Chapter 3: Meeting you

Summary:

Richard Poole and Camille Bordey continue their journey to Saint Marie. Richard fearing to lose contact with his mysterious friend and Camille making progress on her case.

Chapter Text

With characteristic aplomb, DI Richard Poole replies respectfully to his superior:

"I understand that I must leave immediately for Saint Marie. I also understand that the dossier you have in your hands corresponds to all the information available to me until I get to the island".

"As always, DI Poole, you have got it right the first time. You will be able to study it during your flight to Saint Marie. You must leave immediately." Then Halliwell rifles through the papers flooding his desk.

Richard can't help but be disgusted by the clutter in DCI Halliwell's office. Of course, his superior enjoys breathtaking views outside, comforts he knows he has been denied.

"Here you go, Poole." Richard picks up what looks like his plane ticket and a few other papers in addition to the dossier. " You will, of course, be travelling economy class. You're coming to the island to work, not to sunbathe and enjoy the beaches and the beautiful women who live there. Ha ha ha!"

Richard replies:

"I have always been clear about my duties, sir. " Which some of his colleagues have not always done.

"It was a joke, Poole. Please don't be offended. I forgot I was talking to you. Other colleagues of yours wouldn't have so many problems with their free time. Least of all on a Caribbean island. "

"I am aware of that, sir," Richard replies with veiled acrimony. He is talking to his superior.

Halliwell stands up to address the file and comments almost with his back to him:

"Very well, you have your orders. I recommend that you delegate any unfinished business to get your luggage ready as quickly as possible. The ticket is for tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock. I await your reports. Have a good trip."

Richard closes the door to his superior's office carefully. For a millisecond he would have preferred it otherwise. And also, for a short time, he fears that he is being subtly driven out of Croydon.

And he doesn't quite understand why that doesn't matter much to him.

He walks briskly to his cubicle and before he enters, he freezes. Richard realises that his conversations with a certain woman will probably be interrupted.

Will they be able to keep in touch when he leaves Croydon?

Camille heads to her mother's bar. She has managed to speak to her on the phone. Not much. And Catherine has already warned her that some spirits or loas are very closed to the presence of strangers. In this particular case, the person totally alien to the world of voodoo is the man with whom Camille is having this strange and special relationship.

Of course there are other spirits who have obviously encouraged it. Otherwise, they would not have been able to communicate.

Camille understands that what her Maman is trying to tell her is that a conflict of unforeseeable consequences has arisen. And she fears losing him.

Catherine has consulted one of her friends, a priestess of sorts, and she has told her that Camille and this man must make contact. Something that is a "seal" for both of them. But which, being already in them, will cause them to seek each other out. Even if they don't know each other outside the dream.

At least Camille has some idea that will help her to keep the relationship with this man, wherever it leads.

As for her case in Saint Marie, it's a bit more complicated.

This is the third time Camille has stopped in La Kaz to discover Lavender's movements. She needs to find out when and where he meets with her suspect from Guadeloupe. And she is beginning to understand that, necessarily, Lavender is involved with someone in Honoré's police force, from her island.

"Thanks for letting me know about the raid. You know you'll get your share, as always."

She was able to hear this because she was invited by one of Lavender's friends to the luxurious house he owns with his wife on the island. She managed to sneak through the vegetation surrounding the private beach belonging to the house while he was on the phone with his accomplice.

That sentence from Lavender addressed to his accomplice is revealing. But who is this person?

As Camille indulges in such musings while absentmindedly sipping a non-alcoholic cocktail, Catherine looks at her with pride.

At last she can see that Camille is well, albeit from afar. She smiles to herself. Earlier, Camille had asked her for a cocktail "well loaded" with alcohol. Of course, Catherine already knows that her daughter is on duty and she knows very well that whatever her daughter drinks on duty will always be non-alcoholic.

She decides to help her out by talking loudly to one of her parishioners, a guy called Jamie, a real "character" on the island.

"Hey! Still no word on who did poor Charlie in?"

"Nothing at all. His death was the strangest thing. He wasn't the most competent guy. The criminals loved him. But he was a good guy." Could he be one of those petty criminals?

"At last we'll finally have a responsible person from the Caribbean, I hope." Catherine says hopefully, thinking of her daughter.

"I'm afraid not. I have it on good authority that they've already sent one of those stuffy suits to investigate his death."

Catherine sighs. Another time. Then she looks slyly at her daughter, who has been watching the conversation with an eagle eye.

Mission accomplished.

The sea is rough. There are dark clouds on the horizon, but the sun is furiously trying to break through. Storm threatens and it's already dark. Earlier than usual.

"Maybe it's my mood," thinks Richard.

He has been sitting there for a while now, on his beach, in his shelter.

Just when he thinks she is not coming, he sees her approaching with a slightly anxious look on her face.

He has never had the opportunity to see her full-length, as they say. She is like the statue of the museum exhibit, simply perfect.

She is dressed very simply, almost too simply. She is wearing a very flowing dress and she is barefoot. If only the wind was blowing a bit harder...

"Stop it, Richard!" he reproaches himself.

He has the same worried look in his eyes as she does.

"Why is he worried?" wonders Camille.

Every time she dreams or travels in some strange and supernatural way to this beach so special and intimate for them, she is no longer sure if it is a dream or not, she is always barefoot. And she loves to feel the sand under her feet!

She tightens her pace and sits next to him, always getting closer and closer to him.

But this time she risks a kiss on his cheek.

And nothing special has happened. They are still in the same place, yes, but she senses that this is not the required "seal".

"Why did you do that?" he asks, delighted and puzzled. It felt like centuries since a woman, his mother aside, kissed him like that.

"I just wanted to know if we could touch each other without all this fading away. And I'm glad to see we're still here. The two of us together on our beach. I'd hate to stop seeing you."

Richard looks away.

"It's obvious that I come out ahead of you. Did you get a good look at me?"

"You have a magnificent, warm heart. I was going to tell you I'd teach you to share it with those who deserve it. But you're already doing it. With me. That's why I want to keep seeing you. "

"I hope so. I've been posted thousands of miles away from where I normally work. And I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep in touch with you. I don't know if I'm going crazy, I don't even know if the physical distance could separate us. All I know is that I don't want to stop seeing you either, whoever you are. "

She replies:

"That? Never!. I've had to move too. To Saint Marie, that's where I was born, you know?"

He looks at her with eyes like saucers.

"To Saint Marie?"

"You know it?"

"It's where they're moving me. "

Richard then can no longer control himself. He grabs her arms and asks her anxiously:

"Tell me you're real and that we can meet in person at some point..."

Then he feels her fading away.

"Someone has been helping us, but there are others who think we have gone too far. That's why the storm... They are fighting among themselves."

"Do they want to separate us?" Richard manages to ask.

She is almost transparent.

"Kiss me, quick! Before we disappear. If you kiss me we can see each other again. Love is the most powerful magic."

Richard takes her in his arms and kisses her hard, trying to hold her. He may be having trouble seeing her with his own eyes, but he can feel her.

In the end she disappears, albeit with a smile on her lips.

And before he himself disappears, the storm rages. Someone is indeed very angry.

But somehow they have succeeded.

Notes:

Our characters have managed to strengthen their bond. With a view to keeping an eye on each other, will it be enough to make it easy and comfortable for them to have a few loas against them? Not to mention the character of each of them