The Phantom Conspiracy

5. The Confrontation

'Hey, were you just talking to someone?' 

Giana stood motionless. A tiny whisper fell from her lips, 'Hmm?' 

'Gia,' Riccard waved his hand in front of her face, 'why are you out in this cold? Is everything alright?' 

'He... Ha... um...' 

'Gia!' Riccard placed his hand on her cheek, 'Tell me what's wrong.' 

'The car...' 

'Ahh... so you did see it too? Someone just dashed into it and drove off as soon as they saw me coming. Were they here to talk to you?' 

'No... I'm here alone...' 

'But why in this cold?' 

Giana shook herself out of her thoughts, 'I'm... I'm sorry. Just felt a little claustrophobic, so I decided to go take a walk.' 

The sight of Riccard's concerned expressions made her feel odd. Behind all his caring actions was a huge trap to hold her guilty for his own crimes. But why, she wondered, why would he hide the fact that he owned the condo from her, especially after the murder. Why was he the one telling Simon that they would visit, when it was clearly the Guardians who wanted them to be there in the first place? What was he to gain? And even if he was directly involved in the murder, how would killing someone he hardly knew be of any use to him? 

'Gia, I think I lost you again.' Riccard sighed. 'Are you feeling better now?' 

'Oh yea... I'm better. I think we should just go sleep now, am rather tired.' 

'Alright! You should have told me before coming down though. It's a new place for you, I could have helped you around.' 

'Sorry, but how would you help me around? Isn't it your first time here too?' 

'Yeah, but you know, um... I'm good with figuring out places.' He took hold of her wrist and started leading her towards and up the stairs. 

Their eyes met for a second reminding Giana of the time when she found his to be the deepest and loveliest. She had spent several nights under the moonlight staring into them and making promises that she wanted to keep forever. Those eyes held her faith and her heart, yet today she was betraying both. The words of a stranger she had met just hours ago somehow seemed truer than the words of the man whom she had spent years with. Giana watched her previously unwavering confidence slowly break apart. Years ago those eyes had held her spellbound for hours on end and today they seemed to be succeeding in playing their tricks on her yet again. 

Unable to control the urge to confront him, Giana slowed her footsteps. 'Tell me Riccard, why the hell did you lie to me?' 

The two stopped walking and Riccard turned around to face her. 

'Lie? Why would I lie to you? And about what?' 

'Stop being a jerk and come clean right away!' She demanded. 

'Gia, what's wrong? I seriously don't know what you're talking about.' He shrugged.

Her pitch rose, 'When were you going to tell me about your secret condo?'

'Condo? What! And I don't keep secrets from you.'

'Rubbish,' she scoffed, 'Hash just showed me the papers Riccard. 311 belongs to you.'

'Oh, so that's who you were just talking to down here.'

'Yes! And you know what else he told me? He said that a Judge's daughter was most probably the victim here, not any Giana. But they did also find that chit with my name on it, so I am the suspected murderer. You know what that means? You are on your way to get me a life sentence.'