Stphanie Monnier

by Devon Pitlor
I. A small incident at the Aristock Municipal Olympic Pool On the sun-drenched morning o Sunday! August "#th "$%#! Scott &odamar and his only police riend! 'ieutenant Detective Se(ton )liss! sat on the tiled edge o the huge &oosevelt Olympic Pool *ith their legs in the *arm chlorine *ater o the immense basin and e(changed small talk about minor things that interested both o them+ namely the recently unsolved cases in Aristock that )liss *as *orking on and his orthcoming marriage to his ne* ound domestic partner Shasta Mat,en! *ho had ollo*ed )liss back rom his last adventure in Oklahoma. -hey had! it appeared! chosen the *rong day to visit the pool! as it *as over lo*ing *ith children! their eager parents! some serious s*immers and a small gaggle o senior citi,ens *ho seemed to have been brought there by bus or an outing by one o the retirement communities *hich housed them. Scott had a e* .uestions or his younger riend about ho* things *ere going *ith Shasta and ho* she *as ad/usting to li e in the city! and Se(ton could not stop commenting on ho* Scott! deprived o the use o his legs! *as still the astest s*immer in the training lanes o the

natatorium. 01ven *ithout using your legs! you cross this pool aster than any o the s*immer in the lanes!0 said Se(ton time and time again. Scott in all modesty continued to dismiss the compliment! as he had developed the upper hal o his body to immense proportions years be ore and! though no* orty years old! kne* that he *as perhaps more it than those hal his age. -hus! the compliments *ent no*here! and Scott! despite his longstanding riendship *ith Se(ton! began to look around in some sort o da,ed boredom! perhaps accentuated by the brilliance o the sun and its lustrous glare across the shimmering blue *aters o a pool that had been started during the Depression under the 2orks Progress Administration o then President 3ranklin &oosevelt and then progressively e(panded by the city into one o the largest pools in all o Pennsylvania. Despite moderni,ation! the end *here Se(ton and Scott sat languidly e(amining the cro*d *as pre-modern in its mosaic o Depression-era octagonal tiles that ormed in places a preposterous and sometimes bi,arre arabes.ue o patterns that only the original and no* long departed architects o the bathing venue could have e(plained. Scott noticed that Se(ton! al*ays the up and coming police detective! *as scanning nearly everyone in and around the pool and became slightly annoyed at this stereotypical display o *hat he called police conduct. 04ou can never give it a rest!0 said Scott at length. 0Once a cop!

al*ays a cop.0 04ou *ere my mentor!0 replied Se(ton! 0but yes! you5re right. I en/oy my *ork here! but this isn5t Mayberry anymore. It is the one shortcoming that I am beginning sudden to resent. My cop-like suspicion o everyone. I have turned into the person I used to hate. A nosy policeman. It is not as i I kno* everyone in to*n or even need to. )ut I do automatically notice things.0 About the time Scott! al*ays an aspiring case solver! *as about to ask *hat kind o things! a group o clucking mothers! all *earing unattractive loral bathing caps! began persistently shouting a.uatic commands at an agglomeration o unrestrained children *ho *ere splashing around near the shallo* end. One leshy and some*hat obese mother raised her voice over the rest and continually called out unheard directions to a little blond boy named 2ill. It *as 02ill do this. 2ill do not do that. 2ill stay in the pool. Don5t run. Don5t thro* things. Stop splashing the others. 2ill! keep your legs straight. 2ill! stop biting the loatation noodles. 1tc.0 'ittle 2ill! or his part! ignored the instructions completely and continued to push and shove and splash and dunk all the other children around him. 6is mother! like the others! only chirped louder. 'ittle 2ill *as clearly out o control. 0Annoying little son o a bitch!0 said Se(ton. 0I hope Shasta and I

never produce a brat like that.0 Scott &odamar shook his head in agreement. -he pool! he said! *as entirely too ull o people. And the kids *ere getting to be too much. -he corpulent mother continued to scream ine ectively at 2ill! *ho ignored her constant admonitions and e(hortations not to run and *as blasting around the loatation bins thro*ing everything he could ind in the *ater. 0Put the li e savers back or *e5re leaving!0 said the lady. Did you hear me! 2ill7 2ill80 2ill both continued to run around the poolside and to thro* every s*imming aid he could ind into the *ater amidst the knot o his little colleagues! *ho thre* them back to 2ill in a general m9le o childhood chaos. All o the mothers issued parallel *arnings to their children about misconduct! but in the end none! in keeping *ith modern parenting! did anything to end the bedlam. 01veryone seems to have come today!0 said Se(ton! trying to ignore 2ill! his mother and the other eral children. 0I guess this *here crime starts. -hey rebuke their kids! but that is about as ar as they go. 'ater in li e they pu,,le over *hy their kids get into trouble or slammed in the back o police cruisers.0 Scott agreed solemnly but then remarked again on Se(ton5s continual scanning the seniors at the ar end o the pool *ith that irritating

intensity born o being a deputi,ed guardian o the peace. 0:an5t get over it!0 he said mostly to himsel at one point. 0See anyone you kno*70 said &odamar above the repeated outcry o the name 2ill. 0As a matter o act I do!0 said Se(ton )liss. 0-he man over there in the ar corner. 6e is my instructor at :entral State.0 04ou5re still taking classes70 04eah. Second masters. -his time in :riminology. Shasta and I signed up or the same elective class! something I missed the irst time around. Political Science. -hat man is our teacher! and....0 0And *hat70 06e5s ne* to Aristock. 3irst semester at the university. 6e5s been in this country a long time! ho*ever. And you kno*! he5s kind o boring.0 0'ot5s o them are. One reason I never *ent or a masters.0 Se(ton continued to ga,e pensively at a rather *iry older gentleman *ith a ull crop o silver streaked hair and a latter than usual stomach or a person o his age. 06is name is 3ran;ois Sabain! Doctor Sabain! and he is originally rom some*here in 3rance! although he kno*s his stu about the politics and history o the <SA. 6e likes to

talk about =ennedy and the assassination a lot. I guess he is old enough to remember. 6is 1nglish is per ect. It5s /ust that he keeps alluding to the same sub/ect again and again---like =ennedy and the space race! the :old 2ar! and all that. 4ears be ore either one o us *ere born! eh70 0Suppose so!0 said Scott. 06ave you in your pro essional de ormity o unrestrained curiosity noticed that he stays apart rom the other old people7 I mean the ones rom the senior living comple(7 6e seems to al*ays be *atching them! ho*ever.0 0I noticed that!0 said Se(ton. 02hat o it7 Don5t start being like me and suspecting everyone o intrigue.0 At that very moment! little blond curly haired 2ill veered totally out o control and began not only thro*ing things rom the loatation cages but s*inging things! like plane boards! around and hitting the mothers *ho tried to restrain him. Again+ 02ill88 2ill8 2ill80 2ill did not respond or settle do*n in the least. Suddenly! the little highpo*ered and seemingly demoniac boy stopped behind one o the e.uipment bins and shouted at the top o his lungs 0'ook! Mom880 6is scream *as loud enough to attract the attention o nearly everyone in the pool. -he ob/ect o it *as a discarded pair o slim blue /eans! ostensibly those o a young girl or *oman! that had been le t partially out o sight in the pro usion o s*imming pool

paraphernalia. 6e held them up or all the *orld to see! until his mother! rubicund and rustrated! rushed up to him and pulled them out o his hand. 0'eave people5s clothes alone!0 she bello*ed. 2ill surrendered the abandoned blue /eans to his mother and ran to the ar side o the pool and began taunting another tireless and in uriating boy named only -orpedo to dive along *ith him! against pool rules! into the deep end. Once he and -orpedo *ere in motion! there *as no stopping them! and a loud but totally ruitless chorus o 02ill8 -orpedo80 arose rom the assembled mothers. 2ill5s mother continued to hold up the /eans. Se(ton )liss looked across the pool at the seniors as *ell as in the direction o his instructor Doctor Sabain. It took very little scrutiny to see that not only *ere the cluster o seniors visibly shaken by 2ill5s ind but that Sabain5s ace *as creased by a look o almost terri ied horror---and all this about a ound pair o girl5s pants! Scott noted! reali,ing *hat )liss *as *itnessing. -he seniors! most o them aging couples *ith thinning hair and rolls o sagging skin had started to laboriously climb out o the pool as *ell. Sabain *as *atching them as intensely as Se(ton but made no move to ollo* or make contact *ith any o them. )y the time the old olks *ere being herded! still dressed in *et s*im gear! into their bus! 2ill5s mother had *ith a shudder o visible disgust thro*n do*n the /eans close to *here 2ill ound them and *as still in the botched process o trying to control her son! as *as *hoever passed as -orpedo5s mother or guardian. -he

emale bleating never ceased. >or did the dauntless activity o their sugar-charged o spring. Se(ton and Sabain met eyes across the ha,y vapor arising rom the sunlit pool. A sense o curiosity passed bet*een them. Scott &odamar sa* it all. 0'et5s go!0 he said. 0I5ve had enough o these kids and their mothers5 chirping.0 Se(ton )liss shook his head in solemn agreement. 'ater in Scott5s li t van! as he drove Se(ton back to his home on :avor Street and accepted to visit a little longer over a beer! the t*o men e(changed thoughts about *hat they had seen. 02hat in the hell---really---*as that all about70 said Scott accepting a second beer on Se(ton5s patio! a beer served *ith a broad smile by Se(ton5s ne* domestic partner and presumable iance Shasta. A beer served by the cla*-like de(terity o her tinny prosthetic right arm. 0>o idea!0 said Se(ton. 0)ut it *as *eird. 2ith all the stupid shit going on at the pool! those old people and Sabain himsel ! *ho must be as old as any o them! got reaked *hen a little bastard brat ound a pair o *hat looked like girl5s /eans behind a tackle bin. -hen they all ran out. -here must have been ten o them. And Sabain...0 0Maybe they *ere se( iends!0 laughed Shasta! *ho had been

listening. 04ou kno* the kind o olks *ho are turned on by girls5 clothes.0 0-hey *ere all at least seventy!0 said Scott broodingly. 02eird.0 0I5m telling you this Doctor Sabain has some secrets...or maybe obsessions....but I don5t think a clothing hang up is one o them.0 Scott drank up his beer and *heeled his sports chair up the ramp o his li t van. 6is last *ords to Se(ton )liss *ere an admonition not to get too involved. 02ait until there has been a crime committed be ore you go snooping!0 he said. 0-here are very e* crimes in Aristock /ust no*!0 said )liss. II. A chance meeting *ith Dr. 3ran;ois Sabain! pro essor o poly-sci On the ollo*ing Monday night *hile entering class! Se(ton )liss elt himsel being tapped lightly on the shoulder by his instructor! *ho eyed him i(edly or a minute and then asked in a .uiet tone *hether Se(ton might be available or a brie chat a ter class. 0I5ll buy you a glass o *ine!0 said Sabain! 0or *hatever else you like to drink.0 Se(ton )liss! *ho at thirty-one *as *ell a*are o being one o the oldest students in the class! reali,ed that Sabain had never taken much notice o him or Shasta be ore! but he supposed! and rightly so! that Sabain kne* he *as a police detective. 6e elt this *as something

