AWARENESS BY SAMSON KING

CHAPTER 51

 

Jasmine drove for nearly three hours during the small hours of the morning to her office in the middle of Paris. She knew she had to be careful. There was always the chance she would be discovered but that was a chance she had to take and she went to her office and walked in and saw a dozen faces looking at her. Most hadn't seen her in days. No one said anything but Jasmine could see on their faces that they were wondering where she had been.

 

Her small office was located on the second storey of an office block close to the River Seine. It had a desk, a typewriter and a phone and numerous pins in the wall of suspects and cases that she was pursuing.

 

She closed the door and changed into work clothes and looked to her in tray and saw a mountain of paperwork and was the one thing that never went away. As she looked outside of her window onto the Parisian landscape she saw a cold but sunny day, yet there was traces of snow on the ground. Their was only one thing she wanted and that was to catch her bosses killer. She rummaged through reports and she saw a preliminary report on the apartment that had been raided a few days earlier.

 

She glanced through it but the apartment they discovered had yielded little forensic information. Their was little on the owner except that their was a strong belief that this person was connected to the Brethren and its address had been associated with the murder of Marcus Holgar.

 

She sighed in disbelief as there was a knock on the door.

 

"Come in" she said.

 

It was Francois. She hadn't been expecting him.

 

"What can I do for you?"

 

Francois said nothing for a moment. Jasmine could see he was anxious but kept her thoughts to herself.

 

Francois sat on a chair "Your mums in custody."

 

Jasmine tried to play dumb not knowing anything "What about?"

 

Francois could see that she was playing him "I think you know."

 

Jasmine kept what she knew to herself "Maybe I do. Why is she in custody?"

 

He disclosed some of what Isabella had told the government and that she was being held as a suspect. Francois told Jasmine that her mother was being held at a prison on the outskirts of the city.

 

Jasmine kept cool knowing their was little she could do "What about Marcus's killer?"

 

Francois was surprised at the change in conversation "Your mum is in custody and your asking about your bosses killer."

Jasmine tried to remain focused "I know."

 

Francois replied "Very little. Whoever was in that apartment is now gone as is any trace of them."

 

Francois left after five minutes catching up with department business and Jasmine said little about her trip to Italy even though she knew Francois probably knew as much as she did.

 

Jasmine left a couple of hours later and drove to La Sante Prison where her mum had been imprisoned. The prison was built in the 19th century and it was built by Emile Vaudremer.

 

As Jasmine entered the building she showed her inspectors badge. The receptionist looked at it.

 

Jasmine smiled at her and said "Ms Rosinni please."

 

The receptionist pressed a buzzer and motioned her through. She was escorted by a burly security guard to the end of the corridor. The prison was smaller than most of the ones Jasmine visited. After a five minute stroll walking through wide fluorescent lit corridors she was shown to the visitors room.

 

Inside was her mum. The two said nothing as security left.

 

Isabella was glad to see her "I thought I told you to keep out of sight."

 

Jasmine said as they hugged "You know I couldn't."

 

Isabella looked on in surprise "You never listen."

 

They both sat together but Jasmine had only one question on her mind "What's going to happen to you?"

 

Isabella sighed and said "I don't know. I spoke to my solicitor and he told me that their was evidence connecting me as head of the Brethren."

 

Jasmine was angry "That's absurd."

 

Isabella "I tried to tell them that. However I gave them addresses of key people within the Brethren but all the addresses were bogus. In one of the addresses they found evidence of bank accounts and intelligence I allegedly passed on."

 

Jasmine sat back in her chair "How deep where in you with the Brethren?"

 

Isabella sighed "Fairly high up. I knew everything or at least I thought I did."

 

Jasmine looked at her Mum "It seems that they have had their revenge."

 

Isabella wanted to change subjects "How are you?"

 

Jasmine sighed "Stretched. I came to Paris to find Marcus's killer and I came here as soon as I heard."

 

Isabella knew her daughter was avoiding something and she knew what it was "What about Paul?"

 

Jasmines face turned guilty "I left him in Rouen. I said I would be back in a couple of days."

 

Isabella shook her head in disbelief "You left him alone?"

 

Jasmine tried to justify herself "Paul can take care of himself."

 

Isabella replied with disbelief "Maybe but you cannot do this alone. You have always been head strong and going about doing your own thing."

 

Jasmine was uncomfortable "I don't want to put him in harms way."

 

Isabella said nothing. There time was up and they both promised to keep in touch.

 

Jasmine returned to her home to find her door was off its hinges. She walked in to see a wealth of destruction. Sofas tipped over and vases smashed. She raised her gun and stepped in and checked all the rooms but whoever had been here had long gone. Jasmine was about to grab her phone but it was smashed to pieces. This was something she wasn't expecting and was shocked.

 

Outside Pierre Nopasni had been given instructions to take care of Jasmine and had a tip off that she was back in the area. He sat motionless as he saw Jasmine rushing through the apartment. The sight amused him. It wasn't every day he trashed an apartment. He had chosen to stir up things and to let her know that she was next.

 

Both their eyes met as he looked to her apartment window. Jasmine recognised them instantly from her bosses memorial. Pierre walked away quickly and blended into the crowd. Jasmine ran out of her house to the café but Pierre had long gone. Their was a note where Pierre had sat.

 

Jasmine opened the envelope and their was a message.

 

See you soon

 

The note had been typed and had nothing else on it. However the message sent was loud and clear. She was a target.

 

The café owner, a middle aged man, wearing a white apron walked over to Jasmine who was a regular customer "Good to see you again."

 

Jasmine turned and she said "Nice to see you again Marc. Can I use your phone please?"

 

The café owner agreed as Jasmine phoned Francois.