Chapter 11: Bonfires and Roast Beef. A full day (and night)

Summary:

Richard and Camille (well, ALL the team, otherwise Richard gets angry) solve the case. A somewhat melancholic case in which a small wound is healed and justice is done. And our pair of detectives are allowed to make one of their dreams come true! Thanks to Sweepeaspatch for these special and essential nuances!

Chapter Text

DI Poole rises from his spotless desk at Saint Marie Police Station. He has been thinking a lot about what he has found out so far, about the strange behaviour of the school's Headmaster, Mr Dunham, about Angelique Morel's possible motives for acting as she did, about the statements of all the witnesses...

Fidel Best, Dwayne Myers and... his Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey are waiting for his conclusions or whatever he has decided to do with all the information gathered so far.

Richard stands up and starts pacing with his hands behind his back. When he looks up, he interrogates them all with a simple question:

"With all the information we have, what conclusions can you draw from it all?"

Fidel is the first to speak:

"I still don't have the results from the forensic lab in Guadeloupe, sir. So, based on that alone, I don't dare make any judgement. Although I still believe that Dunham has acted in a strange way and has the right character to do whatever he sets his mind to. But I have no proof, sir." Fidel reiterates.

Richard nods silently. He too agrees.

"Dwayne?"

Dwayne looks at Camille, at Fidel and replies to his superior:

"I'm of the same opinion as Fidel, Chief. It was Dunham. Angelique would never make a mistake.

Fidel looks at him in surprise, though he doesn't go so far as to protest what his partner said about Dunham being guilty of murder!

Richard shakes his head, though this time it's not to nod. Although he assiduously experiences the power of those invisible inhabitants of the island who have turned his life upside down without asking his permission, and even if one of those strange beings lives with him, he refuses to blindly follow their lead, and that's the way it's going to stay.

"Very scientific, Dwayne." Richard's irony is obvious, but it's not harsh. Never.

When he looks at Camille, he senses a certain sympathetic insolence in her face. It takes him a tenth of a second longer than usual before he manages to ask her:

"Sergeant? And you?"

He stares at her. They share a secret that has bound them together in a way that is virtually impossible to disguise.

But who could help it?

She smiles before answering:

"Given the evidence, the statements, the arrogant behaviour of the Headmaster and knowing his character and track record, I have to say that my intuition points to Dunham."

Richard raises an eyebrow asking for an explanation. He knows that Camille's intuition has been boosted by the Loas. He still doesn't trust them too much, though. Such an intuition could lead to an even more serious and important mistake.

"I don't quite know how he did it. I would have liked very much to know why Angelique hated him in that way. If, as Maman said, Delilah committed suicide, that wouldn't explain why Delilah's mother hated him like that after so many years. Not to mention the confrontation Angelique had with him in the science classroom."

Richard looks at her admiringly. Camille is clearly very intelligent and observant. That makes him proud.

"I obviously don't agree with an accusation without evidence. But the rest of your observations, Sergeant, are very logical and interesting. And let's not forget the humiliation Dunham wanted to subject us to. Its bizarre. When people act like that, it's to protect themselves. We have to keep questioning him again and again until we find out why he is afraid of us".

Unfortunately Richard has some experience of such behaviour towards himself. The harassment he was subjected to at Croydon only came because people mostly envied him. Richard posed a threat to the careers of his... colleagues. And they got rid of him as soon as they could.

Richard knows that the Loas didn't cause that. The Loas merely rescued him from a life that was not a life, that was never a life.

Until he met Camille...

Camille, Fidel and Dwayne look at him in amazement. Has Richard discovered something new? He hasn't spoken for almost a minute...

Until he clears his throat. He mustn't think of Camille like that during working hours!

Picking up his briefcase he says to Camille:

"Let's see why Dunham is so afraid of us. Fidel, as soon as you get anything definitive from the forensics lab, call us immediately and, Dwayne, try to find out anything about the director, anything circulating on the island. Any illogical behaviour, his relationship with Delilah, anything you can."

"No voodoo?" asks Dwayne, smiling.

Glancing at Camille slyly, Richard comments:

"If possible, I prefer to work with evidence. But if that doesn't work, you let me know, I'll join you and, while you light a fire, I'll take off my jacket..."

Dwayne bursts out laughing, Fidel smiles sympathetically and Camille suddenly gets very hot all of a sudden...

The resolution of the non-case has been surprising. The non-case because there had never been a murder, not of Angelique at least.

