He watched her through the fading darkness, going about her everyday routine. She stood on the balcony, a small cup of steaming liquid in her hand early in the morning, after her 30-minute run. She was predictable, although the route of her run varied each day. He could see her outline becoming clearer as the sun rose, and he yearned to be near her, to touch her. Instead, he pulled his hat down on his head and walked briskly to the block entrance, hyper aware of her just a few floors above. Navigating the communal doorway despite its security, he placed his handwritten note in her post box and left. He'd written a simple note, knowing she would recognise his handwriting, clumsy and unclear as it was.
"I love you. I miss you. I'm watching over you. Forever. Stay strong for us."
There was no name or signature, none was required between them. He hadn't written that he loved her before, not in a birthday card, nor letter. He's said it, sure, he'd shown her, of course. But he still craved the smell of her hair, the feel of her as he held her, her tender lips on his. But it was no use dwelling on what couldn't be. He was prohibited from seeing her, or he would be back in prison, and it was a cruel but necessary, stipulation of the terms of his release, ahead of the official trial.
Moving away from her block, he saw she had left the balcony and imagined her in the shower, before he stopped himself thinking that, for fear of running back and joining her there.
He watched her many times over the next few weeks, in the morning and evening. She often looked out, scanning for him and he blew her kisses into the air, that he hoped travelled across the gulf between them. He saw Romy coming and going, and noticed how she had grown. She was such a lovely toddler and Laure seemed smitten with her. He saw her welcome Vincent for dinner, with a fleeting pang of jealousy. He saw Ali drop her off and sometimes collect her. He saw Josephine come for drinks and stay late into the night. He wondered what they managed to talk about for so long, both of them guarded and professional during the working day. One morning she was clearly having a rest day, he saw Tintin arrive with croissants, and had to physically stop himself running to them. Tintin held her closely and she clearly relished his touch, old friends who were looking out for each other. It was good she still had support from her friends. The men around her all loved her, he knew. She was like that, inspiring those feelings of warmth and affection. As well as feelings of frustration and exasperation in equal measure, he knew from personal experience. What was it Ali had said about her? That she was determined and knew her own mind? Very true. He saw that their working relationship had improved in his absence, and he could see them laughing and almost hear them joking, even from this distance. He was pleased by that too. Then when Ali and his wife brought their new baby over for lunch one day, he almost cried. He hadn't been able to see the baby yet and it saddened him, but he held on to the hope that Laure would love Ali's baby for him too.
Pull yourself together and stop feeling sorry for yourself, he told himself.
Cisco had asked where he spent his days, suspicious of him being released at the same time, not really believing the story of a good lawyer getting him out. He had told Cisco the truth, that he loved a policewoman but wasn't allowed to see her, after Cisco had offered him a prostitute he knew, who owed him a favour. He didn't want meaningless sex, he wanted Laure and no-one else, so he told him that too. He sensed Cisco relaxing a little after that, realising Gilou was different to many other men he knew. When he wasn't watching Laure, he spent his time hanging around with Cisco and his crew at the nightclub. It wasn't really what wanted to do, but he owed it to Bremont to uphold his end of the deal. He preferred being out of prison too, and appreciated his freedom, despite the trial date looming. Edelman has been thorough and was compiling a good case, and he was faintly optimistic, but couldn't really hope for it all to be over, or it would destroy him. The nightclub was a little like working in the police force; lots of prostitutes, the occasional fight and people who were wholly intoxicated. Cisco still handled the security, and Gilou had no difficulty signing up as a security guard. The stitches above his eye had nearly healed now and the scar gave him a curious air of danger and intrigue. Or so he told himself when he looked in the mirror.
As the weeks went on with little prospect of an early trial date, he realised he must see her, despite the risk. One early morning, the dark still protecting him, he waited near a small cluster of trees. He had predicted this was where she would run, and sure enough he saw her approaching along the path. She wasn't wearing headphones, so he called urgently to her, as she neared.
"Laure?"
Ever the policewoman, she was on high alert at the situation, but he saw she had heard and recognised his voice. Leaving the path, she joined him in the shadows as he showed himself, and they quickly embraced. She held him so tight he thought he would stop breathing and he could feel the warm tears from her eyes. He kissed her urgently and she responded without hesitation. They kissed without words for several minutes. He wanted to stay there forever, and knew she felt the same. Eventually she pulled back from the kiss to look at him, running her hands over his face, his hair, his beard, gently stroking them, soaking them all in, committing them to memory despite the poor light, before her forehead rested on his again. He heard her speak quietly as her fingers traced the new scar.
"You're a fighter now?" she smiled, sadly.
"Yup," he said, not wanting to explain, wishing to spare her the details.
She kissed him again. "It's hard without you Gilou," she admitted. "Are you okay?"
"I am now," he said honestly. "But you should go." His hands roamed her body, sending the absolute opposite message to his words.
