Chapter 3 – Strange Encounters

Once again, Richard wasn't quite sure what to do with the weekend – he had housework to do, of course, but he didn't want to spend the entire weekend inside or doing chores. At the same time, the weather wasn't too appealing, and he figured that running wasn't going to happen for him if it continued to rain like that. Fortunately, he had already done the grocery shopping! There was a little supermarket not all that far from where he lived now – it was a bit more expensive than the huge department stores, but he didn't have a car, and he didn't really need all that much, anyway, so he didn't mind spending the extra money as he saved time. Also, there were other shops in the same neighbourhood – a flower shop, a dry cleaner and a little key service shop where you could also get your shoes repaired, for example. Richard liked that much better than the big shopping centres that were so common nowadays.

A little indecisively, he looked at the pile of books he had recently got from the library, but somehow they didn't appeal to him right now. The thought of sitting around and reading didn't do anything for him today – he felt he couldn't focus on a book properly at the moment. He realised that he was feeling a little restless and that exercise would most likely bring back the balance, so after some pondering, he went upstairs to pack his swimming bag. Exercising had definitely become more important to him since his return from Saint Marie – he had understood that it helped him to feel more 'in tune' with himself. And of course, it had felt good when his trousers had not been so tight around the waist any more…

As a rule, he avoided going to the pool on Saturdays as there was a chance that it would be crowded with children and their respective parents, but it was still early enough – before 9 a.m. - so he might give it a try… He'd see how this would pan out, and if it went well, it could be a good alternative to running on weekends. By the time he'd reach the pool, it would be around 9.30 – in his experience, the masses didn't begin to pour in before 11. The pool opened at 8 on Saturdays, as he had found out by checking the respective website, so obviously, there had to be more people like him who weren't keen on having a whole bunch of pre-schoolers around them, either.

And he had been right – when had changed into his navy blue swimming trunks and entered the pool area with his towel and goggles in hand, he saw that there were only about 15 other people in the water, and some of them already seemed to make ready to leave, so he hoped he could swim his usual 1.5 – 2 miles without too many people getting into the way. The first few laps usually only were for warming up, anyway, but after that, he'd get serious…

Initially, when he had taken up swimming again, he had felt self-conscious about his body. He hadn't 'exposed' himself in a long, long time – and somehow it had seemed a bit weird to do it now. But he had realised that he wouldn't get anywhere if he kept worrying, and after a few times of swimming laps at the pool, he had realised that really nobody was looking at him, anyway. Or so it seemed. If anybody was looking, he didn't notice. He had found this insight amazingly liberating – and once he had come to that point, he hadn't wasted another thought on the issue.

He had just finished his second lap when he felt that water was getting into his goggles, so he stopped, stood by the edge and tried to fix the problem. When he looked up again to put on the goggles, he noticed a movement at the other end of the pool – a swimmer made ready to get out of the water. He idly watched the slim figure climbing up the ladder – a female, in a bright red one-piece. Good grief – she had endless legs! With gracious movements, she wrung out her long dark hair – curls, if he got that right from the distance. He squinted his eyes. His eyesight wasn't as good as it had used to be, as he realised much to his chagrin. But then, this pool was used for competitions, so it was very large… and with 50 metres between them, he couldn't quite say whether her hair was straight or curly. In any case, her skin was like caramel in the neon light, and when she threw her hair back, he was reminded of someone…

He blinked in disbelief, but before he could look a second time, the woman was gone – the last thing he saw was the door to the ladies' showers closing behind her.

After a moment of incredulousness, he shook his head – as if he wanted to get rid of the memory – and put on his goggles. He had clearly spent too much time on thinking of Saint Marie over the last few weeks – if he hadn't realised it before, he certainly knew now… As he dived into the water again, he chided himself for being a sentimental idiot. Camille was far away, on Saint Marie, an island on the other side of the planet; most likely she was frolicking around on the beach, driving the men around her to distraction.

Then another thought crossed his mind… maybe she was married, with a child, perhaps? He was surprised at how much this idea actually hurt him. It was the first time that it occurred to him that she might not be working in the police force any more…

It was disconcerting how much she still meant to him… And ever since his mother had asked him about Saint Marie a few weeks back (and she had mentioned it again during recent phone conversations – it was really, really annoying that she wouldn't stop nagging him!), she had been on his mind. It was time that this foolishness came to an end – but how should he accomplish that? Well, for a start, he could just try not to give those thoughts and feelings too much room…

Resolutely, he began to move and plough through the water, and little by little, the tension he had suddenly felt when he had thought of Camille maybe being married dissipated.

