***Author's note: Hey everyone, this chapter was particularly long and has set me back a bit schedule wise, so I will be taking an extra week between posts just between this update and the next. Thank you all for your understanding and patience.
IV.
"Yes could you please connect me to Mme. Badeaux? Yes. Yes I believe she is expecting a call from me, could you tell her it is Louise Saint-Hermine." Louise waited on hold for a moment as the call was transferred. Suddenly there was a click and she heard the perpetually exhausted voice of the Juge on the other end.
"Juge d'Instruction Maria Badeaux. How may I help you?"
"Good morning Madame Juge this is Louise Saint-Hermine, we spoke a few days ago at The Hotel de Cheval Peint." Louise decided to not mention Camille just in case her sister had gone deep into hiding for the sake of the grail war.
There was the sound of some papers shuffling around before Maria responded. "Ah yes one of the privileged Provence progeny. Nice of you to wait a few days to check in. This is a homicide investigation you realize. When a chief investigator of the court asks you to check in when you find new lodgings you know you should make it a first priority to call as instructed upon finding those new lodgings right?"
Louise remembered how prodding the Juge could be from their first meeting and was not about to fall for any of her jeers this time around either. "I do apologize Madame Juge, it actually took me a couple days to find permanent residence and I did not want to have to bother you with multiple location changes so many times in a row."
"Well be that as it may I'm just glad you're checking in. Its not irregular for perpetrators of these types of crimes to attempt to find survivors so that they can silence them. Your sister already checked in with me yesterday and informed me that you would both be taking up separate residences. I'll need you to supply me with the address you are currently staying at."
"Of course. One moment, I'm at the Appartement Saint-Sulpice but I have not memorized the number, one moment." Louise was interested to hear that Camille had indeed checked in with the Juge and was almost tempted to ask for the address she had provided, but quickly realized it would be rather suspicious to be asking Mme. Badeaux for the location of her own sister. She finally located a piece of stationary with the hotel's address printed on it and read it off for the impatient Juge.
"Thank you Madame Saint-Hermine. Is there any other information you can provide? Anything you've remembered from that night? Anyone suspicious you've noticed?"
Louise immediately thought of the woman she had encountered in the alleyway, but the likelihood that she was connected to the grail war stopped Louise from mentioning her. "I apologize Mme. Juge, but I can't say anything comes directly to mind."
"Well if you do think of anything feel free to call my office again. I'll be in touch." Maria promptly hung up the phone before Louise could even reply. The young Saint-Hermine was motionless for a moment, surprised at the lack of manners exercised by an official of the courts.
"Hardly complementary Mme. Juge." Louise said to no one in particular.
"I see that members of the state haven't really changed in all these years." Louise turned to see Rider with that already familiar, self-congratulatory grin plastered on his face.
"Would you not have counted amongst their number in your day?"
"That fact hardly affects my comment." Rider continued to smile crudely at Louise.
"Enough of this, I'm sure Grimaud is waiting for us." Louise led the way out of the hotel room as she spoke, Rider grinning all the way out.
A short taxi ride found Louise and Rider outside the venue belonging to the patisserie with which she was already acquainted. Grimaud waved to Louise from the outdoor table at which he was seated and motioned for her to join him. Louise led the way over with Rider one or two steps behind.
"Good morning Louise. Nice to see you again so soon. And on such a fine day. Your luck from the days previous may be yet turning around." Grimaud gave an energetic welcome to Louise, his caring, almost paternal feelings for her having clearly not diminished during their short time apart.
"Wonderful to see you again as well, Monsieur. I do hope that I am experiencing a reversal of fortune. Another example of it possibly being the truth is here, may I introduce Monsieur Planchet d'Fére. A business associate who will be assisting me with my work while I am here in Paris," Louise and Rider had decided on the pseudonym during the taxi ride over, both of them agreeing that introducing someone as though their class name could pass as a real name was completely ridiculous.
"An associate here to help you hmm?" Grimaud had a discerning, judgmental gaze that he was aiming at Rider as he spoke. "Some fine associate you are."
"I beg your pardon monsieur?" Rider was taken aback by Grimaud's stern chastising tone.
