Chapter 16: You are not alone
Summary:
We've reached the end of this story - I hope you like it! Richard and Camille are looking forward to enjoy a little honeymoon away from Saint Marie, but that won't stop Richard from having to fight one last battle with a Doug Anderson from beyond the grave...
Chapter Text
"You'll take care of me and I'll take care of you." Richard has just told Camille, but she's tired. The pregnancy and that awful dream don't do much to improve her mood either.
She feels annoyed by it all. Or maybe it's the famous hormones?
"That's for sure, Richard. But we must get on with the case. Can you tell me why Malcolm Powell was going to give $20,000 to his killer?"
"Right, honey. Last night was really productive. I looked into certain business dealings he had in the UK. I can assure you he didn't seem to be the man everyone thought they knew."
"Well, I think it's time to get back to the station, organize the work and talk to Vicky Woodward right away. If anyone knows the dirt on Powell's company, it's her."
Richard smiles, strategically places his hand on her abdomen and replies:
"As you wish."
That is exactly what he had already decided.
Malcolm Powell, trying to save his company in the United Kingdom under the view of his personal assistant, Vicky Woodward, swindled investors out of all their money. According to Ms. Woodward's statement, he deeply regretted it. Richard doubts it very much.
Of course Powell was prosecuted for that crime, but after a while he moved to the Caribbean with his family, taking what was left of his business while the investors got no money back.
Jack Roberts started calling him about three weeks ago and Powell decided to pay him the $20,000 he demanded.
As they finish talking to the secretary while walking around the grounds of Powell's property, Richard notices Camille's focused expression.
"Any discrepancies in her statement?"
"I don't trust her, Richard."
"For having a relationship with the gardener?" he asks mockingly.
"Of course not. She's hiding something."
Richard stares at her, turns his head so that he and Camille are both looking at the murdered man's wife sitting inside the house.
"I think we're going to talk to her right now." He suggests.
The widow's statement is curious; she was unaware of his business dealings and never heard of Jack Roberts. And she insists that her husband was a good man who took a wrong turn and didn't know how to get out of it in time.
On the way back to the station, Richard asks Camille.
"Do you trust Mrs. Powell?"
"Yes, Richard, she was telling the truth. She did seem sincere to me."
The DI squeezes his wife's hand and they continue in silence to the station, where Fidel informs them that he has spoken to the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) and that the missing money from Powell's company, Lindman Investments, amounts to £80 million. A lot of money. Money that no one knows anything about.
Richard gives the appropriate orders. They need to gather information about Powell's personal accounts and those of the Marine Reserve. They also need the list of investors who lost money with Lindman Investments.
Dwayne, meanwhile, informs them that Lucille, one of his many conquests, has told him that the results of Fidel's exam for promotion to Sergeant have already been mailed. No word on the results and the post office is now closed for the weekend.
Certainly a problem. Good thing Fidel hasn't heard any of that.
Camille finds Jack Roberts' name on the list of investors, and she discovers that he disappeared three years ago in the Canal of La Manche.
"You mean the English Channel, darling."
"No, Richard, it's the Canal of La Manche."
Richard sighs, she is pregnant, and she has also had a horrible dream experience when he wasn't there to guard her.
He decides that the lizard... Harry, that will be his name, deserves a big hug for protecting his wife.
He bends down, gives her a kiss on the crown of her head and says in her ear:
"Right you are, darling, The Canal of La Manche it is."
They hear a throat clearing. Its Fidel, coming to tell them something important about the money for the marine reserve.
"Sorry, sir."
Richard has been caught being romantic and tries to play it down. He still can't help blushing, though.
"Go on, Fidel, go on."
"Someone has moved three million dollars out of the marine reserve accounts, sir, and into an account on the Cayman Islands."
Now it all seems to be starting to make sense. But...
But questions still arise: How was it possible for Jack Roberts to kill Malcolm Powell if he was already dead? And in broad daylight and with so many witnesses?
Richard decides to start again, dispensing with Jack Roberts.
Camille and Fidel watch as Richard asks himself the same questions over and over again, trying to figure out what he is missing. He is unmoved by discouragement and defeat.
Fidel looks up to Richard, he is his mentor, the man who supported him in his Sergeant's exams, the results of which he is still waiting for, worrying tremendously about that. He wants Juliette and restless little Rosie to be proud of him.
Camille also admires Richard. She is still worried and feels anguish that she keeps under control and hidden. The pregnancy isn't helping much either. She knows Richard meant what he said when he told her he would protect them, her unborn child (or children) and her.
Meeting him has changed her life enormously. Not only Richard, and by extension, his parents, have seen their lives change drastically.
Honestly, a year before, she would have laughed in the face of anyone who told her that she would marry a pedantic Englishman, that she would form a team with him supported by the Loa de Saint Marie, spirits or whatever it was that she never quite believed in before, and that she would almost certainly have two children with him.
