A/N Sorry for the prolonged update! I got back in the country a week ago and was too tired to type until recently. Hope you like it and let me know if you do! Also, ChildOfMusicAndDreams - Yes, Christine is due for an appearance in the next chapter. :)
As one scene unfolded in the light, another unfolded in the dark. Behind the painted plaster, behind the bricked wall, in that other world, all was still. But, a closer look revealed that one shadow was stemmed from the absence of color, as opposed to the absence of light. Indeed this dissimilar shadow quietly leaned against the bricks which made up the wall of Monsieur Andre's office. So perfectly disguised was this mysterious being that one could walk through the dark, molded corridor right past him, and not even guess at his existence. The only crack in the impersonal façade of his dress was the exposure of half of the shadow's face. But even this small bit of pale flesh had been partially erased. The man had pulled his hat low and his collar high, but even so, he had not left much of his face to the stranger's imagination.
But strangely enough, today, the shadow walked maskless.
Erik listened intently to the muffled voices behind him. It gave him a wicked, but a sweet satisfaction to hear that idiot manager play directly into the trap Erik had lain out. As if a handkerchief was iron clad evidence for someone's guilt.
Erik snorted.
People were such imbeciles.
But they were such perfectly, such wonderfully predictable imbeciles. No, the boy wouldn't be incarcerated, but he would have one hell of a time.
Erik's mouth twitched into a smile.
Maybe the dandy would even be imprisoned for a while. Let him have a bit of hell in his life. It was nothing compared to what some people had to endure in their lives, but it was something. It wasn't as if the French court system would permanently imprison a member of such status and wealth, of such an important family. No, the Comte de Chagny certainly wouldn't let our little Viscount rot in prison. No, he would buy the young Raoul's, Erik's features twisted into disgust at the very thought of his rival's name, Raoul's innocence.
Suddenly, Erik heard shouting.
Ah, so it has begun.
Erik turned around and carefully removed a bit of loose stone to better hear the scene that was unfolding behind him. Much to his delight, the boy didn't seem overly thrilled at the prospect of being accused for a crime he didn't commit.
The dandy was begging, he was imploring them to listen to reason, to logic. Erik shook his head. The boy knew so little about the world. As if these idiot Gendarmes would listen to logic. All they knew was how to find the most obvious and easiest solution to a case. And who was the highest bidder in justice.
Well, it's high time that Monsieur le Viscount learned of the world.
Ah, now one of the Gendarme was getting impatient. He was saying to face the facts, to come along quietly and admit his guilt.
As if a member of the nobility, so optimistic about the justice system, would stand for that. Erik heard the sound of a chair being roughly shoved back as the boy began to desperately entreat the company about his rights, the burden of proof, and of the clearly insufficient evidence. He called for M. Andre to back him up, begged for an ally.
Instead, de Chagny made the Gendarme impatient.
Erik jumped as something heavy was slammed against a spot not two feet away from himself.
Then all was silent for a moment.
He heard the Gerarme say in a gruff voice,
"You lot saw him resist arrest. What was I to do? It is my duty to bring in a suspect, is it not?"
A heavy silence hung in the air.
The voice grew more hostile.
"Is it not?"
Erik heard murmurs of agreement throughout the room. He heard Andre say what a pity it was that the pressure was too great on the opera's patron, what a shame it was.
Erik shook his head as he carefully replaced the stone before walking away, the feeling of triumph and satisfaction quickly growing in his heart.
Ah well, perhaps that will teach the boy to keep out of other people's business. I daresay that he'll be too distraught after a good while in jail to think of Christine. And if not, it is not as if I did not give him ample warning.
Erik smirked.
The boy did get ample warning, which was more than most unfortunate enough to cross Erik could say about him.
And only a complete fool wouldn't be able to decipher it. Child's play!
It was so terribly obvious after all, perhaps even too obvious. The songbird is caged, withdraw. And in Swedish.
What else could to fool even possibly interpret it as? If he was too dull to grasp its meaning, well then, perhaps Erik was doing the Viscount the favor of showing him what ignorance and slow wit does in this world.
Erik was startled out of his thoughts as he heard a soft voice call his name.
Erik's instincts immediately kicked in and he swiftly whipped around, Punjab lasso in hand, to face this new threat.
Nadir's familiar face greeted his own, his features twisted into some semi-balance of friendliness and amiability. But beneath that, there were the familiar emotions of fear and disgust, repulsively distorting the entire picture.
Of course, Erik's face was on full display, no wonder the Persian looked so. But in Erik's current state of mind, he wasn't about to give Nadir any peace of mind by covering his face or turning away.