that *as perennially visible about him. 0I5d like to talk to you about something..../ust something minor....0 said the pro essor ollo*ing his lecture or the night. 0Is there sometime *e can meet7 I kno* you are a detective here in Aristock.0 )liss asked *hether there *as a problem or a mystery! and *hen Sabain himsel became rather mysterious and said 0Maybe a mystery!0 )liss decided that the best meeting might be at &odamar5s &oost! Scott5s campus bar across the river in Marshcove. 2hatever it *as! Se(ton did not *ant to start getting involved *ith in his o*n /urisdiction. 6e had already su ered enough trouble rom unauthori,ed investigations o non-police matters *hich he simply ound interesting. 6e also secretly *anted Scott present! so they decided to meet the ollo*ing morning in Scott5s o ice at the tavern. It *as totally okay *ith Sabain i Scott listened in. In act! Sabain gave the ine(plicable hint that he kne* something about Scott &odamar and ho* he had once been involved *ith rather esoteric police *ork! kno*ledge *hich seemed slightly impossible to )liss as he kne* the pro essor had only been in to*n a e* months. &odamar *as by no means kno*n beyond the boundaries o Aristock :ounty. At the same time that Se(ton )liss *as agreeing to a meeting *ith 3ran;ois Sabain! Scott &odamar and his *i e Summer *ere listening to one o the rare con essions o their ourteen year old son -ysha*n. It appeared that -ysha*n! and perhaps some o the other members o

the a*esome Plus Si,ed :lub! *ere distraught as early adolescent boys *ill o ten become over the act that one o their recent classmates at Daltron 6S *as suddenly going to move a*ay rom Aristock. It also *as clear that -ysha*n had more than a casual interest in this girl! *hose name *as Mari?le Maruli and *hose ather had moved une(pectedly into Aristock the previous year and set up a rather rit,y @and overpriced! as Summer notedA chocolate shop on one o the trendier streets do*nto*n. -he boys o the Plus Si,ed :lub! still being boys! liked ancy chocolate treats! but as Summer continually noted 01verything in that shop is too e(pensive or Aristock or Marshcove. 2e kne* it *asn5t going to last that long. 2e are too blue collar here or )elgian chocolate tru led treats and cream- illed morsels o *hite S*iss chocolate that cost three dollars a mouth ul.0 It *as true. Bust as abruptly as he had come! Mari?le5s ather! a chocolatier named Bean-Pierre! or more amiliarly Cianni! had decided to close his business and move a*ay. It *as! both Scott and Summer noted! un ortunate that their son had developed a crush on a girl and an adult riendship *ith her ather *hen the t*o o them! along *ith any unseen mother *ho might have been present! *ere moving so soon. Cianni Maruli had taken a liking to -ysha*n and o ten slipped him chunks o chocolate candies *ithout asking or money. 6e had also 0chaperoned0 some long visits bet*een his daughter and -ysha*n! visits *hich usually took the orm o the three o them *alking through the parks or streets o Aristock!

the teenagers hand in hand and the ather several paces behind 0in the 1uropean style0 or so Cianni had said. It *as all rather banal stu ! although sad! because both &odamar parents kne* only too *ell that ourteen year old boys get over their crushes ast and another girl *ould undoubtedly come along. )ut then -ysha*n upped the ante and told a part o the story that immediately arrested the attention o his ather+ -his hasty decision to close up and move a*ay had apparently arisen during the course o a pleasant *alk in )andstone Park close to the chocolate shop on a pretty day in mid-Buly. 2hat prompted it *as! according to -ysha*n! *as that! still hand in hand! -ysha*n and Mari?le had endeavored to put a little distance bet*een themselves and Cianni and had s*erved o behind some tall-standing bushes! perhaps to kiss or get a closer eel o one another. )ehind these bushes! the teenage duo had stumbled on not only a pair o slim- itting dungarees but also some intimate items o emale underapparel. 2hereas both agreed some*hat /ovially that some couple had been having se( in the park and *ere ready to dismiss the entire ind! as teenagers are likely to do! Cianni! catching up *ith them! *as totally taken aback and unnerved by the cast o garments. 06e looked scared!0 said -ysha*n! staring at his ather or a possibly e(planation. 0It *as /ust some girl5s clothes.0 Immediately ollo*ing the discovery! Cianni Maruli! chocolatier! had

grasped his daughter5s hand! turned on his heels! taken .uick leave o -ysha*n and *ithout urther e(planation sped home*ard *ith Mari?le. -*o days ollo*ing the incident! Mari?le *ith tears *elling up in her spacious eyes! announced that her ather *as closing the shop and moving a*ay along *ith certain unnamed relatives o his amily *ho apparently lived in some retirement colony north o Aristock. And that being the end o the story! Summer &odamar *as immediately prompted to assure her son that it *as nothing and that he *ould either see Mari?le again or meet another girl. )ut Scott! responding in part to the inconsolability o his son! sho*ed a slightly di erent response on his ace. 6e *as thinking! naturally! o little blond-haired 2ill5s ind at the pool the previous Saturday and the strange reaction it caused among the seniors. 2hen Scott ound out the Se(ton )liss had arranged a meeting bet*een himsel and Doctor Sabain at the bar! he elt the inescapable thrill o a minor enigma beginning to sho* itsel rom the humdrum shado*s o day by day bar management in MarshcoveDAristock. 6e *as! there ore! more than happy to attend the meeting and perhaps learn more o the peculiar 3ran;ois Sabain. III. Doctor Sabain reveals some details about himsel

Sabain *as a calm and poised man *ho seemed to be in per ect physical condition! although he admitted immediately that he *as seventy-one years old and 0not the man he once *as.0 6e had the sort o roving eyes that searched not only the room in *hich he ound himsel but the eyes o others! as i he *ere looking or clues to secrets that he elt *ere being concealed. 0Much like a cop himsel !0 thought Scott &odamar as he! Sabain and )liss sat around his cluttered desk that morning be ore the opening o the bar. And as it turned out! Sabain! prior to coming to the <SA in the %EF$s @he didn5t say e(actly *henA had been a 0kind o cop0 @he didn5t say *hatA at one time brie ly in his li e in another country @he didn5t say *hereA. 1ven a e* tumblers o *hiskey ailed to dislodge this in ormation rom Sabain. 2hen Se(ton )liss asked Sabain *hy he had been so concerned about a little boy5s discovery o a pair o girl5s /eans at the public pool! Sabain ell silent! but his eyes continued to stray and search the aces o his interlocutors. 6e seemed ready to reveal something at all times! but then ell back into a .uickly sel -en orced silence. In a very minor but still residual accent! he inally agreed that there *as 0something uncommon0 about inding an abandoned pair o /eans so close to the pool. 0It5s not like some girl /ust took o her clothes there in plain vie* o all the s*immers.0

02hat about the old olks rom the comple(70 asked )liss *ith a sudden determination. 0>o idea!0 said Sabain! and it *as clear to both &odamar and )liss that he *as lying but e.ually clear that he *ould go no arther. 0My instinct tells me that you are 3rench!0 said Scott! changing the sub/ect. 02e don5t get many 3rench people in this county.0 2ith some hesitation and suspicious reluctance! Sabain admitted that he *as indeed 3rench! but *hen asked *here rom he again .uieted himsel and inally said 0 rom a place that no longer e(ists.0 0And you *ere a policeman there70 said Scott. 0A kind o policeman. -here are lots o di erent police in 3rance and its territories.0 0Since you are not giving us much in ormation!0 said )liss! 0let me ask you directly *hat you *ant rom us70 Sabain once again rolled his eyes around the room! looked over his companions5 shoulders and then asked i the Aristock or Marshcove police had reported any other incidences o emale clothes being le t in unaccustomed places. Perhaps *isely! Scott &odamar *ithheld the in ormation he had received rom his son.

Se(ton )liss said no! but that such stashes o clothes might be a sign o some sort o se( crime! a rape! a violation or *hatever. Sabain shook his head negatively as i to dismiss the idea. -hen *ithout *arning he opened his brie case and *ithdre* a blurry! indistinct black and *hite photo o a stunning young *oman *ith long black lo*ing hair sitting on a stone *all ramed by an ocean vista. It *as obviously an old photo given the clothing and hair styles. -he girl could not have yet been t*enty. -he scene looked oreign! and indeed it *as. 0-aken in %EF% in the place *here I am rom!0 said Sabain. She could have been killed sitting there. 6er name *as...is Stphanie Monnier. She may not look much di erent today.0 0%EF% *as orty-three years ago!0 snapped Se(ton )liss! some*hat aggravated. 0I5m sure she looks much di erent today.0 Sabain pursed his lips in a kind o semi-sneer and repeated 0She may not look much di erent today.0 An impenetrable barrier seemed to rise up bet*een Sabain and the others at that moment. A sel -protective barrier that both investigators kne* only too *ell. 3inally! Se(ton )liss spoke+ 0Doctor Sabain! I like your class! although you do talk a little too much about =ennedy and that mystery has never interested me much! but i you *ant any more help rom us! you

are going to have to share a little more. And I mean in straight language not probing code. 2hat scared all those old people so much about the kid inding the pants7 2here e(actly are you rom7 2hat precisely did you do7 2hat brought you here7 And *ho in the hell is Stphanie Monnier70 -hen on impulse Scott &odamar inter/ected 0And *hy did Cianni Maruli decide to close up and leave to*n so .uickly70 -he mention o Maruli appeared to agitate Sabain to the core! and he idgeted nervously or the irst time in his seat. 04ou kno* about that7 4ou are making some connections7 Perhaps it is better not to70 Se(ton )liss repeated that the three o them *ere inished unless Sabain *ould be more orthcoming. Sabain abruptly agreed to 0tell them a story0 that 0might help0 them i they could meet again. )e ore that time! he had some business to take care o ! some people to see. Sabain arose and *alked to*ard the o ice door. -he meeting *as over. As Scott and Se(ton ollo*ed Sabain out into the bar5s parking lot! Se(ton said .uietly to &odamar+ 06e5s de initely playing us. 6e5s dropping clues all over the place. 6e *ants us to make a discovery on

our o*n.0 IG. A gruesome murder in Sylvan 6ills -*o days a ter the encounter *ith 3ran;ois Sabain the ne*s broke all over Aristock that an elderly *oman by the name o Dorothy Savonton had been brutally murdered on her tiny patio in the retirement colony. Mrs. Savonton! about *hom little *as kno*n! had been stabbed through the throat and le t temple several times *ith a sharp but short blade. 6er tongue had been sliced in hal and! strangely! a large! striped bumblebee had been stu ed into her mouth either a ter or shortly be ore she bled to death. -he bee became an interesting detail! but it *as mentioned only once in the o icial ne*spaper version o the crime. A ter this! it *as never cited again. -he article! *hich had no ollo*-up! *ent on only to say that Dorothy Savonton *as a seventy-eight year old *ido* *ho lived alone in the colony and had no kno*n relatives in the region. -he motive behind her killing *as not even guessed at. 2hen Scott &odamar asked his detective riend Se(ton )liss or urther details on the rather senseless and gri,,ly murder! )liss in ormed him that none *ere kno*n. Something! said )liss! *as being deliberately suppressed. In act! the entire Aristock Police Department had been taken summarily o the case by agents o the 3)I *ho had arrived in to*n a little too .uickly a ter Mrs. Savonton5s slaying. -*o smartly dressed emale operatives o the ederal agency