Really special children. If everything went on as normal.
If that Doug-thing, thirsty for revenge and something else that terrified Camille, didn't try to change things.
"Its not possible to be in two places at the same time." That phrase said by Fidel has taken Camille out of her thoughts, certainly somewhat gloomy.
And Richard solves the case…. In his mind. They still need a search warrant to confirm that solution to the case that the DI has deduced. They get it, search the victim's bedroom, and find the murder weapon under the dresser.
And Richard manages to close the case. Jack Roberts was never in Saint Marie to kill anyone. It was an elaborate illusion created by Vicky Woodward, who also emptied the marine reserve accounts, Mark Grainger, a reserve diver, and Duncan, Vicky's gardener boyfriend.
All three claimed to have seen Jack Roberts and gave identical descriptions, obviously rehearsed.
Because the crime was not committed when everyone heard the shot, the crime was committed ten minutes before with a silencer. Vicky was the one who killed Malcolm Powell.
Malcolm Powell didn't steal the marine reserve accounts, nor did he get any tickets to run away from home. He really seemed to change his life and was trying to be honest.
As Camille, Dwayne and Fidel handcuff the culprits, Richard takes his briefcase and leaves thinking that now he has no choice but to deal with what happened in Camille's dream, the dream in which he was not present to protect his family!
"Richard, I remind you again that Camille and you are not alone."
The DI does not need to search for the source of that voice. Of course they can read his mind. But he can't get rid of his fears.
Hours later, the entire Saint Marie team is gathered in Catherine's bar to celebrate the resolution of the case. There Dwayne, who has stolen Fidel's test results from the locked post office, although there is more than one witness who would swear that this wasnt the case, gives the results to Fidel.
Richard protests what he considers to be unacceptable behavior from the older cop. But it is of no use, since Fidel, very nervous about waiting, snatches the letter up and turns his back.
A letter that is not yet open.
After a tense moment, the team welcomes the new Sergeant Best. Even Richard himself can't hide the great joy he feels.
Camille loves the smile he wears in rare situations like this.
But… the celebration is interrupted by a throat clearing from Commissioner Patterson.
"Camille, I want to drink a toast to Inspector Darwin of SOCA. Thanks to him we can have part of our honeymoon in London!"
Camille and Richard are packing their bags somewhat hastily at their home. Patterson has tasked them with escorting Vicky Woodward on the flight to London to be questioned by SOCA. They will find out where all the missing Lindman Investments money is hidden.
Richard can't hide his delight. Neither can Camille.
Somehow, she thinks she will feel safer off the island. She overlooks the fact that distance was no problem for the Loa when Richard was still in England. She prefers not to dwell on that.
She takes the proffered glass. "Richard, we're toasting with Champagne." She teases although she merely wets her lips, to her near despair. "A French invention, I hope you don't mind?"
Richard looks at her slyly.
"May I remind you, my beloved, that the great Christopher Merret, ENGLISH scientist and physician, documented the addition of sugar to create a second fermentation six years BEFORE your great Dom Pérignon even set foot in the abbey of Hautvillers. This Champagne is British."
Camille smiles. Today she doesn't want to fight with him, that wonderful diversion she reserves for their honeymoon in London. She moves closer to him, runs her hand sinuously across his chest.
Richard looks at her nervously. Fidel and Camille are out right with Arthur and Alice, his parents, but now is not the time.
She approaches him even more provocatively and whispers in his ear:
"Champagne is the product of a perfect union between France and the UK, my love. Does that ring any bells? I'll have to remind you in London."
Richard closes his eyes as he whispers, "You're a witch."
She breaks away from him and tells him as his parents are already walking through the door.
"Never doubt it." And turning to her in-laws, she hands them a sheet of paper with Harry's times and meals. Harry will be the lizard's name from today onwards.
She seems to be forgetting many of her fears as she thinks about getting away from the island. At least until that dream threat passes.
Richard is still awkwardly checking that the necessary documentation for the trip is not missing. He still can't bring himself to look his parents in the face.
"I've given a copy of Harry's timetable to Maman. That way, if you miss one day, you can call her and there won't be any problems." Camille informs her in-laws.
Arthur looks at her sympathetically.
"I still don't understand Richard's relationship with that wild animal."
"As long as they understand it, that's enough, Arthur." His wife chides him then says to her son, "You've only got a short time left to get to the airport."
"Mom, we don't care if you sleep here one night. There's air conditioning and plenty of room now." Richard seems to have recovered from Camille's petty revenge for his pedantic remark about the British origin of Champagne.
Arthur looks around curiously.
"No problem. Richard, Camille, have a wonderful trip and above all, bring us back some grandchildren!"
Camille laughs, if only they knew... She gives her in-laws a huge hug with all the love in the world and walks out the door to say something to Fidel and Dwayne.
