AWARENESS BY SAMSON KING

Tuesday 23rd February

CHAPTER 37  

The following day Paul set about to investigate more about the Athena and its captain. The interview with his wife had yielded useful information.

Their were questions that gnawed at Paul as he walked to the café in the hotel he was staying at. The cafe was white washed with large round tables and pictures of Livorno on the walls.

It was quiet as Paul looked out to the port and he saw small and large ships. He sipped on his coffee and ate Italian pastries. But still their remained unanswered questions. Questions such as how had the Athena sank and if it wasn't the result of a drunken Captain then what else sunk the ship.

He wrote these questions on his notepad. He flicked back to the interview from the previous day and the notes he had made on the Captain. The Captains record  was impeccable and he had been sailing since the fifties with only time off for the birth of his four children and to attend funerals of both his parents returning only a couple of days later to work.

Paul bit on his pen and thought to himself "He is well experienced and he knows the seas".

Kimmy had given him a copy of the official investigation but it had yielded little information citing only that the ship had sunk with all hands due to the Captains drinking. Paul was frustrated and the report gave him little that he didn't already have written down.

He glanced to the sea view in front of him and he was about to make some notes when he saw a sight that was familiar. Paul dismissed it before returning to his notes.

The person approached closer and walked into the café and looked towards Paul.

Paul continued to study his notes.

The person smiled "It is good to see that your still alive."

Paul looked up to see that it was Jasmine. They were both happy to see each other.

Paul was surprised "I thought you might have been killed in the fire."

They hugged each other and they sat down together and both their faces were full of relief that neither of them had been killed. Paul quickly removed the paperwork on Giovanni and Isabella putting into his jacket pocket away from his notes so that Jasmine would not seen what he had found.

Jasmine filled Paul in on what had happened with Levette.

Paul explained what he was working on and mentioned Giovanni's name but he kept back Isabella's name.

Jasmine was surprised "My uncle was on that ship. What was he doing?"

Paul said "That's what I am trying to investigate. We need a boat. That I do know."

Jasmine nodded in agreement "Then what are we waiting for?"

They both left the café and walked a short distance to the pier. They walked around looking for a suitable boat. They saw a small sturdy black boat called the Florence.

Jasmine continued to look at the boat as a gentleman in his early fifties approached them and spoke quickly in Italian. Neither understood what he was saying. Jasmine tried to speak in French. The gentleman nodded and he knew a little bit of French as Jasmine explained that they needed to hire a boat and that they needed to go to the sight of the Athena. 

Paul looked towards Jasmine "What did he say?"

Jasmine replied "Roberto, the ships captain, agreed but he said to come back tomorrow."

In the distance Paul saw Kimmy. She was not pleased that he had left the hotel unsupervised and walked towards Paul wary of who he was with.

Paul introduced Jasmine and explained that she was involved with the Brethren.

They went to Jasmine's hotel room and they began to set up a plan to explore the Athena.

Paul said little and allowed Kimmy and Jasmine to discuss the finer details of what to do next. 

After an hour Paul was asleep and Kimmy got up and looked towards Paul.

"Poor thing. He shouldn't be here what can he possibly do?"

Jasmine responded "Paul's not stupid. He may not know how to fight but he has his uses."

Kimmy said nothing and left "I'll see you both in the morning. The boat leaves at ten o'clock."

Jasmine nodded "We'll be there".

Paul was still asleep when the door closed.

Jasmine looked over to him "You can get up now".

Paul shook his head trying to wake himself up "I must have nodded off".

Jasmine looked at him and laughed "Thirty minutes ago but you couldn't have done much. I studied your notes from the interview. I agree that their is something more going on here."

Paul agreed as he left for his room "However their is nothing we can do till tomorrow."