The SPECTRE Of The VATICAN ©

Chapter 52 - The Nightmare.

Time: Present Day
Location: Paris, France

Margot began to think she might never answer the phone again after midnight. The police were friendly, but blunt as French police could be. When they found out who Monique really was they started covering their arses. They warned Margot to expect a media storm over this. When Margot asked why that should be the case, they proceeded to give her the details of her sister's death and the similarity between her's and Princess Di's.

The same tunnel, approximately the same time, even the same pillar. They thought that the media would have a field day, even more so now that they found out Monique was a visiting journalist ex pat.

Margot wasn't quite expecting the reaction she got from the family. Once the initial shock and horror of Monique's death had sunk in. Amanda had said she would be getting on the first available plane to Paris. Jean was in total shock. For once the police had been right. The media coverage was unprecedented since the Princess of Wales was killed in similar circumstances. They also had to admit to the media that the CCTV cameras, all fifteen of them were off air at the time of the crash just as they were with Princess Di. The explanation was that they were shutdown at midnight for a system software upgrade, but when they were turned on again the system failed. There were a number of bugs in the software that took some hours to resolve.

Ed was beside himself with first grief, then despair as he realised he had now lost two of his most critical staff members. Layla to After Dark and now Monique to a car accident. Amanda now was pressuring him to let her go as well so she could go to investigate exactly what happened to her mother.

It was only the fact that all the other papers, and networks were covering the story, and when he heard that After Dark were sending Layla to Paris, he reluctantly agreed that Amanda could piggy back on her expenses to allow her to go with the news team. She said that she would stay with her aunty to allay the accommodation costs.

There hadn't been such an outpouring of grief from within the media family since Brian Naylor, a very popular long time Melbourne newsreader had lost his life with his wife in the Black Saturday Bushfires in the 90s. Even the loss of Carter Cheval had not touched people in the media as much, as Carter was a relative newcomer and was seen as a bit arrogant.

Amanda rang Layla again after speaking to Ed and let her know that she was going with her to Paris. They hadn't spoken much since Amanda had rung her to tell her about Monique.

Layla had left her to grieve, and also she felt a little uncomfortable opening up to Amanda since her and Mal had started their secret affair. She was a little relieved when Amanda told her that she would be staying with Margot in Paris. Layla had been a little worried that should they share accommodation as they often had on assignments in the past, that she would have trouble concealing her relationship with Mal.

Michy had come back to Sydney after the accident and now planned to accompany her niece back to Paris.

That night when she got home, Layla rang Mal to tell him she was going to Paris. She was floored when he said he would go with her. He was going to take leave from work, and go with her.

She was at first overjoyed then a troubling thought intervened, Amanda, how would they explain this to Amanda. She tried to talk Mal out of going but he was adamant. He was going. He was tired of keeping his love for her a secret. Anyway lots of people had picked up that something was going on and it was becoming harder and harder not to let on. Amanda seemed to be the only one who would object. He thought that it was over a year since Carter's death so, in his mind, she should be letting the past go now. Mal convinced her that it might be a good thing for her to finally see them together in public. She had to admit to herself that her favourite song at the moment reflected exactly how she felt, It was called Secret Love Song by a girl group called Little Mix. It was finally about time that they be able to hold hands in public and kiss on the dance floor.

They would see what happens when they were all in Paris.

§§§§§§§

Peter approached Graz's office with a deal of apprehension. He had been summoned by a deacon notifying him that the Archbishop required his attendance immediately. He used the secret handshake and the Guard allowed him to pass. He opened the door and entered to see Graz with his back to the door transfixed in front of the T V screen.

He was channel hopping through several of the European news networks, "Sit down Peter Margate," Graz instructed. Peter knew he was in trouble. He wasn't sure why but knew it wasn't good. "What the hell were you thinking, a high powered rifle wasn't good enough for you?" he asked.

"It all went according to plan, even better than expected actually," Peter recounted, "Anton did a superb job."

"Of creating a media circus?" Graz pointed to the TV screen. On the screen was a picture of Monique Cheval followed by footage of the burnt out crumpled taxi being loaded onto a tray trailer for removal from the tunnel.

"What happens when the circus comes to the Vatican, Peter, tell me what you propose to do then?" Graz asked.

"I have already done something to prevent that," Peter explained, "here I'll show you." Peter went over to Graz's desk. He indicated towards his computer. "May I?" he asked. Graz indicated for him to go ahead. Peter accessed the Daily Telegraph website. He went to the news blog page and indicated an anonymous blog on the Monique Cheval story which said, 'Perhaps she got what she deserved. After all wasn't she the editor from Australia paying the paparazzi to hound Princess Di and Dodi? Isn't it strange she died in almost the same way as the woman she hounded. Maybe that's what you get for meddling in other peoples lives. I'd call that karma wouldn't you.'

Graz looked down the long list of follow up entries, nearly all of them supporting the proposition, some bordering on hate mail, switching the focus from the tragic accident that week to the tragedy of Princess Di.

Graz looked at Peter with new eyes.

"Brilliant Petros, simply brilliant. You are going to make a wonderful assistant to the Angel of Secrets."