Instead, Erik casually crossed his arms and asked,
"Daroga, what did I tell you about leaving Erik alone?"
Nadir's mouth tightened and he straightened himself with as much dignity as the repulsive look on his would allow him to.
"Erik," he asked quietly, "what have you done?"
"Well my dear Persian, let me think. There's so much to do as a ghost, you know. Well, I've been working on Don Juan Triumphant. Act three is nearly complete, then all I have to do is write act four and then I will be free to die whenever the fancy strikes me."
"Christine Daaé, Erik? And Joseph Buquet? Erik, we've discussed this! I thought that you were settling down in your old age, that this Opera Ghost nonsense was finally coming to an end! Then you go and abduct Christine Daaé!"
Hot anger seasoned with anxiety struck Erik.
Erik closed the difference between Nadir and himself in two quick strides, grabbed him by the lapels of his coat, and used his considerable height to lift Nadir up and off the floor. Nadir instinctively grabbed onto Erik's wrists. Erik pulled Nadir's face closer to his horrific own.
"If you lie to me I swear on your Allah that it shall be the last thing you do. What is it that makes you imply that I have abducted Christine, not our glorious patron as the gendarmes believe?"
But the Persian was not to be so easily intimidated. He glared at Erik as best as he could in his current position and replied,
"Well, Miss Daaé disappeared shortly after being seen in your company. I suspected you but didn't want to confront you until after I had further evidence. So, I crept down to see for myself and I heard the sound of a woman crying coming from your house."
"You great booby! You grow senile in your old age, Daroga! Erik would never kidnap anyone, especially not the lovely Christine Daaé! And I believe that I have told you too many times to stay away from Erik's house. You are not welcome."
"Erik, do you mean to tell me that you have no interest in Christine Daaé? It's quite obvious; Don't play games with me. Don't underestimate my intelligence as such."
Erik bared his teeth.
"So simply because Erik has an interest in Mademoiselle Daaé, and she leaves the opera unexpectedly, you think it must have been because Erik kidnapped her?"
The Persian neglected to reply.
Erik released Nadir, who fell to the floor. Erik lifted his chin and looked down upon the fallen Persian.
"Yes Daroga, Christine Daae is indeed in my house. But I did not kidnap her. She came to me of her own free will. As a matter of fact, for the past six months she has been visiting my humble abode."
The Persian quickly stood up and brushed the dust off of his coat as he spoke.
"Erik, forgive me if I find it hard to believe. If this is true, I… I am sorry. But, how… To be completely frank, would you believe it if you were me?"
Erik sobered and turned away, lost in thought. A moment later, slowly he replied,
"If you don't believe me, ask Madame Giry. She is one of my… Operatives in the opera house and a while ago she had the same concerns you did. But since dispelling said concerns, she has been of great use to me, concerning Christine Daae."
"Madame Giry? The ballet mistress?"
"Daroga, you grow senile in your own age. The good Madame Giry used to be the ballet mistress. But, she wanted to do something less taxing in her older age. So I spoke on her behalf to the managers about getting her a position as a box keeper." Erik's mouth twitched. "My box keeper in fact."
Erik fixed his mask back in place.
"When you do decide to call on her, tell her that Erik sent you. I will inform the good Madame to expect you."
Erik looked over his shoulder.
"Do not follow me if you know what's good for you Daroga. I have some quality time to spend with a person very much of interest to me right now. Good day."
Immediately, he heard Nadir call after him in a low voice,
"Joseph Buquet. Why Erik? Why? You promised me, you swore to me that you would not kill again. Remember I saved your life!"
Erik paused.
After a moment, he carefully replied,
"Daroga, if my eavesdropping serves me well, and I know it does, Buquet was found reeking of alcohol, was he not? And everyone in the theater knows of his domestic issues. Who is to say that he did not simply take the coward's way out of this wrenched existence? Who is to say that he didn't get caught in problems of his own creation?"
Erik turned to glance at Nadir with his good side.
"Why must you, my oldest friend, constantly blame me for everything? These past years I have been more than faithful to what I swore to you. Have I given you reason to doubt me?" Erik asked quietly.
Nadir stood there, gaping at Erik like a fish.
Erik watched with internal amusement as the Persian clearly struggled to gather his thoughts.
"Erik, my apologies. I – Perhaps I should have not jumped to conclusions. But I will look into the matter further. And Erik?"
Nadir paused,
"He will not question you as I do. He will simply assume and act on his assumptions. He will hunt you down."
"I know, Daroga. I know."
Erik paused and turned away.
"Ask Madame Giry about Christine. I assure you she will correlate my statements."
And with that, Erik began to walk, his dark figure getting fainter and fainter until the darkness swallowed him whole.