Authors note: Hey everybody! I hope you all like this part of the story that I am setting up; but I am not quite sure about it, so write and tell me what you think, if any part seems not to make sense! Or just give me your opinion!
Chapt. 13
True to his word, Dumas returned the next afternoon. He was accompanied by CJ's friend Tom, and another man I did not recognize, though he did look oddly familiar.
Although I really knew nothing about this third party; I was sure I hated him the moment I saw him. He was young and his appearance was what I believed the fairer sex would have called handsome. His dress was a more expensive version of what Dumas was wearing; he seemed young to be a police captain, but then again, if he had the means, age and talent were no object.
"Erik Phann, CJ Bradshaw," Dumas said briskly as he entered, "This is my fellow police captain; Blake Le Roy," By the tone of his voice when he said the name, he did not like Le Roy any more than I did.
We both nodded at Le Roy; however that was all the etiquette I was planning on showing him. To my disgust, he was more bound to ceremony,
"Wonderful to meet you both, my colleague here has told me you have both been doing a fantastic job," Le Roy possessed none of Dumas's businesslike manner, and I also believed he possessed little wit. In contrast to the straight, serious expression Dumas wore; Le Roy's face was drawn in a wide, white smile, and his eyes were glittering as though he were being introduced to two old family friends. Anyone would spot him for a fool.
He extended a hand; which I looked at as though he were extending a repulsive pile of animal droppings toward me.
"Le Roy's family have been very appreciative to the police over the years," Dumas said in his usual rough tone, and then he kicked the side of the bed I was sitting on, "So show some gratitude,"
I hated politics because it provided for the assurance that sooner or later, you would have to feign respect toward an utterly undeserving person. Still, I stood; noting to my delight as I did so that I was quite a bit taller than this Le Roy fellow. I quickly took his hand and shook it once, and then hurriedly released it.
CJ stood as well; and it amused me that she two was at least an inch taller than Le Roy. She extended a hand, which he took and raised, in a nauseatingly gentlemanly gesture, to his lips. CJ turned red immediately.
"My friend Eugene here," he indicated Dumas and I started a bit at the use of his first name; which had only just been revealed and I could understand why, "told me you were very talented, but he failed to mention what a striking beauty you are," I had not thought it was possible for the shade of CJ's face to deepen after Le Roy had kissed her hand, but at these words I was proven wrong and CJ turned a violent crimson hue.
"That is very…kind of you to say," CJ with a small, embarrassed smile. I was amazed, I had never seen her being anything but wry and sharp; suddenly she was reminding me of the giddy ballerinas at the opera. I rolled my eyes slightly; what it was about charming complements which made even the most level headed woman turn into a flighty girl I would never understand.
"Excuse me," Dumas cleared his throat, "I believe we came here with a specific purpose; Phann, what do you think of our little problem?"
"I don't know anything about this," I said, picking up the paper Dumas had given me, "Just because I used to live under the opera does not mean I can tell who, if anyone, is under it now."
Dumas nodded, "I thought you might say something like that; so I suppose I am going to have to level with you," He stared straight at me, "When Raoul de Chagny came to the police, he had no idea how to get back down to the place where you were living without ending up in what he called a 'torture room.' He did however know the name of a man who might be able to help; 'the Persian,' he called him. Now, of course, this man was once a policeman himself, and we quickly found his address and were going to question him as to where you might be; and you know how that worked out,"
I grimaced; I had walked right out of the daroga's apartment and into the hands of the police. After the description de Chagny had given the police they could not help but notice my mask; I had been trapped damn easily in the end.
As I thought about that night; about seeing the police and realizing it was over, about being bound and shoved for the first time into a police cab, I remember all the leering faces of the police men lit by the flickering gas light. Then I realized why I had thought Le Roy was familiar; he had been there that night. I glared at Le Roy; if I had not hated him before, I sure hated him now.
"By that warm look of friendship you just gave Blake," Dumas said sarcastically, "I am guessing you realize he was there the night you were arrested," I nodded.
"Anyway," Dumas continued, "When all this business at the opera started, quite soon after your arrest actually, Blake went back to your friend and he explained a way to get to your lair; the perfect hiding place for our perpetrator. Blake had a very difficult time getting down there, and they never quite found your home by the lake which the Persian described, but we did find something; the body of the first ballerina who disappeared,"
Dumas paused for a moment. "She was dead, obviously, and let me just say by the marks on her body she did die pleasantly," He shuttered slightly, "Whoever is doing this in down there, and we can't get to him. I have reviewed all the evidence, and we have nothing, nobody in the opera has been any help because they all can't get past the idea that it is a ghost. Even Blake here was telling superiors he was starting to believe this ghost theory. That was when I had to tell him about you,"
I noticed that Le Roy flushed slightly when Dumas mentioned his considering attributing the disappearances to a ghost. He had a good reason to feel embarrassed; anyone who actually believed a ghost was committing crimes needed to have their head examined immediately.
"So when are we going down there?" CJ asked Dumas, looking sidelong at Le Roy and smiling slightly again. I thought I was going to be sick.
"That is a problem; I wanted you two to go down today, however Le Roy informed me there was a cave in in the main tunnel leading down from the road; it will not be cleared until tomorrow,"
I shook my head, "There is more than one way to get down there," I said sardonically, then I wondered why the hell I was in such a rush to go back down there; I would not die in excited anticipation if I had to wait another day to go back to the house by the lake.
