisses into the air and giving a wink. Gascon gave a chuckle as he slipped himself into the police car with ease.
Meve hissed under her breath. He is indeed despicable.
Soon the flashes slowly faded away into the jailhouse. They glanced at the man walking with a swagger of a rockstar. He seems to be unfazed by that whole session. A whisper came by at the distance, as if pleased "Say Meve, Caldwell really kicks your ass…"
"DO NOT SPEAK TO HER LIKE THAT. SHE ALREADY…"
"Shut it… not talking to you…" Gascon growled angrily to Reynard, and he glanced "Meve… Personally, I think he is interested to liquidate you and the sales. My, are you that bloody hopeless. The trial is just a bloody facade. Your sons and that…in the end who will win..Caldwell will get the sales. You are just an obstacle." Reynard glared at Gascon slightly "Well, of course, you guys too…", as he flicked his phone and play some harrowing tune for shits and giggles "What still crossed with me…" He popped his tongue slightly as he focused his gaze on Meve.
"Yes to a certain extent Meve…"
Gascon lamented slightly "I think he is still pissed off over one of his stolen paintings- it is still kept in my room. I treasured it as if it was my life's work…"
"Wait is that…"
Meve heard about the mysterious disappearance of a treasured painting by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, depicting the muses crowing Apollo. It is usually a conversation starter in Caldwell's dinners about the mysterious theft of it. Could Gascon himself do that feat? Meve thought pensively, by his casualness "And I suppose you must take things that belong to him…" Gascon glanced at one of Caldwell's guards staring at him pensively. "Meve… I will tell that another time… " Reynard glared at him slightly "What are you planning to do? We have no one too…"
"Getting ourselves out of that prison…." Quickly Gascon passed them earplugs, and he too covered it, with his headphones "Just bear with it, it gets pretty loud…." Slowly the speakers started to echo with a brisk march. Reynard raised his eyebrow as he paused the music to change it to a muzak theme "It seems normal…" as he took out a small pen from his blazer "You may want to keep your earplugs on…" Gascon muttered cheekily as he clicked the top of the pen, and soon that tune emits squeaks at the distance, and soon the guards' faces seem frazzled with that ringing. They only got up again, rubbing the temples before it flicked to another obscure piece.
He has that grin which Meve could read it as, watch and learn… Soon he clicked the pen to the top. That brisk piece boomed through the speakers and soon they went through different rooms to key in the emergency codes for lockdown.
"Now run…"
He gripped the wrists of Meve and Reynard and quickly ran as fast as they could.
Soon alarms blared at every corner, and only one who has his headphones noticed the chaos. "Shot they are getting away…" He got out form his seta and chased them without any hesitation. Gascon quickly spray the passageways with gas and cut every communication line with a penknife. Reynard muttered angrily, "Is this your plan, classical music and causing an emergency lockdown how this your plan…" as he tried to push the regenerate force of the way.
"You just have to keep it up…"
Via the janitors' room, only guided by a handphone torch as their guiding light, they went. To lift their spirits he whistled that tune which was blasted in the court. "We just took a new meaning of ear worm…." which of course Reynard groaned loudly as they made out to the obscure end. For that moment Meve took a sharp breath of air and gazed slightly. "Why did you decide to help us? I thought you…"
"To spite him…" Gascon gave a playful wink to Meve "Remember that conversation in the jailhouse about a painting I stole- ahh I was Apollo being crowned by the muses for its glories and that will be Caldwell screaming to his buffoons." He quickly showed that post to Meve. She gasped quietly, perhaps her instincts are right. It was that painting which Caldwell lamented.
"Dear gods…" Reynard muttered, "How can you…"
"And plus I have a reputation for escaping through the worse of courts. This one is child's play…"
Soon he looked over the main road, and quietly they descended to a bus stop "Coast is clear, we need to do is to hop that bus, I will tell you more…"
For that moment Meve smiled at Gascon, she was grateful that there is hope. And surprisingly she found herself along with Reynard on the shabby estate. Meve knew that her husband used to come to those places to help the children, and she heard horror stories from people.
But this.
This.
How could it be for a master thief like Gascon?
"Since you are ex-communicated by that hack…" Gascon huffed slightly "and your house will be bombarded by his Guards…" He gave a bow to his guests, and soon men dressed in jumpers and pants came down from the stairs "You have no choice but to stay here, sure it is not a 5-star hotel but at least it is something…"
The stench of mould tingled Reynard's nose, Gascon quickly took the air freshener and sprayed it quickly "Apologies Reynard!" He hides a burst of boyish laughter. "Seems we have to pull something quick for you guys…" He cues his boys to look over the place while Meve sat comfortably on the ratty couch. "Until we can make plans…"
"So what is your idea…"
Gascon looked over at the city lights "We all know that going out and calling in public is a no-no and given that you become involved with me on the escape…" He heaved slightly "We have to wait it out Meve… until I can think of something to prove your innocence …" Gascon took a beer bottle and drank it "In which we have none." Meve grew silent. She refused to be called out by Caldwell. "Unless I speak with Fableston. He is an old friend of my husband. He vouches for many cases…I just pray that he does not betray us…"
"And how can you be certain…"
Reynard trembled slightly "The last time your husband and Fableston spoke, it did not end well. I fear he will not look kindly at you…'Gascon nodded slightly as he looked at the city, and Reynard looking exasperatedly on the apartment's condition "And that I agreed with that grumbly folk, who knows what Caldwell pull you in…"
"I will try to call him up, see if he could vouch for you…" Meve glared quietly "With or without your help…"Soon Meve slopped against the couch, the week's events worn her out, but for that moment Gascon saw the fierceness in her eyes. She seems determined to clear her name no matter what.
A/N: Thank you for being awfully patient with me, honestly this chapter and the next give me such a headache as it originally clocked in like 5K, so I split it to two, for the ease of reading and enjoying the story. I do have fun working on that.
As usual comments and feedback are awesome