Chapter 33

"What was that?" asked Clarisse, instinctively turning around to the phone's sound.

"Just a message from my friend… a very interesting message actually."

"From which one?"

"The journalist."

"Oh… can I see it?" she stepped closer.

"Of course." murmured Joseph while he was thinking, holding out the device to her.

"It's more than interesting. Gosh, what could it be?"

"I really don't know, but let's find it out," he said and quickly dialed a number. "Hey, it's Joseph. I've got your message… So what did you find?… Uh-huh… Well, okay. If you think so… I need at least an hour to be there… fine."

"...So?"

"He said it's not something we can discuss on the phone, he wants to meet."

"Oh… okay, if it's necessary. But where is he now?"

"Not too far from here, so I just dress up quickly and go. It's okay?" he asked softly.

"Sure." she nodded. "But please take care of yourself."

"I will," smiled Joseph and gave her a quick kiss before he headed to the bathroom…

OOOOOOOO

Later in a parking lot, not too far away…

"Is this the kind of thing you wanted?" asked the man, passing the file to Joseph who started to read it…

"Gosh…"

"I don't know what was your original conception…"

"Something very much like this," said Joseph slowly, but now he felt remorse. He wanted to force the King to the ground, but naively he forgot about how this would may effect on Clarisse.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, of course." nodded Joseph closing the file with a sigh.

"Then I think it's time for me to ask… why is this so important for you? He stepped on your toes or what?"

"It's a bit more than that."

"Ah…"

"How you mean 'ah'?"

"Then there must a woman in the story, right?"

"Why do you always think that?"

"Because that's a fact. Do you remember the last time you asked for my help, hm? And before that?"

"That was just a coincidence."

"Uh-huh." smiled the man widely. "It happens all the time…"

"Please stop it."

"Look Joseph, what is in this folder is surely not the reason of the Queen's missing… because as I can see it from your face, these informations are quite new ones."

"It's a bit complicated…"

"That's okay, but remember that you promised me a big story."

"This isn't big enough for you?" asked Joseph, tried to seem confident.

"Please, don't fool me…" he chuckled, he saw right through him. "I bet on my career that it's a much bigger story than that."

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course, just do what you like with these informations, but…"

"You will be the first who will know about it."

"That's what I wanted to hear!" laughed the man and patted his shoulder…

OOOOOOO

Back in their bedroom…

"Everything went well?" asked Clarisse as she stood up happily to see him.

"Yes, of course. Everything is in here," he held up the folder. "And no-one saw me on my way, so…"

"I'm glad." she smiled, giving him a quick kiss on the face, then suddenly stopped, "What's wrong?" she felt his face stayed stiff despite her kiss.

"I'm not sure anymore I did the right thing or not…"

"How you mean that?"

"He found something… "

"What? Just tell me."

"Something you might not want to know about."

"Give me that file," she held out her hand restlessly.

"Clarisse…"

"Just give it to me," she said and picked it out from his hand and started reading it…

"I really didn't know…" started Joseph, but she cut him off quickly.

"Could you leave me alone for a while?"

"Clarisse…"

"Please," she said in such a desperate kind of way that he stopped trying and did as she asked…

She didn't want to break down in front of him… not yet, not now. She needed time, she wanted to read it properly, wanted to process it… if it was even possible.

Meanwhile Joseph was strolling around in the garden with hundreds of thoughts in his head. Maybe it will be too much for her, maybe she will be mad at him, because if she hadn't read it now, she would never have known about it… and it was all his fault. But actually he never expected he would find something like that.

A few hours had passed, it was almost night when she finally appeared and the only thing she said was,

"We're going home tomorrow…"

To be continued…