had in ormed the entire detective s.uad that urther investigation o the incident *as orbidden and that it had become solely an 3)I matter. 0A little too soon and a little too outlandish!0 said Se(ton sitting beside his Oklahoma girl riend Shasta on his back porch. 0-his *as purely an Aristock matter as the retirement colony o Sylvan 6ills is *ithin city limits and it *as simply a homicide. -he 3)I doesn5t run do*n here every time someone is killed. I they did there *ould be no use or us. )ut this *oman in charge! an agent >ina Petrovsky! *ho *as about as cold! pressed and sharp as any 6olly*ood version o our 3)I could ever portray! told us bluntly to mind our o*n business and to speak no urther o the case. 2hen the 3)I comes to to*n and absorbs a case! that is the end o it. My /urisdiction is inished on penalty o dismissal. Our deputy commissioner made that clear to all o us a ter Agent Petrovsky had inished. So case closed.0 0Stabbed *ith a short blade in through the carotid artery and le t temple!0 mused Scott &odamar. 0Anything else unusual about the crime scene! or don5t you kno*.0 0A e* things!0 said Se(ton! 0but you have to keep them bet*een us. 3irst o all! Sylvan 6ills has its o*n security orce! and as ar as anyone kno*s they are good. 3ar more pro essional that *hat one usually inds in a comple( like that. I mean! a ter all! those old apartments aren5t e(actly lu(urious or meant or the rich. -hat *hole

place is lodged in some Depression era barracks that *ere re urbished in the %EF$s. )ut the security orce is top notch. -hat is something that has al*ays been remarked by the police here. It guess it is or that reason that there has never---repeat never---been any trouble there be ore. 1ven or us cops! the place is ultra-hard to get into or out o . 0Secondly! they ound some random items o clothes out under some dry leaves by the ront gate. Patrolman Cranbridge! *ho *as irst to arrive on the scene! sa* them *hen he irst started digging around. I mean be ore the eds came. -here *as a rather neat pair o cargo capris and an animal print bra among other things. -he kind o clothes that a young person *ears. 0And inally! this is the strangest o all! *hen Patrolman Cranbridge checked out the lobby toilets he ound a disposable plastic ra,or and some...some... 0Some *hat70 said Scott. 0Something you can5t talk about70 At that moment Shasta Mat,en *alked out onto Se(ton5s porch *ith a pitcher o sangria and some plastic cups *hich she set do*n on the table bet*een the t*o men. 0Some pussy hair!0 she said casually! clinking her metal prosthetic arm against the rosted pitcher. Se(ton rolled his eyes up at his iance and said 02e pre er the term

pubic hair in these parts! Shasta. <nless you *ant to sound like rural Oklahoma orever.0 0Oh! sorry!0 laughed Shasta as she disappeared back into the house. 0Pussy! pubic...it5s all the same. &ight boys70 Scott &odamar shrugged his shoulders in agreement that the *ords meant the same and asked ho* anyone kne* that *hat had been ound by the side o toilet in the ront o ice *omen5s bathroom! one reserved or visitors! had been pubic. Se(ton e(plained that Patrolman Cranbridge had collected both these hairs and the ra,or as evidence and that the county medical e(aminer had immediately identi ied them as emale pubic hair and had tried be ore the s*i t arrival o the 3)I to get some D>A samples. -he 3)I had o course con iscated all this bagged evidence along *ith the animal print bra and cargo capris. -he medical e(aminer had been able to go only so ar. All at once they *ere interrupted by a loud knock on the glass door separating )liss5s porch rom the house. )ehind the glass *ith a some*hat uneasy look on her ace *as Shasta. She *as in the company o a tall! uni ormed police o icer *ith slicked back hair and moderately beady black eyes. Se(ton recogni,ed him at once and gave Shasta a signal to allo* entry. 0Allen Cranbridge! Patrolman Cranbridge!0 he muttered to Scott.

0-hat5s sergeant!0 snapped the o icer! all the *hile staring *ith an undisguised malevolence at Scott &odamar. 0I see! 'ieutenant! you are already breaking the la*. >o one needs to tell me *hat you and this *annabe detective have been talking about.0 0And you broke the la* too! didn5t you Allen7 I mean collecting evidence be ore a crime scene unit arrived.0 0I was the crime scene unit. -hat old lady5s murder *as a local homicide. I *as a irst responder. I had total authority to take photographs and bag evidence. I even *ore my late( gloves *hen I touched stu .0 0'ike pussy hair!0 said Scott &odamar scarcely turning his *heelchair in the direction o the uni ormed o icer. 04eah. -hat and some other stu too. -he 3)I has sealed everything up! but I presume you t*o detectives aren5t do*n *ith that. -hat5s *hy you invited me over! isn5t it! Se(ton70 0Suppose so!0 said )liss calmly. 04ou kno* cats being killed by curiosity and all that. 2anted to prevent a e* eline deaths.0 Cranbridge asked i he could sit do*n and did so *ithout *aiting or a response. 0So despite your bartender riend here...0 0)ar o*ner!0 inter/ected Scott. 0-hat5s bar o*ner! Sergeant. 2e all

have our little titles.0 Cranbridge looked at the hal ull pitcher o sangria and motioned at an empty plastic cup. Again *ithout *aiting or a response! he poured himsel a drink. 0So let5s all break the la* together. I can5t stand the eds.0 0'et5s do that!0 said Se(ton )liss. )liss .uickly illed Cranbridge in on *hat he had so ar told Scott &odamar. During his narrative! Cranbridge never lost the look o scorn he assumed *hen observing Scott. 2hen )liss *as inished! Cranbridge said 04ou might as *ell have all the details. I ound some other stu be ore the eds took over. It is in my no*-missing report.0 0I5m all ears!0 said Se(ton. 0In the lobby bathroom! I ound that ra,or and those hairs. )ut a little later *hen I *ent through the utility room! I sa* some more little short hairs in one o the big sinks! the one *here the custodians shave! the one *ith a mirror on the *all behind it.0 0More bush trimmings70 said Se(ton. 0More like underarm---that is! i you don5t mind a bar o*ner telling you. 4ou ever shave under your arms! Sergeant70 Cranbridge ignored the .uestion and *ent on to say that *hen he

located the animal print bra and the discarded cargo capris! he ound a little crumpled piece o cardboard tucked into the seam o the bra. It *as like a piece o a iling card and *hoever discarded the bra must have orgotten it *as there. 04ou put it back! o course!0 said Scott! no* taking the lead in the interrogatory. 0Sure. )ut I read it irst. I remembered *hat it said. Cive me a piece o paper and I5ll *rite it or you. Or rather or the lieutenant.0 Se(ton ound a scrap o note paper and handed it to Cranbridge *ho neatly printed some *ords on each side o the sheet. On one side he *rote "$%#--A&IS-O:=! PA---3OIH! A&I1C1. On the other side in the center o the sheet he *rote M1&D1-&A>I. 6e handed the sheet to Se(ton )liss! *ho e(amined it care ully and then made a deliberate gesture o dropping it in Scott5s lap. 06ope you don5t mind!0 he said. 0Scott and I go a long *ay back.0 01veryone on the orce kno*s!0 grimaced Cranbridge. 0Any idea o *hat any o this means70 0>one *hatsoever!0 said Cranbridge! suddenly becoming less tense and angry. 0-he 3)I *as sure to have ound that in the bra seam /ust *here I le t it.0

02hat about you! Scott70 0-his is looking more and more 3rench to me every minute. Part o this one *ord is merde. -hat5s 3rench or shit. And 3oi(! Ari?ge looks 3rench too. 'ike a place name. I suppose that is *hy *e have an internet.0 A ter Se(ton googled the *ord M1&D1-&A>I on his smartphone! he shrugged his shoulders and said+ 0>othing. Doesn5t mean a damn thing.0 A ter he googled the *ords 3oi( and Ari?ge! he reported that Ari?ge *as a dpartement in the south o 3rance and that 3oi( *as its chie city and pr ecture. 0It5s in the high Pyrenees!0 said Se(ton. 03ull o beauti ul mountain slopes! Medieval castles and rustic herders o sheep and goats. -hey have great cheese there too.0 -he three remained silent or a e* minutes! and /ust as Sergeant Cranbridge *as about to resume his irate glare at Scott &odamar! the latter burst into laughter. 0-he 3)I really has a conundrum here. Clad it5s theirs. Besus :hrist! a seventy-eight year old! partially crippled *oman is killed and le t *ith a bumble bee in her mouth and a split tongue! and the cops ind some dumped clothes! a used ra,or and some piles o vaginal and armpit hair. It5s not like the residents o that seniors5 villa *ere going into the reception o ice and shaving their privates. So or that reason I5m guessing! Sergeant! that the hairs *ere not gray. I don5t suppose

any o those old people run around in animal print bras and *ear cargo capris! either.0 0Or leave their /eans at the city pool or their other clothes behind bushes in a park!0 added Se(ton )liss. 03unny note too. Merde! 'ike the 3rench say. Bust merde!! 0I5m inished!0 said Sergeant Cranbridge! rising. 0I5ve told you all I kno*! and no* I5m going to obey the la* and last long enough to collect my pension someday.0 2ithout shaking hands the uni ormed o icer made or the glass door. 0Cood idea!0 said Se(ton. 02e5ll /ust have to let the cat die this time. :uriosity be damned. -he to*n is suddenly cra*ling *ith 3)I! plainclothes! but you can al*ays tell *ho they are. -hey must have sent t*enty agents here. I5m not going to mess *ith that Petrovsky *oman either.0 A ter Cranbridge *as gone! Se(ton turned to Scott *ho *as still staring at the sheet o notebook paper and said 0>o cats are going to die *hile *e5re around! eh7! Scott.0 Scott &odamar *inked at him and said only merde. G. -*o more murders and a second meeting *ith Doctor 3ran;ois Sabain.

It *as *ith a certain air o casual resignation that Summer &odamar placed a olded-back copy o the Pittsburgh In.uirer ne(t to her husband5s place at the dinner table that night. -*o tiny articles *ere circled in red marker. -hey involved t*o separate homicides in central Pennsylvania! one in Sharpsburg and another in the lo*er Allegheny to*n o &idge*ay! both rustic places *here people o ten retired. -he murders involved t*o people *hose names at irst did not ring a bell *ith Scott. )oth *ere in their seventies and living in ederally subsidi,ed housing. )oth had had their throats sliced open and something sharp shivved into their skulls above the ears. )oth *ere men. -here *as no mention o tongue splitting or bumble bees. -he 3)I had been called in both cases! etc. Suddenly Scott did a retake and recogni,ed the name o one o the aged victims. It *as Salvadore Maruli. -he other atality5s name *as 'uigi )olino. Scott remembered the names Cianni and Mari?le Maruli rom -ysha*n5s narrative about inding derelict undergarments and /eans in the park and repeated the name several times to himsel . -hen he said 'uigi )olino several times. 0Sounds like gangsters. -he ma ia. -he Italian mob!0 said Summer. 0'ord kno*s *e have enough o them here in the state.0 0-ysha*n kne* a man and his daughter named Maruli! but he *asn5t this old and had a di erent irst name.0

Summer sat do*n *ith her husband ully reali,ing that Scott once again *as about to be o on another criminal .uest *hether she approved or not. 0I5ll take care o the bar!0 she said .uietly. 0I mean i I need to.0 0>o idea!0 said Scott morosely and continued to eat. 'ater he called Se(ton! *ho! not unsurprisingly had already heard about the killings. 0Serial!0 he said. 0Same method o slaughter. )et they had bees in their mouths too! and bet there *ere some discarded clothes in those little burgs too.0 0>o idea!0 said Scott again. 06e *as getting used to using the e(pression more and more. )ut I do think *e should consult *ith your poly-sci pro essor once again. Our little note alone should be enough to shake him out o his shell.0 Se(ton agreed to call Doctor Sabain and arrange another meeting. 0'et5s see him at the pool this time!0 he said in closing *ith Scott. It *as -hursday the "Jth o August at eleven in the morning *hen the get-together *as set at &oosevelt Memorial Olympic Pool. 1ach party sho*ed up on time! and both Se(ton and Sabain sat patiently in poolside chaise-longues *aiting or Scott to inish t*enty laps across the *arm! late summer *ater. Dripping! Scott pulled himsel rom the pool and lopped into his *heelchair and /oined them.