When he got out of the water after he had finished his usual distance, he felt calmer and more composed again. He grabbed his towel, slipped into his flipflops and headed to the showers, already planning what he'd have for (second) breakfast – he had only eaten very lightly this morning as he had hoped he could go running, and so he was really hungry now.

Scrambled eggs would be nice, he mused, and he'd also have bacon with that… Yes, definitely…

Catherine had the feeling that her daughter wasn't entirely happy in London, but then again, she hadn't been happy here on Saint Marie, either, and at least she did something new and challenging in the UK now. And the marks that she had received for the first part of her course had been excellent – Catherine was very proud of Camille.

Still, during their short phone conversation this morning, she had had the feeling that Camille was a little subdued – but maybe she had just been homesick. She had complained a little about the cold in the UK, but when Catherine had made a sympathetic remark, she had laughed and said "Oh, never mind, Maman – I think I may just have become a huge softie. After all, I have survived the French winters, too – so I won't die of the cold here, either. And I've wanted it this way, so I'm not complaining. At least not seriously!"

Then she had changed the subject and told her about her week. Catherine had noticed that she had talked a lot about going for walks, so obviously she tried to spend as much time out of doors as possible. And she also seemed to try getting more exercise by going swimming again – she had finally found a pool that she liked. She had described the changing rooms and showers to Catherine and said enthusiastically "Everything was so clean, Maman – totally different from that filthy pool I had been to last time."

Catherine had never been much into exercising herself, but she knew it was a vital aspect for her daughter, so she had listened patiently to how Camille had raved about the size of the pool and the fact that there were other smaller pools, too. One was apparently for children. Camille had explained "The water is warmer in there, you know – but I also saw that they offer aqua-aerobics there, so this might be another thing to consider in the future. I'll check their website to see what I can do there. And then there's another pool that's deeper than the main pool – also smaller – and they have several boards there, and two diving towers. Five metres, and three metres, I think. It's purely for jumping – and I saw a sign that there are diving lessons available. Imagine how weird it must be to dive in a pool!" She had laughed.

"So, you'll be going there again?" Catherine had asked.

"Yes, definitely," Camille had answered. "I checked the map and everything, and it's actually fairly close to my new place, so that's really handy, isn't it!"

She had gone on to explain that she'd start her internship on the following Monday and that she hoped everything would go well. "I'll be in Barnet - honestly, I have no idea what it will be like," she said. "I have asked around, and one woman in my course said that one of her colleagues was there last year and said it was okay. Another colleague of hers had not liked it so much there – he had been there for several years, as a sergeant, and decided to get a transfer because he didn't get along with the DI that came three years ago. Claire said that he's a very self-confident type, and the DI didn't seem to like that too much. That doesn't bode well, does it? I mean, I'm not exactly mousy. I'll have to try and keep my temper under control, I suppose…"

Catherine had laughed and said "You'll just have to remember it's not forever, mon coeur. It's pointless to argue with people who are only in your life for a few weeks."

There had been a pause in their conversation before Catherine had started to speak again - tentatively – and asked "You haven't…"

Camille had cut her off abruptly. "No," she had said firmly – without waiting for her mother to finish her question. "No, I haven't. And I won't. He's had all the time in the world to… oh, you know. I don't want to talk about it. Whatever will be, will be – if he… I mean, if we happen to bump into one another… then I can't help it. But I won't do anything to find him. Not yet – I don't have time for that right now. Ask me again when I'm finished with the course, I might think differently then, but for the moment… no."

Catherine had rolled her eyes in despair. She knew that Camille still had feelings for Richard – all kinds of feelings, actually, and strong ones... And she wanted her to find closure. It drove her batty that Camille was so mulish and didn't want to seek him out to clarify things between them.

But she had known that she had been defeated for the moment.

So, after a moment of silence, she had started to talk about something different and told Camille a little about the recent events on Saint Marie. She hadn't talked about Humphrey and his antics because she had known that Camille didn't want to hear about him, but she had mentioned that Florence had integrated well, and that there was a new officer named JP Hooper who now lived at her – Catherine's – place because he hadn't had any accommodation on the island. And she also said that Dwayne had mentioned that he missed her and hoped she was doing well in the UK.

