Chapter 4: Astuteness, that's my name

Summary:

This chapter talks about how concerned Dwayne is about his friend Fidel. Although he has his resources, the truth is that the station seems to be drifting...
It's clear that Camille Bordey and Richard Poole are needed at Saint Marie.

Chapter Text

Saint Marie

Christmas is just around the corner and Dwayne Myers, police officer at Honoré station, is already preparinga list ofwhich beauty or beauties will help him celebrate the holidays.

He is currently in the island's harbour talking animatedly with a woman, a brunette woman. She is a possible choice.

But, in the meantime, he is keeping an eye on Fidel Best, his partner. He is talking to Fiona O'Shaugnessy. She's a writer interested in the island's history, specifically the pirate era. And it seems that Fidel is helping her in gathering facts and, above all, legends related to LeClerk.

Dwayne smiles, LeClerk is a lot of fun. If it weren't for the fact that Fidel is married and expecting a baby, he wouldn't find it hard to thinkhis friend is flirting, but... Fidel being unfaithful to Juliet?

It's easierto imagine itsnowing in Saint Marie.

He's watching his friend because he notices he's changed. More tense, more nervous. Even now, Best is not as relaxed as he normally is.

Lily is pressing Fidel, she won't leave him alone. She actually seems to be watching his friend! And Dwayne begins to suspect it's because of something to do with the murder of the last Detective Inspectors.

Normally he leaves work at the station when it's time to go home, whether it's hishomeor any of his conquests. But even he senses that something is going onwith Lily,something very bad, and he wouldn't want Fidel tobe in trouble or hurt.

Dwayne has just made a decisionmost unusual forhim.

"Excuse me, honey. But I have to ask my partner something. I'll get back to you later." He is dismissing the woman. Although he really intends to call her.

"Fidel! How much longer?"OfficerDwayne Myers is going to be Fidel's shadow for the next few days. If it's necessary to accept Juliet's invitation to spend Christmas Eve with Fidel and her, so be it.

In the meantime, he's going to start talking to his... underworld friends.

He has no other choice, even if Commissioner Patterson has already warned him that he shouldn't hang around in certain circles.

Not that it matters much any more. It's a good thing Dwayne knows that he won't be moving up the career ladder, because he hasrealizedthat he'shappy at the level he's reached.

Apart from the fact that the intention is good: to protect his friend, one has to live for something!

Packing up in Camille's small flat

Julie is looking at her friend with sympathy, no, with derision, the one who talked so much about the ridiculousness of romanticism! And now she is quickly packing her bags to accompany this man shehasn'tknown for more than a week to Saint Marie.

Camille demands:

" Drop it, Julie."

But Julie doesn't drop it,"The one who said she wouldn't spend Christmas in Saint Marie this year, the one who said she wouldn't spend the holidays with her mother in that dingy bar..."

Camille looks around, half-angry.

"La Kaz is not a cheap bar! They serve the best tea on the whole island there."

Aurore is laughing.

"Making sure yournewfriend will receive the best of care?"

Isabelle, seeing the fury that is beginning to show on Camille's face, tries tomakepeace.

"She didn't say anything like that," she just thought it, but Isabelle refrains from saying it out loud, "I think Camille just wants to see her mother. It's very easy to say that you don't want to spend Christmas with your family, but I can understand that our friend would have regrets about how lonely her mother would be. Besides, it's easier to get a plane ticket when a DI uses his or her privileges of office, isn't it, Camille?"

"Of course it is! Besides," she recalls what Richard told her about the two DIs being killed in such a short time, unbecoming of Saint Marie, "there are very serious things happening on the island. And yes, my mother worries me. I have to be with her."

She, of course, feels strangely interested in Detective Inspector Poole, but the truth is that very serious things are happening on 'her' island and if she were to discover that something bad had happened to her mother while she was away...

The girls watch her and half believe her.

Aurore is the first to speak, family is very important to her.

