They Call Me...Montey Greene

Chapter Fifty One

FLASHING LIGHTS!

Montey and Alejandra saw the blue, yellow and white lights bouncing off the Vendome Column in the middle of the square before the wheels of the cab even rolled across the cobblestone streets of Place Vendome. The cab turned right as it cleared the intersection and was immediately forced to stop well short of the front entrance to the Ritz Carlton due to all the police and fire department activity that was going on. Alejandra and Montey got out in front of the Cartier store instead.

Though it was past 1:00AM a sizable crowd had gathered to see what all the commotion was about. As Alejandra and Montey walked towards the crowd in front of the hotel a red fire department ambulance with the words Sapuers Pompiers De Paris plastered on its side panels raced into the square from the north side, off Rue de la Paix. With some maneuvering it stopped close to the yellow-taped off area.

"Damn, I wonder what happened."

"Looks like a fire or—,"

Alejandra's words were cut short when a voice from behind them said, "You've already checked out. Wait for me in the car." Immediately they found themselves being stopped in their tracks. However, it wasn't the voice that impeded their progress, it was the vice like grip they suddenly felt clamped around their arms. They turned around to see Charles.

"You've already checked out, it could be homicide if you try checking back in, just get in the car," Charles reiterated as he nodded in the direction of the Bentley which was parked on the far side of the pedestrian area.

His tone was such that neither Montey nor Alejandra thought to ask about retrieving their belongings from their hotel suites, they just walked to the car like they were told.

Once in the car Alejandra and Montey watched as Charles walked back towards the crowd. From all appearances it seemed as if he was seeking out someone specifically the way he stopped, said something to a police officer who-in-turn pointed towards the direction of the hotel. Charles disappeared into the bowels of the Ritz Carlton. He re-emerged shortly thereafter with an elderly gentleman. Montey and Alejandra were too far away to make out every detail of the man's features but judging by the looks of his rumpled suit and loosened neck tie he damn sure wasn't part of the hotel staff.

"I think that's the police inspector," offered Alejandra.

When Charles started for the car, Montey and Alejandra sat back in their seats and acted as if they were none-the-wiser in regards to what they just witnessed.

"Where's my dad?" Alejandra asked Charles as he opened the door and slid into the driver's seat

"Your father sends his apologies, he was held-up on business. I sent you the message," added Charles as he brought the BMW V8-cylinders of the Bentley Arnage to life.

It was then that Montey remembered the envelope that the hotel security officer delivered to her room. The one he slid under the door when Montey spooked him into doing so.

As Charles navigated the Bentley pass the outskirts of the crowd Montey and Alejandra got a glimpse of what all the commotion was about; the black clad body that was laid out on Alejandra's room floor was now sprawled out on the cobblestone pavement in front of the five-star hotel.

"They say, some woman took a flier off the roof and cracked her head open," Charles stated as he glared at Montey and Alejandra through the rearview mirror.

Montey and Alejandra both knew that even if they didn't tell her father what happened in Paris, Charles in all probability would. Montey figured it was a foregone conclusion that once he gained knowledge of whatever Charles knew, Juan Carlos was sure to summon his daughter back to Italy.