Chilli looked at Bandit, directly into his eyes.
He was surprised, confused...doubtful?
"Oh, please... don't you ever doubt me!", she thought, trying to convey her feelings trough her stare, trough the affection in her voice, trough the touch of her hand holding his.
Then she stared at Brando. "Its been a long time DETECTIVE Maremma", she said in the most impersonal tone she could, given the circumstances. "Yet Im afraid your greeting was highly unprofessional". Brando's stare was fixed in the sight of her hand holding that of Bandit. "I would appreciate if you speak English, so everyone on this group can understand you".
Bandit looked to Chilli, silently thanking her gesture with a smile.
The white dog sighed silently; his eyes akin to those of a chastised child. "Im very sorry if I had offended you with my inadequate manners", he said referring to the whole group. "Rest assured that my people and I will work as diligently as befits our charge".
THIS EPISODE OF THE HEELERS IS CALLED: TRUST
Outside the museum, two detective cars were awaiting.
"As we talk, one of my men is notifying your boss about this procedure, and we have our people already following another lead to resolve this situation", the detective informed to Dino.
Another detective took the original file about the findings and enclosed it in a labelled bag with great care. Bandit watched attentively "Hey, these guys and we, work in a very similar fashion!", he thought. Detective Maremmas voice interrupted his reverie. "I bet that file has your fingerprints everywhere, don't you?" Bandit quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah... don't worry, my team will work through them anyway".
"We need you to accompany us to the site of the finding", he said, to no one in particular.
"Mandorla!" (Almond), he said to a female detective. "Gli archeologi italiani verranno con te". (The italian archaeologists will go with you). As Im the only one who speaks english, Mr. Heeler will come with me. The interns are free to go".
Chilli was following Bandit to the detectives car.
"You are not coming with us", said Brando to her. "You are not directly involved".
Bandit took her hand. "Hes right babe, you better go to the hotel... You have already helped a lot".
"I want to stay with you", she said seriously, while caressing his cheek.
"It may be dangerous!", they both said at the same time.
Behind them, the detective stated: "Rules are Rules, you know you can't".
"That's true", Bandit said to her.
She frowned but conceded. "Ill wait for you at the hotel. Call to me if you need anything, please!"
The interns came to stand behind Chilli. "Well accompany Miss Cattle to her hotel, Mr. Heeler".
"Thank you guys".
"I love you babe, Ill be OK. After all, Im with the police".
"Love you Bandit".
He smiled to her and got into the car. Brando was already there, waiting for him with patience.
That gesture wasn't lost in Bandit. "Biscuits! Hes a good bloke after all...", he thought.
The engine started. They were in silence for a couple of seconds.
"... So, Bandito..."
Bandit quirked an eyebrow at the italian version of his name. "Detective Maremma?".
"I see you two are not married"
"No, we are not".
"Lets make clear a few things. First, I still love her".
"Cannot blame you".
Brando quirked an eyebrow at Bandits understanding response. "I would die for her If its necessary", he added.
Bandit smiled. "I would live for her".
They both looked at each other with respect.
"Good", said the white dog. "Second, having said that, I can assure you Ill do my work and give my best. Ethics come first, and we don't take lightly when someone messes up with our history".
"I couldn't agree more with you".
"I expect the same degree of cooperation from you, Mr. Heeler".
"You already have it".
Bandit silently sighed. He had hoped to dislike the guy, but instead he had found he was a good dog. "Aww Biscuits!", he said to himself in frustration.
Chilli waited and waited.
She decided to wait at the hotel entrance hall.
She reviewed every possible scenario and, professionally calculated every risk and outcome in her mind while waiting for him. She didn't like it, so when he returned she flung herself into his arms.
"I'm ok babe", he said. Yet we are more confused than before. There's no hotel in the site of the construction where the jewels were found".
Chilli frowned.
Suddenly Bandit's phone began to ring. "Its my boss, babe".
"No worries I'll be in the rooftop terrace"
"I'll catch you in a jiffy", he said before taking the elevator to his room.
At the entrance, the detectives had decided to regroup in their unit, save for one.
Chilli got to the rooftop and sighed in relief.
"I see you still like fresh air to relax after stress"
"Brando", she said sitting across him. "I thought you had gone with your colleagues".
"I needed to speak with you".
He looked in part hopeful and in part afraid.
"I hear you", said she, moved for empathy.
"I have not got over it, Chilli. You have not left my mind, not even for a single day since I left Australia... and now you just had proven to me that the world IS a magical place... You are here! I cannot help but think that we are destined to each other..."
"Yes, the world is a magical place, Brando. But destiny is what we make of it... I'm sorry for hurting you with my rejection, yet it was the best decision for me... for the both of us".
He smiled to her and took her hand in his.
She didn't oppose, after all, she trusted him, and maybe they needed to talk...
So, hand in hand, they begun a conversation, while someone retreated his way to his room with a heavy heart.
--
"Bandit? You, ok? I was waiting for you at the rooftop...", said Chilli while entering to his room.
He was looking into the opposite direction, towards the window. His back hunched and his ears flattened backwards. When he didn't turn to look at her, she knew something was wrong.