"Will I see you again?" she asked quietly, understanding the consequences if he was to be caught, but needing him.
"Tomorrow at the building site opposite here," he said softly, also needing her in equal measure. "6pm."
She smiled again, eyes still moist. He could feel tears in his eyes too, and she sensed this in some unspoken way that only they understood, and her fingers went to them, wiping them away.
It was getting lighter, so they parted ways.
"I love you. I miss you too," she mouthed as she backed away, heading for the path, and he knew she had read his note and understood.
He headed for the flat he had unofficially begun renting a room in, most of the other residents still asleep at this early hour. He felt lighter, with a spring in his step. He slipped into bed determined to get a few hours of sleep before he was needed at the club. After work, he had arranged to see Bremont, so he needed to feel sharp. As he drifted off to sleep, his last thoughts were of her beautiful face, and her loving embrace and he smiled in his dreams.
Later, sipping bitter coffee, Cisco asked him where he had gone that morning. God knows how he had such a tight grip on the comings and goings of all his staff, Gilou thought. He decided to be honest, and outlined how he had engineered the meeting and the kiss. Cisco smiled, genuinely amused by the story.
"And she is a policewoman, no?" he asked, as usual immediately drawing an accurate conclusion. "She could lose her job and you would go back inside?"
"What can I say? People do crazy things for love."
Gilou's confession seemed to further thaw Cisco's usual cool reserve and he began calling on Gilou more at work, for his advice or help. He had yet to find much illegal activity, Cisco seemed determined to go straight, and had said as much.
Meeting Bremont went without incident, and although he reported little, he was reassured it was all good background. Cisco's paranoia was ever present, so he didn't stay in the quiet side street for long. He headed directly back to bed that evening as he was due to see Laure again the next day. His heart skipped whenever he thought of it, not the excitement or dread that occupied equal parts of his logical brain, but the soaring joy of passion, of holding the woman he had loved for nearly 20 years.
He was early to the meet, arriving as the workmen were preparing to leave at 5pm. He slipped in unobserved and found a safe space to wait. Laure was early too, and when he saw her approaching, he waved silently. They held each other for a long time. Gilou knew the security staff didn't start work until 6:30 and they were 2 elderly men without a dog, so he relaxed slightly for the first time in many months. His hands encompassed her waist, pressing her to him. He could feel her heart, feel her breathing, smell her soap. It was truly intoxicating. He knew then what he wanted from her, and he removed her clothing and his own and they made love in the open air, skin to skin, slowly and passionately. He came quietly and leant on her, still breathing rapidly and absorbing the afterglow of their lust.
He kissed her all over before replacing her clothing, gently and lovingly. She held him close again, as if willing the world to dare to part them again. They had always been good together in bed, sensing the needs of the other, knowing without being told. He knew that their lovemaking would help her, that she needed it, craved it as much as he did. But that it would be dangerous for them both to meet regularly, despite their precautions.
They kissed again, knowing that they needed to go their separate ways and he felt her tears on her cheek again, and they spilled over to his face, and he soaked them in, needing her, needing everything from her. Despite the risk, he fastened the delicate gold necklace he had bought her, two hearts interlinked, around her neck, resting where her own heart was, hidden under her top.
She understood the significance immediately and fresh tears sprang to her eyes.
"I'll treasure it forever," she whispered, the first words they had spoken.
He slipped away then, before her tears drew his own, and made his way to the nightclub with a spring in his step which definitely hadn't been there before. He could smell her scent on him still and this helped him get through the night. Women regularly came onto him there, both to get into the club, to get out of trouble at the club and sometimes just because they seemed to like him, but he was never tempted by any of them. He knew Cisco appreciated this about him, as other members of his crew struggled to deal with the fallout of various messy hook ups they had made. His head was filled with the thoughts of Laure that evening and he daydreamed himself through the night.
"Thinking of your woman?" observed Cisco as they were closing up. Gilou had to stay sharp, the man was very aware and knew more than he should.
Gilou smiled. "I am," he admitted.
"I thought so. You've been grinning to yourself all evening. Man, you've got it bad."
"You make it sound like a dose of the trots, Cisco."
Cisco laughed out loud, a deep, throaty sound from someone who was actually quite small. He kept chuckling to himself for several minutes. Gilou kicked himself for being so transparent, but then realised it had actually worked in his favour. Cisco smiled every time he saw him that evening and kept clapping him on the shoulder. Gilou knew then that he probably wouldn't be able to see Laure for a while. Cisco shouldn't really know that he'd been seeing her, he could use that information against him. But it had been worth it. He thought back to her expression that day and smiled again. She had stroked her necklace like it was a part of him. He finished locking up and headed for his bed, smiling as he hugged himself, imagining it was Laure.
Ali also sensed a change the next day at work. Laure also had a spring in her step, and although not obvious why, there was a distinct change in her demeanour.