"You are here in Paris to help the young lady. And yet after going through a traumatizing ordeal on her first night, having to sleep in the park on her second, and then being forced to select her own accommodations in a city she has never been for her third, you have the cheek to act as though your presence is of some particular service. Where was your assistance those first three nights?" Grimaud had only just met Rider, but the cover story that he and Louise were using had caused him to have a very poor opinion of the cavalier.
"Monsieur if I may." Louise decided to chime in before any more damage could be done. "I had only contacted my associate last night after I checked into my hotel. If anyone is at fault for his delayed appearance it is I. Please hold no ill-will towards M. d'Fere."
Grimaud shot another suspicious glance at Rider who was unable to respond with anything except a light shrug, a nervous smile, and some reassuring words. "It is true Monsieur. I regret that I was unable to be present during Mme. Saint-Hermine's earlier trials. But I assure you that though some of my knowledge of Paris may be a touch outdated, I will do everything possible to assist her with any difficulties to come."
"Well if you were not called upon until recently I suppose it can not be helped. My dear Louise you really ought to be more willing to rely on others when you need to. There's no shame in accepting some help." Grimaud shook his finger at Louise, but the kind smile on his face spoke to how concerned for her he was.
"I will try to keep that in mind Monsieur." Louise started to sit as she spoke, Rider taking the seat next to her. Just as they had fully seated themselves and Grimaud was about to call for Biscarros, she heard someone make an exclamation of sorts on the street behind her. Louise turned around and saw a familiar face looking at her from the backseat window of a Renault Vel Satis. It was Ali, looking rather surprised to see Louise again. The luxury car didn't feel like something Ali had selected, and had the same feeling as every other part of him; he was extremely well off, but new to the privilege and unsure of how exactly one should display it without being too ostentatious.
"I must say Mme. Saint-Hermine this is clearly a fated location for us." Ali muttered some words to the driver of the vehicle after this greeting. A wave of his hand and the driver was circling around and opening the door to let aristocrat exit. " I can say I am extremely surprised, but also incredibly pleased to see you again." Ali was wearing a heavier jacket than he had been the first time Louise met him. The shadowy, navy blue designer wear was accompanied by thin white gloves and a long silver scarf draped over his shoulders, both touches more for appeal than warmth.
"M. Bertuccio. What a pleasant surprise indeed to see you again. I know we did not part on the best of terms last time, but I do hope you will accept my apology on my sister's behalf. She meant no harm and no insult against you. May I ask the occasion for this happy reunion?"
"No insult meant and none taken Madame. As to the circumstances of our reunion, it is nothing more than good fortune. I was driving with my associate and I felt a hunger start to take hold of me. I recognized the neighborhood we were in and asked the driver to bring us to The Bistro de la Rue Bobillot. And as we pulled up I beheld you and your companions."
Louise exchanged a quick look with Grimaud and Rider, both of whom understood her meaning and nodded to her approvingly. "In that case Monsieur, as your intention was to dine here, may I invite you to once again share a meal with me?"
"Nothing would make me happier Madame. Though-" Ali peered into the shadows of the parked vehicle, "I do not accept only my own behalf."
"Indeed you mentioned you were with an associate. As they are a friend of yours, it is fully implied that they are invited as well." Louise offered Ali a welcoming smile, trying her best to reassure the continually uncomfortable young man.
"A thousand thanks Madame." Ali turned back towards the still open door of the car and offered his hand to his mysterious companion who was still hidden in the shadows of the vehicle's interior. "Do you desire to join us for lunch monsieur?"
A hand wearing a glove whose color was somewhere between pitch black and a deep azure emerged from the shadows and took Ali's open palm. The figure to whom the hand belonged did not so much emerge out of the gloom of the vehicle's interior as he seemed to command the shadows to disperse away from him. Before now Louise could only count her father amongst men who had an aura that on its own intimidated and oppressed her. The energy that Ali's companion exuded drew people towards him in awe, yet at the same time caused many to recoil away from the unknowable nature he embodied. He wore a suit that was both modern and fashionable, yet classical and outdated. The color was of the mossy walls of some long forgotten cellar. His shoulders were draped in a cape, the color of which matched his gloves. His face was beautiful and terrifying to behold. His age was unknowable, but his golden eyes held the experience of an eternity's suffering. His marble skin would be considered beautiful, even though the color was less natural, and looked more as if it had been drained from him, hidden from the sun and the world for too long. His hair, though healthy and well kept, had the same quality as his skin, in that the pigment was simply missing, having long since faded to a pale, flat silver. He was in every way contradictory to himself, and this just seemed to make him more appealing.
