Chapter 14 Fourth, the first signs

Still in shock, she didn't speak immediately, she was listening to something with her ears up, as if she suspected that a door would suddenly open.She is used to being afraid, and it has become her habit to be on tenterhooks. But at last she got herself under control and began to narrate, and in her staccato voice we sensed the devastation and terror she had endured in the last few weeks. "I didn't go with you because I was afraid of mistakes. No matter what I do, there are too many people to attract attention, and I don't want to participate in your investigation. This kind of thing must be done alone. Miss, Bo Nefas, after the attack on Villa Mirador, and after you have left, I am sure he will continue to follow you. You are a man of public interest. Your arrival in Paris, including the name of the hotel where you are staying, is inevitable. It will be published in the papers. Then Boniface and Rudovic will be noticed. I know a little hotel in Montmartre where they always spend the night, and I believe they can be found. Facts So too. They got off the train in Paris a week after you arrived. I was already there."

She took a breath and continued: "I'm already here, but it didn't go well at the beginning. Boniface was wary of me, mainly out of instinct, and there was no basis for it, because he didn't know me at all. Back in Sicily, it was impossible to know that I understood his part in the kidnapping of my sister, and on the other hand, he didn't even know Alan Rock's name. "He said to me, Pascaela. You look like you're betraying us. "Not only that, but he doubted everyone. The defeat at Villa Mirador hit him hard, Rudovic not only failed to improve his morale, but just kept talking: 'Boss, this thing is bad. It's just that Jericho left us alone. I don't know him, this Jericho, because I've only ever dealt with you, and the old boys say it was a different story when he was in charge.'"

"Boniface said with certainty: 'He'll be back. He's going to get his hands on the Manoelson thing, get that reliquary back. I'll be waiting for him any minute.'" "'Excellent,' said Rudovic with a sneer, 'if you don't mind, he's much better than you, boss.'" "Rudovik's comment made Boniface very angry. They quarreled, and I made the punching bag. If it weren't for me, I would still be useful, singing with them in a small cafe in the suburbs, doing things I didn't want to do before. He's kicked me out long ago, or has moved away from me. I've broken many locks and stole boxes of silver. What can I do? I hold Bo Niphas. Only through him can I know Jericho and punish them both. And... and..."

She hesitated, then worked up her courage to go on: "And, since the first week, how dare Boniface...didn't he? We lived in the adjoining attic, and he saw me every day... So he's going to... just like Jericho did to my sister...he's trying to take advantage...you understand?... several times, if I didn't defend myself with a knife...ah! what a life Ah! I stayed up all night... how much I suffered! I was saved because they were getting ready so fast. They made a plan. So, one day, I called the hotel here. " "I don't know anything about it," Natalie said.

"You really don't know," said Maxime, "that I happened to be here, and alone. I called back, and Pascaela called me every now and then to my room to tell me what the gang had planned. Conspiracy, but she didn't want to see me... She gave us the whereabouts of Fauville, and she gave us the first weapon against him." Pascaela continued: "I never asked Boniface because the questions I asked would torment his conscience. But Rudovic kept pressing him, always complaining that Jericho was not there. So Boniface Nephas was very helpless and reluctantly answered a few words. I eavesdropped desperately in my attic. He often lowered his voice and mentioned the glorious things they did together in the past, and he was very proud. Sometimes, Lu Dovic was pressing, and the two of them drank a little wine, and he would tell some secret things, which I often couldn't hear clearly. From this I knew the gentleman I met at Mirador Villa Falville, and sent you a letter that Boniface wrote to Falwell."

"Was that letter really written by Boniface?" "Yes, it was Boniface who sent Mr. Forville to Naples. Jericho and him, they wanted to take possession of a bag of jewels and a large package of securities that Mr. Manoelson was carrying with him. Later, this appointment gave Mistake." "The blame is on Jericho, isn't it?" "That's right. The three of them agreed to meet at the seaside. But before that, Jericho went for a walk in the hotel garden and stayed for two hours." "Why?" Allen Rock asked. "Well, he saw Miss Manoelson sitting by the pool, picking flowers and playing with wreaths."

"and after?" "Then he lingered there and forgot about the appointment. Then he said he was no longer involved in the matter. He admired the girl and he didn't want to rob her father." There was a silence.Alan Rock and Natalie exchanged a look.Alan Rock said to Pascaela: "Are you really sure that Jericho saw Miss Manoelson at the pool?" "It's not surprising," Natalie pointed out, "I sit there every day." "Indeed," he said in such a low voice that only Natalie heard him, "indeed, there are so many coincidences in the world! . . . We were all admiring you when you wreathed yourself.... Incredible! Jericho and I were both moved by the dreamlike beauty in front of us!"

Then, raising his voice, he asked again: "However, although he changed his mind and made a good decision, he continued to follow Mr. Manoelson. Miss Manoelson turned back to Paris, and Jericho took Boniface. and Chafferos, to Palermo." "Yes," said Pascaela, "because he wanted, at any cost, to recover the reliquary which was stolen by his servant, Ahmed the Turk. On the very day Mr. Manoelson set off, Jericho Learned that Mr. Manoelson bought that piece of jewelry from the Turks." "Even so, why didn't his enthusiasm for Miss Manoelson prevent him from issuing the death order?"

Pascaela replied: "Rudovic also noticed this contradiction, he told Boniface what he thought, and the latter responded, yes, Jericho talks about her, he loves like crazy. Fell in love with her, and wanted her. So he thought of killing her father, as Boniface said, so that it would be easier to subdue the girl . . . as he did my sister." Natalie shuddered. "Why did he have to get the box?" "I don't know, and neither does Boniface. He's always saying, Jericho said twice at the time: This thing's worth over twenty million. A priceless treasure. Boniface believes he's giving all The net worth is put in. Well, isn't it? Retrieving the box and controlling Miss Manoelson, that's his goal. So, they immediately rushed to it."