"What's up?" He challenged. There was no one else in the office.
"What do you mean?" Laure replied, trying to think of an answer.
"I know you," confirmed Ali. "Something's definitely up. You seem…happier than you have been in a long time."
"Well, you know Gilou is out. That makes me happy," she replied, with a grain of honesty.
"Laure?" He challenged again. "Have you two been seeing each other?"
She looked down and sighed. "I can't say Ali. I don't want to lie to you, but I equally can't have you caught up in our choices again."
"God Laure, you two are impossible. Serious consequences if you're caught, on both sides, you, your job, him, his freedom and still you can't stay apart." He spoke with an undertone of awe and amazement in his voice.
"What can I say Ali? I love him."
Ali's arm rested on her shoulder. "I love him too Laure," he admitted. "But be careful."
Her head still down, she nodded.
Ali kissed her briefly on her cheek. "I think I can even smell him on you," he smiled.
Laure smiled back.
"Coffee?" Ali offered. Laure nodded yes, and she went to stand next to him as he filled a cup. She leant on him, tired of hiding everything all the time, grateful for someone else to share the burden. His hand went around her, supporting her physically and emotionally.
Beckriche came into the office.
"I'm pleased to see you two getting on better," he commented.
They smiled at him. If only he knew. Actually, he may well have guessed, Laure thought, he wasn't as stupid as he made out. They had started out with little time for their new boss, but he had shown his loyalty to them time and again. With a little shouting for good measure.
Impulsively she said, "Thanks boss."
"What for?" he said, clearly bemused.
"I know you've supported us all over the years. And you still support us now, even Gilou and the difficulty of it all. We're all grateful. Really." She stepped towards him and gave him a hug. "Thanks boss," she said again. Although he clearly felt awkward, he hugged her back. He wasn't a man given to displays of affection.
Just at that moment, Bremont arrived in the office. He smiled as he saw the embrace.
"Didn't take long for you to move on Laure," he said, teasing.
Beckriche almost jumped away from Laure. Bremont put a hand on his arm. "I'm only teasing, I know it's not like that. Laure has a way of winning over all the men in her life."
"Vincent what do you want?" asked Laure sharply, bridling at the comment.
"Laure, don't be like that, you know I love you," soothed Vincent, still amused. He kissed her and then said, "Actually, I wanted to speak to all of you."
Beckriche sat, still feeling awkward but interested in this dynamic with Bremont, the senior officer and Laure from his team. He knew they had history, he knew they had a baby together. But he had witnessed her relationship with Gilou for all the time he had been in charge, sometimes off, mostly on, and knew that Gilou had taken sole responsibility for the missing money, despite him being certain they had acted as one. He thought it was likely Ali knew that too, and probably Bremont.
He sat and watched as they settled at the table, how Bremont touched Laure's hands familiarly to soothe his harsh, although joking, words. He saw Ali watching too, and marvelled at this woman who men always responded too, himself included. She was proud and stubborn and yet incredibly hard working, fearless and loyal. He thought again how stupid of his senior officers were to dismiss her. He thought he would promote her, given the option. Gilou too. They were the backbone of the police service, not him, paper shuffler, desk officer. He resolved to promote Ali too and get out in the field more, and lose the smart suit from time to time. Then he realised they were waiting for an answer.
"Sorry missed that," he admitted. "What was the question?"
"I was just saying that what I'm about to say is all highly confidential and must not go any further, Arnaud," reiterated Bremont.
"Okay," said Beckriche, nodding.
"I've been seeing Gilou regularly when he was in prison, you know that already Laure, and I was able to ask the judge to agree to his early release. He is staying close to a particularly nasty villain called Cisco who was released at the same time as him, and he has a job working security at the nightclub Cisco manages. He is reporting to me, directly. I wanted to tell you three because I know how loyal you are to him, and even though it's strictly against of his terms of release, I know it's likely he will try and make contact with one of you. I'm not asking you to tell me, it's better I don't know actually, but please realise, that obviously it's a disciplinary offense for you and it is likely to mean that Gilou will go back to prison, but also it's dangerous for him. Cisco won't hesitate to dispose of him if he suspects or worse finds actual evidence that he is my informer, or is still linked to you guys."
Laure looked down at her hands. She sighed. She was pleased Bremont had told her, but was angry he had put Gilou in danger, more danger. Without telling her. She knew Gilou would have insisted on her not being told, though. He always tried to protect her.
"The upside is that if we resolve this case," Bremont continued. "Gilou will have a sentence of less than six months and can still work in the police force. The downside is what I've outlined already. Gilou felt the gain outweighed the risks."
She sighed again. It all made sense.
"The new judge likes you Arnaud, so keep her onside. That should help. I'll do my bit. Are we agreed?" Laure used to like it when he was authoritative, it was one of the things that had attracted her to him in the first place, but now she just felt shaky and empty. It was one thing Laure losing him to prison or depression for a short time, but another to contemplate a life without him in it, if Cisco decided to kill him.