"Bandit... what had happened?", said she, sitting at his side on the bed.
He sighed and breathed deeply, like someone who was just about to drown into deep waters. He looked at her into her eyes, his expressive dark eyes full of apprehension.
"I don't know. You tell me", he said.
Chillis heart almost stopped. As she didn't answer immediately, he continued. "I... It seems Brando got to the rooftop before me..."
She gulped; her heart tightened. "Bandit I would never cheat on you!", she said with a trembling voice.
"I know, you would never cheat on me nor on anyone. You are truthful and honest"
"I swear I didn't even know he was a detective, nor that he would be on the terrace"
"I believe you... I trust you Chilli, that's why Im asking you; What happened? ...I saw you holding hands with him... yet I know you'll only speak the truth; I need to know..."
"How much did you see?"
"Nothing else, I just couldn't bear it, but even when I retreated, I heard you two speaking..."
MOMENTS AGO
Brando had smiled to her sweetly, he needed to talk, he had just got hold of her hand. "Chilli, that was many years ago... We were happy together dont we?"
"Yes, we were happy I think".
"We still can be happy if you want to... I... I still love you, Chilli".
In that very moment, Bandit turned and leave, with his heart as tight as in a fit.
She extracted her hand of Brandos hold immediately, yet he continued. "Im still yours Chilli..."
She smiled ruefully to him. "I see you are still every girls dream, don't you?"
Bandit hurried up. He didn't want to hear any more of this, he wished he had not heard nothing at all.
PRESENT.
Chilli took Bandits hand in hers, she caressed his cheek and turned his beloved face to her, so she could look at him in the eyes.
"You didn't stay enough to hear the most important part", she said.
A MOMENT AGO:
She had let go of Brandos hand. Oh, now she wished she had not accepted it so easily!
"I see you are still every girls dream, don't you?", she had said.
He looked at her expectantly.
"Yet you are not MY dream, Brando", she added.
"Chilli, I have unknowingly waited for you all these years... tell me what I can do to get your love back, and Ill do it".
"You cant... You are a very good man Brando, and you have many virtues, yet you have one capital flaw youll never correct..."
He looked at her intently.
"... You are not Bandit".
PRESENT:
Life was flowing again trough Bandit's veins.
"So, hes not the man you want?"
"Of course not!", she said embracing him, her eyes moist because of the intensity of the moment.
"Does he have any chance to get you back?"
"Not a chance! I made it clear to him..."
"Oh Chilli, are you sure?", he said while touching her forehead with his.
"Yeah babe... Do you trust me? Do you trust in what we feel for each other?"
"... Yeah, I do...", he said with a sigh.
"Then, please stop doubting and asking... I belong to you and no one else".
He chuckled with relief. "Its just... I had not doubted YOU, but the fella is a good bloke, and he is as handsome as they can get, you know?"
"What?"
"Yeah, I mean... where did he got his detective licence, Armani?"
Chilli chuckled and dried a fugitive tear. "He is joking about it, thats good", she thought.
"...And he told me he still loves you..."
"He did what? Oh, the cheek! Well, he is wrong!"
Bandit quirked an eyebrow quizzically.
"He cannot love me truly after all these years... He may be still attached to the memory of me from the time we were in love, but nothing else. LOVE is real and can only be given to real, living creatures with real feelings and real flaws!".
Bandit smiled. He loved this profound side of Chilli.
"You on the other hand..." she said to him, gently putting her hand above his heart.
"...You love the real me, as I really love you".
They looked into each others eyes and breathed in, savouring the moment.
"About the findings, babe... things are getting more and more complicated. Im so sorry to have dragged you in all this."
"Nah... At least, now Im really sure life with you will never be dull!"
Bandits heart jumped. "Will be?", he asked.
Chilli smiled enigmatically. "Yeah... will be"
He smiled widely. "Well, I would gladly rather have a normal, dull life with you by my side. I can tell you that for free!"
Chilli smiled with all her being.
Bandit cell phone rang in that very moment.
"Mr. Heeler?"
"Detective Maremma?", greeted Bandit turning on his phones speaker.
Chilli listened attentively.
"We have new evidence. We need to test it, yet it might take a while to have any official results, so we are asking you and your colleagues to look at it. Please come with me, Im waiting for you at the entrance of the hotel".
"Righto!"
"You trust him?", asked Chilli once he ended the call.
"Professionally? Yes. Do you?"
"Yes".
Just seconds after, Bandit was strapping himself with the detectives car seat belt. He silently greeted Brando.
"Mr. Heeler... By now you must already know I have spoken with Miss Cattle..."
"Yes"
"Let me assure you that she loves you faithfully"
"That I know yet thank you for telling me".
"You are a very lucky dog, Bandito, so I hope you bring luck to us... We have retrieved Dr. Pugs field notebook... hes dying".
"What?!"
"Dont jump into conclusions. His probably soon to occur death has nothing to do with this, yet he cannot testify".
"Now, take this while we get to our unit, and review that set of photos. Those are the notes and pictures of Pugs notebook from the day of the finding", he said while passing a tablet to Bandit.
"CHEESE AND CRACKERS!"
Brando chuckled lightly. "I had thought the same".