Thanks for your reviews!!!
I'm so glad that you like to read it, although I've chosen to write about an unusual couple.
Jolie
It's okay, I know that I'm not so good in english. It isn't my native language, I've just learned it and well, you learn British English mostly, don't you? I try my best to translate my story, but sometime it's difficult to find the right words and especially slang and dialouges are difficult and grammar as well. So it might be possible that some phrases sound rather strange. And if you or somebody else want to help me, I'd be glad. Please contact me it would be a great help.
Okay, I already wanted to post the next chapter yesterday, but I couldn't log in. So there it is finally.It was a little bit difficult to translate so please excuse my mistakes. Hope you'll like it nevertheless.
10. Chapter
When Cole arrived in front of Wingrove's house, Vivan was already waiting for him. She wore a short white spaghetti strap dress, which showed more than it hid. Her open blond hair was falling on her shoulders. "Come inside." she requested him beaming with joy. She let him in and said. "I'll be ready soon, I'm just looking for my handbag." She turned around and entered another room.
Soon after she was back again, before Cole could look around in the entrance hall.
"So, now I'm ready." she said and wanted to leave the house.
Cole smiled. "Wait a moment." he asked her. "I'd like to ask you for something." Vivian looked at him attentively, while Cole continued. "I've heard that the plantation, where Adam Boucher was killed, belongs to your father."
Vivian nodded. "Yes, that's right. We've tried to keep this fact out of the media, but nevertheless they found out about it." She groaned. "Now journalists call us all day, they want to visit the plantation to see the scene of crime. My father even had to engage a guard duty, so that nobody can enter unauthorized our property." She shook her head. "It's terrible!" She announced.
Cole looked at her thoughtfully. "Well, I just wanted to ask you the same." he said with studied contrition.
Vivian looked at him smiling. "Do you want the keys?" she asked. "But that's no problem. It isn't the same with you, you are working for my father." she explained and turned around. "Wait a minute. I'll take it." Vivian disappeared again and Cole looked after her surprised. That was easier, than he has thought.
Soon after Vivian was back with the keys in her hand. "We have three bunches of keys in our house usually." She told him. "Now the police has one of it. But you can have this one." She smiled at him and said with low voice. "You can give it back to me whenever you want ..... at the right moment."
"Thanks!" Cole said. "I'll do it."
They left the house and Vivian guided Cole through the town to a restaurant in the center. "This is one of the most excellent restaurants in town." Vivian explained when they entered the entrance hall. A man wearing a uniform was already waiting for them and Vivian called him her name. The man nodded and said politely. "You table will be ready for you soon, Miss Wingrove. Could you wait a bit?"
Vivian nodded and turned back to Cole. "This is one of my favorite restaurants. The food is excellent and I love the atmosphere. Everything tells of the history of New Orleans." she started to explain and showed Cole the paintings and the decoration on the walls. "The paintings show historical events of the town and you can even find a Voodoo corner in the dining hall."
Cole looked at her in surprise. "So do you believe in Voodoo?"
Vivian laughed affected. "Oh no, of course not." she explained. "Although even today 15 of the population of New Orleans are still performing Voodoo. So you can imagine, how many people still believe in voodooism." She looked at him thoughtfully. "When I was a child, I was really afraid of it. I already asked my mother to buy a real gris-gris for me to protect me of evil voodoo spells."
"And did she do it?" Cole asked interested, he was terrible interested, if the Wingrove family believed in Voodoo power.
Vivian shook her head. "Of course not!" she explained more forceful than necessary. "She was old enough to know, that it's just swindle. A child may believe this humbug, but today I'm older and wiser."
"And what does your sister think about it?" Cole followed up.
"Charlie? She was always afraid of it, too." She told Cole. "Even today she don't want to go near to places where people perform Voodoo rituals. Even if it's just for tourists." Vivian shook her head. "You can't talk her out of it, although everybody knows, that it's just a show."
"Oh," Cole said shrugging. "There is a lot in this world, we don't know about."
Vivian smiled insecure. "But that's just superstition." she explained and it was obvious, how happy she was, when the waiter walked to them, to show them their table.
