Chapter 4

~ Counter Detective. ~

I didn't sleep all night, still haunted by my discovery. I didn't know though if it was shock or incomprehension that had kept me awake. I regretted not having accepted this day of rest finally, I looked terrible!

However, I prepared like every morning to go to work. My day would be shorter than the day before and hopefully calmer! I nevertheless decided to shorten it further by contacting my clients for the day in order to fit my hours into the morning, an idea had germinated in me during the night.

If my father only knew a minimum of bodies, a forensic pathologist could certainly tell me more. My friend Gwoendoline just knew one! Finally... A medical examiner in training. I had the idea of contacting him to try to find out more, hating to have my mind cluttered with my thoughts.

As I went to see my first client, I called my friend to get the number of the famous apprentice.

- What for, asked my friend through the loudspeaker.

- Don't ask questions, give me his number, it's important! I ordered.

- I may not have his number anymore! she exclaimed.

- I know you only too well Gwoenny! You have a whole repertoire of guys you've seen!

- And you think I put it in there?

- Look at !

She sighed into the handset, which made an unpleasant sound. My friend collected men, like we collected stamps. It was however not an easy girl, she rarely concluded. If she saw a lot of men, it was to increase her chances of finding a soul mate, she said, she chatted with them, sometimes went out with them, but very rarely went beyond a simple kiss.

- You're lucky my old lady, he's in the repertoire! I'll give it to you if you tell me why! She haggled.

- You'll find out soon enough, I imagine the local papers will cover it.

- Yeah, she said doubtfully. Do you have anything to write down?

I parked on the low side and noted the succession of numbers.

- You owe me one now, she said before hanging up.

I rolled my eyes and dialed my apprentice's number.

- Hello, you are on Maxime Leloup's answering machine. I am unavailable at the moment, please leave a message after the beep and I will call you back as soon as possible.

- Hello Max, it's Alessandra... Finally Sandy, Gwoendoline's friend. Can you call me back, it's quite urgent.

I hung up and got back on the road.

* *

*

At the end of the morning, I still had no news from Maxime. I called him a second time and got the answering machine again.

- Maxime, it's Sandy again, you know the girlfriend of the pretty mixed-race girl you went out with several times recently. Remind me, it's really urgent.

I went home, frustrated not to have had it. Why didn't he call back?

Once at home, I tried to reach her again but...

- The requested number is no longer allocated or is not accessible, your call cannot be completed.

Odd...

What the hell was going on?!

__________________________________________

What do you think of Gwoendoline? This friend who asks for services without counting but who counts the services she renders. What do you think of her desire to find a soul mate and to see several men for that?

Who do you think this Maxime really is? Why was the line cut?

In Sandy's place, what would you have done?