Chapter 4: 'An eventful breakfast'.

Chapter Text

The next day, at the Poole-Bordey's air-conditioned home, breakfast is special: Jade and Geoffrey Norwich are Richard and Camille's guests of honour.

The scheduled breakfast is light but special. Richard has managed to get scones for tea. Camille also insisted on croissants and toast, apart from coffee.

The main purpose was none other than to get to know the professor and his wife better without the unwanted and constant surveillance of the strange Mr. Porter.

But before eating anything Richard and Camille want to show them around the house, get the professor to dedicate the books to the Inspector and Camille wants to talk to the professor's wife.

Jade Norwich is a not very tall woman, dark, very vivacious, though her forehead has unwanted wrinkles. Camille suspects she is worried about her husband.

Camille is engaged in conversation with the Professor's wife while Richard and the Professor are busy with the dedications to the books written by the Professor and owned by the Inspector.

Camille suspects that her husband, the Detective Inspector, also wants to get samples of the professor's handwriting.

Of course, Camille is not listening to the conversation Professor Norwich and Richard are having after Professor Norwich has, with great patience on his part, dedicated the books the Inspector has asked him to sign.

Indeed Geoffrey and Richard are discussing the parallels of British and Caribbean mythologies in particular:

'Inspector, for instance, its true that we will never know for certain the purpose of a monument like Stonehenge, but I personally believe that, as with virtually all peoples on earth, it has something to do with a portal that took those who erected it to a world beyond the earthly or communicated with divine beings or with their deceased relatives who have reached their destination. You will note that Stonehenge was used as a burial ground for important personalities. '

' Myth is the origin, so they say, Professor Norwich. The clues indicate what you indicate, but we don't know the mythology or beliefs of those who erected Stonehenge. Mythology is memory, mythical memory that fullfils a social function. This is how societies are organized, how religious rituals are organized, how wars are fought, and even how food is grown and prepared. Is it perhaps in this way that you are trying to link British tradition with Caribbean tradition?'

Professor Norwich seems to come alive in this conversation. Its almost impossible to find someone from outside his academic world interested in his books and willing to talk about it.

In the Caribbean I have been able to study the Taino and Arawak peoples among many others. And their mythology, apart from a curious appearance of women outside the cave, mythologically speaking of course, where the Tainos lived, one could say with divine origin, is also related to the needs of the land, fishing and what is necessary for survival. And, of course, there's always this fixation with this other world after death, but... I think I'd like to prepare something more easily digestible for everybody to understand.'

Geoffrey knows that, if he gets carried away, he won't know how to stop - and he's not in a university chair giving a dissertation on this exciting subject! He is visiting the island's policemen with his wife, Jade.

And she has asked him to try not to get too involved, as Jade knows that her husband has been weaker than usual for months and she doesn't want him to exhaust himself.

Richard nods, he understands that the professor either doesn't want to tire him out by talking about this subject or, almost more likely, he's a little physically tired and not feeling well at all, despite seeming to come alive when he talks about it, perhaps it's not in his best interest to drain his strength.

I think I know what you mean, it's hard for people, not just from Saint Marie, to understand that all this cultural background is useful for today's society.'

The Inspector is thinking specifically of Dwayne. And he doubts that Myers is ever interested in these issues. It's curious, because that Caribbean mythology has a lot to do with Camille, Fidel and Dwayne. It's part of their background.

Jade watches her husband with great affection, she can't help but comment to Camille:

'My husband has felt like a kid in new shoes to find such an enthusiastic fan of his books. I like that, because for some time now he hasn't seemed the same. I assure you that he is a very intelligent man, very restless, very passionate about his work. He's a good man.

Camille looks at her with sympathy. Decidedly the Norwich couple are charming.

I have already noticed, Mrs. Norwich. I would recommend that you visit the doctor on the island. He's really very good.' Actually what Camille wants is that, if possible, the doctor should give Professor Norwich a thorough analysis to look for possible poisons or foreign substances. Inspector Poole, my husband Richard, also had some problems soon after arriving on Saint Marie.

Jade looks at her husband and Richard again and now smiles broadly.

'From what I can see he has settled in perfectly, Mrs. Poole'.

