Madness and Hope

The next day Erik got his next difficult task. He did not talk to anyone, someone just handed him a file and a note what he had to do. Erik liked this way of communication - he would just find notes on his desk and if he needed something he would send the office boy with a note. No need to meet someone, no need to speak.

When he opened the file he just laughed. It was a file that had been forwarded from one official to the other, no one really doing much for neither of them liked to do that investigation. The file was named "chandelier crash accident". Who said God had no humor? When he recovered from his fit of laughter he started to read what had already been done. There had been a police report that it had been an accident. So much for police investigations. Now it was up to the building authorities to make sure the chandelier was not to heavy for the ceiling and the anchorage would hold. There were several notes of officials complaining that those folk in the opera were utterly crazy and nearly everyone had tried to convince them that a ghost was to blame for the accident. Worst of all, Armand Moncharmin was a good friend of one Minister and so he used his influence to prevent investigations for he feared that they might cause a new scandal or additional costs.

Now what could he do? Could he go to the opera and actually talk to them? With his mask - no, certainly not. They would recognize him as the Phantom. Could he go there with his false nose and the mustache? Maybe, but they would recognize him as the man who informed them of the death of Joseph Buquet. Now that was a dilemma.

His first idea was to say he could not do it for he had been one of the contractors who build the opera house so he would have to examine his own work. That was a good idea and it got him a compliment for his honesty - Erik struggled hard not to laugh at that - from his superior but since it was well known that he had had the contract for the foundations and not the ceiling they decided he would have to do it. Being the lowest ranking architect he had no choice in the matter, even as he wrote down he was biased and could not do it he got the answer his protest had been noted but they thought he was not biased and he had to do it. They insisted on setting the thief to catch the thief...

After one week of trying to get rid of that task in vain he decided to ask the Daroga and Christine for help. He really had no idea what to do - of course he could always write that there had been water damage causing the anchorage to weaken and fail, but what if anyone found out it was different? The managers had believed him to be in box five with them when in reality he was up there lightening the fuse that would set of a small amount of gunpowder. Not much, just enough to shake the very spot where the huge bolts held the chain at the stones. He had known the weak spot and calculated right - his ventriloquism had done the rest.

Now it seemed his past caught up with him and he did not like it.

When Erik had told Christine and the Daroga of his problem, they both fell silent.

"I CAN'T tell them the truth," Erik complained, "It would kill me. I do not even dare to go to the managers - what if they recognize me? But I can't just do nothing for then I risk loosing the comfortable job I now have. I am in a terrible mess right now."
"Yes, you are - and you are the only one to blame!" the Daroga started a lecture, "How often did I tell you NOT to commit crimes? After you promised me that you would never commit any crime at all, that is?"
"Spare me!" Erik whined, "I need your help, not your scolding!"
"Ah, and how can I help you when you heed my advice like you did the last thirty years?" the Daroga retorted. He liked to see one of Erik's schemes backfiring at him, maybe that would teach Erik to behave in the future. Erik had always managed to run from the consequences of his misdeeds.
Erik rolled his eyes. "YOU were the one who told my this would be the perfect job for me - but right now I cannot choose to do the right thing I can only choose between different wrong things to do. Christine, darling, I do not want to disappoint you but right now I can only do something bad - but that would mean to fail you and I would have to release you from your promise to marry me - Christine, what can I do? Please tell me what to do? I can't loose you now, not when I'm so close..." Erik was weeping now, he felt horrible and had no idea what to do.
Christine had no idea either. When she thought about it she found she did not want Erik to be imprisoned for his crimes, even when she knew he deserved it. She did not want him to commit a new crime to cover his old misdeeds but right now she could not find a way out that would not include a new crime.

It was the Daroga who came up with a solution: "Everything has already been repaired in the opera, hasn't it? So you just check if the repair work has been done properly."
"Yes, but... what... just a moment, this might be a night job again. Yes, that is the best idea! I write to the managers... o no, they would know my handwriting... no, Daroga, I dictate the letter and you write it... that I have to do this job but as a music lover I would do my work in the night when I won't disturb anyone as a small favour to them. Then I can really go there and check everything, write a nice little report and be done with it. What do you think?" Erik was happy now that he had worked out a solution that would not force him to meet anyone at the opera, maybe except the nightwatchman but that would be no problem at all - the nightwatchman had been on the Phantoms payroll long enough. It would cost Erik something but he was sure he would manage somehow, maybe his friend could lend him that small sum he needed... though the Daroga would not have to know about the tiny loan...

Erik relaxed visibly and asked Christine if she had already found a flat to her liking.
"Hey, I did not agree to write that letter!" the Daroga protested.
"You have no choice, I can't ask anyone else," Erik said, "Or do you want me to loose my job and stay in your flat for the rest of my life?"
"That's blackmail!" the Daroga rebuked him.
"Is it really?"
"Why don't you try ASKING for help politely?"
Erik gave a sigh, then said mockingly: "My dear old friend, would you PLEASE be so kind as to do me that small favour?"
"If you insist..."
"There, and why did you make me beg you? You could have just done it in the first place and save both of us the trouble!" Erik complained.

Christine was not sure what was going on. Those two men loved their banter so much, she would never know when they were serious.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Now Erik is the one to investigate the chandelier accident - and he is in trouble again.