The Woman in Red: Chapter 32

32. He who laughs last, laughs best.

            The first tape was in the pocket. Without someone getting hurt. Both Katarina and Jean-Pierre were very excited because of the adrenaline in their veins because of the thrilling events. On the way to Cecile’s house, Katarina was talking nineteen to the dozen about her experience with Charles feeling the tension while Jean-Pierre was stealing the tape. She congratulated him with his improvisation of the drunken boyfriend. Katarina could only acknowledge that he had appeared just in time to prevent Monsieur Charles of hypnotizing her.

            Arrived they found a little note from Cecile saying she was a night out with her police boyfriend. They had the house for themselves. The tension fell away, just like the clothes they were wearing. Katarina was wild and sensual. When Jean-Pierre kissed her, she growled as an answer and rode him like an Amazon warrior. Both were sweating of passion. Jean-Pierre had enough to keep up with her amorous creativity. She curled herself in the strangest positions, took him as close as possible, at a certain moment even bit him in the shoulder. He hardly felt it.

            After both of them had their orgasm at the same time, moaning satisfied and enjoying it, they lay close to each other in bed. The normal rhythm of their breath only came back after a while. After some moments, they got cold, and Jean-Pierre covered them both with a blanket. Katarina put her head on his arms, and intimately they reminisced a bit longer about their victory.

            ‘Number one is ours. Still two to go. We can’t just afford to rest on our laurels. Who do we take next, Kat?’ Jean-Pierre asked her curiously.’

            Katarina sighed. ‘I think we have to go for Frau Bertha Hofmeister. I surely can locate her. I don’t know where Madame Thérèse Dupont is for the moment. I’ll have to make some phone calls to find out.’

            Alright, good for me, but first I’ll get us some drinks. I’m so thirsty you can’t believe it. I’ll take some orange juice, you too?’

            Katarina nodded. She looked a bit sleepy at Jean-Pierre and smiled. Yes, dear, for me also a little bit of orange.’

            Jean-Pierre went downstairs and looked for the necessary ingredients. He had noticed that Cecile had bought fresh oranges, but he had to pull open some closets before he had found the juicer.

            Upstairs, Katarina was in an afterglow from their passionate making love performance. She knew she had taken the road were turning around was impossible anymore. Then she considered that nonetheless the worries about her mother, she was feeling happy. She felt a smile appearing around her lips. Jean-Pierre was the reason she sensed herself special. It had been a long time ago since she had felt this way. Maybe she had sensed this never before. Without him, she could never go through with it. She felt safe with him and…

            Sleep overwhelmed her, and she was dozing away till she heard Jean-Pierre stumbling on the stairs.

            ‘Here’s your drink, noble lady, fresh from the juicer I may say.’ He gave her a brimful glass of orange juice. She sipped from it at first, but afterward she drank greedily and emptied her glass in a few seconds. ‘If that’s not thirsty, then I don’t know,’ Jean-Pierre smiled.

            His words weren’t cold yet, and they heard the doorbell at the front door.

            ‘That’ll be Cecile, she has probably forgotten her key.’ Katarina slipped out of the bed, pulled on her nightwear and hurried downstairs. He looked at the imprint she had made on the bed. His hand glided over the sheets. Her place still felt warm. He had never felt so good being with a woman. It was if they could feel each other wishes, as if they complemented each other. Was it because of the dangers they had gone through together, but he would face all the elements for her.

            ‘Jean-Pierre, come downstairs please?’ Katarina was calling from down the stairs.

            Was something wrong with Cecile? Her voice didn’t sound concerned. She sounded very calm, but her voice had something odd. He went downstairs and when he saw her his blood almost coagulated in his veins.

            There was no expression on her face. She looked in front of her as if she saw nothing. Behind her stood a grinning Monsieur Charles.

            ‘Hey, the boyfriend, you sober up fast, young man. I have to admit you have performed a good show. Hat’s off to you! It was… Jean-Pierre, wasn’t, if I remember well. Do you know, Jean-Pierre, you’re looking good on film? I had a premonition when Katarina left me so suddenly. Then I thought about her bet and… Bingo. I looked at the video images and indeed, my locker had been cracked. A beautiful example of mental control. For the second time: Hat’s off, to both of you! But third time lucky, I won’t let it come to that. I suspect you were staying here, and it was no trouble at all passing by for a moment.’

            Jean-Pierre didn’t dare to undertake something. He couldn’t see if Charles had a gun or a knife. He wouldn’t risk that a sudden movement from his side Charles could give a reason to hurt Katarina.

            ‘So, Katarina wanted the tape. She probably needed it to earn some money on the side. That’s not so nice regarding your mother. I’ll certainly talk about it with her at the end of the month. I don’t think Madame the Baroness will enjoy that. But enough blabbering, can I have the tape now?’ He came a step closer to Katarina.

            Jean-Pierre understood his menace. He carefully descended the stairs and walked to the vestibule where he got the tape out of his coat. ‘Please, don’t hurt her…’

            ‘Who do you think I am,’ an indignant Monsieur Charles spoke. ‘I have what I want and your girlfriend will be as before in ten minutes from now. But be warned. I’ll discuss this with her mother. We’ll decide what her punishment will be. Goodnight.’ He greeted and disappeared through the front door.’

            After Katarina had come out of her hypnosis and heard what has happened, she suddenly looked very sad. ‘All this effort for nothing, my mother will pay dearly.’

            ‘Not necessarily,’ a mysterious looking Jean-Pierre answered. He went again to his coat and fetched another tape out of it. ‘Here is the copy I’ve taken while I looked for you orange juice. As an accountant, I know you better have a copy of your files in case something bad happens.’

            Katarina jumped around his neck and kissed him passionately. In no time, they were again in bed.

© Rudi J.P. Lejaeghere

24/05/2015