The mysterious man scanned the group before him quickly and imperceptibly. Grimaud, Rider, Louise, and even Biscarros who had appeared to supply more place settings, couldn't help but be visibly transfixed, even if only for a moment in Rider's case. Having noted his effect on everyone, the man smiled and spoke. "Good morning madame and messieurs. It is with a most full and grateful heart that I appear before you. Ali simply insisted on stopping, and as my most precious friend has insisted on inviting me to dine with all of you, boorish soporific that I may be, I have no choice but to encumber you with my company." He gave a low bow to conclude his overly humble introduction, letting his body hover in the lowered position just long enough to give his full intended effect before rising.
"May I introduce my companion, a recent friend, Lord Wilmore." Ali gave a light bow towards Wilmore as he completed the introduction. "Come my friend, let us join the others to dine." With an outstretched hand Ali offered for his partner to approach the table first, despite his being the unknown element present.
At the table Ali took the seat right next to Louise, with Lord Wilmore on his left, putting the stranger next to Grimaud and directly across from Rider. Biscarros passed menus around to the gathered party and gave all present a warm smile. "It does Master Biscarros good to see so many gathered together to dine under his roof. Especially the young lady and young man who had parted with some tension last time. It is always good food that can bring people back together." The patissier gave a warm smile to both Ali and Louise as he spoke. "And my old friend Grimaud. You do not come to visit as often as you ought to, and I finally find you back at my shop and you have already made friends with the newest arrivals in Paris."
"Nothing more than a coincidence my old friend I assure you." Grimaud offered Biscarros a shrug by way of an apology. "Fate has a strange way of working out I suppose."
"Well, it is no more concern of mine. I will fetch coffee for all present? And when I return we shall see what has caught the eye of the hungry diners."
"If I may be so brash on two counts monsieur." Wilmore had the menu Biscarros had given him in his outstretched hand, as if to signal he was returning it to the host. "While a cup of coffee sounds excellent, especially as I expect it will be of the same divine quality that Ali had described to me, I must unfortunately decline the offer of your delicacies. My constitution is not what it once was and I am only able to partake of specially prepared meals. But as I am intruding on a meal shared by gathered friends, and am so rude as to not partake of the food myself, I must insist on paying for the whole thing. I also hope that by broaching the subject now we may be able to avoid the unpleasantness that drove a wedge between our shared acquaintances on their last meeting."
"While as a true artisan it saddens me you are not able to sample my fare, I am at least happy you will be able to enjoy my coffee as it is my signature. On the subject of the payment, though I be master of the house, I do not know that I may rightfully answer for your offer." Biscarros gave a nervous glance at Louise.
Louise was quick to assuage the patissier's concerns with her reply. "Despite how little Monsieur Wilmore thinks of himself, I find he is a thoughtful and amicable fellow. I also feel that he may be far more stubborn than he lets on and will therefore simply abide his offer now." She then looked over to Grimaud as if to signal him to speak next.
"I am old, and poorer than I'd like. If the man wishes to empty his coffers to provide lunch for others I say let him." Grimaud gave a smile to Wilmore and then Biscarros as if to say that the business was finished.
"Excellent! Biscaorros shall return in short form. As always, when in The Bistro de la Rue Bobillot savor the food and company you can only find under my roof."
As the baker departed Rider opened the conversation, determined to learn more about the mysterious Lord Wilmore. "You are exceptionally gracious monsieur. I've had few experiences in my time where one of my associates could afford to so brazenly provide for others like this, especially for those whom you have only just met."
