Chapter Four: Lara's Plan


For the first time since she had met him, Lara had absolutely nothing to say to her rival. A
wave of emotions swept over her: fear, confusion, anger, and wonder. Wonder at such an
incredible story; anger at Indy for accusing her so boldly upon mere circumstantial evidence;
confusion as to who would have known about the stone to take it and kill Indy's mother; and fear
as to what Indy would do when he found out who the culprit was. Lara ransacked her brain trying
to recall her ever hearing about the Eternity Stone, but nothing came to her. She followed Indy
into the hotel in silence, not knowing or caring where she was going. A few minutes later, she
found herself outside her hotel room.

"Here you are, Miss Croft," said Indiana bitterly.

Lara started from her thoughts to look into his face. Contained therein was more pain and sadness
than she had thought possible in the face of a mere mortal. How had he let her banter and insult
him for so long, thinking what he thought of her: that she had killed his mother?

Indiana seemed to have read her mind for he said, "I know what you are thinking," he said softly,
almost kindly. "Why did I even try to reason with you, gain your confidence when the reason I
did it was to accuse you of such an atrocity? Well this is why." Indy leaned forward and kissed
her full on the lips.

Lara was surprised to find herself kissing him back, but the maddening impulse soon passed and
she pushed him away. "If I didn't feel so sorry for you, I'd shoot you to hell for that!" she
sputtered as she entered her room and slammed the door in his face.

Once she had made certain the lock was securely fastened, Lara leaned heavily against the door
and sighed. She had never felt so absolutely out of control in her life. This man had in one breath
practically sworn to kill her, and in the next, given her a token of esteem so gratifying that it had
nearly turned her head. "I will never understand people." Lara mumbled to herself as she helped
herself to the Earl Grey Tea that Winston had prepared for her. Marco Kitty padded over to her
uncertainly and began to purr. Lara smiled as she rubbed him, and thought, "What I need is a
good long nap."

*****************

Lara sat bolt upright in her bed, sweat pouring down her lovely face. Slowly, her heart
rate slowed down and she realized the haunting scene she had just witnessed was a mere
nightmare. Or was it? Lara tried to recall what it was that had scared her so. Now she
remembered. In her dream, she had been wandering through the Everglades, searching for the
Fountain of Youth when she had spotted a middle-aged man with a potbelly removing something
from a pedestal near a clearing. A closer look had revealed the man's identity: Jean-Yves! She
had screamed out to stop him, but it had been to late. There, she had woken up. "But it was just a
dream," she tried to convince herself. The sight of her adorable kitten entering her bedchamber
and mewing softly reminded her of an event that had happened not so long ago . . . an event
which a dream she had had prophesied. Maybe this one was true as well! "That's ridiculous!" she
said to herself as she scratched Marco kitty behind his fluffy grey ears. "Kell made that dream
come true by telling Marco Bartoli about *my* dream.* But just the same, I think should find
out." Lara reached for her phone and gave her faithful friend a call.

"Allo? Lara?" said the Frenchman as he picked up the phone.

"Yes, Jean, it's me," Lara began, "have you been to the Everglades lately?"

Jean-Yves seemed to hesitate a moment before replying, "Why do you ask, my dear?"

Lara tried to decide how to approach the subject without scaring him off. "Just curious," she lied,
"I have an auntie who lives out that way and I wanted to know-"

Obviously, Jean-Yves saw through her lame alibi for he cut her off, saying, "You have no
relatives in America, Lara."

Lara tried to think up a different story, but it was too late.

"You've been talking to that Professor Jones, haven't you? Well anything he says is a lie!"

Lara was about to probe the matter further, but she was stopped by the sound of the dial tone.
Jean had hung up. Lara placed the phone back on the hook and picked it up again. She fished
around her pocket until she found the receipt from the bar. She dialed three numbers- 8-1-1- and
waited patiently for Professor Jones to answer. She felt slightly guilty for betraying one of her
oldest and dearest friends on a hunch, but somehow she knew this was the right decision.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Professor Jones, this is 'Miss Croft.' Come over to my hotel room right away; I have
something urgent to tell you."

Lara could almost imagine the simper on his face when he replied, "Yes, ma'm."

She returned the phone to its rightful place once more and patiently waited for Indy to arrive.
Within minutes, she heard a polite knock at the door.

"I'll get that, Miss Croft," said Winston as he admitted the stranger. Indy dashed into her
bedroom with the speed of a tornado. "What is it?" he demanded.

"I'll be glad to tell you as soon as you get my cat off your shoulder," replied Lara with a slight
smirk. Marco Kitty had leapt onto Indy's shoulder as soon as he had entered the room and was
now nuzzling him and purring contentedly.

Indy frowned and finally managed to remove Marco's claws from his leather jacket and plop the
cat on the floor. "Look what your stupid animal did to my coat!" he whined, pointing to a rather
long tear in the said article, obviously left by the howling feline on the carpet.

"Poor darling!" cooed Lara as she reached down to cradle her pet.

Indiana rolled his eyes and said, "Well?"

"I think I know who might've - I repeat *might have* - killed your mother: a very dear friend of
mine, Jean-Yves Garner.*"

The colour went all out of Indiana's face and then flooded back again in an unbecoming bright-
red. "I might have known it was a friend of yours," he spat crossly.

"I said *might have,* you lout!" Lara returned equally as angrily. "Now the only way to find out
for sure is-"

"To stake out the pool area and-"

"See if he returns there for the stone," finished Lara, amazed that her rival was on the same
wavelength as her. "And if he *did* take it, he will be retrieving his prize very shortly because he
knows I'm on to him." Lara paused for a moment before asking, "Are you doing anything
tonight?"

"Can't think of a thing. And you?"

"Nothing," replied Lara.

"Then, let's do it," finished Indy. "Meet me by the pool at say-"

"Midnight?" Indy nodded. "I'll be there."

TBC . . .


*See my other Story, Stockholm Syndrome. It's cheap advertisement I know. :)

*Garner is not Jean-Yves's official surname. I made it up for the story. If anybody knows his real
last name, feel free to e-mail me at lexirockford@yahoo.com and tell me