VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, [8], 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 03:19:03 08/29/08 Fri
Author: Hannah
Author Host/IP: port152.dialup.bfree.on.ca / 66.207.116.152
Subject: Northern Woods, Chapter 157
In reply to: Hannah 's message, "Northern Woods" on 09:32:57 08/07/08 Thu

Chapter 157

A few minutes later, Chuck appeared with a police officer at his side. “Are you pressing charges Michel?” he asked softly.

Michael looked up at his friend and Chuck was stunned to see how distressed his friend appeared.
‘Mon Dieu! I’ve known him for years and yet I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this upset before!’ Chuck thought in surprise as he noted his friend’s pale face. ‘I hope he’s going to be okay!’

Madeleine quietly watched her client too for any further signs of stress. She knew that his earlier wrath needed time to dissipate and that he was still agitated. However, she was reassured to note that there were signs of improvement in his demeanour. As the minutes ticked by, she was further encouraged to note that his hands weren’t shaking like they had been when he first picked up his coffee, and the colour was slowly returning to his face.

“I’m sorry Michel, but it appears that inviting those two was a big mistake.” Chuck said quietly.

Madeleine said nothing, but groaned inwardly, but she shut her eyes tightly. ‘Oh isn’t that the most obvious statement I’ve ever heard pop out of a man’s mouth! Congratulations Chuck… that was impeccably bad timing saying that, but finally… some common sense!’

“Yes.” Michael replied with a deep sigh. “I made the mistake and my wife has paid for it.”

Chuck said nothing, but when he noticed Madeleine glaring in his direction, he closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. ‘I deserved that!’ he thought as he noted Madeleine’s scowl of disapproval of his comment. ‘She’s right! That was a stupid thing to say! It’s true… inviting those two *was* a bad move…but I *shouldn’t* have said that! I thought it was a bad move too…right from the beginning… but that’s what he thought he had to do! He didn’t need to hear that right now though. He’s stressed enough!’

Silently Madeleine reached out and patted her client’s arm; patting it soothingly afterwards as a mother might.

‘Oui.. mon ami… your wife *did* suffer… and I’m sorry she did. I like Nikita. I hope she’ll be okay… and that you’ll forgive yourself for this.’ Madeleine thought wryly. ‘I’m pretty sure she already has.’

“If it makes you feel any better,” Chuck continued gently, “I saw Nikita in the hallway just now. She’s with Lakeisha and Marie and they feel they can help her up in Lakeisha’s room.”

“You’re right, she can. And how was Nikita when you saw her?” Michael asked point-blank.

‘She can?’ Madeleine wondered. ‘How? I mean… I hope you’re right… but why do I get the feeling that there’s more going on here than I know nothing about?’

Chuck’s eyebrow rose in concern before he replied.

“Calmer than she was when she left you, mon ami. When she left this room, she went into the lobby ladies’ room. A reporter found her there and talked to her for a few minutes.” Chuck reported.

‘A reporter?’ Madeleine thought in concern. ‘Oh my.. I wonder which *barracuda * went after poor Nikita?’

“A reporter?” a dismayed Michael asked sharply as he set down his coffee cup with a still shaky hand. The look of concern on his face was unsettling. “And where was hotel security during that point? This *person* just follows my wife into the ladies’ room, and they do *nothing* to prevent it? She might have been harassed… or hurt in there and no one would have known anything about it until afterwards! Were they paying attention?”

“Now that I think of it” Chuck replied, as if the point hadn’t occurred to him before, “I didn’t see any security in the lobby.”

“None?” Michael replied incredulously as he began to rise from his chair in fury. “Find out what’s going on Chuck! Davenport told me that the security chief for the hotel had agreed to arrange for men to patrol the hallways and lobbies. I want to talk to both men and I want a full report on where those men were and why they weren’t in place! My *wife* could have been in danger because of that anomaly.”