They entered the dining hall and Cole looked around. It was a large hall but it had a cosy atmosphere. The waiter guided Cole and Vivian to a table for two in a niche at the window. He already wanted to offer Vivian a seat, when Cole stopped him. "I think you should better take this place here." he told her and moved the other chair for her. Vivian looked at him confused, but finally she sat down. When Cole has taken his seat, too, the waiter gave them the menus and disappeared again.
Vivan looked after him and just wanted to ask Cole, why he had decided to change the seats, when her eyes fell on a painting of the Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. She smiled. "Oh, I understand, you was afraid, that Marie Laveau could distract your attention." She told him and pretended to be offended.
"Who?" Cole asked alert, because Prue was sitting with her date Paul Hennen a few table away. Cole had already seen her, when he entered the hall, but he didn't know, if Vivian had noticed her, too. Nevertheless he had seized the opportunity to change the seats, because he wanted to watch Prue and her date.
"Our beautiful Voodoo Queen behind me." Vivian explained meanwhile and mad an offended face.
Cole leaned back in relief and smiled at Vivian. "There isn't anybody, who could distract my look from you." he said and looked at her. "Least of all, somebody who is already stone dead."
Vivian smiled. "Well I hope so." she said flirtatious.
"Don't worry!" Cole said and kept looking at her, although it was rather difficult for him not to take his eyes off her. He decided to distract Vivian and asked. "And this attractive lady behind me, had been a Voodoo Queen?"
Vivian nodded. "Of course, she is a celebrity in New Orleans. Didn't you listen of her? She was living between 1796 and 1881."
Cole shrugged his shoulders. "That was before my time." he said in accordance with the facts and started to watch Prue out of the corner of his eyes.
"Her disciples travelled to New Orleans from all over the USA, to be healed or to listen to their future, or whatever. And there were high ranking politicians and businessmen among her disciples." Vivian started to tell.
When she continued, Cole pretended to listen to her carefully, but actually he kept watching Prue, who has noticed him meanwhile.
Prue looked at Cole angrily and tried to focus on Paul again. Her date didn't go the way, she had hoped. Paul was a nice, courteous man, without any doubts, but Prue had her mind on other things. At the moment she was listening to Paul's report about the police work in New York and New Orleans. She smiled and nodded at the right time. Meanwhile she tried to look at her plate, because she definitely didn't want to look at Cole. That was all she needed, Cole and her together in the same restaurant. It was already difficult enough to get him out of her mind and now he was sitting only a few tables away together with Vivian Wingrove wearing a dreadful dress. It shouldn't be allowed to wear anything like that, Prue thought. Obviously Vivian was not too proud for anything to get what she wanted. And it was clearly, what she wanted. Hopefully, he would be too exhausted from last night, Prue thought angrily and looked up shocked, when she realized, what she was thinking.
Paul looked at her afraid. "Is everything alright?" he asked.
"Yes certainly, don't worry. Everything's just fine. " She told him with a smile.
"That's great." Paul said. "It's a long time ago that I had such a good time." He started solemnly. "Do you know, after my wife and me separated..."
Prue looked at Paul attentively, but she couldn't prevent, that her eyes were caught on Cole again. Vivian just ran her hand effectively through her wild sweeping mane and laughed affected. Thereby her hand touched Cole's by change and she left it there. It was too obvious, what she wanted, it was awkward, Prue thought shaking her head, when Coles eyes caught hers. He looked at her attentively and Prue turned back to Paul quickly. But now she noticed stupidly, that Paul was just looking at her as if he was waiting for an answer. Prue cleared her throat and smiled. "I'm sorry Paul, what did you say?"
"I've just suggested that we can end this wonderful night in a jazz club, if you want." he explained again.
"Sure!" Prue answered, as enthusiastically as possible. "That's a good idea, but let's finish leisurely our diner."
Paul laughed. "Does that mean, you would like to have a dessert?" he teased her. "I didn't suppose that you are such a 'sweetie'."
Prue smiled forced. "You may be wrong, of course." she said cooly and suddenly she had the funny feeling that she just used Paul. And under no circumstances she wanted to do that, after all Judy had told her that Paul had been through a lot and she didn't want to hurt him once again. But now she used him to forget last night and that was absolutely wrong, and worst of all, it didn't even work. She watched the waiter serving Cole's and Vivian's diner and even if Cole hasn't turned up here, it wouldn't have changed anything. Paul was a nice, friendly man, but he wasn't the right man for her. That didn't mean, that Cole could be the right man, he was as wrong as Paul, just in another way. She decided to finish her date politely and to point out discreetly that he should forget about her.