"Awww, shucks…" Camille had been touched and responded "Tell him that I'm doing okay and that I miss him, too. He'd go bonkers here, though – everyone is so accurate and meticulous, it can be a pain in the behind!"

She had then promised to get in touch again over the next weekend and let her know about her first week in Barnet, and with that, she had said goodbye and hung up.

Catherine didn't want to interfere too much with Camille's life, but she felt that Camille should really try and see Richard some time… even if it was only to find out that the spell he had apparently cast on her had fizzled out and vanished. For well over two years, Camille had lived with the memory of Richard – maybe it would do her good to see what had become of him. Oh well. Maybe they'd meet by coincidence. There was a chance for that, given that they both worked in the same organisation and the same city…

As she had said to Jennifer, they'd give it some time, and if nothing had happened by spring, they'd have to think of a plan.

For the moment they both had agreed on just nagging their respective offspring… by talking about Richard's assignment on Saint Marie, by mentioning details or asking questions… That way they made sure that neither Camille nor Richard could forget and move on – they knew their children well enough to say with certainty that the constant nagging would wear them out in the long run, and given their assumption that they still cared about one another, they would be likely to try and find each other… And if nothing happened, they'd find a way to force them. Kindly and inconspiciously, of course – but they wouldn't let them get away. They would have to meet somehow.

Camille's first day at the Barnet Police Station wasn't particularly spectacular – in fact, she felt it was a bit of a let-down.

Superintendent Angela Tyler turned out to be a fairly unremarkable woman in her late 50s – she wore a white blouse and a dark trouser suit, her hair was short, wavy and mouse-blond with a few grey streaks. She greeted Camille with a friendly, but slightly absent-minded smile. The questions she asked were to the point, though, and after a short conversation she got up and said "Right, Sergeant Bordey, I'd suggest you go right 'in medias res' – let me introduce you to the team, and then you'll meet DI Henderson – you'll be reporting to her – and we'll take it from there."

The team consisted of several sergeants and constables, some of them in uniform, others in plainclothes. Some were indifferent, but most were friendly. The youngest of the constables, Parker, a girl in her early 20s, flashed Camille a radiant smile and said that it was exciting to see a new face around the station – which caused her neighbour to give her an elbow nudge. Camille couldn't help but smile back, though – this was very encouraging for a start.

It turned out to be the only positive thing of the day.

From the moment she met DI Henderson, she knew she wouldn't have much fun here. DI Henderson was a plump woman in her late 30s, not all that much older than Camille. Like her supervisor, she wore a dark trouser suit and a white blouse – the only difference in attire was that she wore a light blue scarf instead of the necklace that Superintendent Tyler wore. She eyed Camille suspiciously – the black chinos and the dark green turtleneck didn't seem to please her too much. She also looked critically at her new sergeant's hair – Camille had tied it up in a ponytail – and the exquisite golden emerald studs that she wore…

Camille felt that she made her uncomfortable, for whatever reason. And as the day went by, she realised this was not going to be easy. She was polite and respectful, and she tried hard to keep her tongue under control, but DI Henderson just was such a fusspot that she found it hard not to lose her temper. On one hand, she explained everything overly elaborately, on the other hand, she was impatient. Camille sensed that it was insecurity, and she decided it was best to just keep quiet and not ask too much.

The team was fine – she got on well with everybody, and she even had lunch with Parker and a few others that day. Obviously, Henderson wasn't so impressed with that – she made a scathing remark about 'fraternising with the plebeians'. Camille shrugged it off – it seemed that Henderson had a problem with people being friendly.

But whatever she did, Henderson found something to pick on. The tasks she gave Camille were primitive, and on the next day, she made her go to the archives, look for old files and insist on her looking through them by a certain time so she couldn't go to lunch with Parker and the others.

Camille felt that Henderson was watching her every move, and she realised that the time until Christmas would not be much fun.

On the afternoon of the third day, she had an argument with Henderson about a detail of a case that had landed on her desk earlier that morning. Camille had been excited to get involved in an actual case – it had something to do with drug dealing – and she had been curious to see how Henderson would handle it. But she wasn't convinced Henderson saw it from the right angle. It all started with a 'difference in opinion', and when Camille asked Henderson to explain her viewpoint and back it up with arguments, Henderson exploded and called her an impudent nobody.