0Since I am not on o icial police business!0 began Se(ton! 0I5m going to let Scott do the talking. -hat *ay the 3)I can5t say that I have violated any o their rules. 'ike most cops! I *ould like to collect my pension some day.0 Scott &odamar *ith a certain amount o condensation related everything he had learned about the Savonton murder in the past couple o days. -hen he brie ly described the killings in the other to*ns and then touched on the rapid e(it that one Cianni Maruli had made rom Aristock upon seeing the abandoned garments in the park. >othing seemed to shake Doctor Sabain! *ho seemed much calmer! *iser and rela(ed than he had previously. 2hen Scott mentioned the legions o 3)I agents that had been s*arming around Sylvan 6ills and Aristock in general over the past e* days! 3ran;ois Sabain heaved a heavy sigh and once again took to eye rolling and ace scrutini,ing. -he sun by noon *as almost too bron,e and stringent to bear. 0I5d put on my sunglasses!0 said Scott! 0but then! Pro essor! I kno* ho* much you like to look at our eyes as you talk.0 0I do indeed!0 said Sabain. 0I like to see people5s reactions to in ormation /ust as much as you cops do.0 -hen he ell mute. Gery e* people *ere at the pool at that time o a *eekday morning. -he ubi.uitous 2ill and the ever-in-motion

-orpedo *ere absent along *ith their po*erless and permissive mothers. Only a little nappy-haired black girl in a aded pink bathing suit *as running around the sides o the *ater. She kept asking the e* adults there the same .uestion+ 02here is my daddy7 2here is my daddy70 She circled the immense pool several times asking the same .uestion. >o one had an ans*er! but she made a inal tour and continued to ask. It seemed to be all she could say. At length! Sabain ound a pair o sunglasses in his o*n s*im kit and put them on! urging the others to do the same. -hen scratching the *hite hairs o his chin beard and bushy eyebro*s he arched up on his elbo*s and began in a kind o monologue+ You said the FBI. All around town. That is pretty normal or national police orces. I!"e seen it in France many times. The French police always o"erdo things. #hen a crime is committed$ they arri"e in mass in their huge armored ourgons with sirens %lasting and %lue lights lashing. I &now %ecause I used to %e one o them. But %ac& to the FBI. There are many %ranches o them$ lots o agencies and su%'agencies$ (ust li&e the somewhat ri"al )endarmerie *ationale and the Police *ationale in France. +ots o uni orms and su%machine guns$ %ut lots o plain clothes too. Always o"erdone. That!s the French way$ and I suppose it is what the FBI does too at times.

But once I saw something when I was a mere %rigadier in that place you ha"e on your note paper$ Foi,$ pr- ecture o the D-partement o Ari.ge. That was where I was stationed in the Police Municipale a ter the...the e,odus. They had to ind (o%s or us somewhere$ and I luc&ed out and ound a place in the high Pyrenees not ar rom the Mediterranean close to which I had grown up. *o. In case you are wondering$ I am not rom Ari.ge or anywhere else on the continent o /urope. I am a ormer French citi0en rom a place that no longer e,ists'''e,cept in memory$ and o ten in ond memory. I!m rom the long'lost D-partement d!1ran. The region o 1ranie. #e lost it ore"er in 2345. That was$ o course$ long %e ore either o you were %orn$ %ut I assume that you ha"e heard o the Algerian war and how we lost three d-partements which had legally %een a part o France or o"er 267 years. A sad story. +ots o &illing. +ots o %etrayals. Three ma(or ones. Three horri%le treacheries. #hen the F+* and the 1AS were at their worst summit o %loodshed$ )eneral De )aulle$ our president$ stepped in and said 89e "ous ai compris8'''I understand you'''to all the French citi0ens who were a%out to %e displaced rom their homeland ore"er. A month or two later$ to ma&e a long story short$ he %etrayed e"ery /uro'Algerian in A rica at /"ian where he signed away our so"ereignty ore"er$ and o"er 377$777 o us were orced to mo"e %ac& into a France that didn!t want and couldn!t support us$ that or die. The Moslem Ber%ers and Ara%s had

made that much clear. #e were %etrayed o"ernight$ this despite the 1AS and...well...what you might call the ma ia$ only in our case as Frenchmen$ it was the omnipresent :nion ;orse...the ;orsican mo% that rules li&e a second go"ernment o"er %oth coasts o the Mediterranean and controls almost with total impunity the %ul& o the criminal element rom Algiers to Marseilles. I also presume you ha"e heard o the :nion ;orse. They are u%i<uitous$ and no French police orce$ no matter how large$ will e"er completely stop them. They operate worldwide$ control the drug and e,tortion trade$ are the hired hit men o /urope. They manage e"ery concei"a%le orm o crime across the entirety o southern France and northern A rica. You can thin& o them as the Ma ia i you li&e. You &now the Ma ia is as acti"e as e"er in the :S. That should come as no surprise to you. Sabain stopped his monologue! pulled do*n his dark glasses and *atched or a reaction. Scott and Se(ton *ere listening intently and made no sign o surprise. -he little black girl! *ho had disappeared or a time! *as no* back asking the same 02here is my daddy0 .uestion. Clancing brie ly at the *andering child! Sabain continued *ith a certain urgent emphasis. 02hen the <nion :orse *ants somebody dead! they die!0 he said. 0-hat is all there is to it. )ut any*ay! I am sidetracked. I *as going to tell you about an incident in 3oi( *hen I *as a policeman there in %EKL. It may have something to do *ith *hat you have been telling

me. Do you *ant to hear it70 )oth Se(ton and Scott motioned or Sabain to continue! and so the aging pro essor resumed his rather staccato tautology. =u%ies are worth ar more than diamonds$ and some o the most precious ru%ies in the world are on display in the citadel museum o the magni icent ;h>teau de Foi, and are highly pri0ed and guarded properties o the French state. *ot e"en the :nion ;orse$ which needed inancing in 2346$ could get to them as they were &ept on display or tourists %ut %ehind se"eral %arriers o solid and electri ied glass. But the threat was so large ollowing the Algerian e,odus and the criminal element that came with it %ac& into the homeland$ that the desperate precaution o replacing the Foi, ru%ies with a&es was ta&en. The real ru%ies$ a patrimony o the nation$ were remo"ed to a "ault %uried deep in an impregna%le mountainside. Anyway$ apparently this piece o in ormation did not reach the :nion ;orse$ and the latter arranged somehow to ha"e a person slip in and steal the a&es'''and this person did. ?ery ew people ha"e any idea how she did it$ and neither do I e,actly$ %ut I can tell you this@ The sham ru%ies''' our o them'''were stolen in plain sight. Some o the guards claimed that they saw the ru%ies loating in midair (ust %e ore they disappeared ore"er. I mean li&e loating a%o"e the %ro&en glass cases in which they were stored. /yewitnesses testi ied to this in special (udicial police courts in Perpignan and ;arcassonne. Someone'''a girl'''crac&ed open the cases

and made the ru%ies loat or se"eral seconds %e ore they (ust dissol"ed in the air. *ow this was all a &ind o useless thing %ecause it was &nown to the real police powers o the ;=S and )endarmerie *ationale that only ersat0 ru%ies had %een stolen$ %ut still those o us local watched as o"er one hundred armored police %uses surrounded the ;h>teau and the little wooded par& which encircled it. +iterally thousands o cops com%ed the terrain and the orested areas. They were all armed$ o course$ %ut what we saw were entire units o the SAr-t- and the ;=S carrying cans and spray %ottles o red paint. 1thers had long ishnets stretched man to man across the many hectares o the castle property. *ow why such an enormous police e ort or gems that were ersat0 anywayB *o one &new at the time$ %ut secrets don!t last ore"er$ and I can tell you this@ It was %ecause o C/=. The thie was an operati"e o the :nion ;orse and her name was St-phanie Monnier. I showed you her picture a ew days ago. She is still ali"e$ presuma%ly (ust as %eauti ul as e"er %ecause$ whether you want to %elie"e it or not$ some people do not age. And some people ha"e special powers. You can ta&e that or lea"e it. 0And that! gentlemen! is all I am going to say today. 'ook or Stphanie Monnier and you *ill ind your killer. I you don5t ind her she *ill manage to kill all o those people living in Sylvan 6ills and in all the other little to*ns throughout the state and country! and there are .uite a e* o them. She *ill kill them *ith the <nion :orse

signature! the cut throat! the split tongue! because they broke the code o silence! and the bumblebee stu ed in their mouths. <nion :orse all the *ay. And your police *ill continue to talk about the American Ma ia or :osa >ostra never kno*ing that although most o the victims have or *ill have Italian-sounding names! they *ill be old :orsicans. 4ou see :orsicans or the most part have Italian names or Italian names that have been slightly modi ied to 3rench. 4our Savonton *oman! or e(ample! comes rom a :alvi amily named Savontoni. :orsica became a part o 3rance in %FK# and everything Italian about it *as lost e(cept the names.0 2ith that Doctor 3ran;ois Sabain arose rom his chaise-longue and pulled a *orn pair o corduroy pants over his rail and skinny although still muscular legs. 2ithout a urther *ord! he *alked a*ay rom the pool and le t. Scott &odamar and Se(ton )liss *ere le t *ith a scroll o unans*ered .uestions *hich they rapidly discussed bet*een themselves. 2hy *as the 3)I so involved *ith protecting aging members o the <nion :orse7 2hy had the brigades o 3rench police tried to trap her using nets and spray paint7 2hy did Stphanie or her bosses *ait so long to e(act revenge on their o*n kind7 2hy did Stphanie not age7 6o* could incidents involving pieds'noirs$ the displaced 3rench citi,ens o Algeria in %EK"! impact so strongly on the present in "$%#7 2hat *as the meaning o the shaved body hairs and the abandoned

clothes7 2hat *as the meaning o the single *ord M1&D1-&A>I *ritten on the card ound in the animal print bra7 Sabain *as inished. )oth kne* that he *ould volunteer no more in ormation. -he trail seemed to go parched *ith his departure. )ut it *as decided bet*een them that the reaction by the 3)I might be a good starting point. Someho* both kne* that or urther ans*ers they *ould have to gain an intervie* *ith the chie agent >ina Petrovsky. -hat *as not going to be easy. GI. More in ormation! incomplete as ever As Scott &odamar opened his bar on the ollo*ing day! his mind *as pulsating *ith the unans*ered .uestions le t by Sabain5s strange narrative. Other than try to ind a *ay to *edge himsel into the ranks o the impenetrable 3)I! there seemed to be no other solution at hand! and thus he *as thinking o calling :hie :ase Agent >ina Petrovsky directly at the head.uarters he kne* she had commandeered at the Aristock 3ederal )uilding! but that seemed like an impossibility. -here *as no *ay to gain access to such a high lung individual! this despite the act that Scott *as able to cite certain cases he had *orked on and solved that may have involved branches o the 3)I or some other esoteric government agency! but he doubted that records had been kept o some o the things he had done.

