Hi everyone, sorry for the long wait. Had some trouble with my computer. Hope you are all well! And healthy!

Thanks to Sweepeaspatch for her ideas and for being my beta!

And many thanks to the reviewers, it's so nice to know what you think!

Richard's shack

Camille woke up with a start. She felt warm, someone was hugging her. Her body automatically nestled itself closer to the source of solid warmth. She reveled in the amazing feeling it gave. Soft material pressed lightly against her cheek. She opened her eyes confused, only to see an unexpected white dress. Her eyebrows rose as she recognized her Maman.

"Good morning ma Chere." Her mother's voice sounded soothingly.

Camille started and sat up.

"Slowly." Catherine uttered.

"What are you doing here? Where's Richard?" Camille asked shocked as she looked around her quickly. Of all the things to happen in her life, she never thought to ever end up in Richard's bed (although she'd fantasized about it secretely), she'd never thought to have her mother see them together. And she never ever thought to be in Richard's bed with her mother. But then again, she never thought Kris to be a thief and a criminal either... What had her maman done to Richard? Was he still alive?

"Richard called me this morning. Imagine my surprise. A personal call from the British Detective Inspector. What a way to start my morning! He was really worried about you. He wanted to let you sleep in."

"While he went to work?!" Camille snapped insulted as she straightened herself on the bed. That was NOT his place! Who did he think he was to decide that for her?!

"Don't be angry with him." Catherine soothed as she took a tray from the side and put it over Camille's legs. "Come eat a bit. You need the energy."

Camille looked at the toast and fruit on the plate her Maman had made for her. "Non, I need to go." She didn't have time to lose. There was so much to do! So many people to interrogate, so many leads to follow up on!

"You won't find Kris if you're all tired and angry." Catherine reminded her in a sad tone.

"So Richard told you that she escaped? Again. Just like she planned." Camille shook her head sadly. "Everything probably went exactly as she had planned." She muttered as she slumped against the headboard and took an angry bite of the toast.

"Non actually, Nick told me. He came to my bar last night while I was closing. He looked like a ghost. I couldn't believe what he was telling me. I was so worried about you. But he told me Richard had helped you. I counted on you to be safe then." Catherine kissed Camille's cheek. "I just want to be here for you. I'm so sorry. And also, I still can't believe it. Kris is... Was... So sweet.."

"Oui, I can't believe it either." Camille mumbled. The toast was difficult to swallow. It felt like there was no room in her throat.

Catherine shook her head as she stared at the tree in the beach shack. "Usually my intuition is right." She mumbled deep in thought.

Camille looked at her Maman and nodded. "Oui, mine too."

"Could she be that good?" Catherine asked as she looked up. "Can our intuition really be tricked like that?"

Camille shrugged. "That's what I want to find out. I hope we'll have an answer to that question soon. I'm going." Camille said as she moved off the bed quickly.

"Camille, you haven't finished your toast!" Catherine reminded her.

"I don't have time." She answered impatiently as she looked for her bag.

Catherine moved off the bed also. "I'm joining you. Richard wanted my statement."

Camille nodded. In all the commotion, she'd almost forgotten that her Maman had played a part in these awful dealings too.

Police station

Nick and Richard looked at the elderly woman sitting before them. Nick had found Rosa Hills as a witness just last night. The woman was the town gossip of Saint Marie. Nothing happened without her knowing it, it seemed. No one could move without her seeing it. And they were in luck that this woman had just been walking her dog. She was always watching the neighbors like a hawk.

"It was the strangest thing that happened to Little John and me." Rosa began. Her dark skin looked even darker with the light pink dress she was wearing. But her face was friendly.

"Little John?" Richard asked confused.

Rosa nodded. "That's my dog." She got a dreamy look in her big dark eyes as she looked up at the ceiling. "If only he could talk..." She told them dreamily as she looked back at Nick. "He would have been surprised too." She laughed shortly.

"What was so strange?" Richard asked as he frowned.

"Well, Little John had just done his first business in the grass, you know what I mean. He always takes his time and searches for a place with high grass. When this car comes at high speed all along the road! I didn't know what was happening! The nerve to drive so fast! It was like I was in a movie, you know the sorts; those action movies the youth love so much nowadays." She looked at the two men in front of her. "With all the shooting and violence. And then, to top that off, a motor bike comes up right behind it! Little John and I had never seen such an unusual thing. And then... The car just stopped! Almost right in front of us! I think they didn't see us... We were in the dark, near the trees. Little John always loves to sniff near the trees, and the lamppost is broken there. I've told le Maire this so many times, but they just don't fix it! Anyway... I was a bit afraid, I have to admit! Who knows these days! I thought some sort of drug bust or something was going on."

Nick nodded encouragingly for her to go on.