Laure nodded again, still lost for words. Vincent held her hand one last time, before releasing it and with a gentle kiss on the head for Laure and handshake to the two men, he breezed out of the office.
She cried quietly, her shoulders moving, and Ali held her, trying to make some of the pain go away. Beckriche wasn't sure what he should do, but he felt they should talk further.
"Come to mine this evening, and I'll cook. We can talk about this again then?" he invited looking at Laure and Ali.
"Okay," they agreed.
At the end of the day, they waited until the rest of the team had left and then leaving their phones in the office, Beckriche drove them to his apartment. It was spacious and clean, but clearly just had him living there.
"You single boss?" queried Ali.
"I am," confirmed Beckriche. He made risotto, delicious with asparagus and parmesan cheese.
"It's good," said Laure, finishing the last mouthful. They sipped white wine and relaxed as he loaded the dishwasher.
"So, let's think about this," started Beckriche. "I'm presuming Gilou has already made contact with you Laure?"
Laure looked at Ali who shrugged his shoulders. Their boss was indeed not as foolish as he sometimes chose to appear.
"Yes," she admitted quietly." On two occasions, the last being yesterday evening. But I know he has been around, checking in on me since his release."
"Strange, no, checking on you?"
"Not strange, just careful. He wanted to get to know my routine before he made contact. It's what I would do, too."
"So, has he said anything about this nightclub?"
"Well, if I'm honest boss, there wasn't a lot of talking," Laure admitted defiantly. She may as well admit to it all now.
Both men smiled to themselves, imagining Gilou's priority after his time inside.
"It's not like that," Laure countered, seeing the smiles. "I miss him that's all."
"You two never fail to amaze me," said Beckriche, sounding slightly envious. "Such significant consequences and this is how you play it."
"Boss," said Ali with a warning glare. "Leave it."
Beckriche glanced at Ali and then Laure again. "I wish I could say I understood, but I've never felt that way about anyone else. Not that I'd risk my liberty or livelihood for. Or my life," he added.
"Life without Gilou would not be worth living," stated Laure quietly.
"I agree boss, I couldn't consider my world without my wife," said Ali.
"So what do we do? We need to warn him, but I'm sure he already knows. We need a safer way for him to make contact with you Laure and then we need to limit that too. Could we open a parallel case to the nightclub security one?"
"That would probably step on Bremont's toes, boss," commented Ali.
"True, true. So, shall we leave things as they are for now? What do we do if he gets into trouble? Should we at least have plans to evaluate him in the event of a significant threat?"
"Bremont might have one in place already," said Ali.
"He might not," offered Laure. "It's not his style to consider defeat. Let's decide on an urgent exit strategy and at least locate this nightclub and where Gilou is holed up for now. Agreed?"
They both nodded with her at that.
She smiled, pleased to have a plan. "And guys? Thank you. I can't begin to explain how much this means to me. To us."
They kissed and hugged and said their goodbyes, calling a taxi to get them home. Laure was surprised by the events of this evening. She had known very little of her boss; he had always been a very private man until tonight. Dropping by the office to collect their phones on the ways home, she noticed a missed call from Tintin.
When she got back, she rang him. "Tintin? It's Laure. Did you want me?"
"Yes, I wanted to check how you were. You seemed a little quiet when I came to see you. I worry about you, since, you know..." He trailed off as he thought of Gilou the last time he'd seen him, in the police cell, resolute that he would take all of the blame, sure that he needed to.
"I'm okay Tintin. Thank you for looking after me," she smiled. They chatted then rang off.
She then rang Vincent to say good night to Romy as had become her habit. "Thanks for dropping by earlier," she said. "Goodnight."
Then her thoughts turned to Gilou, almost certainly starting work for the evening at the club. She rang Ali. "Fancy a date out at the nightclub?" She asked him. "Wear your best dress!"
She drove over and collected him, wearing a dark red dress she knew clung to all her curves. Ali had a smart suit and dark shirt on and looked different from when he wore his usual workwear.