Call me Camille. Then she watches her twins stare at her from where they sit playing, focused on their strange chatter, and comments: I think the babies are calling for us. Reach out and say something to them. The boy is watching you as if he were going to interrogate you. He is as curious as his father.'

At that moment Jade approaches the children laughing at Camille's comment and starts playing with the little Camille and Richard, who raise their arms for the two women to pick up.

Camille showers them with kisses while the children laugh until she asks the teacher's wife.

'Would you mind helping me get them ready for Officer Myers to take them to daycare?' It won't take long.'

Jade gives each of them a kiss and answers:

'Not at all, Geoffrey and I have children too, a little older than these delicious babies. They are a boy and a girl. It will be a pleasure.'

Camille answers her:

'This way later, without the children, we can talk calmly while we eat breakfast.

Camille shows the woman the way to the nursery. The two women head there with a baby in their arms each.

What Camille can't tell Jade is that Richard asked her to get the kids out of the picture as soon as possible. Richard sees trouble and wants the children to be safe. '

Finally the four adults are sitting around the small round table ready to explain everything, when Richard observes Norwich taking something out of his briefcase. It looks like a harmless package of small chocolates.

The professor, seeing how the Poole couple is looking at him, comments:

'I like to have these little chocolates in coffee.'

'Geoffrey,' his wife reminds him, Camille highly recommends a local doctor. I'd like you to make an appointment. You seem to be doing a little better. But I would like them to do some tests on you, it would make me feel calmer.'

Camille thinks that these things are not usually said in front of strangers. Jade Norwich is really very worried. She asks the professor if he wouldn't mind sharing some of those chocolates.

'I'm sure Richard is looking forward to some good English chocolate. It's very hard to get a good one here that doesn't melt before it gets to the store! Not counting its price, of course. Imported chocolates are very expensive.'

The professor shares the chocolates without problems. Camille takes only one. Richard can't help but take two or three at Norwich's insistent offer. Jade decides she prefers a scone.

When everyone is halfway through breakfast, Richard asks the teacher where he gets them. They are delicious and maybe he can afford to buy them online.

'Oh, I don't know! My assistant, James Porter, gets them for me. They are delicious, right? This man is really perfect at his job...although...sometimes he puts in too much...effort...'

Jade gets up immediately to attend to her husband. He seems to be on the verge of losing consciousness. When she turns to ask the Inspector and his wife for help, she observes in horror that Richard is making almost superhuman efforts to hold on to the table.

Camille tries to help him, but he doesn't seem to be feeling much better.

Richard, guessing that they have been drugged or, worse, poisoned, manages to look at Camille, stammering:

'We need help, Cam... hospital. As soon as...'

Jade, seeing that Camille is also feeling ill, goes to the table where the house phone is located and, as she had already guessed, finds a list of emergency telephone numbers next to the table.

She and her husband, when the children were little, also had that custom. This way, if something happened that required speed, they didn't have to look for a phone.

She quickly calls Saint Marie's hospital and explains without wasting time that she suspects that Inspector Poole, his wife and Professor Norwich have been poisoned.

The hospital has already sent several ambulances before she finishes talking to them.

Next, she tries to make the most unconscious patients as comfortable as possible and puts the chocolates in a bag.

Jade has never liked her husband's assistant.

Now she simply hates him.

Since she can't do anything else for the convalescents, she looks up the phone number of the police station in the list.

Fidel is on the other end of the phone line.

When Jade Norwich explains everything that happened at Richard and Camille Poole's house, Fidel asks her to stay with them, he is going to send Dwayne directly there while he goes to the hospital.

Fidel knows that the ambulances won't take long. And Dwayne wasn't far from Richard's house. Furthermore, Fidel wants to be the first to find out what substances were in the chocolate.

Richard discovers that his head hurts a lot. And he can't shake the nagging feeling that something is wrong, very wrong. He has to react, figure out something, but at that moment he can barely think….

Not that he has much time for that. He discovers the bodies of Camille and Professor Norwich apparently unconscious lying beside him on the beach. Who took them there?

Where is Jade Norwich?

How did we get here? Where's the ambulance? Who's guarding my children?

And suddenly he realizes something almost extraordinary...