"Little John looked up too." Rosa shook her head. "He can be quite alert for his age. He's 10 years old, my Little John, but O... What a fighter he is. If someone would attack me, I think he would protect me... Although sometimes I'm not sure, I-"

"-What happened then." Richard interrupted impatiently. He wasn't interested in dogs and their characters and their business in the grass!

"Then this woman steps out of that fast car. A woman! Can you imagine that?! She hasn't been raised properly I think." She shook her head dejectedly. "To behave like that in public!" She looked up at Richard again."Can you believe that? Where is the youth going these days I wonder? Down the drain if you ask me! If even a woman doesn't know the proper etiquette anymore-"

"-And what happened next?" Richard prodded.

"She was wearing these high heels and some sort of short suit. And on the motor bike was a woman too, I recognized her. It was the pretty lady that is a police officer too. Catherine's daughter. Camille, is it not?"

"Yes. Please go on." Richard urged.

"O, yes. Busy are you?" Rosa asked as she shook her head.

"Very." Richard nodded impatiently as he ground his teeth. Get to the point already!

"Those British people really need to learn how to relax." She said as she eyed his dark suit.

Richard clenched his jaw and looked at Nick. He would love to shake this woman until she came to the point! He missed Camille right now. She was always good with people.

"So there were two woman. And what happened then?" Nick asked friendly. Hoping to get on track again.

"The pale woman- Have you ever seen someone that pale with hair as dark?" Rosa asked as she looked up at Nick.

Richard rolled his eyes as he looked away. Yes, we have seen her! Now hurry up!

Nick nodded at Rosa.

"I thought that has to be Snow White in the flesh! She searched in her car and came out with a crow bar. I was so afraid, I couldn't move. Because Camille was shouting at her and Snow White looked so threatening and then she gets a crow bar! Little John and I thought that that wouldn't be good news! What else can you expect?! Camille shouted that she was going to arrest her. Camille started trying to hit and then they fought. I was so afraid! Of course, Little John being there did help me a bit. What would they do if they'd seen me? Can you imagine?! You hear so many stories of violent people killing witnesses! Am I in danger now?" Rosa looked up at Nick with big eyes.

Nick squatted in front of her. "Camille works here as a Detective Sergeant, and the woman you saw, we are searching for her. We don't expect her to be close by. And she won't come for you. I promise." He soothed her easily.

"Ahhh... You're such a nice boy. Such nice eyes. Your mother must be proud of you." Rosa almost purred as she gave Nick a satisfied smile.

"He is British too." Richard mumbled annoyed.

Rosa looked from Richard to Nick. "You are? Who would have guessed?" She gave Richard a glare.

"Can you please go on." Richard urged impatiently as Nick straightened himself again and began to pace behind Rosa.

"Well, well. So impatient. I wonder what your mother had to say about that when you were a child. A real hothead aren't you?"

Richard narrowed his eyes angrily at her.

Rosa sighed as she shook her head at him. Impatient man... "Camille started to collapse. And then the funniest thing happened."

"What was that?" Richard asked curiously.

"Snow White caught Camille before she could fall on the hard ground and put her down very softly. Now isn't that strange? She was very sweet to her, very careful as if she didn't want to hurt her. It was so strange. And then, I could have sworn she kissed her forehead. Can you imagine that?"

"Bonjour." Camille interrupted groggily as she walked in.

"There she is, Camille." Rosa commented.

Camille nodded friendly at Rosa who she recognized from her Maman's bar.

"Camille, we are interviewing a witness from last night." Richard explained.

"Ah.." She nodded at the woman as she felt anger boiling up towards Richard who hadn't woken her up to be in on this interview from the start.

"Camille Bordey." She introduced herself as she shook the womans hand.

"Yes, I know. You're that lovely daughter of Catherine. Sweet Catherine."

"Merci." Camille smiled at her. "Maman is at the market, she'll be here in about half an hour. I told her to wait outside on the bench for us to come and get her." Camille said as she nodded at Nick. She noticed that he looked disheveled and had bags under his eyes.

"Let's carry on." Richard reminded Rosa sternly. The woman could talk for ages if she wasn't guided by a firm hand.

Rosa ignored Richard and looked up at Camille. "I just told these gentlemen how surprised I was."

"Why is that?" Camille asked confused.

"Well, I'm not a police woman of course. And Little John is no police dog either, though he could be... But Snow White put you on the ground so softly. And she kissed your forehead. And before that, I thought you two were going to kill each other!? I was so afraid!"

Snow White? Camille didn't have to ask who Rosa meant with that. "What?" She asked surprised. Why would Kris do that? Really?

"Oui." The woman nodded. "You were so fierce, hitting Snow white and trying to grab her."

