Shadowed-Death by Design

Chapter Seven - Pacing Back and Forth?

                         

Bailiff George called out, “Monsieur, you forgot to give me your papers for the shredder!” But Jeeves had already driven away with the short man in the back seat and was in the queue of vehicles on the far side of the immense parking structure! In the judge's chambers, Remy Sebastian ignored the scene outside and gently turned Lucy by the shoulders. He gazed deeply into her eyes until her chauffeur beckoned her. As her car was driven slowly across the parking lot, she removed pen and paper, writing, "Judge Letour referred to twins being switched at birth, webbed toes, and a tracheotomy. What twins? It does not make sense!"

As her driver waited in one of two lines of cars exiting the court house parking structure, Lucy opened her window to a gentle sea breeze. Stopped beside another car with its windows open and its chauffeur speaking loudly, Lucy overheard their conversation and caught a glimpse of the passenger, barely visible due to his small stature and still wearing dark glasses. Behind the steering wheel, Jeeves was making small talk. “I have never seen anyone as grief stricken as the judge since Hercule lost his wife! We are following his car right now. Have you ever seen the judge’s house? It is fairly close, in Premiere Estates.”             

“What a coincidence! My belated Cousin Marcel’s place is in that same community. I need to look in on it, so you can just let me out at the magistrate’s house and I will walk from there. You can pick up my computer tomorrow. Here, this isn't a tip. It is hush money!"

Lucy instructed her driver to tail them. The judge's garage door had just closed when Jeeves let out his fare in front of his home. When the short man had disappeared behind some shrubs, Lucy’s chauffeur continued on to the deceased’s mansion, where Lucy was temporarily staying. Nervously trembling from her day in court, she dove naked into the pool. She had completed a few laps when she sensed someone was watching her. She turned away and covered herself with her arms and hands. Although darkness had fallen, the man wore sunglasses. “Sir, please toss me my bikini. It is beside my backpack. Sorry!” 

“No need to apologize, it is my pleasure! That was quite a testimony you gave in court today about the fingernail!”

“I am Lucy Andrews. What is your name, Monsieur?”  

“Surely you jest! Do not lie to me! You already know! We are old friends from the funeral! I am checking on Cousin Marcel’s property. Is anyone else home? Do you scuba dive?” 

“Maybe and no."

"If I teach you now, we can scuba dive together in the bay tomorrow, our own little private memorial for Marcel. He so loved the ocean! He always kept an air tank or two here, in the cabana. I will not take no for an answer! Excuse me while I dress the part. Put on a bikini. Or not!” He laughed.

Returning wearing goggles, swim fins, diving gloves, and black speedos, his admirable abdominal muscles, well-defined pectoral muscles, sculpted biceps, and firm deltoids all drew attention away from his diminutive height. Lucy observed, “Monsieur, your elbows are scraped and your knees are red, like brush burns. What happened?”  

“Never mind that, Mademoiselle. Let us begin!” He stood behind her, strapping an air tank to her back. “The tank is nearly weightless because of the water's buoyancy. Insert the mouth piece and get used to the breathing. This tank is good for an hour in the pool." He placed his forceful arms around her waist. "Do you even weigh one hundred pounds? Let's get you used to the feel of the weight belt. Then I will dive down and attach these ankle weights.” 

He resurfaced. “They will help you get accustomed to the feel of scuba. I will drop these weighted pool rings in the deep end for you to retrieve. You will learn to depend on your equipment, to trust it. Here is an underwater flashlight. I will turn off the pool lights, so it is more like the small amount of light you will encounter under the ocean water. Now, put in your mouth piece. Contrary to what you may have heard, it may seem that you are not getting enough air. Par for a beginner, so do not panic."