Author's note: Due to an unforseen plot twist, I have had to go back and re-write the following chapters: 17-20. If you have read them before, please re-read them before going on to chapter 21 because the timing and the plot has changed.


"Did you find anything?" Erik asked his father in a low voice as they went along a darkened corridor together.

Gerard nodded. "Manager's passage," he said cryptically.

Erik nodded, and led the way toward the manager's office. Before he reached it, he stepped into an alcove and reached up toward the molding above the door to press a button; suddenly one panel of the alcove slid away. Gerard went into the dark passage, and Erik quickly scanned the corridor for onlookers before ducking through the secret door himself.

The door slid shut behind them, leaving them in total blackness. He spoke to Gerard. "What is going on, then… Father?" he asked calmly.

"Just a minute; I know I left them around here somewhere." There was a light scratching sound, and then Gerard's face was illuminated by the tiny, fitful flame of a Lucifer match. "Ah, here they are."

Erik reached up out of sight to a dark shelf he had installed, and brought down a candle. He lit it with the match, which Gerard blew out and dropped to the floor.

"Here you go," Gerard said, handing him the papers. The mask he kept in his hand, hidden behind his leg.

Erik handed the candle to Gerard, who held it up so he could read the documents. He scanned them quickly, silently, and then gave a disgusted snort. "What a cad," was his understated summation. "And he calls me the monster!" He looked at Ledoux's quick note to Choletti, and then his gaze flicked back to toward Gerard. "What proof?" he demanded.

Gerard handed him the mask. Erik turned it over and read the note inside, and growled. He reached up and put the mask on the high shelf where he'd found the candle, and then sighed. "Any ideas?"

"A few," Gerard said.

"I could just kill Choletti," Erik offered. "That would get him off everyone's backs."

"I'm sure Ledoux would notice he's missing, though, and then he'd be down after you twice as much as before," Gerard pointed out. "What would be better is if we silence Choletti somehow, and then inform Ledoux and let him arrest him for blackmail."

"…And Choletti would then boast that he's had Clemence Ledoux at least…" Erik consulted the letter in his hands. "Six times. Ledoux says it's more than a 100-franc reduction." He gazed at his father, shaking his head. "If Ledoux has to find out about that at all, it shouldn't be from the piece of slime who did it."

Gerard sighed. "I will take these letters to Ledoux and tell him, then. Except this one. Here," he handed Erik the letter from Ledoux about the "proof" that Choletti had. "Now, how can we manage this so that Ledoux will call off his search for you?"

Erik thought a moment. "Why not simply pay his debt to Choletti? If Ledoux is in my debt for such a large amount, he won't be all that eager to expose me."

"Erik, it's two hundred thousand francs!"

Erik shrugged. "It's not as if I have much else to spend my money on. And anyway, it's not as if Choletti will be actually keeping the money."

"What do you mean?"

Erik grinned; Gerard could hear the smile in his voice as he said, "We'll get a receipt from Choletti for the full amount, and then I'll simply steal it back."

Gerard shrugged and nodded. It was almost elegant in its simplicity. "But how can we keep Choletti quiet about it?"

"Oh, that's easy," Erik said. "I'll just threaten to kill him."

"Just threaten him?" Gerard pressed.

Erik nodded. "If all goes well with Christine tonight, Gerard, I'll be a man with a future for once. I won't start it off with a killing. You have my word."

"All right, then. Let me to talk to Ledoux, and you can handle Choletti. Shall we meet in the manager's office in… a half an hour, perhaps?"

Erik scoffed, "That is more than enough time for what I have in mind, Gerard; I may fall asleep if you take that long."

Gerard shot a sharp look at him, but Erik only blinked innocently and gathered up the papers. "Here you are," he handed them to his father. "If you see Choletti, you may wish to let him know that he has a client waiting to see him in his office."

Gerard took the papers and stopped to grin at his son. He reached out and patted Erik's masked cheek with one hand. "Be careful," he advised, "but have fun!"

Erik blew out the candle. "Oh, don't worry," he replied darkly. "I will."

"Shall I bring Ledoux back up here with me, then?"

"That would be best. Give me at least fifteen minutes alone with Choletti, though."

"I will." Gerard pressed the button that opened the shadowed doorway of the passage, and cautiously stuck his head out to check for passersby. The corridor was empty, but he could hear the distinct sound of Choletti's voice, coming closer. "Hurry," he urged Erik, stepping out. Erik followed him silently, and brushed past him to go wait in Choletti's office.

Gerard waited around the corner for Choletti and his companion to approach; listening hard, he detected Ledoux's voice answering Choletti's rant with uncomfortable single-syllable responses. Just as they reached the corner, he stepped out and faced them.

"Aaahh!" Choletti screamed, recoiling. "It'sa the phantom!"

"Please pardon the intrusion, messieurs," Gerard said politely. "Ledoux, I must speak with you right away."

"Carrière?" Choletti whispered, pale-faced and trembling. "Why are you dressed as the phantom?"

Gerard sighed impatiently. "Why not? It's as good a costume as any. Ledoux, I really must speak to you, now."

"Of course. You will excuse me, Choletti; Gerard and I must talk." The two of them turned to leave, but then Gerard turned back. "Oh, Choletti—I think there is someone in your office who wanted to have a word with you."