"It is not my call," Dumas said, not bothering to hide the bitterness and anger in his voice,
"That is right, it was my decision," Le Roy said proudly, "I am in charge of this investigation; as the opera house is in my jurisdiction, and I am not sending anyone else down there until it is as safe as possible; we already lost one man," His eyes clouded over, "He fell down a shaft and broke his skull open, terrible really,"
"Yes, we were all very upset, and Le Roy won't take any more 'un necessary risks,' the tone in Dumas's voice indicated clearly that he thought Le Roy was ridiculous.
Le Roy was ridiculous. He was worried about safety when he was sending us to look for a crazed murderer. However, his idiocy made no difference to me if it meant delaying the trip to the underground caverns.
"So, we will see you tomorrow," Dumas said, turning to leave, "Tom can bring you food for tonight," he said as an afterthought.
"It was nice to meet you both," Le Roy said in a sickeningly charming voice, "If I may say, it had been especially delightful to meet you, Mademoiselle Bradshaw," He took her hand to his lips again,
"CJ is fine, Monsieur," She said, flushing
"Well then you must call me Blake," He said, and with one last squeezed of her hand he followed Dumas out of the room. Tom took one less look at us and then left; presumably he would be returning with our food later.
CJ sank down on one of the beds. I stared at her; I had been very surprised to see her act the way she had around Le Roy; I had thought she was different somehow, that she was not someone who would fall for a slick charmer.
"Well?" CJ asked me suddenly,
"Well what?"
"What do you think of Le Roy?"
"I think you two make a very nice couple," I growled, I did not quite know why I was so affected by her behavior, but I was.
"Are you jealous, Erik?" CJ smirked at me,
"No!" I said quickly, and a bit too defensively, "Why would I be jealous of him?"
"I think you are jealous,"
"No I…" I said angrily but she cut me off,
"You don't like him, do you?" She was wearing the familiar wry expression again; I had to admit I was glad to see it back,
"No, I don't"
"Neither do I,"
I stared at her, "It did not seem that way," I moved and leaned against the wall by the window. The afternoon sun was already on its way downward and the late day sun filled the room; illuminating the dust floating in the air.
CJ sighed, "He was a fake, Erik, and I don't trust fake people; if a person is being false, it means they have something to hide,"
"If he is trying to hide his idiocy he should try harder," CJ laughed, "Why do you think he is false?" I asked her suddenly, "I thought he was dim-witted and incompetent, but where do you get fake?"
"Anyone who calls me a 'striking beauty' is trying far too hard to make me like them, and I want to know why,"
"Perhaps he heard about what you did to Tom," CJ laughed, but I stared at her; it seemed strange to me that anyone who was not deformed as I was would think of themselves as anything less than perfect. CJ did not think she was a beautiful woman; I suppose she did not have the luxury for frills and bows; I looked at her arresting green eyes and thought that was a shame.
CJ laughed, "Maybe, but I think it is best if he believed I like him; he will be less guarded, and then I can figure out who he really is,"
Tom reentered the room at that moment. He had food in his hands; nothing less than the usual bread and butter meal. He lay it on the bed CJ was sitting on. He turned to leave, but to my surprise, CJ called out to him,
"Hey! Tom, you are a police man, correct?"
Tom turned around stunned she had spoken in a non threatening manner to him,
"Yes, I was just a normal policeman until Dumas's brilliant idea,"
"I see," CJ reached out and grabbed a piece of bead, "So, do you know Le Roy?"
Tom looked eager to complain about the young captain, "I don't know him," his voice was full of distain, "But everyone knows about him; he has a rich family, but he is the younger son and his father does not want to split up the estate, so his older brother gets to sit on his rich butt and he needs a job. He wanted the police force for some reason so his father bought him the job; kicked out the previous captain. From what I have heard, he is no good,"
"He seems that way," CJ said, biting into the bread,
"I thought he liked you," Tom smiled at CJ and he sat on the end of the bed where CJ was sitting; an act which was far too lax for a guard, however Tom must have sensed he was in no danger; as long as he did not try anything.
"Jealous?" CJ laughed,
"Yes, a bit," Tom responded in a mock serious voice, "I don't want him trying to steal my girl,"
"He might, but I know a way you can win me back," She said smiling, "Could you bring me a pair of scissors?"
Tom stared at her, "Anything for you, darling," he laughed and blew her a kiss, before leaving the room.
I was glowering at him; and CJ noticed it. "Are you jealous of him too?" She laughed,
"I am not jealous of anyone," I said angrily,
"Good, because you know, you are the only man I could ever be attracted to," she was joking, but I still had to fight not to flush too badly.
I moved and sat on the bed across from CJ. I was still processing all the information Dumas had given me, and I was troubled,
"Something about this whole situation is amiss," I said, talking more to myself really,
CJ threw a piece of bread to me which I caught easily, then she spoke, "Well, tomorrow we should get some sort of answer; how well do you know the caves down there?" I looked at her and I could sense a bit of apprehension about her,
"I could walk them with my eyes closed,"
"So we won't end up tumbling down a shaft to our deaths?"
"Not if I can help it,"
"Wonderful,"