"That was necessary." Camille explained.

"If you say so, yes it probably was." Rosa nodded quickly.

"Was the other woman fierce too?" Nick asked.

Rosa looked up at him confused and frowned.

Nick had stopped pacing and had taken his place against the wall again.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I meant if the other woman, with the crow bar, was fighting too? Was she hitting Camille, or did she just defend herself?"

Rosa looked in the distance for a moment, replaying the scene in front of her mind's eye. "She didn't seem to do very much. But then again, Camille was so fast. And then suddenly Snow White moved and your body became limp." Rosa said as she looked at Camille.

Camille nodded as her nostrils flared angrily. She hated how Kris had managed to overpower her in that fight. She hadn't even known what had happened, before she knew it, everything had gone black.

"And then something amazing happened." Rosa went on in a singing voice. "My God, what a night! Can you imagine? An old woman like me going through this all? This is adventure I'll remember for months to come." She clasped her hands together in front of her chest fondly.

"What was that?" Richard asked.

Camille sat down next to Richard. Nick was leaning against the wall, next to Rosa.

"I missed my favorite TV show, Little John and me love our soap operas. But to see how the police force cares about one another. It was heart warming." Rosa put her hand on her chest now fully.

"What do you mean?" Camille asked confused.

Richard raised his brows, where was this going?

"Well, this jeep came. And it was you." She looked up at Nick. "And was it you?" She asked Richard.

Richard nodded as he sighed inwardly.

"You were dressed so nicely! Did you go to a gala first? You should have seen their suits! So impeccable! And-"

"-Please, get to the point." Richard snapped.

Camille give him a warning glare.

"Oooo..." Rosa put her hand on her heart again as she looked at Richard and shook her head. "How you took her in your arms..."

"Who?" Camille asked as she looked from Rosa to Richard. Who did he take in his arms? When? And why?

Richard stood up immediately. "What else can you tell us about the woman you call Snow White?" He cut her off quickly.

Camille and Nick looked up at him in surprise at his sudden change of subject.

Camille looked at Rosa. "Who took who in his arms?" Camille asked curiously.

"Well, it was you, wasn't it?" Rosa asked as she looked at Richard. She put her hand on her heart again. "It was so romantic and sweet! Maybe you're not just a hothead after all. Maybe there's more to you then meets the eye." She winked at him. "Much more." She giggled.

Camille raised an eyebrow at that.

"Romantic?" Richard blurted out. He didn't even hear the compliments Rosa had just given him.

"And how you kissed her... No soap opera could go up against that scene. I can still see it happening right in front of me." She looked at Camille now. "O sweety, if only you'd been awake to experience it. I think you would have enjoyed it! It was just like I walked right into a heated scene from 'The Bold and the Beautiful'."

Camille's eyes flew from Richard to Rosa. "Quoi?!" (What?!) She must have misunderstood.

"You're mistaken. I did not kiss my Detective Sergeant. I was merely worried, as anyone would be." Richard defended himself quickly.

Camille looked from Rosa to Richard but he sat, frozen like a statue again.

"O young man, I am not mistaken about these things. Don't tell me I am! I know what I saw." Rosa countered stubbornly as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"And I was there myself! I know what I did!" Richard countered suddenly heated.

Camille took his abnormal behavior in and looked at Rosa again with big surprised eyes.

Rosa bent towards Camille conspiratorially. "He was so worried for you! We could see that from afar. I wasn't very close to see. Ahh well. Never mind. Because a minute later the spell was broken. You two were arguing so loud that the whole neighborhood probably woke up in the middle of the night! Whatever would have been so important to shout like that so late at night?"

Camille looked at Richard.

"Rosa, can you tell us more about what happened after the woman put Camille down on the street. We want to hear every detail." Nick asked, seeing that Richard was momentarily speechless.

Rosa bent towards Camille again. "Are you two involved?" She asked nosily.

Camille looked at Richard, studied him. "Non! Of course not. We are professionals."

"Well... Even professionals have feelings, do they not?" Rosa mentioned as she looked up at Nick and winked at him cheekily.

"Shall we get back on track? The woman was in the street and left Camille there. What happened next?" Nick proposed.

Richard swallowed. "I did not kiss you." He mumbled softly at Camille. He looked at Rosa now. "It was dark and you were far away. It's not possible that you saw that clearly." He looked at Camille. "I was merely checking if you were all right."

Rosa shook her head dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Checking with your lips?" She looked at Camille and shook her head as she rolled her eyes. "Men." She blurted out. "Emotions and feelings are so difficult for them to admit, aren't they?" She then looked at Nick.

"Camille was on the ground, then what happened?" Nick reminded her kindly.