"Mom, Dad. We'll do what we can." And immediately he gives her parents a hug and, grabbing both bags, also leaves the shack.
The DI suspects that the island has changed his parents greatly and, as a result, he finds it difficult to leave them...
Alice bursts out laughing when she sees the great speed with which Richard leaves the house.
"Arthur, let's lock up the house and go back to Catherine. Good thing she said goodbye to them first otherwise we'd still be hugging when the plane takes off."
When all the humans have left, Harry seems to speak to someone no one would be able to see.
"It's all set, isn't it?"
"Yes, the bait is ready."
"But Richard won't be in danger? Nor will Camille or the children?"
"You've really taken a shine to them, I see. Don't worry. They'll be all right. But they can't know anything. Not yet."
Harry decides to trust his companions.
All has gone well during the journey to the UK, all has gone well during the prisoner's transfer to Detective Darwin and his SOCA team, and all has gone even better during the first two days of their honeymoon.
They are in a suite in a charming little hotel in Brighton, on the coast of the country.
Both are resting from the little love-a-thon that Camille has put Richard through with his unquestioning support.
"Do I still have to convince you of the advantages of a perfect union between France and the UK?" she purrs in his ear.
"I think I'll need some more lessons, my little French Caribbean witch. But ... if I may, I think I need a little sleep. With you by my side, that always."
"As you wish." She whispers to him sleepily.
The two detectives meet again on the beach near their shack, their old shack. But the atmosphere is terribly oppressive.
"It looks like we're not going to be far from Saint Marie after all."
Richard comments with a slight worry in the tone of his voice. He can't help but catch Camille's apprehension.
"It seems so." Camille finds it unfair that what was previously her private, secret, safe territory is being invaded by the unspeakable Doug, because she's sure he's in there, hiding somewhere. She dreads meeting Doug with every step she takes.
They are walking under a starry, but very dark sky. There is barely any moonlight and even the sea seems to feel restless.
Richard hugs Camille.
"I think we've come at the worst time. Let's try to get to the shack. Maybe Harry can tell us something." Richard decides.
"I think it's the safest place, Richard."
They make it to their destination. And just in time. It is getting darker and darker, and in the house at least there is light.
"Camille, I think I can see Harry in the kitchen. Wait here for a moment."
Camille, fidgeting, goes to the verandas door to make sure it's locked. How she hates Doug! She's never felt bad here before. It's unfair to have to go through all this after such wonderful days, and nights, spent with Richard.
Fortunately everything seems fine, but...
She hears an evil whisper, "Camille, I know you can hear me. Do you think I didn't know almost as soon as I met you that you and Dicky were together? I never understood that. Your mother liked me. I could give you so much more."
Doug speaks to her from the other side of the door. He is so close.
She recoils in terror. She knows he's not human and that worries her. And she also knows he's telling her something just to hurt Richard. Doug has never known what love is, dead or alive.
"Maman never liked you, Doug. And you can't even hope to compare yourself to Richard, the great DI Richard Poole. He surpasses you in intelligence and humanity by light-years."
Richard, who seemed to have fallen into a certain stupor only a few feet away from Camille, receives a kind of green whiplash that wakes him from his reverie and he runs to protect his wife.
Harry, the Loa lizard, moves in front of the couple with astonishing speed. It is he who has managed to get Richard back to Camille.
The whisper continues, "If you don't get out now, Camille, you won't get to meet your children. Believe me, you'd be a winner. I'd be a good father to them. I promise."
The detectives look out of one of the half-open windows and are astonished to see two children, the children Camille already knew from a previous dream.
They are two children who seem to understand each other just by looking at each other. Both are light dark, but they have Richard's eyes. And they seem to have grown up since the last time Camille caught a glimpse of them.
The night is even darker than before. And everyone senses the presence of this Loa who has never accepted Richard.
The children are looking at Doug with suspicion. But with a certainty that Doug Anderson does not detect. Richard and Camille rush out to protect them, Harry leaping onto Richard's shoulder to go with them.
The Loa who is using Anderson has only needed to rummage through the ex-detective's memories to reinforce his desire for revenge by enhancing his interest in Camille. This way it is certain that Richard would suffer the most pain.
This Loa sees only two curious children who don't know what is going on. Children who cause their future parents to stampede into danger.
When Richard, Camille, and Harry reach the children, the twins look at them with sympathy. Richard is finally able to verify what his wife told him about them.
As Doug confidently approaches Camille to take her by the arm, and Richard is unable to move, a lot happens.
Richard realizes that he is not the only one being held against his will. The Loa who wanted to hurt them so badly, the one who has never given up trying to drive the humans out of their territory, the one riding Doug Anderson, now seems to be surrounded by his former Loa companions. Richard can do nothing right now, only watch.
