Chapter
Thirteen
Flashback
TJ and JC arrived at the shop just as Jacques was
finishing up with a customer. He looked
up when he heard the bell on the door ring and was rewarded with his first
impression of TJ. The man was easily
over six feet tall and built like a wrestler; he took up most of the store’s
doorway. With light hair, dark eyes and
nondescript clothes, he seemed the type of man who could come out of nowhere,
pummel someone to within an inch of their life and then fade back into the
crowd with no trouble whatsoever.
This idea made Jacques’ throat very dry. Had JC brought this mountain of a man to
beat him up?
“Merci ma’am
Please come again,” Jacques
squeaked out as the woman left the store.
Now he was completely alone with JC and this behemoth. Nonetheless, he cleared his throat and came
out around the counter to meet them.
“Hello JC It’s good to see you.” He came towards them with hand extended.
JC just stared at Jacques’ hand for a moment, then
met his eyes. “Is it?”
Jacques lowered his hand, a nervous smile wavering
on his face. “Of course it is.” He peered over J’s shoulder. “Where’s Annie?” The fact that she wasn’t here with him might be a good thing.
“She’s back at the hotel.” JC answered mildly, glancing around at some
of the newer paintings. “She wanted to
come, but she wasn’t feeling too well.”
He moved closer to a landscape that hadn’t been in the shop last time. “Something she ate.”
“I hope it’s nothing serious.” Jacques seemed genuinely concerned, but it
was more than a little disconcerting to have a conversation with someone when
they weren’t facing you.
“No, she’ll be well enough by tomorrow.” JC turned around again. “Actually, that’s why we’re here. What time
is the service tomorrow?”
“One o’clock. We can meet here, then head over
there together. Afterwards, everyone is
gathering at Pepe’s for a celebration of Grandpere’s life.” Jacques eyed TJ suspiciously. “Of course, Your friend is more than welcome
to tag along.”
JC caught the edge in Jacques’ voice. “Oh, I’m sorry. Where are my manners?” He
moved aside to let the two men shake hands.
“This is TJ, my bodyguard.”
Jacques stiffened visibly. “Bodyguard?” A sardonic grin spread across his face. “What, did you bring him along to beat me up?”
“No. He’s
here to keep me from pounding the living crap out of you.”
A crazed look flashed in Jacques’ eyes. “C’mon, I’m not afraid of either one of
you.” He raised his fists in an almost
comic parody of a small child on a playground standing up to a bully. “Let’s go.”
JC just stared at him. “No,” he said after a few
silent moments.
“Chicken?”
Jacques jeered.
He took a deep breath, hesitating for a few
moments. He knew that TJ was tense, ready to leap in at the slightest advance
on Jacques’ part. JC let out the
breath, focused on Jacques. “No. I made a promise to Annie that I wouldn’t
hurt you.”
The crazed look only seemed to grow in Jacques’
face. “Then she does care!” He clenched one fist. “I knew it!”
“Listen Jacques.”
JC took a step forward. “I hate
to burst your little fantasy bubble, but Annie was considering whacking you
herself.”
He seemed confused now. “But why?”
“She knows.”
Jacques face went a deadly white as he slowly
lowered his fists. “You mean?”
JC nodded.
“Everything. Babette’s faked
pictures, the phony engagement photo, even the bracelet.” He couldn’t contain a mean-spirited
smile. “Which by the way, is at this
very moment on her wrist.” The smile
dropped away. “It’s over.” His face grew contemplative. “The only thing we can’t figure out is how
Babette managed to take the pictures, but I’m sure it’ll come to us
eventually.” He looked at Jacques
hard. “Do you have any ideas?”
“Of course not.
Why would I?” His anger spent,
Jacques slumped into a chair by the counter, holding his head and staring at
the floor. He looked so pathetic that
JC’s irritation left him.
Softer now, in a more gentle voice, JC questioned
him. “Jacques, why?”
Jacques’ shoulders convulsed; he was crying. “I loved - love - her,” he sobbed. “I always have, but she didn’t love me the
same way.” He ran a hand through his
hair. “I was hoping to convince her,
but you showed up.” He sighed. “I realize now that it was always a losing
battle. And that old saying ‘All’s fair
in love and war’ just isn’t true.”
A measure of anger came back into JC’s voice. “No, especially when one of the injured
parties is the woman you supposedly love.”
Jacques straightened in his chair, wiped his
eyes. “Grandpere was right, you two
belong together. I was a fool thinking
otherwise.” He looked up at JC. “Can you forgive me?”
JC came forward and extended his hand. Jacques took it slowly, then shook it. “It may take a while,” the former said,
breaking off, “but I’ll try. To do
anything else would be to dishonor Claude’s memory.”
Jacques managed a shaky smile. “Thanks.”
JC turned to leave. “We’ll see you tomorrow at 12:30.”
“Sure. See you then.”
“Bye.” With that, he and TJ left the shop, the bell
ringing softly to mark their passing.
Jacques remained seated, staring at the floor. After a few moments, his shoulders started shaking. Anyone
walking in at that moment would have thought him to be crying. But then, a chuckle could be heard in the
room, very soft.
“So,” Jacques whispered, humor tinting his words,
“They haven’t really figured everything out yet. They don’t know what I really did.” The laugh escaped his lips.
“Babette was so easy to play.
Delusional, paranoid, stupid little bitch.” Another laugh, louder.
“Easy.”
As JC walked into the room, Annie got up from the
bed where she’d been reading. Going over to him, she wrapped one hand around
his waist. “Do I need to inspect you
for bruises?”
JC chuckled, kissing the tip of her nose. “No need, I believe I was quite civil.” He grinned at her devilishly. “Although the idea of an inspection is very
tempting.”
She cuffed him lightly upside the head. “C’mon, be serious for a moment. What
happened with Jacques?”
“Well, aside from the fact that you have one of the
most obsessive people I’ve ever met stalking after you, we managed to clear
quite a few things up between us.” JC
grew thoughtful. “I think I got through
to him, at any rate, he apologized and told us the time to show up tomorrow.”
“That’s good I guess.” The idea of Jacques being obsessed with her didn’t sit too well
in her mind. “Anyway, I guess that’ll
make things less awkward tomorrow at the service. Now.” Annie put on her
best pouty look. “Why were you so late
getting back?”
“We had an errand to run.” He replied, nimbly avoiding giving away the
surprise he had planned. “I’ll tell you
more about it tomorrow.” He smiled at her, loving how cute she looked when she
was pouting. “Okay?”
Annie smiled back.
“Sure.”
TJ cleared his throat, drawing their attention. He was
standing in the doorway, which made them wonder when he’d shown up there. For such a big man, TJ was very
stealthy. “Well, we have the rest of
the day free. What would you like to
do?”
JC and Annie grinned at each other.
“Art Museum?”
“Art Museum.”
“Guess that settles it,” TJ muttered with a shake
of his head, smiling.
They gathered up their things and spent the rest of the at the Louvre.