"He seemed so concerned." Rosa shook her head in delight and sighed loudly. "O, if only I were that young again. Love... It's such a nice thing, don't you think?" She looked at Camille.

"Ahh... Oui." Camille straightened herself confused.

"This isn't love. This is a Police Investigation into a dangerous criminal woman." Richard snapped. The old woman just didn't know when to stop! He did make himself clear just now, did he not? Were all the French woman on this godforsaken Island so stubborn and deaf?!

"O, I could have sworn it was." Rosa countered dreamily.

"What happened next?" Nick urged more impatient now.

"Well, he almost crushed you, he held on so tightly, shouting your name. He was obviously very worried." Rosa told Camille.

Camille pressed her lips together to not laugh out loud. The tenaciousness of this woman was interesting.

Richard's face grew as red as a beet.

"I meant with the woman." Nick tried again. His patience was beginning to become less and less. He needed information about Kris. He needed to know everything about her.

"The woman?" Rosa asked confused. "O, yes. After he kissed Camille- O you meant before. Well, Snow White walked back to the car, very slowly."

"You're absolutely sure he kissed me!?" Camille couldn't help asking.

"He-" Rosa began as she looked at Richard.

"Let's focus on the subject please!" Richard growled. "I did not kiss you! How many times do I have to repeat myself before ANYONE ACTUALLY LISTENS?"

"Snow White walked back to the car. But it was as if... I don't know." She shook her head.

"What? We need every bit of information you have." Nick prodded.

"Information that's relevant to the case." Richard warned sternly.

"It was as if she... Doubted something... She started back to the car but then turned around to walk towards Camille. And then she stopped walking and froze. Right there. Staring at Camille. It was like she wanted to move but couldn't. And then she was talking to herself, there was no one around. It was really strange. She sounded angry, impatient." Rosa's dark eyes looked up at Nick.

"What happened then?" Camille asked.

"Then things just went fast. She stepped back in the car and sped off. And before I could come to you, to save you..." Rosa said as she put her hand on Camille's knee comfortingly. "Another car came! And that's when what I just told you about happened."

"Thank you." Richard said as he abruptly stood up.

"If you remember anything else, please let us know." Camille said sweetly.

"Let's get your mother in." Richard snapped impatiently as he stalked off towards the porch before Camille or Rosa could utter one more word.

Porch of the Police Station

"Catherine." Richard called as he walked towards her. He needed to move. He felt angry and frustrated.

"Ahh Richard." Catherine stood up as she took her bag. "It was so nice of you to call me and have me pick Camille up this morning. I didn't expect to find her in your bed." Catherine noted.

Richard turned red instantly. He froze in his steps as he swallowed. "What?" He hadn't even thought of that. "Oh..." How must it have looked?! A mother finding her own daughter in a strange man's bed? In her boss's bed? "Er..." That had been the last thing on his mind this morning! With a case like this...

"There's not much room in your beach shack. For sleepovers I mean... Is there?"

"Yes. I mean... No! NO. There is room!" O god, this was awful. And dangerous. "Lots of room, if you're being creative." This woman could be so frightening. Richard swallowed and almost began to stutter. "I-I-.. Didn't stay in my bed. Camille was there, I wasn't in the bed! It was just her in my bed, we were far apart from each other. Very far. You see?" He explained nervously.

Catherine raised an eyebrow at his clumsiness. There was no need to explain. But for some reason Richard did feel the need to do so.

"I didn't- We didn't-" Richard throat went so dry now that his voice faltered.

Catherine crossed her arms in front of her chest. She didn't think they had slept together. Camille had been too upset and injured and Richard wasn't the type of man to take advantage of her. And also, her daughter would never let a man take advantage of her if she had a say in it.

"I didn't touch her!" Richard was still ranting on and defending himself. "I would never touch her." He started to panic. Why was he feeling like a schoolboy again who had to talk to the head nun? "I would never take advantage of her. Never. Ever." He emphasized urgently.

"I can see that." Catherine said as she eyed him curiously.

"I was on the chair. Far away from the bed. You must have noticed the chair? I have two of them. It's a wicker chair, quite comfortable. Not to sleep, but it was doable. And-"

"-What did you want to ask?" Catherine interrupted his rant impatiently. Otherwise he would go on for hours, and she had work to do.

"I didn't have a question." Richard muttered quickly.

Catherine looked from the wooden bench outside to the inside of the police station. "What is it that you wanted Richard?" There had to be a reason that he came outside towards her. She'd been waiting to be heard. "Can I give my statement now?"

"Oui, s'il vous plait. I mean, yes!" Richard blurted out quickly as he stared at her with wide eyes. Had he just answered in French? This woman really is scary! "Yes please, yes. If you would..."

"Maman? What's taking you so long?" Camille asked impatiently from the doorway.

00000

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