“Of course Michel.” Chuck replied, shuddering as he realized that security hadn’t been as tight as he’d been told it would be. ‘It’s a good thing nothing happened to Nikita due to that lapse. Davenport and Lalonde are going to have a lot of questions to answer from Michel tomorrow!’

“Did this reporter harass her?” Michael then inquired.

“No, I think she helped her.” Chuck admitted quietly.

‘Now why do I have trouble believing that? Maybe because *that’s* an unusual thing for a reporter to accomplish!’ Madeleine thought cynically.

“You’re certain?” Madeleine interjected.

“Oui.” Chuck replied empathically. “Nikita seemed quite calm when I arrived. By that time Lakeisha and Marie were with her, and Willie escorted all of them upstairs in the elevator.”

“And did Kita speak to this reporter in your presence?” Michael inquired.

“Oui.” Chuck replied again. “The woman was in the lobby with me when Nikita, Marie, Lakeisha and Willie entered the elevator to go upstairs. Nikita even thanked the woman for being kind to her.”

‘A reporter was kind? Now there’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one!’ Madeleine thought cynically. ‘That must have been quite the conversation!’

Madeleine said nothing however, but continued to watch her client’s face. She could tell by the skeptical look gracing his chiseled features that his thoughts were following the same path that hers’ had been.

“Bring this reporter to me please Chuck.” Michael commanded quietly; nodding his head and calmly accepting his friend’s quiet assessment. ‘Chuck *saw* Kita *after* her encounter with the reporter. She wears her emotions for all the world to see. I can’t imagine a reporter being *kind*… but as long as she wasn’t upset or hurt… that’s all I care about! If she had been, Chuck *would* have noticed! At least *that’s* a relief!’ “I need to speak to her.”

“Who?” Chuck asked in confusion. “The reporter?”

“Oui.” Michael said in a clipped voice. “I *need* to speak to this person.”

‘I need to find out exactly what this reporter said to her.’ Michael thought as his ire dissipated once again. ‘And *why* would one of those predators be *kind* to her? That’s not usually the way they operate! Helped her? That had better be true… or I’m going to have something to say… and it won’t be positive!’

“Of course.” Chuck replied.

“Do you know the name of this reporter?” Michael asked.

“Yes. Gabrielle Langlois. She’s the society columnist for the Gazette.” Chuck reported.

‘Oh great! A *society* reporter. You really meant a gossip monger, didn’t you? That type of *shark* is rarely concerned with facts and more with titillating gossip! God only knows what that bitch will write!’ Michael thought with a groan. ‘That *type* of journalist will take the most innocent conversation and twist it into something *printable*! If that little witch prints one word that hurts Kita in *any* way… I’ll sue the Gazette!’

‘A society columnist?’ Madeleine thought in dismay. ‘I hope there won’t be any legal ramifications arise because of their encounter!’

“Find out whatever you can about her background Chuck… and get that intel back to me before I meet with her.” Michael demanded. “I’m going to find out everything I can about her interview with Nikita and I want whatever leverage I can find in order to be prepared.”

“Of course. While I’m doing that, you might want to speak to Constable Laurent.” Chuck replied. “He’s come here in response to my call to the police.” Chuck replied as he indicated the uniformed man silently standing next to him.

“All right.” Michael replied, as he shifted his gaze from his friend to the man in blue beside him. “After that, have one of the security men bring this reporter to me in the sound room. I’d like to speak to her there.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Chuck said amiably. “Do you want me to stay here Michel… or would you rather speak to Constable Laurent privately?”

“I think I need to speak to the Constable privately Chuck.” Michael replied quietly.

“I understand.” Chuck said with a slight smile. “I’ll be back later.”

“Thanks Chuck.” Michael replied. “I appreciate your help.”

Chuck didn’t reply, but nodded slightly and left the room, with his cell phone firmly attached to his ear; already deep in conversation with Michael’s investigator.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.