Doug Anderson is faced by the children, who, standing in front of their parents, grab his arms with a strange force, causing Doug to close his eyes and fall to the ground, disappearing seconds later.
Richard regains his mobility and approaches his children and wife to find out what has happened.
But now they can all see that the latent threat has disappeared into thin air. Now everyone seems to be enjoying a wonderful starry night in the Caribbean. It is the same safe and quiet beach they knew.
Richard escorts everyone back to the shack, Harry briefs them on everything.
"Nothing would ever have happened to you. I was with you. And I will always be with you, in and out of your dreams. We had to make the Loa and Doug take a wrong step."
Richard goes to speak, when the lizard interrupts him.
"Richard, even you have to wait until you catch the culprit red-handed to hunt him down. We will now banish the Loa who has betrayed the will of the collective. Banish without any power, of course. Doug Anderson cannot be brought back to life, but we will try to give his soul a chance. The rest is up to him."
"But he'll still be a threat to me and the children, won't he?" asks Camille worriedly.
"Keep in mind that those feelings and ideas were enhanced from the outside. We've erased everything that happened tonight from his mind. Even that one of us ever spoke to him in his cell. I repeat, the rest is up to him. We are forbidden to kill humans, and for that also the Loa will be banished."
"Will the children have any power, will we be able to...?" asks Camille worriedly.
"We have given these children something only temporary. They are and will be human. We needed something that could surprise Doug and the other Loa. As soon as they are born, everything will follow its normal course. Sometimes extraordinary situations call for extraordinary measures." Erzulie comments through Richard.
"Maman." One of the children tugs on Camille's sleeve.
The other child stands next to Richard looking up at him with those amazing eyes.
Camille bends down to hug them.
"It won't be long before we see each other on the other side. Will you love us the same there as you do here?"
Richard hugs all three of them. Camille can't speak, only hug them tightly.
"We'll be counting the days until you're born." He tells them.
Before the couple awoke from that special dream, the children had disappeared to prepare for their arrival home, with their parents.
The weather in Brighton is rainy and unpleasant. The couple strolls along the jetty enjoying the heavy surf. It is the last day of their official honeymoon in the UK. But there is still the trip to Paris.
Richard has decided to talk to Commissioner Patterson so as not to delay it any longer. Also Vicky Woodward has collaborated with SOCA, without him or Camille having to be present, and the stolen money will go back to the investors, including Jack Roberts.
He disappeared in the Canal of La Manche, its true. But he didn't die. He lost his memory and is making great progress. Doctors are confident of his speedy recovery.
It has all been possible because Jack Roberts' wife, Barbara Sand, has always been by his side.
"And we thought he was guilty," Camille comments, hugging Richard.
"Camille, what do you say we announce the children after the honeymoon in Paris? Believe me, if you say it before then, your mother won't even let us take the plane."
Camille thinks about her husband's proposal for a minute and she understands his point of view.
"I think it's best if I speak directly to the commissioner and from here we travel directly to Paris, just in case. And, Richard..."
"Yes, darling?"
"When we announce the pregnancy, don't say anything about the sex and number of babies to be born. In theory it's not possible to know anything about that so few months into the pregnancy and no one would believe how we know that."
"Of course. We'll have to start thinking about names, don't you think? I love them very much already, I really do. But I wouldn't have minded having some girls to name after you."
"As you wish, Richard. We'll have that little girl in the future - after we have these two little warriors, of course!"
Camille is leaning on Richard, while he keeps his arms around her. They both look out over the raging sea.
"If you succeed, Camille, with the Commissioner, we'll have to cross...the Canal of La Manche."
"No." Camille answers resolutely.
"No?"
"No, we will cross the English Channel!"
Notes:
Notes: Barbara Sand was a very young girl in one of the Sherlock Holmes groups to which I subscribe who has recently died far too young. This is just a small tribute.
I can't resist posting this valuable information about champagne from faarfromhome:
Champagne isn't really French, it's English. Dom Perignon, (1638-1715) the supposed inventor, was actually trying to take the bubble OUT of wine. Again, from wikipedia:
"Dom Pérignon did not invent sparkling wine, though he did make important contributions to the production and quality of both still and sparkling Champagne wines. The oldest recorded sparkling wine is Blanquette de Limoux, which was apparently invented by Benedictine monks in the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire, near Carcassonne in 1531. They achieved this by bottling the wine before the initial fermentation had ended. Over a century later, the English scientist and physician Christopher Merret documented the addition of sugar to a finished wine to create a second fermentation, six years before Dom Pérignon set foot in the Abbey of Hautvillers. Merret presented a paper at the Royal Society, 'Some Observations Concerning the Ordering of Wines', in which he detailed what is now called méthode traditionnelle, in 1662."
Today's "French" champagne is actuallly produced by the British method, which no Frenchman will admit, of course. Maybe we'd better not let Camille and Catherine know this? Although Richard might.