Meanwhile Cole listened to Vivian's endless report about her graduation ball. Of course she had won the crown of the ball queen. But it had been beneath her dignity to take part in beauty contests, although everybody had confirmed her, that her chances to win were high. She smiled at Cole flirty. "But I want to get ahead because of my head and not of my look."
Cole smiled dutifully and was prepared for another report about Vivian's future career on television, when Edward Wingrove suddenly arrived at their table.
"Daddy!" Vivian jumped up immediately and kissed her father on his cheek.
"Vivian, my dear. I didn't expect to meet you here tonight." he explained and took a close look at her rather revealing outfit. Then he turned to Cole, who had stand up to welcome him, too. "Mr. Turner." he said coldly. "I didn't know that you know my daughter."
"But Daddy, he's working for you." Vivian answered instead of Cole and smiled at her father happily. She sat down again and looked at her father requesting. "Is there anything else, Daddy?" she asked and it was obvious, that she wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
"Yes indeed, I'm very glad that I meet you here darling." Wingrove started. "I've already tried to reach you." he explained. "I'll meet James tonight, and you know that your old godfather would like to see you again." He told her forcefully.
Vivian sighed. "That can wait till tomorrow. He'll be finally in town all week."
Wingrove shook his head. "No, he has changed his planes, he'll already leave the town tomorrow morning. Therefore I really ask you to join us later." He smiled at Cole non-committal. "Mr. Turner will finally stay in town and he won't mind, if you meet him at some future date again."
Cole smiled back. It was obvious, that his employer expected him to accept it without a word of protest. And Cole didn't want to contradict, so he did Wingrove the favour. He had found out enough about the Wingrove family for this night and besides he had got the key for the plantation. "Your father is right." He said understanding and turned to Vivian. "We can repeat our date another night." He smiled at her. "We have time." he said softly and felt that Wingrove seized up beside him.
Vivian looked at Cole disappointed. "Well, I don't like it at all." She cast an angry glance at her father.
"Okay, then I'll wait for you in the back lounge." He told his daughter and disappeared with a nod.
"Do they have lounges here?" Cole wondered.
Vivian nodded. "Sure, for private meetings and celebrations." She looked at Cole sadly. "It was such a wonderful night yet and now I'll have to go." She sighed. "I've turned off my phone, as if I had expected anything like that. You know, the family means a lot to my father and uncle James is rather old. He lives out of town and he visits New Orleans rarely, it's too hard and tiring for him. So I won't get around to welcome him." She sighed again and looked at Cole with big eyes. "I hope you aren't angry, but stop, one moment...." she thought about it. "...you could come with me."
Cole smiled at her hardly enthusiastic. "I think your father wouldn't like that." he talked his way out of it. "We don't know each other very well yet and we can meet again any time."
"Well I hope so." Vivian said and smiled at him encouraging.
At the same time the waiter served Prue's and Paul's dessert. Prue has watched, that Edward Wingrove has walked to Cole's and Vivian's table. And she has noticed satisfied, that he didn't give the impression that he was lucky about the new couple. Prue knew him only by sight, but she knew that he was a highly influential man in town. After all he had got his incompetent daughter the job at the paper, Prue thought angrily and obviously he would like to see another man at her side. But before Prue could go into it further, she remembered that she had a date with Paul and that she didn't care about Cole at heart. She smiled at Paul, when they heard his pager.
Paul looked at Prue excusing. "I'm on standby tonight." he told her and looked at the display. "Would you excuse me for a moment?"
Prue nodded and Paul left the room. She paid her attention on her dessert, but nevertheless she felt Cole's curious look at her. When she looked up, he looked at her asking. Prue gave him to understand as clear as the distance allowed that he should mind his own business. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled at Vivian again. Prue shook her head angrily, when Paul entered the hall again with an embarrassed smile on his lips.
