The SPECTRE Of The VATICAN ©

Chapter 32 - Disco Fever.

Time: 20:Years Prior
Location: Rome, Italy.

Andre Schimmer had gotten the call he was warned about at eleven am, just in time to catch the midday flight to Paris from Rome. On the flight he made meticulous plans on how the evening would go. He played with the ring on his left hand, turning it over and over in concert with his thoughts as he turned over his plan again and again. He was searching for flaws, checking ways he might be caught out, coming up with various escape plans should things go pear shaped, as they often did when carrying out an assignment in a public place. The public were quite unpredictable at the best of times without the added complication of youth, alcohol and other drugs.

Still the pay was good and it afforded him the lifestyle he would be loathe to have to give up. He knew, in his heart of hearts, that the only thing that would take him away from it was if he was caught, or death. He also knew, that probably, in his line of work, the two were synonymous.

Carter couldn't figure out why he was seeing this, who is this mystery man. He turned to ask his Mum who he was but she was gone again. He looked around but couldn't see her, he was about to call out when Teacher appeared next to him, in the seat left vacant by his Mum's disappearance.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"She needs to be somewhere else," answered Teacher.

"But I need her here, shouldn't she see this?"

"She has, many times, but it doesn't get any easier, you will see and understand that, when your time comes, Carter Cheval. This is your story, not hers but everything is connected, every story is connected to many others, you will come to this understanding soon. The connection between her story and yours will show itself in time, Carter Cheval, in time. . . " Teacher quietly laughed to himself and vanished.
When Carter turned his full attention back to the movie the four girls were in a taxi heading to the city. The taxi dropped them off in the Rue de Lappe. They wandered about for a bit then chose a little restaurant close by the club. Over a dinner of delicious Italian food, Amelia told the other two girls, what her and her sister were planning to do when they got back to Australia. How Amelia, with Amanda's help, would track down Peter, the father of her baby, and find out the truth of how he really felt about maybe being a dad twice over.

They discussed things like whether Amelia would ever return to Paris. She said she would certainly visit often but as for making France her home over Australia she couldn't say.

It was nearly ten pm when they called for the bill. Louise insisted on picking up the tab, after all her father was one of the wealthiest realtors in Paris. She was a bit of a wild child as a result. Not up herself or nasty in any way but wild none the less. Her father had been horrified when she returned one night with a shock of blonde hair and a rather large tribal sun tattoo on her left shoulder.

When Louise and Collette left them to wait in line to pay the bill Amelia turned to Amanda and said, "Tell me all about this mystery man, Roger the dodger," she laughed.

Amanda didn't laugh though. "Sorry Sis, it's serious . . . isn't it?"

"Could be," Amanda replied with a faraway look in her eyes. She looked around to see if Louise, and Collette were heading back yet but they were still waiting. "Remember I said I met him on a cruise, well that's what I told Mum and Dad. We actually booked the cruise together. You also must remember how much I wanted to do music too, and Dad wouldn't let us both do the same things all the time?" Amanda waited till Amelia nodded in agreement. "Well Dad Ki, they're coming," Amanda giggled.

Louise came back to the table after settling up the bill and said, "Ready? Let's go. Before we get to the club, I have to meet someone at the Keys in fifteen minutes."