A.N. – Alright, so here's the next chapter, sorry guys. I've had a lot on my plate this week, so I hope you enjoy!
The morning came and went all too quickly when she said her goodbyes to everyone. Everyone she knew was on the dock, waving as she turned to get on the boat, but before she could get on Vincenzo came over on his crutches, quick as he.
He looked up at Miro, beaming, "Oh dear, I know that smile. What on earth are you thinking Vincenzo?"
She smiled as she got down on one knee to speak with him face to face. She was, without a doubt, a tall woman indeed. Though she didn't reach a height taller than her boss, then again, he was exceedingly tall.
"Well I was thinking that we might be able to visit you while you're away." He said, Miro gave Vincenzo a hug, "Thanks kiddo." Then he went back over to his family,
"Ready to leave Mon chere ami ?" Jacque asked as she straightened herself to match his own height, Chief just stood on her right, waiting for them both. She nodded and the three stepped onto the boat and stood by the railing to wave at the people who came to see them off, but Chief just stood there with his hands on the railing and eyes closed, listening to the wind.
"Finally mon ami. You'll get to see the city I was born in."
Jacque said as he smiled at her and still waved.
Miro gave a small laugh, finally the boat set off and the long journey to Paris, France began at last.
New Faces & Strange People
In the cellars, deep down beneath the opera house and across a dark, black lake was the home of the Opera Populaire's ghost.
Two men stood within the library, one the Phantom himself and the other, a man others called 'the Daroga'. The Phantom sat in a chair by the fire as his companion though, paced upon the hearth rug.
"Come now Nadir, would you please stop pacing and tell me what it is exactly you came down here for." The Phantom said irritably as he stared at the Persian man through his mask, which covered the majority of his face, except for his jaw and upper lip. The man finally stopped pacing and leaned with his right arm against the mantle, pinching the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes and took a deep breath in and released it.
"Well one thing, I'm surprised you've gotten over the incident with Mms. Daae."
"It's been four years, and I've had that period of time, Nadir. To think upon my actions and now I see them as mere foolishness on my part."
Nadir began to continue, "but the main reason I came down here Erik, is because I have received word from Madame Giry that the managers have sent for a skilled detective from the States to come here and make sure YOU'RE dead for them." Nadir said, standing straight and tall in the middle of the hearth rug. The Phantom gave an outwardly gesture with his hand as he sat in his chair.
"Well, let whoever he is come into Erik's home, but let it be know whomever they are, they will disappear like all the others who have tried to enter Erik's lair." He finished his third-person ramblings.
"Erik. Lets just hope this American isn't as good as the stories I've heard claim."
And with that, the daroga left. The one thing Erik didn't want was the past resurfacing, he had gone to the fullest extent to make everyone thought him dead. And he wanted people to still think that, though he was, very much indeed, alive.
Two Weeks Later
Erik walked through the secret passage to box five, where he sat and watched the practices for the next opera that was to be performed. It was an opera of all sorts of fairytales and other fables. As they got to practicing 'Hansel and Gretel', one of the managers, Monsieur Andre, came out onto the stage,
"Ladies and gentlemen, Monsieur Reyer please stop the music!" Monsieur Reyer did so. Madame Giry and everyone on the stage looked at Andre intently.
"I have stopped practice to announce that the detective we sent for from the United States is here."
Everyone looked at each other on the stage. The Phantom just sat there as if nothing Andre said had phased. He just sat there and watched their expressions.
Then movement from far off on the left side of the stage and Firmin's voice, made all eyes, including the Phantom's, turn to that direction.
"And this, is the stage." Firmin said with an outward gesture of his arm as he walked to where Andre stood in the center of the stage. Behind him came the three new figures to the opera house.
The first was a rather tall man, only an inch shorter than the Phantom himself.
The next was an old man, wearing foreign clothing and the third figure wore a wide brimmed fedora, hiding most of his features from the opera ghost, who wore one similar. The third figure also had a dark long coat, which billowed behind him as he walked to where Andre and Firmin stood. Both articles were a dark brown, almost black even.