>evertheless! the *arning rom Sabain *as clear+ -here *ould be other deaths. -he <nion :orse! a mob! *as involved. Someone named Stphanie Monnier! about *hom Petrovsky might have heard! *as implicated. Monnier had some sort o putative po*ers. She could steal priceless @or *orthlessA rubies and make them disappear in midair. -he *hole thing seemed pointless and stupid. -he early morning drinkers! most o them campus dropouts! began to shu le into the bar and order drinks that Scott! *ho had relieved his assistant or the morning! needed to *heel about in his chair and serve himsel . -he greetings and drink pouring began to relieve his mind o the Stphanie Monnier matter. -here *ere other things to think about. 'ater that a ternoon! Scott *ould call Se(ton )liss and repeat something to him that he had learned years ago. It *as one o his oldest and most cherished sayings+ 04ou can learn most everything you need to kno* in a bar.0 )ut that call *ould be later. -hat early evening! Scott *ould meet Petrovsky under some very sad circumstances. )ut that *ould be much later in the day. As ar as the morning *ent! Scott had no idea ho* his day *ould turn out. 6e *ould most likely turn the bar over to his assistant Areshnit &u,a and sleep or an hour in his o ice then take -ysha*n to a ball game or something. Maybe the pool. Maybe the little black girl *as

still looking or her ather! and he could adopt that as his case instead o a series o ine(plicables that happened years be ore he *as born and in another country. As usual! t*o or three o Scott5s irst customers *ere hardened drinkers *ho *ere already bu,,ed *hen they arrived. -*o o them *ere local college drop outs! *ho rea irmed their good *ishes or his recent birthday a ter they sa* the sho*ers o cards hanging rom the bottle shelves above the bar. -he third *as a total stranger! and a /olly one too. An older man! he acted! as do all drunks! as i he and &odamar *ere old riends! although Scott! *ho remembered both drinks and aces! kne* that he had never seen him be ore. -he man! *hose only name seemed to be Boey Doranga---as he kept repeating it time and time again---*as a ter a couple o straight bourbons getting smashed enough to be cut o . 6e glanced time and time again at the birthday cards hanging above the bar. 3inally! he got up and thre* his bee y arm around Scott and hugged him. 06appy belated birthday!0 he said *ith an annoying slobber. 0I almost orgot your card.0 2ith that! he pulled a bend envelope out o his back pocket and handed it to Scott. Scott5s name *as scra*led across the ront. Inside *as a card that Scott *ould read later *hen he got a break. )ut on the ront o the envelope *as also another message enclosed in parentheses+ 0Open me last o all. :heers.0 A ter giving Scott the card! the man drank a third bourbon and

inally stumbled out o the bar. Scott5s only thought *as good riddance. I *on5t have to con ront that one. A bit later! Scott greeted a young *oman *ho *as presumably still in college and! as Scott kne*! ma/oring in -*entieth :entury history. Scott orgot ho* he kne* this. 6e served her a *hite *ine! muscadet to be e(act! a *ine *hich she had told him several times be ore *as *hat the 3rench drank irst thing in the morning in their ca s. &emembering that she ma/ored in history and had lived in 3rance! Scott asked her *hat she kne* about the Algerian *ar. 6er name *as =elley something and she *as all too happy to give a rather long and rambling account o the con lict. In it *ere some o the elements that Scott could have ound online had he looked. Among these elements! the pain ul integration o the pieds'noirs back into the continental homeland igured prominently. 03rance had one hell o a time absorbing that number o re ugees in so short a time.0 -hen came the *ishy-*ashy and rather sudden betrayal o De Caulle vis-M-vis the 3rench citi,ens o Algeria in %EK" at 1vian. 0-here *ere lots o betrayals back then!0 she said. Scott suddenly remembered the three betrayals that Sabain had alluded to. De Caulle *as only one o them. 6e *ondered *hat *ere the other t*o! but =elley! not having speciali,ed in that particular sub/ect could not o er him a precise clue. 0-here *as something about America in there!0 said =elley! sipping her muscadet pensively! 0but I orget *hat. It had something to do *ith our oreign policy to*ard 3rance! something =ennedy *as

involved *ith.0 Scott recalled that )liss had once said that Sabain gave an inordinate amount o attention to the brie B3= administration and made a note to google =ennedy and Algeria once he had a e* ree moments. =elley also con irmed that the <nion :orse *as involved in the hopeless struggle as *ell! but to *hat degree she *as unable to say. All she did *as con irm that the :orsicans! being 3rench citi,ens! plotted! conspired and killed right along *ith the renegade army units o the OAS. 0-hey *ere on the 3rench side!0 she said. 0-hat is all I kno*. 1vian put an end to that. -hey got kicked out o Algeria /ust like all the other 1uropeans.0 =elley made a point o drinking up her morning *ine rapidly and leaving. She did not orget to once again *ish Scott a happy ortieth birthday. A little later! amid a gro*ing cro*d o mostly students! Scott spotted a skinny! o*l-eyed kid he kne*. -he boy had the unusual name o &alph McMacklin and sometimes *ent by Mack. 6e *as enough o an habitu that Scott kne* he *as a kind o laggardly student double ma/oring in 1nglish and o all things 'atin. )ut McMacklin *as al*ays serious and too the point. 6e seemed to kno* about too many things at once! and that *as no doubt *hy he *as so slo* in obtaining his degree. It doesn5t pay to be too smart in college! Scott had o ten thought *ith regard to McMacklin. >evertheless! Scott remembered something he himsel had heard long ago *hen he *as in college+

1nglish and 'atin ma/ors kno* everything. 6e had heard this more than once and had al*ays thought as a re/oinder+ -oo bad they can5t ind /obs. Scott rolled his sports *heelchair up to the corner table *here Mack *as sitting! as usual! alone. 6e shook hands *ith the perennial student and then put a notecard in ront o him. On it *as copied in ma/uscule letters the ba ling *ord M1&D1-&A>I. 0Any idea o *hat this means70 he asked. Mack studied the card or a moment and said+ 0Maybe an anagram. 6ave you tried an online anagram generator70 Scott said that he hadn5t---yet. 02ell!0 resumed Mack in a kind o alse erudite tone. 0I can see the 3rench *ord or shit in it.0 0So can I!0 said Scott. 0)ut *hat about the entire *ord70 0It ends in I!0 said Mack. 0Bust like Ira.. In some transliterations the I by itsel denotes the sound o =. -hat is mostly a carry over rom Arabic! as in Iatar! the name o a country. >o* you take the &omans. -hey le t us mountains o manuscripts in 'atin. Gery e* people! e(cept scholars! have even seen any o these! but scroll papyrus and loose sheets o *hat passed or paper in the :lassical era! as *ell as tablets o so t balsa *ood! ink and styluses *ere e(pensive in ancient &ome! so the *riters abbreviated everything they could to save paper. Original 'atin manuscripts are illed *ith the damnest o

abbreviations! but above all! the early &omans put absolutely no spaces bet*een *ords. So i this *ere something vaguely 'atin-es.ue! you might have to break it up into individual *ords. 2e5ve already seen merde! but maybe this is not about shit a ter all. -he best I can do *ith the syllables is divide them in three parts. M1& D1 -&A>I.0 0-hat sounds or looks 3rench!0 said Scott. 0I5ve been involved *ith some 3rench stu lately.0 03rench is cool!0 said Mack sipping his gin and tonic. 0'et5s say it in 3rench. Mer de tran<...Mer de tran<.0 Mack gave a very authentic in lection and intonation to his pronunciation. 3inally! he scratched his head and said 0)eats me. I5ll have to think about it. :an you get me another drink70 Mack bent over the card and subvocali,ed the *ords mer de tran< a e* more times. -hen he got his second drink and appeared to give up. Scott elt he had reached another dead end as he *atched Mack signal him goodbye and leave the bar. )ut minutes later! *ithout even reaching his car! Mack bounded back into the bar! caught Scott5s eye and said in his best 3rench accent 0Mer de tran<uilit-. 3ar as I kno*! that5s a amous place! the Sea o -ran.uility. )ut un ortunately or you! Scott! it is on the Moon. It is! i you remember *here the irst astronauts landed in %EKE. It5s *here they *alked and played gol ---i you are inclined to believe that! as many are not.0

2hen Areshnit &u,a arrived a little a ter t*elve noon! Scott retired to his o ice *ith the ull intention o using his computer to search or in ormation on the topics he had been discussing *ith his morning customers. 6e thought again+ 4ou can learn most everything in a bar. -he thought o legions o 3rench police surrounding a castle museum *ith cans o spray paint also troubled him. It *as something else he *as prepared to do an online search or. )ut he *as interrupted by a service vendor or his game machines and later got distracted by a call rom Se(ton )liss! during *hich as noted! he in ormed )liss o some o the things he had learned. 0Inconclusive!0 said )liss! 0but your in ormation does validate some o the things Sabain *as saying. 'isten! I am getting threats all over the place. 1ven the deputy commissioner talked privately *ith me. I need to stay out o this. -he 3)I is airtight. -hat Petrovsky *oman is all over the orce making solemn caveats o immediate dismissal i *e inter ere. I can5t a ord to go on *ith you too ar. 1ven Shasta *as visited this morning by some strange *oman. Shasta is used to keeping the doors and *indo*s locked! but she *as sort o reaked by this lady. I mean she seemed both beauti ul and menacing in her o*n *ay. I have a theory or your ears only that *e are not dealing entirely *ith the normal 3)I.0

