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: 10:25:02 09/28/08 Sun
Author: Hannah
Author Host/IP: port181.dialup.bfree.on.ca / 66.207.116.181
Subject: Northern Woods, Chapter 158
In reply to: Hannah 's message, "Northern Woods" on 09:32:57 08/07/08 Thu

A few minutes later, Chuck appeared with a uniformed police officer in tow. “Are you pressing charges, Michel?” he asked softly.

Michael looked up at his friend and Chuck was shocked 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 astonishment 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 groaned inwardly, but she shut her eyes tightly and said nothing. ‘Oh isn’t that the most obvious statement I’ve ever heard pop out of a man’s mouth! Congratulations Chuck… saying that was unbelievably true… but unfortunately your comment was also the epitome of bad timing!’

“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! Not now anyway! I thought it was a bad move inviting either of them right from the beginning… but that’s what he thought he had to do! He didn’t need to hear that…. 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 about?’

Chuck’s eyebrow furrowed 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 followed 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. “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, with a puzzled look on his handsome face, “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 him and Lalonde as soon as possible! I also want a full report from both men on why those men 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 *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 three of them upstairs in the elevator.”

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

“Oui.” Chuck replied again. “She even thanked the woman for being kind to her.”

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

Madeleine said nothing, but glanced at 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.”

‘I also 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! That had better be true… or I’m going to have something to say… and it won’t be pleasant!’

“Of course.” Chuck replied, relieved to finally have something to report.

“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 gossipmonger, 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 too 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, indicating the uniformed man who stood silently beside him. “He’s come here in response to my call to the police.”

“All right.” Michael replied, as he shifted his gaze from his friend to the man in blue beside him. “After I do that, I’d like to speak to that reporter.”

“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 Mowen, 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.