Needless to say, this didn't go down too well with Camille. One word gave the next, and although the door to the office was closed, the entire team knew that something was going on, and when Henderson yanked the door open to sweep from the room into the corridor, everyone took cover from her behind the next available piece of furniture. But Henderson didn't pay any attention – she sailed right into Superintendent Tyler's office and shut the door with a bang.

Camille sank down on the next best wheelie chair, totally dumbfounded, and stared on the desk in front of her for a few minutes. She knew she had blown it… This would not be tolerated, she would be evicted.

But well, she'd not be defeated. She squared her shoulders and got on her feet, just when Constable Parker appeared in the corridor. She gave Camille a sympathetic look and said "She's gone. I bet she'll call in sick tomorrow. The Superintendent wants to see you now."

With heavy steps, Camille made her way to Tyler's office, ready to have her head ripped off.

When she entered the office, the Superintendent looked up from the papers in front of her and said with the same friendly, absent-minded smile that Camille had seen a few days before already "Ah, Sergeant Bordey… please have a seat."

Camille reluctantly sat down – she would have preferred to stand while listening to her death warrant.

Much to her surprise, though, Tyler kept smiling at her. After a moment she said "I apologise to you, Sergeant Bordey. I had been worried that this might happen, but I had wanted to give DI Henderson another chance. It's not the first time that she's had – er – problems with other staff members. Unfortunately, you can never tell what triggers her – er – issues. She has been stable for a while now, so I thought we could accept another intern again. Sadly, I have misjudged the situation. I cannot fathom what it is that made DI Henderson have a go at you – I have certainly observed both of you, and while you can – er – come across as a little – er – brash, for lack of a better word, I don't think you were being insubordinate. You did the right thing by challenging DI Henderson and asking her to back up her viewpoint – this is what a DS has to do during an investigation and when discussing a case. So, please don't think it's your fault."

Camille just stared at her. She remembered to keep her mouth shut, but she was totally gobsmacked. Tyler continued "DI Henderson is a good officer, but she needs professional help. Since this wasn't the first time that something like this has happened, I'll have to report it, but please rest assured – I'll make it entirely clear that it was not your fault, so it will not show up in your records. For now, DI Henderson is on leave – she will see her doctor tomorrow, and I can safely say that she won't return this week. So, for the next two days, you will work with DI Young and his team. After that, you will be transferred to another station – DI Young has a lot on his plate already and says he cannot take care of an intern at this stage – which is totally understandable. I had hoped you could go to the Colindale Police Station which is also here in Barnet, but I've been told they already have an intern there and cannot possibly cope with another one as they are understaffed. Don't worry, though – I will find a good place for you. It's important to me that you won't have any disadvantage from this all, so I'll do my best to arrange a new place for you. I will let you know by Friday which station you'll be assigned to, and you'll go there from Monday on – at least I hope so. If not, then it will be Tuesday."

For a moment, Camille was speechless. This seemed so unreal! Then she stuttered "Thank you, Superintendent Tyler – I don't know what to say… I'm sorry that I'm causing you so many problems…"

Tyler raised her eyebrows and said a little stiffly "No reason to apologise, Sergeant Bordey – as I said, it wasn't your fault. You have been doing excellent work so far, and you also seem to fit in well with the team. I'm actually sorry to lose you because you seem to have quite some potential, but I'm afraid there's no way around it. I have to ensure that you get the best possible training, and I cannot guarantee for that at the moment, so it's best that you get transferred to another station with more capacities…"

She got up, and Camille felt prompted to do the same. "Right, Sergeant… I'll see you tomorrow then, and I hope you won't take the whole incident to heart."

With a slight nod, she indicated that the 'audience' was finished, and Camille turned around to leave the office, totally flabbergasted. She hadn't expected that…

But then she realised what it meant, and a smile grew on her face. She wouldn't have to deal with Henderson - hooray! And maybe the other station would be closer to where she lived, and she wouldn't have to commute for so long after her move… With some luck, it would be a mixed team again, and maybe she'd be transferred to a station that had other interns as well, so she wouldn't be so lonely… One thing was sure, whatever her new supervisor would be like – he or she couldn't be any worse, more paranoid or more difficult than Henderson!

At least she hoped so! Well, she'd survive somehow – that much was sure.