Scott agreed that it *as probably best or Se(ton to keep his distance as ordered by his superiors! but he did mention that he *ould continue to make in.uiries. 04our phones are probably bugged!0 he said! eeling the clandestine close in around him. 0Maybe mine too.0 -hen Scott noticed the belated birthday card that some stranger named Boey Doranga had given him early that morning. 0Open me last o all0 it said. 2hen Scott did rip open the envelope! he sa* a garden variety birthday card! but it had a strange message typed--not *ritten---inside. -he message *as terse and to the point. That *ina Petro"s&y is no FBI. She is with another$ higher up agency and is only using the uni ormed FBI grunts as her coolies. She is in"ol"ed in a %ig co"er'up$ and she &nows you. #atch your ass. It *as signed Boey Doranga *ith no urther e(planation. )e ore Scott could get do*n to any more research! a call came through rom Se(ton )liss once again. )liss seemed *orried and brus.ue+ 0)etter get do*n to the Aristock Medical :enter as soon as possible. It5s Doctor Sabain.0 -hen *ithout saying good-bye he hung up. Maybe they do have our calls monitored! thought Scott as he hastily prepared to drive over the river bridge and see *hat *as going on *ith Sabain at the hospital. )ut *hile passing through the gatherings

o students on his tavern loor! Scott *as detained brie ly *hen he overheard a conversation bet*een three guys around a table *hich already had t*o empty beer pitchers on it. -hey *ere *orking on a third and! like so many other young men! they *ere obviously bragging about se(. Scott paused inconspicuously to listen. -he conversation *as banal and not in the slightest remarkable. It involved a lot o purposely obscene re erences to the act that all three o them had had intercourse *ith some girl named :indy. :indy *as hot! and they all! apparently! had en/oyed themselves *ith her. -he language *as as crude as one might e(pect! and Scott *as at the point o moving on *hen one o them suddenly piped up in a beery voice laced *ith great satis action+ 0-here are!0 he said kno*legeably! 0only three holes *here you can uck a bitch. 2e all kno* *hat they are! and I5m here to tell you that I got into all three.0 Ceneral laughter prevailed. Scott *as used to such s*anking! but something about the 0three holes0 arrested his attention. -hree holes! he thought again and again as he rolled up to his li t van and prepared to leave or the Medical :enter. -hree holes. 2hy does that stick in my mind7 Scott could not ind the reason. At least not at that time. GII. >ina Petrovsky and 3ran;ois Sabain <pon arrival in the emergency *ing o the hospital! Scott *as immediately met by a young *oman *ho had been purposely *aiting

or his arrival. She *as dressed in a neat and *ell-pressed business suit and *earing a vest that read 3)I. It *as also observable that she had a gun hanging rom her belt. A small gun. She had long! straight bro*n hair and a determined set to her chin. In another conte(t! she could have been called pretty. She *alked straight up to Scott as he maneuvered and gimmicked his *heelchair through the milling cro*ds in the *aiting section. 'ooking do*n at him *ith some undisguised scorn! she said 0Mr. &odamar. Interesting to see you here. I5m Agent >ina Petrovsky! but I suppose you kno* that already. 'et5s skip the small talk and introductions and get right to the point.0 02hich is70 said Scott. 04ou kno* something about me! but it may surprise you to kno* that I kno* something about you. In act a lot. )ut don5t ask me *here or ho*. 4ears ago you *orked on a...uhhh...rather numinous case that I am a*are o . In act! a lot o people are. )ut don5t ask me *ho or *hat because I am not at liberty to ans*er.0 0I kno* you are *ith the 3)I and here because o the murder o that old *oman in Sylvan 6ills. 4ou have a big team *ith you. I mean or such a young *oman.0 >ina Petrovsky suddenly got behind Scott5s chair and gently pushed

him out o the cro*d into a vacant corner o lobby near a ro* o vending machines that *ere or the time being ignored. 03)I!0 she continued. 0-hen you don5t kno* much at all. Oh sure! I have the authority to direct them in this case and to tell them to arrest you or your detective riend on the spot i you get too close to our proceedings! but I5m not entirely 3)I! despite *hat this vest and my ID says. 4ou really don5t need to kno* *ho I am *ith. All I can say is that your li e and that detective5s as *ell may be in danger. &eal danger. And I5ll add that my mission is important enough that i something lethal did happen to you! it *ould only be collateral damage. -here are! as you kno*! things that are more important than a single li e! especially one o an uninvited snoop.0 Scott arched his eyebro*s! shrugged his shoulders and asked 0So *hat brings you here7 4ou came especially to see me. I have a business you kno*! and you are *elcome to drop by. >ot that your agency! *hatever it is! needs a ormal invitation.0 0I5m here to see or maybe pay respects to an old colleague *ho is in I:< and is probably not going to make it until tomorro*.0 0Old colleague. 4ou can5t be that old yoursel . 2e5re both talking about Doctor 3ran;ois Sabain! I gather.0 04ep. And this is a courtesy call rom a ello* agent. 4ou see Sabain

is a longstanding <SA plant o the 3rench DCS1...the Direction Cnrale de Scurit 1(trieure....sort o like our :IA. 6e has helped our country in more *ays than one or years.0 0So you5re :IA70 04ou really don5t kno* anything! do you7 And that5s good. Cood or you! I mean. Might keep you sa er.0 0)e ore I go up to see Sabain! tell me *hat is *rong *ith him. Does he have kni e *ounds in his neck and head! a split tongue and a bumblebee in his mouth70 >ina Petrovsky grimaced and shook her head. 0>o!0 she said! 0none o that :orsican mob stu . -hey don5t kno* e(actly *hat is *rong *ith him! but it is or sure that he isn5t going to last long. 6e did ask or you. I suppose Detective )liss relayed that much.0 06e did.0 04ou see the :orsican milieu! the under*orld! only splits the tongues o those *ho break the Omerta or their code o silence. )ut they have other *ays o dealing *ith individuals *hom they think should be erased. I ully believe that Agent Sabain is one o them. -here *ill be a medical e(am to determine his cause o death by tomorro*! and I am betting that it is some kind o poisoning that he accidentally ran into. -hey do that kind o stu too.0

0So old Sabain is an agent o the 3rench intelligence services. Doesn5t surprise me.0 04ou5d better get up there no*. 6e5s e(pecting you and hasn5t much time le t. I5d appreciate it i you told me any secrets that he *ants to share be ore leaving this *orld. In return! I might be persuaded to ans*er some...but certainly not all...o your .uestions.0 04ou can start by telling me *hat you kno* about Stphanie Monnier be ore I go up.0 0>ot much!0 said Petrovsky. 0Only that she probably does not e(ist as one single person. &ather a phantom! a legend! something to scare and even sometimes kill people. All I can say right no* is that she is---currently---connected *ith the <nion :orse. She has had many mani estations over time. -hat is *hy I think she is ictional and the creation o lots o di erent mob-land operatives. )etter go no*.0 Scott &odamar *inced in a kind o .uiet anguish as he took leave o >ina Petrovsky! made his *ay through the hospital lobby cro*d and onto the s*arming elevator to the third loor I:< unit. -here *as something ine ably icy and dry about the *oman. Scott kne* instinctively in her presence that danger *as al*ays close at hand. She not only courted trouble! she dre* it. Moreover! her prognosis or Sabain *as candidly chilling. -he strange college pro essor! born in

3rench Algeria and *orking or international intelligence! *as surely as doomed as Petrovsky predicted. Once arriving in Sabain5s closed unit! his *orst anticipations took on concrete orm. 3ran;ois Sabain lay shriveled and bro*n on a retractable bed surrounded by a daunting array o blinking machines and ominously graphic screen readouts. -ubes carrying all sorts o multicolored li.uids ran in and out o his body! and a respirator *as plugged into his mouth and hal *ay do*n his throat. 6is breathing *as heavy and raspy! illed *ith the *hee,ing gasps o impending death. In /ust days! perhaps hours! he had been reduced rom a vital and some*hat stringently muscular human being into a virtual corpse. It *as not hard to predict that his inish *as not only pain ul but imminent. <pon seeing &odamar! Sabain raised an emaciated arm rom his side and pushed the respirator rom his mouth. 6e panted and hissed as i his only li e orce *as a small *ind issuing rom *ithin the cavity o his sunken chest. 0Stphanie Monnier!0 he *hee,ed. 0Stphanie Monnier.0 02hat about Stphanie Monnier70 said Scott dra*ing closed the circular curtain around the dying man5s bed and planting his ear closer to the e(piring man5s mouth. 0She *ill kill you. She *ill destroy anyone she *ants. She has murdered me. -he only *ay you and that policeman can protect

yourselves is to kill her irst! but that has been tried or decades. Don5t rely on your 3)I! that *oman! her horde o agents! your police orce or anyone else. -hey don5t kno* and don5t believe a thing. -hey are here only to protect those old :orsicans rom the rest o the mob. -hat *as the promise made to them a long time ago+ protection. 4ou can see *hat a shitty /ob they are doing *ith it. -hey have no idea ho* to stop Stphanie Monnier. -hey have no idea *hat she is. Do I have to tell you that those old olks *ere brought here under a program o anonymity years ago7 -heir identities *ere slightly changed! some o their :orsican names altered and they got protection. Or at least up until the point that the <nion decided to e(act its inal revenge on them. -hey *ere masked in out o the *ay places like Aristock and other smaller to*ns and cities. -hey got /obs. -hey even opened businesses like Maruli5s son and his out o place chocolate shop. )ut your secret agencies can5t do anything more or them. >either can the 3rench ones *hich you kno* no* that I represent. -hey5ve been *aiting and *atching or Stphanie or decades. She has inally come. She *ill slaughter them all! them and their children! and their children5s children. And you. And )liss. And anyone else her bosses *ant.0 Sabain then ell into a ghastly paro(ysm o sodden coughing. 6is body! rail and *asted! shook violently! agitating the li e-support intakes that penetrated his organism through his estering and no* labby lesh. 6e looked as i the black vulture o mortality *ere

perched upon his chest. 02hat can anyone do70 said Scott! accepting the idea that *hoever or *hatever Stphanie Monnier *as could only be invincible. 0Protect yoursel . :arry a *eapon. -ell )liss to keep his handy. Stphanie is a ter all these years still a *oman. -he inner circle o the <nion :orse has a time-honored code! one they have maintained since probably the late Middle Ages *hen they *ere ounded as a :rusaders5 guard orce. 2omen cannot use irearms. 2hen the e(plorers brought :hinese gunpo*der to 1urope and started making pro/ectile *eapons! orders like the precursors o the <nion orbade *omen to touch them. 2omen have to use knives! sharp ob/ects! poison as in my case...but never guns. Stphanie has to get close to someone be ore she can kill them.0 Once again Sabain5s *ords *ere splintered by an e(plosion o a hacking cough. &egaining himsel ! he shook his head at Scott &odamar and said+ 0Protect yoursel . =ill Stphanie Monnier. 4ou5re the only one *ho can do it. 4ou5re the only one *ho can believe the unbelievable. -he betrayals brought her here. Only you can send her to the grave. She is mortal! you kno*.0 04ou mentioned the betrayals. -he betrayals o 1vian! :harles De Caulle. -he orced e(pulsion o 3rench citi,ens rom Algeria. )ut you said there *ere three. De Caulle is only one. 2hat *ere the other

t*o70 0I5m not telling you everything. I can5t. -here are things that you have to ind out on your o*n. )ut I can give you a hint+ -he main body o the <nion :orse and...and your dead president Bohn 3. =ennedy. -hat is all I5m going to say about that. I you kne* more! it could endanger your li e in another *ay.0 04ou mean like something rom *hatever real agency it is that >ina Petrovsky represents70 04ou5re learning ast. Covernments and secret societies! and there is very little di erence bet*een the t*o! can make people and things vanish. >ot /ust in 3rance or Algeria! but here too in your so-called democracy. I kno* I don5t need to tell you that. I Petrovsky kne* that I told you the real reasons behind Stphanie! she could arrange to have you at the bottom o a lake be ore Stphanie ever reached you.0 04ou5re protecting me then70 0I5m trying to. &ight no* be ore I die. And trust me! I am going to die. I doubt I *ill see the sunrise tomorro*.0 04ou5ll have to give me more o a clue about e(actly *hy Stphanie is so orce ul! some idea o *hy she can5t be stopped. All I have no* is that image o a pretty girl sitting on a seaside rock sometime back in the early F$s.0