But one thing was undeniable, she sacrificed her life for her daughter.

Catherine commented on her hope that they would both rest in peace.

Fidel had felt a certain unhealthy taste. He had no good memories of director Dunham.

And Dwayne is also particularly happy because "the answer was in the bones". If he said so himself...

Camille doesn't dare look Richard in the face...she keeps thinking about her scandalous dream from the night before the case was solved...

Or maybe she does. She looks up firmly and then its Richard who blushes.

When, a few hours later, Camille goes to find Richard at his shack to pass on Catherine's invitation to the dinner prepared especially for him, Camille finds Richard trying to find out what the lizard eats.

"Come on, Richard! Maman's not going to wait forever."

"Yes, of course. I'll pick all this up right away."

"Honey, the lizard is very good at foraging. You didn't have to organize all this mess of little dishes."

Richard looks at her before answering:

"They say it's becoming to be thankful. Last night I think it's well worth a little reward."

Camille bursts out laughing. And she gives him a mischievous look:

"I really have to agree with you."

Neither of them manages to get it out of their heads...

"Richard! What is all this?" she asks him with stars in her eyes.

He looks at her in astonishment. Has she lost her memory?

He too has found himself, not in his shack, but around a fire that he has certainly not lit. But then he sees that she is mocking him.

He now finds himself cuddled up to a naked Camille who now looks at him in amusement.

"I would never have imagined that you were really serious and that I would see you dancing around a campfire... naked. Well, the more correct thing would be to twirl around the campfire."

He looks at her too as he casts the occasional glance at the shack. He wants to watch to see if the house loses its glow, which would mean the dream has come to an end, so they can both quickly retreat inside it.

"But..." he replies, kissing her softly on the lips again...

"But what I liked was the way you took off your suit, tie and all, little by little!" She suddenly let go, freeing herself as much as she could from his arms. She wasn't very successful, but at least she was able to look him in the face, raising her head slightly.

"I also enjoyed watching you do that with your tunic, Camille. Well, a gentleman always does whatever his..." he says bringing his lips close to her ear, "lady asks of him. Always."

She looks at him with mischief in her eyes. But also with happiness, a lot of happiness that also mirrors his face.

But then they notice a change in the light. Instantly they both look towards the shack and notice that the colour is changing. They both know that their time is running out. But they have made good use of it.

As they are walking through the door of Richard's house, they know they have come back to reality.

"Just a moment, Camille. Let me see the time."

"Do I have time to go home without anyone seeing me?" she asks.

"Yes, it's only half past two in the morning." He frowns. "Although I'd swear we've been here a lot longer."

"They owed us, Richard. They owed us." Camille replies as she dresses in the clothes she has, presciently, already left in the shack.

When she is dressed, she notices that Richard has also put on his suit, but without his tie, to take her to the car.

At her gaze, he answers sharply:

"I'm sorry, Camille. You and I work with murders. I'll drive you home. At least as close as I can get without being seen. I'm not going to let you go alone again. Remember, I'm a gentleman. And that's what gentlemen do. I don't like the way the customers at your mother's bar look at you."

Camille looks at Richard and realises that its probably he doesnt like certain liberties that men in general allow themselves with her. Behaviour that she, by the way, doesnt realise the vast majority of the time. And his upbringing is different, it has nothing to do with the relaxation of Saint Marie.

When she was working as an undercover agent until relatively recently, she had to deal with dangerous situations. At night and alone.

But now it's completely different and maybe he has a point. Camille is not as alert now as a sergeant as she was before change of status.

Besides, she is now in love!

Camille tells him, half flattered but also slightly annoyed.

"I'm not going to convince you otherwise, am I?"

Comes back the stubborn Richard with a brisk:

"No!"

"Then let's go and... Thank you."

Truly her life, his life has totally changed.

When Richard and Camille toast the resolution of the case at the dinner Catherine has prepared for Richard, they can only do so with intensity and complicity.

Until Catherine, who has thought she has seen a glint in her daughter's eye, says to Richard:

"I'm glad you liked the roast beef."

"It's perfect, Catherine. Thank you," he replies to her as he takes another delicious bite of juicy meat. How hungry he has been!"And thank you for letting me take the leftovers too."

Catherine laughs. Though she turns serious as she informs him of the following.

"Thanks to you for allowing Delilah and Angelique to rest in peace finally with their family. Believe me they are doing it now. They are where they belong."

Notes:

More chapters are planned. Saint Marie is just too magical and gives a lot of play! Enjoy it!