"You look handsome," she said, and he turned away, slightly embarrassed, but pleased she had noticed. He dared not comment on how lovely she looked, he reasoned. She had located the name and address of the club, called Whisper, after some online research and parked nearby. She had butterflies in her stomach at the thought of seeing Gilou, but was aware of the danger all of them were in. It felt different to an everyday operation. They had agreed they just needed a quick word with him to outline the exit strategy they'd devised, and to try and establish where he was staying, and then they would leave. Ali put a protective hand around her as the dress drew stares, as she had known it would. They got in without difficulty, but without a sign of Gilou, who she imagined was behind the scenes. She was wearing the new necklace, exposed for all to see. Ali bought them both drinks, but they were planning to stay sober. They moved around the club, appearing to be innocently mingling, but looking in all the corners they were able to. There was a small section towards the back that was cordoned off and Laure was drawn towards that. Moving back towards the bouncer who stood nearby, she asked who went in that section. He tried to ignore her, but eventually grunted that it was the VIP section. There were dark velvet curtains which prevented her getting a good view. The night was drawing on, it was approaching 10pm and the club was filling up. The DJ played loud but contemporary dance music, and eventually Ali and Laure found themselves dancing to the beat. As the night wore on, they found themselves laughing together and enjoying the experience. It was getting on for midnight when a slow song came on and slightly awkwardly, she moved towards Ali to hold him for the dance. As she did, she felt another arm slide around her middle and smelled the scent that Gilou frequently wore. She turned to find him, and he was pulling her to him, holding her close, his face next to hers and smiling. Without thinking she began kissing him, and Ali discreetly stepped back. He had to stop himself, he was at work after all and knew that what he was doing was likely to get back to Cisco. He broke away from the kiss, despite his heart screaming at him silently not to.
"Laure what are you doing here?" He breathed into her ear, still holding her close.
She whispered her reply. "Bremont told us about your arrangement. He knew you were in touch with me. We can't see each other again, for now, but we have an escape strategy if you need it. We will leave money and clothes and an open train ticket to the coast at the closest 3 subway stations, locker number 2. We just need to know where you're staying so we can keep an eye open."
She could feel Gilou's internal conflict as he thought through what she'd said. She knew he wouldn't want to involve her, she knew that he was well aware of the risk. She knew the thought of her in his bed, whatever the risk, was attractive, and if she knew where he lived, she might not be able to resist. Still holding him, she could feel his physical attraction to her, but kissed him again whispering "I love you," and then walked away, holding the necklace and stroking it. He looked momentarily bereft, but soon regained his composure, and turned away into the club again.
Ali caught up with her again as she exited the club.
"Woah," he exhaled, as they headed home.
The next day she was tired but exhilarated and her and Ali worked quietly on their other cases. At lunchtime, they spoke quietly to Beckriche telling him of the details of the night. He was initially surprised but realised they liked to get things done quickly.
In the large house, Cisco was quizzing Gilou on what had been reported back to him.
"So, who was that woman you were seen kissing Gilou? I thought you loved only one woman, eh?"
Gilou had been thinking it over all night and couldn't decide whether to say it was really Laure or pass it off as some other woman he had been attracted to. He continued to play dumb.
"What's that?" he asked. He had heard that Cisco wasn't in the club at that point that night, so had only had the incident reported back to him, not actually witnessed it, which made him a little less worried.
"Who was the woman?"
Gilou almost said that he didn't know, and that she had reminded him of his girl, but he hadn't realised she was there with her boyfriend and that it got awkward, but then he admitted the truth. "She found me," he conceded.
Cisco nodded in understanding, appearing to accept the explanation. "It's tough when you are apart from the woman you love." He broke away to call "Marianne?"
An older, tall, slim brunette came into the room. Gilou instantly recognised her as Pierre's ex-wife and held his breath, expecting her to recognise him. But she seemed unaware, and he released his breath.
"Have you met Marianne, my girlfriend?"
"No," said Gilou, still unsure of how to respond. Cisco stroked her body lustfully. He smiled and they excused themselves to the bedroom area.
As Cisco was leaving, he called back, asking Gilou to move into the big house with them. "And bring your woman too," he added. "It's always better if we have what we need here with us," he pronounced amicably.
Gilou left for the shared flat to collect his meagre belongings. He considered how best to contact Laure, to discuss Cisco's offer, but as he left with a small holdall of what he needed, he spotted Ali watching him in a car. He slipped into the back seat.
"Ali, good to see you again," he smiled genuinely happy to see his old deputy. "How are things?"
They chatted, before Gilou outlined Cisco's offer.
"How will it work if he knows you're both Police? And with Pierre's ex?" asked Ali, concerned for Laure's safety.
"I don't know. It would be good to know what she is up too, perhaps Laure could figure that out. Anyway, ask Laure what she thinks. This is the address of the big house." Gilou gave him the address.
Later that afternoon, the doorbell rang. Gilou heard his name shouted, as Anna who had previously kissed him, called him to the door. Without thinking, Gilou began kissing Laure, oblivious to the looks from Anna. He was filled with desire and felt Laure respond. Anna walked away, realising she had no chance. Gilou took Laure to the bedroom he had recently been allocated, and despite the risk of the situation, they made love without hesitation. Lying together naked afterwards, Laure stroked his cheek.
"I had to come here Gilou," she admitted. "It was all I could think about after Ali told me."
Gilou nodded, knowing he would have felt the same, despite the danger.