0She *as beauti ul. :harming too. )ut that is not ho* she does *hat she does.0 0Does she *ork some kind o necromancy or occultism...like a *itch or *hatever7 4es. I can believe things. -rust me. -rust me i you really *ant to protect me.0 3ran;ois Sabain convulsed violently again and rolled in discernible agony rom one side o his bed to the other. 03or god5s sake! man! put the details together. -hat is *hat you are meant to be good at! isn5t it. -he discarded clothes! the underarm and pubic hairs! the canisters o spray paint carried by the :&S in her pursuit! the loating ake rubies that disappear in midair....0 -he vulgar *ords o the se(ually bragging student in Scott5s bar earlier that day suddenly lashed through Scott5s mind. -hree holes. 2omen can be penetrated in three places. 2hy on 1arth *as he thinking o that7 -he ans*er lay! like most mysteries! /ust at the outermost margin o his a*areness. At the same time Sabain *as glaring at him *ith gla,ed over and nauseous! ailing eyes! Scott &odamar chanced to notice that all during the intervie*! the dying man had been clutching something olded invisibly in his right hand. Suddenly! Scott re lected on *hat this thing might be. A call button or a nurse7 A small gun7 2hat *as it

that the old man *as clutching7 0Put the ucking pieces together!0 sighed Sabain again in a breathless moan. -hen he .uaked once again! and Scott could see clearly that his end *as near. In a inal gasp o lucidity! in a terminal sob o li e! the old man *hee,ed his remaining last e* *ords in a voice so muted and mu led that Scott needed to strain to understand him. -hen all *as peace ul. Something ell rom his unclenched ingers! something he had been hiding in his ist! something Scott retrieved and put in his pocket be ore help came. -hen the monitors surrounding the 3rench agent *ent suddenly lat and began bleeping and bu,,ing. Aides and nurses s*i tly rushed in. -here *as no pulse! no li e! nothing le t to register. A sheet *as pulled over Sabain5s head! and a male orderly pointed to*ard the door o the unit as i to tell Scott that it *as time to leave. And as he rolled a*ay! his mind dulled and stunned by the *itness he had born to death! Scott mulled over the last sentence uttered by the old man+ 8She!s in"isi%le. She can ma&e hersel unseen whene"er she wants.8 6ours later! Scott &odamar! sitting *ith both Se(ton )liss and Shasta Mat,en in a darkened living room! told Se(ton that 0indeed it all it...the clothes...the hairs...the disappearing rubies @*here they had

disappeared Scott did not need to e(plain...only the coarse *ords o the crude student rom that morning 0three holes.0A And the thing he sho*ed both Se(ton and Shasta *as e(actly *hat Scott had e(pected it to be be ore taking it out o his pocket+ A small spray canister o black paint! something sold in an automobile supply store. )e ore noon the ne(t day! Summer &odamar! Shasta Mat,en and their respective partners *ere all carrying similar canisters! as *as -ysha*n &odamar! although his ather had not totally e(plained *hy to him. GIII. Another meeting *ith >ina Petrovsky 2ith her neatly creased pant legs crossed one over another! >ina Petrovsky sat beside a polished and nearly empty desk in a small o ice in the Aristock 3ederal )uilding. Outside police agents o all sorts! many *earing 3)I bulletproo vests! bustled in the hall*ay. -he 3)I and its related agencies had certainly taken over Aristock! thought Scott. It5s like being in an elephant5s nest o incessant intrigue. >ina had /ust played a ull recording o the conversation that had ensued at Sabain5s bedside the night be ore. She seemed content. 0Smart guy!0 she said in a dry tone. 0-old you some nonsense about invisibility *hich has al*ays been part o the Stphanie legend! but

didn5t tell you much o the stu you5re not supposed to kno*. I appreciate that. >o* *e5re taking on the task o sending his remains back to 3rance. 6e *as a good riend. 6e also saved you a lot o trouble and spared you any return visits you might have to make here or to any other o ice. 'ots o people don5t reali,e that there----.uite simply---are things they don5t need to kno*. I can agree *ith 3ran;ois about you and )liss and your loved ones protecting yourselves and being care ul. I don5t! ho*ever! have the unds to sponsor another *itness protection program. -he one *e have no* or these old people has /ust about eaten up its o*n budget. 4ou kno* *e have been tending to their sa ety or decades no*---long be ore either you or I *ere born. 4ou or )liss *on5t *ant to disappear any*ay. So you *ill /ust have to be brave little boys and *atch out or yourselves. 4ou *ill also have to orget about the :orsican mob5s role in Algeria! about :harles De Caulle! *ho is long dead! and Bohn =ennedy *ho is e.ually li eless and or many a year no* too. 4ou can do that! I kno*.0 Scott pushed his *heelchair arther back rom >ina5s clean-sur aced desk and looked contemptuously at the tape player. 0So you recorded the *hole thing70 0>aturally! *hat did you e(pect7 4ou are a kind o detective! aren5t you7 Do you think I *as going to let Sabain spill everything he kne* to you7 >o! you5re smarter than that. And no* you5re smart enough

to *atch your back and recede back into obscurity. )liss can go on chasing child molesters or *hatever he does here! and be ore long all o Sylvan 6ills *ill be empty! and this noisy cre* I brought *ill be any*here else but Aristock. -his is a boring to*n any*ay. Part o your sa ety depends on your keeping it that *ay.0 0I have no problem *ith that!0 said Scott *ith a certain calculated tone. 0I kno* that you can make me and my amily vanish i I didn5t. 4ou don5t have to tell me t*ice. >either did a e* other clandestine agents like yoursel in the past. I can sti le my curiosity i it means my li e.0 0:an you70 04es.0 0)ecause it does mean your li e! Mr. &odamar. 4ou already have some sort o mob operatives on your track! but my guess is that *hen you go back to serving drinks and stop asking pointless .uestions that threat *ill disappear as *ell.0 01(actly my plan!0 said Scott. 0-he reason I never did pursue the li e o a secret agent like you.0 0It5s a dull li e!0 said >ina Petrovsky! shi ting one starched pant leg across another. 0I5m thirty-one! same age as our riend )liss. I *as born in %EJN! and here I am dealing *ith promises and issues rom the

%EK$s *hen my parents *ere children. It5s not e(actly inspiring! but it is important.0 0So *e all /ust go our separate *ays *ith our secrets!0 said Scott! thro*ing his hands into the air in a gesture o utility. 0-hat5s about it. It5s not like on television. -here is no crime scene. -here is no urther orensic investigation...at least not that you or )liss kno* about. And above all! there is no invisible and ageless girl *alking around *ith a kni e! shaving her armpits in public bathrooms and dropping her clothes at pools or in the park.0 0Or stu ing ake rubies in her privates.0 04ou can leave that one in 3rance. More nonsense.0 0So *hat should I do ne(t70 >ina Petrovsky rose to her eet and e(tended a do*n*ard hand to Scott &odamar. 0Say goodbye! roll yoursel back to your van! drive back to your bar and have a sti one. 3orget that any o this ever took place. And be care ul until you5ve made yoursel as insigni icant as you really are. 4ou kno*...Stphanie Monnier and all that...or *hatever it is.0 0I5ll orget everything! including mer de tran<.0 3or the irst time! >ina Petrovsky sho*ed a sign o being moved by a

little /olt o concern but she regained her sti composure rapidly. 04our 3rench accent is very good! as are your detective skills. )ut *e *on5t be needing any o the above. So yes! orget mer de tran< too. In act! orget it right a*ay. It is like one o those things *e *ere not supposed to be talking about. &emember that.0 As he returned to his van! Scott &odamar thought o t*o other cases *here he had reached a point *here po*ers much lo tier than himsel had told him to stop. Still armed *ith spray paint and looking cautiously over his shoulder! he resolved that he *ould call )liss and do e(actly as instructed. -here *ere levels o things *here clearly he did not belong. )ecoming insigni icant *as probably his only hope any*ay. IH. Shasta Mat,en once again to the rescue Shasta Mat,en! *ho had been raised in the underground caves o the reservoir lake region o eastern Oklahoma and had been trained since childhood to hunt and kill earthbound octopus creatures *ho preyed on tourists as they s*am or sunbathed! had come to Aristock to be *ith Se(ton )liss a ter an encounter *hich one can read about in the story Secrets o the Porous /arth$ but or readers *ho do not *ish to e(plore this aspect o Shasta5s li e or read another story! *e can abridge by saying that! even a ter sacri icing an arm to one o the lethal beasts she hunted in Oklahoma! she *as as lithe and strong as

any young rural *oman o t*enty- our could be. She also believed in the arcane! the une(plained. An invisible assassin *as not a phantasmagoric chimera in her o*n mindset. And so she took everything that she had recently heard rom Scott &odamar and her soon to be husband Se(ton )liss to heart. In short! she resolved to protect hersel and de end Se(ton5s house. >othing *ould have pleased the young Oklahoma girl more than inding and killing the creature---this ne* creature---called Stphanie Monnier! *ho sliced the throats and pierced the temples o senior citi,ens because o some old grudges based on betrayals that *ere! rom Shasta5s age and vie*point! nothing short o pictures.uely historical. 6er ancestors in Oklahoma had ought and slain the resh*ater octopus beings or generations. She supposed that it *as the same or Stphanie Monnier! a timeless girl *ho got naked! shaved her crotch! stu ed 3rench rubies into her rectum and vagina! i not her mouth! and got a*ay *ith everything. Shasta simply said to hersel that Stphanie! regardless o her invisibility! *as not going to get a*ay *ith harming Se(ton or anyone urther or that matter. )esides! she *as used to invisible or nearly invisible things. In the dark caves surrounding the Oklahoma reservoir lakes! she had stalked creatures *ithout the aid o lashlights and lanterns! creatures that in the murky *aters o her home region *ere very close to imperceptible.

And so she set a trap. =no*ing that Se(ton *ould be a*ay rom Aristock or t*o days on a police con erence in Pittsburgh! she bought a larger than usual electric paint gun! hid it in a hall closet and then proceeded to string up ultra-thin but durable hemp threads across the halls and door*ays o her house until she had ormed a sort o virtually unseen labyrinth. At the end o each o these ilaments she concealed a tiny! barely audible :hristmas-tree tinkling bell. 6er ears *ere as sharp as her eyes! and she readily con essed to a si(th sense *hereby she could eel and detect the presence o intruders *hether hidden in a cloak o invisibility or not. -hen she made a bold and seemingly mysterious phone call to Scott &odamar at his bar. In a loud tone! she announced that she kne* that Se(ton *as going to hunt and kill Stphanie Monnier someday that *eek because Stphanie Monnier *as still lurking around. She made a point o saying the name Stphanie Monnier as many times as possible in her perple(ing discussion *ith Scott! during *hich she did not allo* Scott to get a *ord in edge*ise. She made essentially the same call several times and then announced to a clerk at the supermarket that she *as going to 0get even0 *ith someone called Stphanie Monnier. She even made a decent attempt to give the right 3rench pronunciation to the dreaded name. She told a e* other shopkeepers the same thing too. >o one kne* *hat she *as talking about e(cept Scott! and or his part! he suspected at once that something *as a oot. 1ither that or Se(ton5s cute little one-armed

girl riend had gone completely o the proverbial edge. In all! Scott kne* o Shasta5s pro*ess and decided to play along. 6e even phoned her back a couple o times and asked in a loud voice *hether Stphanie Monnier had sho*n up yet---because i she hadn5t! Se(ton *as going to trap her and turn her over to the 3)I or *hatever passed or the 3)I. 2hen he received no return calls rom any agents! this to include the elusive >ina Petrovsky! he elt that his insigni icance had perhaps come sooner than he e(pected. And! strangely or perhaps not so strangely! Shasta5s e orts *ere soon re*arded. On the morning o 2ednesday! September Nrd! /ust nine days a ter Scott and Se(ton5s irst encounter at &oosevelt Pool *ith a discarded pair o /eans! Shasta! *hile poking around in the hedges *hich separated Se(ton5s :avor Street house rom the service alley behind! she ound a barely concealed *oman5s loral blouse and a pair o rather dingy panties. 0She ain5t all that smart!0 said Shasta .uite audibly to hersel . -hen she *ent into her rigged house and ound a long iron bar sharpened into a spear. She had once used it to hunt the Oklahoma Octopuses! and she kne* ho* to use it. She crouched do*n in a shado*y corner ne(t to an oversi,ed so a and! spray gun at her side! *aited. It didn5t take long. )y the time Scott &odamar had rushed across the Aristock )ridge and into :avor Street! there *as a young and beauti ul *oman! totally naked! stretched across a plastic sheet in the den o Se(ton5s house.