"I am so sorry, Prue." He told her, when he arrived at the table. "But the office has called me. I have to go to the office tonight." He sat down again and shook his head excusing. "That's the problem when you are a policeman. They need you untimely."
"Well I'm willing to do everything for the security of this town." Prue explained with a friendly smile, but when she noticed his disappointed face, she added. "Don't worry, I know such emergencies very well. It's not the end of the world. We can repeat our date any time."
"Yes and we'll do it definitely!" Paul said optimistically.
"Do you have to go right now?" Prue asked.
"Yes unfortunately. But you can stay here. Please eat up your dessert leisurely. I'll tell the waiter to call a taxi for you later." Paul told her and looked for a waiter to pay the bill.
Cole watched the whole action from a distance. Paul was paying and said goodbye to Prue discreetly. Cole couldn't deny, that he was glad to see that Paul was leaving the dining hall, while Prue stayed at the table alone. A few minutes later, she got up, too and went to the exit while she didn't deign to look at Cole.
"I think it's time for you to meet the good old uncle James." Cole turned to Vivian.
"You are so cute." she said smiling. "And understanding, what have I done to deserve this?"
"I don't know." Cole said and called for the waiter, while Vivian wanted to freshen up. When the waiter arrived at his table, Cole asked him, if he was to send for a taxi for Prue. When he nodded, Cole told him, that it wasn't necessary because he could give her a ride.
The waiter looked at him confused. "Are you sure?" he asked insecure. "I don't want to get into trouble."
"Don't worry, she'll be glad about it. I can assure you that." Cole told him with a satisfied smile, while he tipped him generously.
"Of course Sir, no problem." the waiter promised and disappeared.
When Vivian came back, Cole followed her to a door to a private lounge. She stopped in front of it and got closer to him. She ran her hand over his arm until it reached his neck. Then she pulled his head down to her face and kissed him playfully on his lips. "I've thought out something else for tonight." she whispered, but before she could continue, somebody opened the door behind her.
"Vivian!" they heard Edward Wingrove's voice. "We are already waiting for you." he said and looked at Cole asking. "I don't want to be rude, but it's a family reunion."
Cole raised his hands. "Don't worry," he said. "I just wanted to take Vivian here."
Vivian looked at him smiling and muttered. "See you soon." then she disappeared with her father behind the door.
Cole had a sigh of relief. Vivian was rather attractive, but he wasn't interested in her. On the other side, he didn't want to fall out of favour with her. She was his ticket to the Wingrove family. Cole turned around and walked along the long corridor to the entrance hall.
Meanwhile Prue was sitting on a bench in front of the restaurant. There was a small green with a fountain and benches, where Prue could watch the street. She put her hand under the water jet of the splashing fountain beside her. It was stifling hot again and she wondered, if she was made for this climate. She looked at the street again, but she couldn't see her taxi yet.
Suddenly she heard a voice behind her, unfortunately a well-known voice.
"Hello Prue. Did you spend a nice evening?" Cole asked and sat down beside her on the bench. When he didn't get an answer he added. "Unfortunately your policeman had to go so early."
Prue looked around. "And were is your lovely companion?" she asked sneering.
"She had to go to a family reunion with her father and her godfather." He told her very kindly.
"Oh, and you didn't join them?" Prue asked ironically. "I thought the Wingroves and you are already the best friends."
Cole laughed, "What makes you think of that? Don't you wonder why Wingrove had chosen me to advocate Amy? You can be sure, that he thinks I am a brillant lawyer wasn't the reason."
"Yes it was hard to believe for me, that someone could think you are a great lawyer. But why?" Prue asked interested.
"Because he is convinced that I'll loose the case anyway, and that's definitely Dianne's fault. But to be honest there isn't much to mess up."
Prue looked at him sceptically. "What are you getting at?"
"Well when I'll fail, Wingrove and Carey can pretend that they have done everything for Amy's defence." Cole explained cooly, he leaned back and put his arm on the back of the bench.
Thereupon Prue leaned forward and asked sneering. "But when you know that, why did you agree to represent Amy in court? I thought your time for good deeds is over?"
"Well perhaps I was wrong. But mainly I'd like to show Wingrove that he has engaged the wrong man." Cole smiled nastily. "He has made the worst choice at all."