Gilou went to seek a coffee in the kitchen and Laure followed him wearing just a vest and pants. Coming up behind him, she embraced him tightly, and they stood together for a while. The other men were looking at Laure in curiosity and appreciation of her lack of clothes. Gilou turned, still holding her and offered her a sip of his cup, and a kiss on the lips.
"This is my woman, Laure," he told them, giving her another full kiss on the lips. They men turned away, smiling, at their quite evident desire for one another. Gilou slowly stroked her breasts through the thin material of her lacy white vest. The motion was enough for Laure to take him back to bed.
It felt so different from the usual way they had striven to hide their relationship from others, and in the big house, they felt free, and both enjoyed the way they were able to be open. Gilou spent most of his time either in bed with Laure or with his arm draped around her shoulders, holding her close. It was almost as if this was what was expected. Cisco too, kept his girlfriend close, and she did not appear to recognise Laure. Cisco, it seemed, did not take drugs, and refused those offered to him by both Titi and Marianne. After a look from Laure, Gilou too, shrugged them off when offered. His past as a cocaine addict was known to Laure, who had protected him many times, and now he had her there in the house, he no longer felt he needed the drug taking to fit in. He caught a look of contempt from Titi, who couldn't understand why he now said no, and presumably blamed Laure for the unwelcome change.
In response, he kissed her again, running his hand over her buttocks. She stroked his crotch in response, feeling him stiffen with the attention. Titi's mood continued to darken, and he grabbed Anna, who he had decided to give his somewhat unwelcome attention to, and pawed at her. Gilou felt slightly sorry for her, but she had made her choices. Titi indicated for Gilou to join him in the car and when Gilou took Laure's hand, Titi took Anna's and the four of them climbed into the Mercedes. Driving out of town, Titi took a quiet road, the sky darkening, and eventually stopped the car. He lit a cigarette. Gilou refused that too, he knew Laure didn't smoke, and never had.
Titi looked at Laure with an unreadable expression.
"So…" he said in a distinctly unfriendly way. "You are with Gilou?" The jealousy was palpable.
Sitting on the back seat with Laure, Gilou was holding his breath, but he soon realised Laure could handle herself. She nodded, smiling, as she began to slowly unbuckle Gilou's belt and jeans. Leaning down she started to give him head, and Gilou leant back, putting his hands behind his neck and smiling broadly. Titi on the other hand, could barely believe what he was witnessing, and alternated between staring at Laure and touching Anna. It was clear that he found it erotic. Gilou marvelled at Laure's thought process. There was nothing else she could have done that would have been quite so inspired. Titi was totally beside himself with desire and eventually, as Gilou became more aroused, he pushed Anna's head down into his own lap. Laure smiled as Gilou came, and then moved to climb on him and they kissed. She rested her head on his shoulder and he shook his head in amazement, holding her tight. Titi and Anna continued to fumble on the front seats, neither showing evidence of much sexual satisfaction. Gilou wondered if Titi was in fact, gay, and fancied him. He would ask Laure later and see what she thought. Laure was drinking a soft drink and Gilou had pulled his trousers back on. His arm lay across Laure's shoulders and they relaxed together, smiling at each other from time to time. He wondered fleetingly if Bremont was watching him, and what he would make of what he'd seen, if he had. The thought made him smile.
After the oral sex had, somewhat unsatisfactorily, been resolved, they drove back towards the big house. Titi appeared to have accepted Laure, but was clearly still angry with her. He stopped outside a late-night outdoor market, that sold almost everything you might want to buy.
"We should buy something sexy for our girls to wear," he told Gilou, heading for a stall that sold revealing clothing. Anna, looking miserable, trailed after him. He examined a rail of sheer black lacy tops, which would have looked like appropriate streetwear on a prostitute, picking them up at random. "What size are you, Anna?" he asked not waiting to listen to the answer.
Arm in arm, Gilou and Laure followed Titi, Gilou smiling at Laure's comments, often made without words, on the various clothing on offer. Gilou picked up a hot pant and top combination, that suited Laure, sexy, sparkly and sporty whilst revealing enough of her to satisfy any man alive. She smiled at him, delighted at the prospect of him purchasing her a skimpy outfit for their enjoyment. They had fallen into their roles wholeheartedly.
"What would Bremont say if I claimed this on expenses?" he asked her in a low voice, and she laughed out loud, finding the image delightful.
"What would Beckriche say if I wore this to the office?" she responded, causing Gilou to laugh with her too.
Scowling, Titi bundled up their selection and paid, demanding in a whiny child's voice that they wear them for him. Anna looked less than delighted with the prospect but nodded to placate Titi. They returned to the big house and Anna went to get ready as she was working at the club. Gilou went to see Cisco, to see if he was expected on duty at the club.
Cisco, without Marianne for a change, nodded yes. "But bring your woman, if you like," he added.
Gilou put on a new black shirt and smart trousers, ready for work. "You look handsome," Laure said wistfully, stroking his chest.