"You should go without fail. Besides, it's good to have someone competent and apparently honest by your side. He seems smart."

"Believe me, he is. He knows his job very well." Camille speaks with admiration.

Julie thinks of Luc and encourages her:

"I wish you all the best for the holidays. I'm afraid you're going to have to work, though."

"I know! It's going to be a perfect Christmas!"

Isabelle shakes her head in amusement.

Flying over the Atlantic

It's three in the morning and Camille, DI Poole doesn't knowhow, has managed to fall asleep straight away. He can't help but glance at her from time to time.

How has he managed to get a beautiful woman to not only listen to him with respect, but also to change her Christmas plans to travel with him?

Seeing is believing. And he still hasn't told her about Aimée... or about the mission that, in theory, will link the two detectives' professional destinies in Saint Marie.

In fact, Richard was barely able to string together two sentences in a row, like a trivial conversation between two acquaintances. It was a good thing that Camille began to talk to him about some doubts about the courses given by Richard in Paris, when he had elaborated sufficiently to feel comfortable and relaxed.

Until she decided that sleep was a good idea.

Richard stares at her again and he decides that, actually, work can be a good sleeping pill.

"I'll tell her about Aimée. I'm sure shewill likeit. It will be a surprise, of course! And I'll pass on the message from her singer friend. She'll like that."

He decides that's a great idea for a change.

Thinking that one of the stewardesses on the flight is going to think he's a voyeur, he takes out his big notebook and starts planning theorganizationof the future Saint Marie police station.

In addition, Commissioner Patterson sent him the reports of the DI Hulme and Anderson murders in advance and he is studying them.

As he is also studying the reports ofOfficersBest, Myers and Thompson. Richard has never believed in coincidences and it is unusual for two Detectives to be killed in such a short space of time on an island like Saint Marie. Its violent death rate is very low.

Unfortunately, its rate of solved murders is equally low. That is not a good thing. Criminalsact as ifit is somewhat advantageous to commit crimes on the island. That has to be stopped.

The island alsosuffers from the scourge of smuggling. Another crime to be eradicated as soon as possible.

Richard did not know DI Hulme, but he did know Anderson. And, being strictly professional, he acknowledges that, even withoutrealizingit, Andersonmight havehit on a clue.

Perhaps he had got too close to the culprit(s) without knowing it. Perhaps the enemy was closer to him than Anderson, in his utter ineptitude, believed.

The statisticianpart of his braininforms DI Poole that the enemy is at home,very closeto Honoré police station.

Richard goes back to read the reports of the officers who are likely to be part of his team.

Of the three, the most promising seems to beConstableBest. But that doesn't mean anything.

AgentMyers seems to be the perfect link to the island's informers, but that can end up taking its toll on a good police officer. It can be a career killer.

As for Officer Thompson, she is an enigma. She is apparently a good cop, but Richard is informed that her manner can be a bit opaque.

He will have to tread very carefully. He has no intention of being the next DI to be killed.

And in three days' time it will be Christmas. Richard has not celebrated Christmas properly for some years now. When you're on your own, it's difficult.

Camille, perhaps remembering the lonely Christmases Richard has grown accustomed to spending, has offered him her company, along with her mother, some friends and the impressive Commissioner Selwyn Patterson. A great personality, according to Camille.

Apparently her maman makes the best tea on the island. He will certainly go there.

And Richard is really curious to meet Patterson in person too. He also wants to make it clear to him that he wont allow any interference in the way his station is run and, of course, in his private life.

Richard sighs again. The truth is that he too is tired. Too many changes in a very short space of time. And that is taking its toll. But a very pleasant one, of course.

He carefully puts the reports in his briefcase and, positioning himself as best he can, he falls into the arms of Morpheus.

And, withoutrealizingit, two shoulders rest on each other.

The stewardess laughs at this as she discusses it with another of her colleagues.

L'amour !

Notes:

Do any other writers identify with any of the supporting characters in this chapter?