"Oh, I see. But if you want to get Wingrove, it'll be a foolish idea to have dates with his daughter." Prue pointed out.
Cole grinned. "Why? He didn't like it either." he explained satisfied. "And Vivian can be very helpful as well."
"Do you mean, it was only a question of calculation with you to have a date with her?" Prue asked with a shake.
"If you want to call it this way." Cole explained and looked at her. "But she was a great eyecatcher, too." he said and raised an eyebrow provocatively.
"Don't go to any trouble. I couldn't care less." Prue explained bored. "But I'd say that her dress was tasteless, too obvious in my point of view." She splashed some water from the fountain to refresh herself. "But probably it was the right dress for this climate."
Cole took a close look at her. "Well I suppose you can bear the heat in your dress, too."
Prue looked at him attentively. It was obvious that he was sweating in his suit even more than her in her light dress. "Yes, that is one advantage to be a woman." She told him with a satisfied smile. "Nevertheless I wished, the climate of this town would be more agreeable."
Cole nodded. "More like San Francisco." he agreed and looked at her searching. "You really miss it, don't you? Your family, your home."
Prue looked at the fountain and said thoughtfully. "Yes, I do. I miss them so badly. I've always thought that I'd like it to have my own life, but I'm not used to live alone."
"I know exactly how hard it is." Cole said softly. "But you aren't alone, Danny is there. And if you want it unconditional, we can move to the North Pole."
Prue couldn't help laughing. "Thanks for your offer, but I think that wouldn't be a great help." She looked at the street. "Where is this damn taxi?" she wondered.
"Oh, I've told them, that you don't need one." Cole told her.
"What?" Prue looked at him furiously.
"Well, I can give you a ride." Cole explained helpful.
"Cole ..." Prue started annoyed.
"What? I just wanted to do you a favour." he said innocently. "Because I want to ask a favour of you, too."
"There is just one problem, it isn't a favour." Prue explained annoyed. "But I've no choice." she said angrily and stood up. "So what are you waiting for? Let's go."
When Cole and Prue entered their house soon after, it was pleasant cool in the entrance hall. Cole stopped in front of his door and looked at Prue thoughtfully. "Oh, there is still the favour, I want to ask you for." he started.
Prue shook her head in disbelief and raised her hand. "I'd advise you not to try it at all." She said flatly. "Because the answer is no."
"But you don't know, what I want to ask you for." He said sneering. "Or do you get visions lately."
"That isn't necessary." Prue explained with a satisfied smile. It was too obvious, what he wanted, but he couldn't be so stupid to think, that she would let herself in for it again.
Cole nodded. "Okay," he said. "I just thought, you'd like to help poor Amy." He put his hand on the doorhandle and turned around. "It's a pity, that you don't want to come with me."
Prue looked at him confused. "I don't know, what you are talking about." she confessed.
"I was going to ask you, if you would come with me to the scene of crime tomorrow. Vivian gave me the key for the plantation and I'd like to look around. I suppose that they've tried to perform magic there. And you know everything about witchcraft, therefore it would be great if you took a close look at the place." He looked at her as if he was surprised. "What on earth did you think I want?"
Prue shook her head. "Forget it." she said and ran her fingers over her temples. If Amy was innocent, it would be her obligation to help Cole. "Okay!" she agreed. "I'll have a look around the place."
Cole stepped closer. "Thank you!" he said and smiled. "But there is another question for you." He looked at her forcefully. "Why didn't you go out with me tonight, but with Paul?"
"Because he is nice and friendly. And he has asked me." Prue told him in a neutral voice, but she couldn't let him out of her sight.
"Mm, does that mean that I'd just have to ask and you would have gone out with me?" Cole asked and got closer.
Prue didn't move. "No, because you aren't nice." she looked him straight into the eyes.
Cole made a thoughtfully grimace. "Well I can be nice, if you want."
"I hardly believe you, unfortunately I know you too well." Prue explained, but nevertheless she couldn't bring herself to turn around and go upstairs. The stifling hot night and the wine for diner had probably appeased her.
Cole looked at her attentively, she had loosened her hair in the car and her skin was shimmering in the twilight falling colourful through the entrance door made of glass. They looked at each other in silence, because there was nothing to say, apart from the fact what really was going on with them.
