Maja
The bathroom sported all kinds of beauty products and she guessed that April saw to it that the guests who stayed here felt pampered during their stay. Soaking in the tub, she sighed as the English rose soap, handmade, she thought in wonder as she turned it over and over in her hands; it spread its heavenly fragrance in the bathroom. Sighing, she relaxed, eyes closed till the hammering on the door made her eyes fly open. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw with a shock that it was half an hour gone.
The pounding was now becoming more intense. It was Maddy.
‘Mommie, you aren’t dead, are you?’ came the anxious shout from the other side of the door.
Maja sighed.
The child was sometimes too much. Over imaginative, said the head teacher at the school.
“Coming!’ she hollered and tugging on the soft robe she had discovered, she pushed her red curls from off her face. Flinging open the door, she began crossly,
“What …’ and stopped, blushing. James Schwartz stood there in the doorway, his eyes hooded as he looked at her. The expression made her feel hot all over.
Get a grip, girl, she told herself severely.
Then, with a slight nod, he turned and left the room.
‘Uncle James wanted …’
Maja stared at her daughter in astonishment; UNCLE JAMES? When had that happened?
Maddy shrugged her shoulders.
‘Everyone calls him Uncle James , so I thought I should too,’ she said justifying herself sulkily.
Maja shook her head.
“What did he want?’ she demanded as she went back into the bathroom to change into the plum dress she had unearthed from the bottom of her battered old suitcase.
When she changed into the only decent dress she had, she studied herself critically in the mirror. A plum-coloured dress with a cowl neck and long sleeves, the material clinging to her body, it succeeded in making her feel glamorous. She smiled sadly. She had aged over the past years, and she looked older than what she was. There was more than one grey strand in her mane of titan-coloured curls.
*
Now she felt gratified as her daughter clapped her hands on seeing her.
“You look beautiful, Mom!’ she cried in appreciation.
Maja smiled. She knew she was no charismatic beauty like April St Claire but she could look presentable at the very least?
‘Uncle James wanted to ask if we had settled comfortably,’ Maddy went on, spacing out the words importantly. There was no sign of Magnus and once Maddy had changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a presentable shirt, Maja marched across and banged on the door of her son’s room.
“Give me a minute,’ came his voice and she heard him opening the windows before unlocking the door. As she stepped in, she noticed her son’s gaze appeared to be glazed, eyelids drooping avoiding her eyes.
“Magnus, son,’ she said urgently, feeling a small sliver of dread inside her. He shoved her hand away.’ Leave me alone,’ he said in a slurred voice.
“Most certainly NOT!’ she snapped, loudly.
She looked about herself in dismay.
The room was a mess. Magnus was obviously living it up. The TV was on, some hard rock music channel, the curtains drawn and the bed in disarray. A sickly sweet smell hit her along with the smell of her son’s unwashed body and she frowned. What was it? Her eyes moved to the bedside table and she froze.
Was that…?
No, it could not be; her son did not do drugs. This was Magnus.
“We need to go for dinner.’ she said gently and this time, he glared at her, eyes unfocused.
“Change your clothes, Magnus!’ she said in a commanding tone and he twisted his lips derisively but obeyed her.
*
Philippe
It was as he was driving back that a message arrived on his phone.
The camera footage from all the roadways that led to the St Claire residence had been covered. He had greased a few palms lavishly but Philippe knew his priorities.
As he scanned it with concentration, he saw the recording from the bar; Paddy was getting onto his beloved bike, strapping on his backpack and patting his chest. Then he fitted his helmet. The youth seemed to have sensed something was off for he turned this way and that, as though checking for danger.
He must have been satisfied that he was safe.
After that, he set off down the road, the rain beginning to fall. And that was when Philippe saw the black SUV pull out portentously from a side street and take off after Paddy. The same van could be seen in all the other visuals he had laid his hands upon from other parts of the route. At one point, his heart sank as he saw that two more black vehicles, also with their glasses tinted black, began to tail Paddy ominously. The last footage available had been collected from a shop a little way away from the city, on the road leading to the St Claire residence. It showed Paddy on the road to the house, driving like the devils were at his heels.
At one point, he was standing up, resembling a stunt driver but Philippe knew that it was because the boy had guessed that his life was in danger.
Paddy was not one to do daredevil bike stunts; he drove sedately, cruising down the roads sedately. This was the driving of a frenzied person, careening across the wet roads crazily.
Philippe did not hesitate.
The youth must have comprehended the danger he was in by then and he had bolted. And in clear pursuit were three black SUVs, giving chase.
*
Philippe clenched his fists.
What must Paddy have gone through? He was a gentle soul and he must have suffered so much.
When he waited for some time, he saw the footage of the three vehicles returning. there was no sign of Paddy o the bike. Zooming into the screen, he managed to get a blurry image of the number plate of the leading vehicle.
Quickly, curtly, he called his men and put them on to find the identity of the persons to who the SUVs belonged to.
He put a call through to Beston and went in search of Claude.
They had to get back to the house. Immediately.