Читать книгу Miranda Sparks’ wonderful life - Danny Osipenko - Страница 10

– If this is your idea of a joke, Mr. Moreau, I can assure you that it’s not funny at all.

«Absurd! Some kind of madhouse! It can’t be!»

The usual pain cramped my whole body at the mere mention of Mike. I couldn’t get enough air, as if someone had cut off the oxygen. I didn’t see a single tear run down my cheek until it dropped onto my blue turtleneck.

– Do I look like a joker to you, Miss Spikes?

I felt like I was in a «Prankster» program, only that kind of you know, fierce. I could see how serious Mr. Moreau was when he talked about Mike. But how could anyone believe such a thing?

– I don’t know. But I’m not going to listen to this nonsense anymore. – I jumped up from my seat, intent on walking away from the man, but he got up, too, and grabbed my arm. – What?

– Go back to your seat. – Mr. Moreau gave me a stern order as he turned me back to our table.

– Don’t tell me what to do. Let me go!

– Only when you’ve relaxed and listened to what I have to say to you.

– Good… Great!

He let me go, and I sat in my seat.

– It’s a matter of principle, Miss Spikes. I wouldn’t have approached you otherwise.

I wanted to laugh in his face so he could see how absurd those words sounded.

– Yes, it’s the most important thing of all! And I was puzzled why you didn’t go to a private detective agency. And that’s right, who in their right mind would want to find a man who died more than a year4 ago.

Mr. Moreau sucked in a resounding breath.

– That’s what I thought too. But Mr. Norland is alive, and I can assure you he doesn’t have a scratch on him.

He must have been mocking me. How else could I show him that I didn’t like this conversation? Everything that was going on here was starting to piss me off. How could this man claim that Mike was alive when I was looking at his dead body with my own eyes?

– Apparently we are talking about very different people, sir.

– On the contrary, Miss Spikes.

I grabbed my head and said resoundingly:

– This is just absurd. Mike is dead! He’s gone! I was at the lineup and his funeral. I saw him! I saw his bloody face. And you! You’re telling me at this moment that he’s alive!? How can you believe that?

I could have been a little more hysterical, but I held on as best I could. I could feel the nausea coming on. I started to feel feverish and a little shivering. All I wanted was to end it all.

– I can substantiate this for you.

«Please don’t!»

– What for?

My voice trembled.

– Then Ms. Spikes that I need to find it as quickly as possible.

– I… I don’t understand…

When I touched the cup of tea, I almost spilled it on the table. I clenched my body and lowered my eyes, as the treacherous tears were ready to come out.

– Mr. Norland didn’t just trick you, and believe me, that’s just the tip of what he’s done. You’re the only person he trusted, which is why I came to you for help.

– It’s…“ – a tear fell down – „impossible! If… – another one – … he were alive, he would surely find me. We could have been together for the moment. He wouldn’t have stabbed me.

– I know. And yet he did it, Miss Spikes! Two days ago, I made some inquiries about his death, and almost everything cleared up.

I sniffed audibly and looked at Mr. Moreau.

– What specifically?

– About Mr. Norland and your father.

I almost clicked «Absurd!» once again. My rescuer turned out to be a really scary person who knew all my pain points.

– Dad? What’s he got to do with it?

– There’s no proof yet, but I think there will be soon. Your father may very well have helped Mr. Norland to fake his death. It’s a theory so far, but it makes a lot of sense.

– No, my father… What? He’s obviously not the best father in the world, but he wouldn’t do that to me.

Mr. Moreau pulled out a small envelope from an inside pocket and handed it to me.

– That’s all I have so far.

I took the envelope with trembling hands and opened it, pulling out some pictures. It took me a few seconds to recognize Mike. It was him, only he had a small beard and slightly lighter hair than when we were together.

– And what is that?

– Photos taken three days ago.

– Three… days? I don’t get it! Where was it made?

– Egypt. Mr. Norland has been there for a month, maybe more. My man is watching him all the time.

I stared at Mike’s smiling face again, and it ached in my chest.

«He’s alive. Mike is still alive!»

– In other words, do you understand where he is at the moment?

I finally finished sobbing and pulled myself together.

– Yes.

– What am I good for, then, for you?

– Since you are the only one he can believe.

Mr. Moreau loosened the knot of his tie and leaned back in his chair.

– He used to believe, but at this point I’m not sure. What did he do for you anyway?

– A better question is, what didn’t he do!?

It was so different from the Mike I’d known. Was I really so blinded by love that I couldn’t see what was going on behind my back?

– Look, I find it hard to believe that any of this is true. So let’s stop torturing each other and deal with all of this.

– Oh, great. Mr. Norland, has appropriated for himself a significant portion of the assets, from my company and your father’s.

I was amazed at the similar news. Oh, my God! Mike’s a crook.

– This is abracadabra!

– As unfortunate as it sounds. It makes no sense for me to lie for you, Miss Spikes.

– That’s true! But how could an employee of a construction company have appropriated for himself the documents of my father’s medical research company?

– It’s simple. Mr. Norland had you! It’s not the first time he’s tricked his way into these kinds of companies. But your father is not a foolish man. Apparently, he found out about everything and tried to stop Mr. Norland from his plans. But here you are, the only daughter and heiress to a large fortune in the Spikes family. In you he saw his own only chance to get what he wanted and you succumbed to his charms. I have it on good authority that a large sum of money was given by your father to Mr. Norland just before he died. So it could be said that your father was the one who helped him escape. At the moment, Mr. Norland has some papers that I’d like to get back for myself. And I hope you can help me with that.

I watched the expression on my rescuer’s face, but he was too serious for me to think what he said was a lie.

– It seems true, and I wish for you to believe it. So let me think a little, Mr. Moreau.

Exactly for that I need time. I have to digest all the information I have received now, since this request is already personal to me.

– I’ll give you two days, no more. If you decide to assist me in this matter, call me at the number I gave you.

I knew that I would probably spend the next two days crying bitterly in my own bathroom and at the level of my thoughts eating myself up inside.

– X-okay.

– Then I hope to see you soon.

It seemed inevitable by now.

– I… I promise to think hard about it.

Mr. Moreau stood up from the table and with a nod of the head, left the cafe and got into a silver car, disappeared, as if he had never been there at all.

There’s a great line from a song: «Fate has turned back on me. So that’s exactly what I saw. A big ass to my fucking fate, which only pretended to be sick. Although, in fact, I myself was responsible for everything. If it was exactly as Mr. Moreau said, then I was really in deep shit, up to my ears.

If I had an icy heart at the moment, I think even it would have cracked. But Mike and I were not Kai and Gerda to help each other find the happiness that now seemed forever buried in the empty grave that had been meant for my dead boyfriend. I felt so fucked up that I would have liked to drink myself to death and forget myself somewhere where no one knew me.

Wow, what a week it’s been! How about a little fun?