Finally it was Prue, who broke the silence. "I have to go upstairs now." she stated, but she didn't budge. She knew full well which signs she gave him with her looks and her body language all the time. These feelings ran through her and she wondered, where they were coming from for God's sake. She wasn't responsible for them, or was she?
"I thought you'd like to come with me into my cubbyhole." Cole replied softly and pressed down the doorhandle carefully.
Prue shook her head. "You can put that idea right out of your mind!" she explained not very convinced. She stared at a button of his shirt and avoided his eyes. She didn't understand herself anymore, but when he touched instinctively his chest at the same point, she couldn't help it and put her hand on it.
Cole didn't move and waited, until her had found slowly it's way to his neck. Prue followed her hand with her eyes and suddenly she felt the uncontrollable urge to kiss him again. Perhaps her memories about last night were wrong and it hadn't been so hot. She came to the conclusion, that she had to test it. A kiss, that was nothing and after it, she would know exactly what was going on. She looked at Cole slowly and her hand touched his lips.
That was the request Cole needed, he bent forward to kiss her passionately. Then he embraced her with one arm and opened the door with his other hand. Together they stumbled into his bedroom. Cole closed the door with his foot and they were falling onto the bed.
"I shouldn't do that." Prue muttered between her kisses, but to give the lie to her words, she started to pull at the buttons of his shirt.
"Stop thinking about it." Cole kissed her neck and opened the zipper of her dress.
Prue nodded, he was right, if she started to think about it, she would be forced to stop it immediately and she wasn't willing to do it.
When Prue was lying in Cole's arms later, she sighed softly. It felt too good for something that was so wrong. She thought, what her sisters would think about her, if they could see her lying beside Cole. She got a shock and that was good for her, she decided. Because it made her wriggling out of Cole's arms.
"What's going on?" Cole asked drowsy.
"I'll go." Prue explained shortly and got up. She looked on the ground and searched for her clothes.
"It's the broom closet, isn't it?" Cole asked thoughtfully. He sat up to watch her.
"Very funny." Prue put on her dress and looked at him. "You have to admit, that it's ill, what we are doing here."
"No! What makes you think of that? It felt rather normal for me." he explained with a smile.
Prue looked up and closed her eyes for a moment. Then she looked at him again. "We don't suit one another, Cole. I don't love you, I even don't like you."
"I also don't love you, that's the good thing about it." Cole explained satisfied.
"But I'm searching for a man, I'll fall in love with. I'm not interested in a sexual adventure. We are compelled to live with each other for Danny's sake. And this is just..." she was searching for the right word. "...a mistake, nothing else."
"Oh I see and the always restrained Prue doesn't make such mistakes." Cole said sneering.
"That's it and therefore I'll go immediately." Prue pointed at the door and said unmistakable. "And it won't happen ever again."
"Mm, that's an old one. You've told me before." Cole explained less impressed. "Why can't you just try to enjoy it?"
"Perhaps that's the way you like to do things, but it's not my thing." She shook her head. "It's like this I don't want it, it would complicate matters unnecessarily and that's final."
Cole shrugged his shoulders and laid down again. "Okay, if you say so." he explained composed, he wasn't so crazy about her, he tried to persuade himself. And probably she was right, it would just cause problems, finally he knew the Halliwells too well.
Prue looked at him and in spite of everything she was annoyed that he gave in so easily. "Okay, then I'll go." she told him again and opened finally the door. She went upstairs without turning back and entered the bathroom. She took a cold shower and laid down on her big lonely bed. She never had the impression that it was so huge ever before. She forced herself not to think about Cole and her damn passion. She rolled to and fro and listened to the grandfather clock in the hall struck half past one. When she finally heard it striking three, she stood up annoyed, she couldn't get to sleep. She left her room and stopped at the stairs. No, in no case she would go downstairs again, she decided. If Danny would be here at least, but he was sleeping in Sarah's room this night. Then suddenly her eyes fell on the door to the bathroom. The lock wasn't working yet and it would be all she needed if Cole caught her under the shower next morning. She went to the cupboard in the floor and took out the toolbox. It would be ridiculous if she couldn't fix it herself. Prue started to work optimistically.