Lord Wilmore offered a kind smile in return. "I would be too humble if I were to say I am not a man of means. Though I have had... difficulties, in my life, mine is a time that has also experienced considerable windfalls. Or perhaps it was really just one instance of particularly good fortune."
"I had gathered that Ali was from some state of privilege, is it a family connection that brings the two of you together?" Louise did not want to pry as aggressively as Rider had, but could not help the curiosity she had for the enigmatic fellow.
"No our families are not affiliated." Ali said. "It was merely a stroke of good fortune that brought us together. Lord Wilmore has been so integral to my business dealings here in Paris that I hardly know what I would do without him now."
"Ali exaggerates the effect I have had on him. He is an exceptionally capable young man who excels in his field, and I know he would be working wonders even without my minor contributions." Biscarros returned with the coffee as Lord Wilmore danced around Ali's attempt at flattery. The conversation was interrupted momentarily as those who were eating placed their orders with the shops owner.
"Monetary assistance is not something to make light of in my opinion." Rider sipped at his coffee as he spoke.
"I beg your pardon monsieur?" Ali had a puzzled look, as if trying to decide if he should be offended.
"Monsieur Planchet!" Louise reprimanded Rider in a hushed tone.
"I'm simply saying that Monsieur Wilmore's position is evident. He is acting as a monetary backing for Monsieur Bertuccio while he is conducting his business. It would explain why Ali feels so indebted to him and why he feels, rightfully so, that he has done little in the way of an actual service to the young man. There is no shame in his position, lord knows I wish I had had the good fortune to make such an auspicious acquaintance on my first arrival in Paris." Rider peered over his coffee at Lord Wilmore, daring him to make the next move in what was fast becoming a verbal duel.
"You seem to have a strong opinion on the subject." The next person to talk was unexpectedly Grimaud. "Do you consider those of privilege to be somehow opposed to yourself? Because I must warn you that your own close associate Madame Saint-Hermine is hardly of common birth."
"I do not consider any amount of money to be a barrier between myself and others. I am what could be referred to as a self made man. I had to, in some cases literally, fight for what I have. But I still have it. I achieved rank and station higher than many others. My position was because I worked for it. Monsieur Wilmore himself spoke of windfalls, perhaps an inheritance of some sort. His station was achieved through his good fortune." Rider gestured sternly but good-heartedly at the target of his words. "I'm not saying this is a comment on his character, or in anyway makes him less respectable. I am simply stating that it creates differences in perceptions of the world. People like him may buy meals for those whom they have just met, and procure the latest in luxury vehicles simply because it is newer than their current one whenever they like. But folks like you, Monsieur Grimaud and myself, we do wish we could buy all the lunches in the world for our friends, and on occasion we do. But we are always too aware of the cost when we do so."
"You speak of classical inequality monsieur. I cannot say I blame you for having opinions on mine and Lord Wilmore's position." Ali had an understanding look on his face that surprised Louise, sure as she was that he would have been upset by Rider's words. "My fortune, er that is to say, my family's fortune, was not always a secure thing. We have been exceptionally lucky as of recently. I can say that I fully sympathize with what you must have gone through Monsieur d'Fere. I know that life at the lower economical end can be difficult."
"I am not here for anyone's sympathies, nor were my words intended to induce such feelings." Rider was not the kind of person to take well what he perceived as being looked down on.
"Fourteen years in prison." Lord Wilmore's sudden words, and their dry, heavy tone, produced a reaction from all present. Ali in particular had a look of surprise, and almost fear, on his face. "Fourteen years in prison for a crime I did not commit. I pleaded my case many times, and though I was just as many times dismissed, I did eventually leave my prison. And by the good grace of God and a dear friend I was able to find my fortune. Now you say, Monsieur d'Fere, that you are a self-made man. That you worked for all you have. I ask you this then." Wilmore set his coffee down, softly, but with intention, and peered directly into Rider's eyes. "Did I not earn my fortune by suffering all those years in ignominy and isolation? Did I not deserve something for a decade-and-a-half of being wrongly tormented for a crime that was not my own? My efforts were not directly tied to earning my fortune. But surely something is deserved as a reward for all my anguish."
