Chapter 6- A Horrific Plot
Mr. Johnson left the room very irritated. He wasn't sure he entirely trusted Coulmier being alone with Christina. Not that he worried about the young man killing her, but the thought of her giving herself to that boy.
He made that thought leave his mind, reminding himself that she thought of Coulmier as a brother. Plus this would be the perfect time to pay a little visit to the Doctor. This visit he did not want Christina to hear.
He walked down the corridor looking for someone who could point him to the office of the Doctor. He was about to ascend some stairs when he heard high pitched, squeaky type voice behind him exclaim, "Are you looking for something, or just nosing where you're not allowed to be?"
It was a tall, thin woman with pursed lips and dirty blonde hair that reminded Mr. Johnson of straw. She was carrying a pile of papers looking extremely annoyed.
"And why am I not aloud, might I ask? Of course I wasn't 'nosing', as you put it, merely looking for Doctor Collard's office. Do you know the way?" Mr. Johnson asked.
"As a matter of fact I do, and was on my way there when I saw a strange man going up the stairs. Who are you?" she asked as he descended the stairs.
"Mr. Johnson, the attorney for Coulmier, a prisoner here," he replied.
"Ah, who would want to defend that disgrace? Can't believe he was an Abbe, can you. Terrible scandal for the Catholic church if I told them about what had been going on around here before he cracked. Had an affair with a chambermaid! A Catholic priest doing that, why it is more than I can bear to think of! But, come on, I'll show you to his office," she was not at all kind to Mr. Johnson.
"Mr. Johnson!" the doctor seemed surprised, "Where is Miss Chauncer? Surely you have not left her alone."
"I did, at her own bidding of course. It pains me deeply to have left her, but perhaps it is best that she sees his insanity and copes with it. May I speak to you in private," Mr. Johnson glanced at the woman whose eyes expanded greatly as this.
She began to say something in protest but the Doctor beat her, "Yes, dear might you step outside. I got an order for a hundred books. Go file it will you." She left looking as if denied a very good treat.
"Please take a seat, sir, and tell me what is on your mind. You've hardly been here an hour, and already you look a bit insane," the doctor said, taking a seat behind a giant oak desk. Mr. Johnson took the seat in front the desk and began to talk, "You threatened him, I know it so don't dare try to deny it. No he did not tell me, but a boy like that would hardly harm a fly. But don't look so frightened. I am sure you have your reasons for wanting Coulmier dead, and I don't have any desire to know them."
"Your wrong, you know. And even if you were not, you can't prove anything," the Doctor intervened.
"Like I said, I don't care what you say, you murdered that Abbe, and I could care less. I have a deal to make, and if you accept it, Coulmier shall be dead in the end, I give you my word," Mr. Johnson pointed to the brandy that sat on the desk, "May I?"
"Yes, of course. But what do you mean, he'll be dead? You are his defense, surely you don't want him dead. He's the way you get paid."
" But there is now more at stake than money, my dear doctor, much more. I have won many cases in my day, and if I wanted too I could win this one, but I don't want to. Haven't you noticed how very beautiful Miss Chauncer is? Entrancing. I want her more than I have ever wanted anything in my life. More even, then you want Coulmier dead. And this is where Coulmier comes into play. There is no doubt the two loves each other very deeply. They claim, of course, that it is only a sibling love. But only siblings can have sibling love. And she ran into his arms today left me no doubt of what I had hypothesized. I know that if Coulmier gets away, he will marry her. Don't look at me like that, after what God has put him through do you honestly think he would turn back to him. Even someone so pious as him would not. But must be mine, and I will marry her. That is why Coulmier must not live! The deal is this, you give me just enough information to make it look as if I had done my very best to try and get Coulmier off. But not enough to do so. And Coulmier will die, and I will marry Miss Chauncer, or else lose this case and have your entire life ruined. A simple choice, but one you must choose. Do you trust me or not?" Mr. Johnson looked slyly at the Doctor.
Collard squirmed in his chair. He knew too much of this lawyer to know he could do anything he threatened. But to trust him and give him information? It could just be an easy way to collect information. But really he had no choice, "Fine. Come back tomorrow and I will give you a folder."
Mr. Johnson smiled, bowed and walked out, shoving the straw haired woman to the ground as she was leaning against the door with her ear pressed against it.
"Now who is 'nosing'", he asked laughing.
She snuffed at him, got to her feet and ran inside the office, shutting the door briskly behind her.
