Maybe - Editing

21: Intrigue

It's been one year. One year since Candace was killed and Jackie went missing.

Those were two deep holes in Charlie. He remembers that September afternoon perfectly.

Everyone in his building started shouting. They hear the gunshot. Charlie went up to see what happened along Iris. It was pretty clear that someone was murdered, but who?

They went into Charlie's apartment. There was blood on the floor and not a sound. Candace's dead body laid down there. Iris screamed in horror. Charlie almost fainted.

Iris stopped being very courageous after that. It was a big shock for her. Charlie... well he was the most hurt person.

The murder has been investigated ever since. Not just the murder, if not Jackie's disappearance as well.

Charlie stopped being... Charlie. He became quite different. He stopped being happy and funny. In his brain, he believes Jackie killed Candace. In his heart, he believes Jackie had nothing to do with it and she just vanished. Like nothing.

He left Lyon. Iris did too.

Iris left to Rome. She found her peace back in that city.

Charlie? Well, he left to New York three months after Candace's death. He got a job at some telecommunications Company and wrote as his main purpose to forget. To forget Candace and Jackie.

His brain wanted it but his heart couldn't take it. Candace was easier to let go. Jackie wasn't. Jackie gave him something important, something he couldn't let go just like that.
He knows she had gone missing. Where would she be now?

This intrigue has being wandering around his life for a year. He still can't let go. That morning was one year after kissing Jackie for the last time... probably the last time ever.

He won't ever forget that dark day.

—Flashback—

Charlie was working, as usual. Marie ran toward him worried. He never expected the news she would bring to him would be the worst news ever.

"Charles, something happened." Marie said in tears. Charlie stood up.

""What is it, Marie?"

"There was a shooting at your building. Boss Francois gave you the free day to see what happened." Marie stopped a moment, just to breathe and get the pace back. "It is in all the news, all the papers."

Charlie kept all of his stuff in his bag with Marie's help.

"Thank you, Marie. For the news" Charlie says as he leaves.

"I just hope everything is ok." She Says in tears. She knows, inside, someone probably lost its life.

Charlie ran to the building as fast as he could. When he got there, the cops were surrounding the building like crazy.

He decided to offer himself to make an intern investigation, along Iris. Iris was brave, she said yes immediately after being asked for help.

"Go behind me." Charlie says. Iris nods.

They go up the stairs carefully. Without making a sound. They checked every apartment for casualties. There were none.

But when they went to the fourth floor lots of things changed. Charlie and Iris's apartment was there.

"I'll go with you to check yours." He Says and Iris nods.

"Ok, let's go." She Says with her very French accent.

They get in. Nothing. Everything is quite steady in there. Charlie locks the door and moves to his apartment. They get in. The apartment smelled horribly. Suddenly, they witnessed the worst thing they would ever see in their lives.

Iris gave an ugly scream. Charlie dropped himself on the floor. The cops went upstairs and saw everything.

Candace Silvers's dead body laying on the floor of Charlie's apartment. Iris started crying and screaming like crazy. One of the cops took her out of the building and directly with a psychologist.

Charlie would cry and beg to check if Candace was alive. He couldn't believe it.

But... Where the heck was Jackie?

That was the question that took over the police apartment. They checked everywhere in Lyon and Jackie never showed up. There were no security cam recordings that could tell anything. Not even about Candace's mysterious murder and Jackie's shocking and sudden disappearance.

Something was for sure: they are both probably dead.

—End Of flashback—

Charlie will never get over that moment. Lyon was a city of memories and loss for him.

He would never get over that.