The table was silent for some time, none knowing how to respond to Wilmore's disclosure of what was surely a painful subject for him. Rider, who was normally of quick wit and word, sipped at his coffee several times before finally responding.
"I deeply regret the anguish you must have endured. And I regret that the justice system failed you so completely-"
"Do not speak to me of justice." Lord Wilmore cut Rider off suddenly, a fire alight in his eyes as he spoke. "The only justice in this world is that which we make for ourselves."
"Monsieur I am sorry to have offended your sensibilities. I have no way of knowing your past or the trials you have endured, but I assure you there is justice in this world, rare as its appearance may be. You yourself even spoke of God earlier. Does He not distribute justice where it is needed?"
"I at one time believed in that fact. But I waited. And I prayed. And I hoped." Wilmore had his coffee cup back in his clutches, but this time his acumen and subtlety were both gone, and he seemed ready to crack the dish in his grasp. "And I received nothing from Him above in the form of justice. Perhaps it was His hand that helped guide my freedom. But justice? Righteous correction of ills? Those come from man's own creation."
"I daresay you speak of personal vendettas. Dangerous and selfish to tout such a concept as justice." Rider was not convinced by Wilmore's pious tone.
"Vendetta is but another word for the dispensing of one's own justice. If the cause is righteous God will allow it to be dispensed."
"The hypocrisy." Rider felt as though he had caught the evasive Wilmore, and his bravado at the thought was evident in his words. "You denounce God as the bringer of true justice, and then breath his name in your words of vendetta."
"Do not speak to me of hypocrisy!" Wilmore was suddenly more animated in an instant than he had been in all the time leading up to it. "I spoke of God as allowing a vendetta to come to completion. He allows all the ills of the world to be enacted upon the innocent. If He can allow those then surely he will allow a righteous man to enact his own righteous vengeance. God is no bringer of justice, but let it not be said that He would hamper one who brings it about by his own hand."
Wilmore's final words acted as a conclusion to the subject at hand. Biscarros had returned with food and none present wished to create difficulty for their always joyous host. The breakfast continued in relative silence, with only a few words exchanged occasionally by Ali, Louise, and Grimaud.
As the diners were all preparing to depart Ali pulled Louise aside, hoping to exchange a few private words with the young woman. "I apologize if Lord Wilmore has offended your associate at all. I do not wish for you to consider every occasion you spend in my company to be unpleasant. I must admit I do not fully understand all of Wilmore's eccentricities and was as surprised as you to see him react with so much fervor."
"All men are their own Ali. I do not hold you responsible for the actions of another. I assure you that I hold you in no ill regard. Perhaps Monsieur d'Fere spoke out of turn and offended Wilmore. They are both grown men and able to work out whatever differences they have between them. We merely operate concurrently."
With the young people so engaged with one another, and Grimaud making small talk with Biscarros considering their established affiliation, Rider found himself alone with the inscrutable Lord Wilmore. He was sure that Ali's intimidating companion had more to say, and was rarely one to let new acquaintances part ways with him on only adverse feelings toward him. More than that though, Rider knew there was something to discuss that only the two of them were aware of.
"Monsieur I hope you will accept some words of apology. A difference of life experiences has clearly colored our perceptions of things to be of opposing views on some aspects. For the sake of brokering peace, let me offer you my utmost apologies." Rider gave a light bow to emphasize the implied sincerity of his words.
"I will tell you how this interaction will terminate." Wilmore was stalk still, his arms at his side and lost in the abyssal depths of his cape. "In their line of sight, but not in range of hearing," A slight inclination of his head directed his words and Rider's attention toward Louise and Ali, "we will behave as though making peace between us. I will then tell Ali what you and I both know to be true and he will not believe me. You will tell your master the same thing and depending on her character she may or may not believe you." Rider's eyes hardened as Wilmore continued speaking. "But no matter what happens I cannot forgive your impudence and naivety. The grudge is now a personal one. You will be my favorite enemy to destroy."
"Is there no way to mend the animosity between us Monsieur? I have no desire for any personal grievance in a contest such as this."
"None." The fire was back in Wilmore's eyes as he spoke. "You have made a true enemy of me. And you will know my righteous fury."