Mr. Johnson left the room very irritated. He wasn't sure he entirely trusted Coulmier being alone with Christina. Not that he worried about the young man killing her, but the thought of her giving herself to that boy.
He made that thought leave his mind, reminding himself that she thought of Coulmier as a brother. Plus this would be the perfect time to pay a little visit to the Doctor. This visit he did not want Christina to hear.
He walked down the corridor looking for someone who could point him to the office of the Doctor. He was about to ascend some stairs when he heard high pitched, squeaky type voice behind him exclaim, "Are you looking for something, or just nosing where you're not allowed to be?"
It was a tall, thin woman with pursed lips and dirty blonde hair that reminded Mr. Johnson of straw. She was carrying a pile of papers looking extremely annoyed.
"And why am I not aloud, might I ask? Of course I wasn't 'nosing', as you put it, merely looking for Doctor Collard's office. Do you know the way?" Mr. Johnson asked.
"As a matter of fact I do, and was on my way there when I saw a strange man going up the stairs. Who are you?" she asked as he descended the stairs.
"Mr. Johnson, the attorney for Coulmier, a prisoner here," he replied.
"Ah, who would want to defend that disgrace? Can't believe he was an Abbe, can you. Terrible scandal for the Catholic church if I told them about what had been going on around here before he cracked. Had an affair with a chambermaid! A Catholic priest doing that, why it is more than I can bear to think of! But, come on, I'll show you to his office," she was not at all kind to Mr. Johnson.
"Mr. Johnson!" the doctor seemed surprised, "Where is Miss Chauncer? Surely you have not left her alone."
"I did, at her own bidding of course. It pains me deeply to have left her, but perhaps it is best that she sees his insanity and copes with it. May I speak to you in private," Mr. Johnson glanced at the woman whose eyes expanded greatly as this.
She began to say something in protest but the Doctor beat her, "Yes, dear might you step outside. I got an order for a hundred books. Go file it will you." She left looking as if denied a very good treat.
"Please take a seat, sir, and tell me what is on your mind. You've hardly been here an hour, and already you look a bit insane," the doctor said, taking a seat behind a giant oak desk. Mr. Johnson took the seat in front the desk and began to talk, "You threatened him, I know it so don't dare try to deny it. No he did not tell me, but a boy like that would hardly harm a fly. But don't look so frightened. I am sure you have your reasons for wanting Coulmier dead, and I don't have any desire to know them."
"Your wrong, you know. And even if you were not, you can't prove anything," the Doctor intervened.
"Like I said, I don't care what you say, you murdered that Abbe, and I could care less. I have a deal to make, and if you accept it, Coulmier shall be dead in the end, I give you my word," Mr. Johnson pointed to the brandy that sat on the desk, "May I?"
"Yes, of course. But what do you mean, he'll be dead? You are his defense, surely you don't want him dead. He's the way you get paid."
" But there is now more at stake than money, my dear doctor, much more. I have won many cases in my day, and if I wanted too I could win this one, but I don't want to. Haven't you noticed how very beautiful Miss Chauncer is? Entrancing. I want her more than I have ever wanted anything in my life. More even, then you want Coulmier dead. And this is where Coulmier comes into play. There is no doubt the two loves each other very deeply. They claim, of course, that it is only a sibling love. But only siblings can have sibling love. And she ran into his arms today left me no doubt of what I had hypothesized. I know that if Coulmier gets away, he will marry her. Don't look at me like that, after what God has put him through do you honestly think he would turn back to him. Even someone so pious as him would not. But must be mine, and I will marry her. That is why Coulmier must not live! The deal is this, you give me just enough information to make it look as if I had done my very best to try and get Coulmier off. But not enough to do so. And Coulmier will die, and I will marry Miss Chauncer, or else lose this case and have your entire life ruined. A simple choice, but one you must choose. Do you trust me or not?" Mr. Johnson looked slyly at the Doctor.
Collard squirmed in his chair. He knew too much of this lawyer to know he could do anything he threatened. But to trust him and give him information? It could just be an easy way to collect information. But really he had no choice, "Fine. Come back tomorrow and I will give you a folder."
Mr. Johnson smiled, bowed and walked out, shoving the straw haired woman to the ground as she was leaning against the door with her ear pressed against it.
"Now who is 'nosing'", he asked laughing.
She snuffed at him, got to her feet and ran inside the office, shutting the door briskly behind her.