Laure had selected a silky grey dress, which Gilou all but had to remove again immediately, as his desire for her spiralled out of control. They did look good together. "You just make me want to do things to you," Gilou admitted. Laure smiled.
"I want those things too," she admitted, shedding her dress and smiling, and they made love. They had never had such frequent sex, even at the start. "With you, this is as important to me as breathing," Laure confessed to Gilou, and the sentiment made him want to weep with joy.
"I love you, Laure," he whispered.
"I love you Gilou," she answered, kissing him, holding him tightly. "We spent most of five months apart and I barely coped without you."
"Me neither," he admitted grimly. He had to force himself to get up from her embrace and leave for the club, even though Laure was coming with him.
At the club, the naked dancers did not catch Gilou's eye, as he found himself gazing solely at Laure in her beautiful dress. He showed her around and introduced her to some of the others, keeping his arm on her shoulders. They danced together on the dancefloor, moving together comfortably, talking ear to ear because of the loud music. It was the perfect cover.
"What did you think of how Titi behaved?" he asked.
"I think Titi has an enormous man crush on you, Gilou," she smiled.
"Do you think he is gay?"
"You are so lovely, a straight man would fancy you," she laughed, but he could see her thinking it through. "Yes, probably. I'll have to be careful not to antagonise him anymore." She was thinking back to what had happened in the car.
"What about Anna?" asked Gilou.
"What about her?"
"How does she fit in?"
"I don't trust her Gilou. I don't mean with you, but just generally. I think we need to be wary."
"Did I say, she came on to me?"
"No, but it doesn't surprise me. The rest of the group, you and Titi excluded, are all old men. Her options are limited. What happened?"
"She kissed me and told the others we were seeing each other. I went along with it until you arrived."
Laure looked at him, smiling. "You were always a player. Remember when Cindy came round, and we had just kissed? Properly I mean. That made me laugh and then sad in equal measure."
"You know she was always a poor substitute for you Laure? They all were. I've always been crazy for you. Always." He kissed her head.
"I'm sorry I didn't realise sooner."
"Don't be sorry. Things are perfect now. Well, apart from the dangerous criminal gang we've infiltrated, prison, the trial, you facing disciplinary action for seeing me. Small matters."
They left the dance floor and leant on a pillar, kissing. Laure's head rested on his shoulder, breathing warmly on his neck. Gilou's hands wandered, feeling the material of the dress and the curves beneath. He watched the dance floor in the mirror behind Laure's head. They could both see Titi, crossly gesturing at Anna to dance on her pole for him.
"I do feel sorry for her, even though she kissed you," admitted Laure.
Cisco came over and spoke to them. "Titi is off his face again Gilou. I want you to lock up here and check he gets home okay," he requested.
"Okay boss," Gilou replied.
"And tomorrow Gilou, I want you and me to talk about one last job. I need to get some cash and then I'm going back to Romania for good. I'm finished with France," he nodded. "Me and Marianne are going to get a place by the sea and grow old together."
The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. As they lay in bed later, they could still hear Titi in the big house, shouting at Anna. Gilou got up, wearing just his boxers, and went to speak to him.
"What's up Titi?" he asked neutrally.
Titi tried to keep his eyes off Gilou's underwear, unsuccessfully.
"How do you do it, Gilou?" he asked. "How do you put up with a woman?"
"Maybe she is the wrong woman for you," answered Gilou, evenly. He walked back to his own bedroom, feeling Titi's eyes on him.
Laure was asleep when he returned, so he settled in carefully next to her, trying not to wake her. He needed to see Bremont the next day, and couldn't decide whether Laure should come with him. He thought it would be good to keep her away from Titi and Cisco, but on the other hand Bremont would be best not knowing that Laure was now in the house with him. He resolved to ask her what she thought in the morning. He heard Titi ask Anna to leave his room and her walking away. He stroked Laure's hair softly while she slept. To think that he had told her that he didn't want this. How he could have thought he could manage without her. He could kick himself. He knew that she understood now, that he had done it to protect her, but the look on her face when he'd said that, as he walked away from her, had broken his heart. He had very nearly run back and held her until she couldn't breathe. He determined that he would always talk to Laure, no matter how difficult the conversation. She deserved that.
The next day he rose early and found both Titi and Anna in the kitchen, both unhappy. Sipping coffee and reading the paper, he decided the intervene.
"Anna, who do you love?" he asked.
"A boy from back home," she admitted nervously.
"Why aren't you together?" he probed.
"I'm not sure," she said eventually.
"Well, why don't you go to him?" he offered. Anna left the room in thought.
"Titi…" he began, and Titi cut him off.
"I know, I know. I like men, but how can I tell my father?"
"It's your life Titi. Be true to yourself," he advised, patting him gently on the shoulder. Titi looked up hopefully. "But remember, I love Laure," he added, needing to remind the ever-optimistic man. Titi nodded.