"Ladies and Gentlemen I am glad to introduce, Detective Cu'Cullain and associate Detective Montague, along with their companion Chief Bearpaw." Andre gave a look at Firmin then looked to the Chief, who curtly nodded.
The first detective put his fingers to the brim of his hat and gave a single nod. The second stuck his hands in his pockets and gave a single nod as well.
Erik could not see their faces because they were facing the opera cast, who, in turn were facing out to the seats. Yet everyone stared at the first detective with a rather surprised and slightly amazed look upon all their features, including Madame Giry, who had kept a solemn face till that point.
When Erik followed the three new temporary inhabitants of opera as Andre and Firmin showed them where they would stay and work, he realized that the three Americans had been given the old Prima Donna room, and Erik watched the scene unfold before him.
"So you say Monsieurs that this is the room so very spoken of in our case file?" the second detective asked, speaking English with a French accent.
"Yes it is. You're American but you seem to be of French origin," Firmin said.
"Indeed, now if you'll excuse us. We need to get settled and if you could get us a large chalkboard? It would help in our investigation." The second detective said.
As the managers and the second detective talked and Chief took a seat in a chair on the far side of the room, the first detective stepped up in front of the large mirror Erik was secretly hiding behind.
Erik noticed that for all the time the detective stood there, he was looking down in an almost contemplative stance. Finally the detective looked Erik directly in the eyes, and his heart stopped.
The so well proclaimed detective, whom even Nadir thought was skilled enough to catch Erik.
Was a woman!
He stared into her horizon blue eyes that seemed to cut right through the glass that was Erik's only defense from being seen.
Her story lay behind those eyes, but he just couldn't read it like he could with everyone else. And yet he had to know, it was his right to know if she was going to be snooping around his opera house.
After all, it was still his opera house.
The woman turned at the sound of her name being called by one of the managers,
"Ms. Miroslawa, do you require anything?"
Very odd this American, but to Erik, this person was none the less an intriguing puzzle he was determined to solve. And solve it he would.
"No. but I thank you kindly for your concern." Her American accent rang with every word spoken. She turned her attention back to the mirror.
Erik looked at her face. She had pleasant features which had a tough and yet beautiful tone and her eyes shined when the light shone through the window creating that gleam in them, but her eyes seemed lost and forlorn in description.
She looked the whole mirror over, her eyes usually and unknowingly starring into Erik's eyes.
Once the managers had left the room, the woman still stood there.
Finally taking a deep breath in through her nose and closing her eyes, but then in a swift moment they opened with a sudden realization.
And she leaned closer to the surface of the mirror, taking another deep breath in through her nose. Still standing there, still contemplating. Then she turned and faced her companion, she drew forth a small booklet and a ballpoint pen and wrote something down.
"Jacque, are you wearing cologne?" the young man smiled at her, then turned and walked over to the wall where his cot was and sat down.
"No, why do you ask?"
The woman stepped down away from the mirror.
"Just don't think too much about it I was just wondering" she glanced back at the mirror then walked towards her cot by the large window close to the steps that lead to the mirror. They then began to unpack and by the time they were done Madame Giry and a stagehand entered the room with a chalkboard, who set it off to the side and then Madame Giry dismissed him.
"Bonjour mademoiselle, monsieurs, I am the ballet instructor Madame Giry." She told them, Miroslawa stepped forward and shook her hand, Jacque and the Chief did the same. Madame Giry had first noticed that their clothing was of a slightly different style, Chief's was an extreme for her to see because she had never seen anything like them. Her eyes had nearly popped out of her head when she first saw the man.
She, in all her life, had not ever actually seen when of the people who were the Native Americans or their attire, which was very unique and a style all its own and somewhat beautiful.
A.N. – That's all for now folks and now we know our leading lady's full name and if you need to know how it's pronounced, go to Google translate. It's a polish name, which is actual my grandmother's before she came to America and since it was hard to pronounce, went to the English translation. Hope you liked it. Oh, and Mon chere ami = my dear friend. :)