-he young *oman *as very dead. Across her naked torso *ere streaks and splashes o black paint! and an iron spear *as piercing her chest. )lood! actual human blood! *as every*here. 02hen Se(ton gets home tonight! *e can *rap up this mess and incinerate the bitch!0 said Shasta to Scott *ith a certain amount o rural pride. 0A lot easier to kill than a hairy octopus! though not nearly as visible.0 -his dnouement! simple as it may seem to relate! *as the end o the dreaded Stphanie Monnier! *ho did not! a ter all! e(ist as ar as the government agencies *ere concerned----or at least not in a single physical emale state. Shasta Mat,en had single-handedly cut the Cordian knot. She had succeeded *here legions o 3rench riot police and many other assorted parties had ailed. She did not *orry or *onder *here Stphanie had ac.uired her gi t o invisibility. >or did she *onder ho* Stphanie had remained so young and nubile or nearly i ty years. 3urther! she ailed to con/ecture e(actly *hy Stphanie had been killing so many old people! about *hom Shasta had very little active curiosity. And! as Scott *ould later remark to Se(ton a ter the s*i t disposal o the body and its blood! that *as perhaps Shasta5s greatest strength! her best *eapon! this lack o interest or curiosity. She had succeeded *here others had ailed! and that *as all that mattered. 2hen at length Scott &odamar remarked that Stphanie5s capacity or

invisibility had immediately dissolved *hen she *as dead...in other *ords her entire body reappeared! Shasta shrugged her shoulders and said 02ho cares70 And later she told Se(ton! *ho *as beyond ama,ed! that no one in her clan had ever asked the *hys and ho*s or origins o the Oklahoma Octopuses because that *as not really the point. -he point *as getting rid o them. Bust like she had *ith Stphanie. H. 1pilogue+ -hree betrayals and Mer de Tran< 3ollo*ing the marriage o Se(ton )liss and his lovely! albeit onearmed! bride Shasta Mat,en in October o that year! Scott &odamar and Se(ton )liss ound themselves *ith some une(pected ree time outside o the &oosevelt Memorial Olympic S*imming Pool! *hich *as closed or the season. 0'et5s go sit on a beach chair and en/oy some all sun any*ay!0 suggested Se(ton. 02ell! you kno* I5m not going to sit on a beach chair!0 said Scott. 0I5ll stick *ith my o*n! but I guess you and I could talk about the stu *e5re not supposed to at home---at least not your home.0 04eah! Shasta really has a thing about us getting too in.uisitive. She settled the Stphanie matter! and that5s all she *ants to hear about it. >o secret or spooky agents! 3)I! 3rench or other*ise ever caught up

*ith us! and Sylvan 6ills is a boarded up *asteland. -here have been no reports o any more :orsican killings in any o the national or international media. Cuess *e5re all /ust lucky.0 0'ucky to have Shasta. )ut you kno*! Se(ton! I5m still curious as hell. 2hat *as all this about any*ay7 -he Mer de Tran< thing. -he betrayals. -he mention o =ennedy. -he Algerian *ar and e(odus. >ot to mention *here Stphanie got her special talents.0 At this time both men! *ho *ere innocently trespassing on a closed pool! became a*are o another person close to the gate *ho had! ostensibly! been listening to them as they spoke by the deserted poolside. It *as an older man! perhaps in his late i ties or early si(ties. 6e *as very broad-shouldered and looked like an athlete *ho had re used to allo* his muscles to ade. 6e had a ull head o hair *hich *as streaked only slightly *ith some slate gray locks. 6e had iery! intelligent eyes and a s.uare chin. In all! he appeared to be some sort o movie star! perhaps one o the most striking men either Se(ton or Scott had ever seen. 0Cood looking guy!0 *hispered Se(ton! 0i one man can say that about another *ithout compromising himsel .0 04eah! but something is *rong. I5ve seen him once be ore. 6e *as stoop shouldered and sloppy drunk. 6e came into the bar and gave me that late birthday card I told you about. -he card that *arned me

that >ina 2hatshername *as not /ust an 3)I agent but part o something bigger. -he stranger suddenly *alked con idently through the gate and *ith deliberation /oined the men poolside *ithout an invitation. 04ou again!0 smiled Scott. 0-hanks or the birthday card and the *arning about that >ina 3)I *oman. I remember your name *as Boey-something. 4ou look very it. Did you give up drinking or *hat70 -he stranger lashed a pleasant grin at Scott. 0>ot my real name and being occasionally 0drunk0 is /ust one o my disguises. In e ect! I am a kind o deus-e(-machina to a lot o people because I can e(plain some things rom my li e e(perience! *hich has been rich. I can tell certain people about things they *ould not ordinarily kno*. 'ike I did *ith you and the truth about >ina Petrovsky.0 0So *hat brings you today7 Some more in ormation that *ill get us in trouble70 said Scott in a hal /oking tone. 0I heard you talking about :orsica. I used to live there. I kno* a lot o things about the <nion :orse. I also have spent time in Algeria but not *hen it *as 3rench. A ter. I had a lot o ....ummmm....contacts.0 04ou seem very interesting!0 said Se(ton. 0Mind telling us a e* things. 2e have some unsolved mysteries that *e don5t discuss in

ront o our *ives.0 Again the handsome stranger smiled. 0'ike I said! I am a deus-e(machina or a lot o people. I5ve been dropping in here a e* times *ith an agenda o my o*n! *hich you really don5t need to kno* about. 2hat you *ould like to kno*! I presume! is *hat motivated Stphanie Monnier. >o* I can5t tell you ho* she became invisible or *hy she stayed so young. -here are /ust people like that on this 1arth! but I can tell you about the pieds'noirs and Algeria.0 0Pray continue!0 said Scott! *ho no longer *as surprised at anything and .uite content *ith this act. 06ave you ever heard o the 1rg :hech7 It is an enormous barren desert region o constantly shi ting sands! blunt rock outcroppings! and buried relics rom another un*ritten history. It is located mostly in south*estern Algeria on the border *ith Mali! another practically unkno*n desert land. -he 1rg is nearly one hundred percent uninhabited. Only the little oasis to*n o :henachane is nearby! and that is only visited rarely by caravans. In all! it is one o the most remote and desolate places on 1arth! but it is under Algerian control! a part o that country5s vast southern desert region. )e ore independence! it *as! o course! 3rench.0 0>ever heard o the place!0 said Scott! 0but it sounds ascinating.0

02ell! I5m not going to keep you all day! so I5ll make it short. )e ore independence! certain hermetic and largely nameless American agencies convinced :harles De Caulle that in return or the American e ort in the liberation o 3rance rom the >a,is! he should let them bring some camera cre*s out there and make a e* movies...mostly propaganda stu . At irst! the Ceneral agreed! but later *hen he ound out *hat the movie productions *ere really about! he re used. Some say he re used out o ear. -his *as in %EK%. =ennedy *as president and let5s say some*hat involved *ith this cinematic production. =ennedy *as or it! and De Caulle *as against it. In act! they say the Ceneral *as actually scared by the pro/ect. 0>o* during this time the 3'> and the OAS *ere going at each other5s throats about Algerian independence. -he <nion :orse! *hich is every*here! *as naturally helping the 3rench citi,ens! and the 3rench probably could have held on to their three Mediterranean dpartements *ith more <nion :orse help. )ut De Caulle *as still adamant that this cinematic production needed to stop. -he 3rench army o A rica *as more than =ennedy and his handlers *ere prepared to deal *ith! so a deal *as struck *ith the uppermost leaders o the Algerian reedom ighters! )erber Moslems and Arabs. In e(change or some heavy-handed under*orld help! many capos in the <nion *ould change sides and help the Algerian Moslems! the 3'>. 2hen Algeria *as ree rom 3rance and there ore De Caulle5s in luence! the secret ilm consortium could have total liberty to make

*hatever productions they *anted on the 1rg :hech! and this ar rom the prying eyes o the *orld. So American money and leverage prevailed. A large number o <nion :orse leaders directed their gangland skills! *hich trump those o any legitimate government! to *resting Algeria rom 3rench control. 2ell! it *orked. =ennedy *as pleased. 6is puppetmasters *ere pleased. De Caulle caved in at 1vian. -he OAS *as virtually *iped out! and Algeria became in %EK" an independent country ar out o the 3rench sphere. 0It took these very secretive cinematographers! *ho *ere as I have said backed by =ennedy and his administration! about si( years to return to the 1rg! *hich! incidentally they renamed 'a Mer de -ran.uilit! or the Sea o -ran.uility. )y %EKE! the pro/ect *as inished and all traces o cinematic production disappeared. -he 3rench *ere outraged. -he bulk o the <nion :orse *as outraged. -he pieds'noirs *ere beyond outrage. )ut everyone kept .uiet. -he operatives o the <nion :orse *ho had helped ree Algeria *ere not sa e in 3rance! so they *ere removed and given slightly veiled identities in places around the <SA! places like Aristock or e(ample. It *as like a massive *itness protection program! and no e(pense *as spared because o the vast importance o secrecy in the matter. -hese *ere the remnants o that group o :orsican traitors that your Stphanie had been inally sent to kill in a belated revenge ploy! delayed no doubt because o lack o unds and the general chaos in 3rance a ter the e(odus rom Algeria. )ut! bottom line! the

production *as made.0 0And *hat *as this production70 said Scott! 0and *hy *as it so important70 0>ot e(actly sure! but it came out in Buly o %EKE. It never really had an o icial name! but some still call it -he Sea o -ran.uility. And some call it by other names. -he real Sea o -ran.uility! by the *ay! is on the Moon. )ut the one on 1arth looks a lot like it under the right lighting.0 0Interesting!0 said Se(ton. 0I think I kno* *here you are going *ith this. 4ou5re talking about...0 0Don5t say it!0 inter/ected the stranger. 0Bust think it.0 -hen he shook both men5s hands and got up to leave. 0Say! by the *ay! i your name really isn5t *hat you *rote on the card! *hat e(actly is it and *here are you rom70 asked Scott. 0My last name doesn5t matter! but my irst name is Boel. And I5m rom Dela*are. >ice meeting you gentlemen. 6ave a great day.0 And *ith this the attractive stranger! a true deus-e(-machina to *hatever story Scott and Se(ton had been involved in! *alked .uietly a*ay and disappeared rom Aristock altogether. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Devon Pitlor---April! "$%# PDPDPD