Gilou returned to the bedroom, clasping his mug of coffee. Sitting and watching the still-sleeping figure, he marvelled at his luck. She loved him. He could barely believe it. He was the happiest man alive. Even in his difficult predicament, he had the woman he'd loved for so long in his bed. He shook his head in wonder. Hearing a noise, he turned to see Cisco watching him. The man was uncanny, like he could read his mind. "Like babies, they're loveliest asleep," he commented. "Come on, let's make an early start."
They left to walk along the river, nearby.
"So, how will you get the cash to retire?" Gilou asked.
Cisco hesitated. "I'm an old man. The ways that I'm used to, are no use anymore. But they are what I know. So, we will hold up a security van."
"Risky," commented Gilou.
"Agreed, but that's where you come in," nodded Cisco. He outlined the job, and Gilou listened. He almost felt bad that the man would never succeed because Gilou would be forced to relay the information to Bremont. They returned to the big house for a cooked breakfast that Anna with Laure's help, had whipped up.
"I never knew you were domesticated," smiled Gilou in Laure's ear, as his hands went around her waist, stroking the dressing gown. His fingers followed the open front, showing cleavage. He stroked the skin he could see revealed. "Gilou, are you not hungry?" she asked with a wide grin.
"Depends on what you're serving," he answered, grabbing a croissant and taking her hand to lead her to bed. Gilou had lost weight with the irregular mealtimes, need to be constantly alert and increase in exercise levels. Her hand slipped around his waist without difficulty.
Later, they met Bremont together. Laure felt it would be best, and they walked along an area of wasteland, hidden from the casual observer. Bremont had been puzzled at first, but after they had explained the situation, he had understood. "I did wonder why we had Romy all these days in a row," he said, almost to himself.
"How is my girl?" asked Laure. Tears sprang to her eyes, as she thought of her daughter, who she had been unable to see for more than a week. Gilou couldn't help putting his arm on her shoulders, which went to support her. Laure leaned on Gilou. She looked at him for a long while.
Bremont began to feel uncomfortable with their easy intimacy. "So, when is the holdup?" he asked, trying to steer back to business.
"Not sure yet," said Laure, breaking off to come back to the conversation. "We'll be in touch." They walked away, still holding each other, and Bremont watched them. He had been unhappy that they were working together, both in Cisco's group, but he could see they were believable as a couple. He assumed they had sorted out their differences, after Gilou had told him originally that he'd called it off. He worried about Laure, he didn't want his youngest daughter to be without a mother if something happened, but their intel had been priceless. He thought again about how he would present the information to his superiors. And then he thought he'd get back in contact with Ali, and let him know they were fine. As they walked from sight, he saw Gilou kiss Laure's head affectionately and realised that he understood how all the men she knew, loved Laure. She was unique.
A month later, Romy was tired after a morning at the funfair. Gilou carried her as she fell asleep on his shoulder, her, relaxed and he, like her weight was nothing. She marvelled at the two most important people in her life and the love she felt for them both. Gilou transferred the sleeping form of Romy into the buggy with barely a stir, and covered her carefully with a blanket, taking the buggy from Laure to push it along the path, on this warm Parisian lunchtime in Spring. He moved his arm to circle her shoulders as they walked, and she felt his warm body next to hers. She smiled at him. He smiled back.
Cisco had gone back to prison with the rest of his crew, including Titi. Titi's drug problem had got worse, and he had overdosed in his cell, and died. Marianne had vanished and Anna was still working at the nightclub, dancing, unable to have her happy ending. The trial had come and gone with Edelman ensuring Gilou was able to return to the police force. Laure had managed to escape disciplinary proceedings after the investigation, partly due to the assistance she'd given the investigation into Cisco, and partly because Bremont had done his best to support her. Gilou, Laure and Ali had been promoted by Beckriche and had their own teams, although they all still worked closely with each other. Tintin had also moved back to CID with his own team, and the new teams of Ali, Tintin, Laure and Gilou were a force to be reckoned with. CID had expanded to become a valuable and recognised unit, with good results. They had vowed to stay on the correct side of the law from now on, and everyone was happy. Josephine had moved in with Edelman, and Laure still saw her regularly, and they rarely clashed at work. Laure and Gilou had also moved in together and their love inspired many to hope for a better future. Roban had died in his sleep after a short stay in hospital. Tintin had planted fruit trees for Pierre and Sami in his garden. He had a new girlfriend and saw his children more frequently. Machard had retired and then committed suicide, and his pugs and been rehomed with Beckriche, who had also been promoted. Lucie had married him, after a short engagement and was expecting their first child. Bremont was Police commissioner for Paris and was a fair boss. He also loved his daughter and him and Laure had joint custody and things were amicable. And Paris was still the coolest city in the world and yet still retained it's fair share of criminality and poverty.