"Soon? How do you know, Pascaela?" "Well, the other day, Boniface was clearing out the bag and throwing a bunch of papers all over the floor, and I heard him say to Rudovic: Hey, man, look how well we arranged it, Jay Rico is so organized. This is his own handwriting, the whereabouts of the lovely Miss Manoelsen a month after her father's death. June 15th, left Paris. 17th, arrived in Brussels. 20th , Berlin. 22nd, Bucharest... But, look, Ludovic, June 26th, Constantinople, we're going to wait for her there, grab her and sail away with us .” Nathalie cut in and said, "Yes, that's true... This is the route I've taken... My friend Myriel and I have an appointment to meet in Constantinople on the twenty-sixth."

She read the paper, thinking it was Jericho's own handwriting, who had followed her from afar, almost every hour of the day, throughout her long journeys across Europe. Maxim looked up and said, "This is a bit strange, Alan Rock." "What?" Allen Rock said. "Jerico's handwriting is very similar to yours." Alan Rock took the note and looked at it carefully, and concluded: "Sure enough, there are some similarities. However, there are more differences!" "Not at all," said Maxim. "You see ... there is no horizontal line over the T ... not a single capital letter ... these are typical features, these features ..." Alan Rock and Natalie looked worried.No doubt no one was scratching their heads, but, in their hearts, especially Alan Rock, the feeling of embarrassment was growing by the minute.Before the storm comes, there are some harbingers that are not always obvious at a glance, but it often creates a feeling of depression and anxiety in advance. However, Maxim didn't care about what he said. He turned to Pascaela, as if nothing could escape his eyes, and said solemnly: "There is one thing that is difficult to understand: Jericho has always He is following Miss Manoelson. In order to get a woman he likes, for a piece of jewelry he can't give up, he will do anything. Everything is ready, victory is in sight. But what is the truth we see? Something totally illogical, that is, twenty months later in Monte Estelle, at the Villa Mirador. Can you explain this anomaly to us?" "Okay," she said awkwardly, giving the sense that everyone was getting closer to the answer. "How to explain it?" She replied clearly: "The attack on Villa Mirador was not directed by Jericho." "What does that matter!" Alan Rock interrupted her. "He is the mastermind. He is also the organizer." "wrong." "why?" "Because Jericho is dead." "Ok?" Everyone who heard Pascaela's words was shocked.The whole thing became unrecognizable.After losing this core, this representative, or the support of its symbol, the whole matter of this legendary magical character seemed to suddenly become blank.Jericho is dead!At this point there is still a practical meaning, something that has a basis in fact, becomes unreliable and shaky. "How did he die?" Alan Rock asked. "Under what circumstances did he die?" "Murdered." "By whom?" "Boniface." A silence ensued, and then Maxim stated his opinion: "Okay, everything is clear. For twenty months, the whole story of the Jericho pirate group is just a story of a leaderless group." , even the people in this group don’t know it, they are only acting under the drive of the murderer, specifically, this is a person who is not qualified to command and is discouraged by failure..." "And a man of conscience," Pascaela went on. "Conscience to blame?" She explained slowly: "I have long since discovered that Boniface has lived his life in terror because of his outrageous actions. I am often awakened at night by his screams. On this point, Rudovic asked him once in my presence, but got no answer. However, these days, I sensed a softening of his attitude. Since all the arrangements were to be implemented this evening, Rudovic kept I asked: Well, where is Jericho, won't he come?... Boniface, believe it or not, will not succeed this time, as it did last time at the Villa Mirador. Last Tuesday, Boniface Fass was almost drunk and Rudovic had to put him to bed. Then he woke us up again. He was crying there. Suddenly he spoke. Although the door between us was closed and He spoke in a low voice, and I still heard part of his confession." Pascaela paused, then continued in Boniface's words, as if they were still ringing in her ears: "By then, Jericho and I were out of tune, Boniface said , I know very well. Jericho is obviously going to keep me because I know so much and I'm still useful... I can't live without him either... But I've had enough... Jericho treats me so unkindly...is not mocking me or insulting me...and why can he be the leader? Why can't I be?...Ahmed the Turk stole the reliquary and was beaten on the back Twenty sticks, he also said to me: Mr. Boniface, why are you not our leader? You are no better than Jericho. Besides, I think of him kidnapping Manoel Sen in Constantinople Mademoiselle, the lost reliquary is recovered ... worth at least ten or twenty million ... he may have his share ... twenty million! But I, Lieutenant Boniface, I can't even get twenty thousand francs , although I worked for him like a convict...so...then, I conspired with Ahmed to do that...one day...with Ahmed, I finished Jericho for good No need to think about it at all: this thing has been going around in my head for a long time. This Jericho can do to me what he wants to do to me, I hate him! I am like a dog, his When the whistle blew, I stupidly bowed my head... No, it can't go on any longer... It should be over at the first chance. He sensed this, and told me, adding at the end: Boniface , I'm sorry you don't have the kind. But when the opportunity came, I was not a little brave... We were in a small boat, along the coast of northern Sicily... the Turks were rowing. So, when Jericho While bending over to get the cable, I hit him hard in the back... on the back of the head with a mallet..." Having said that, Pascaela stopped again.Alan Rock stared at her anxiously, making her feel uncomfortable.He asked after each sentence, his voice changing a little: "With a big mallet... on the back of the head?...Boniface hit Jericho on the back of the head with a big mallet?" She said it again: "Yes, with a big mallet, with iron plates on the outside... In Boniface's words, the head of the mallet is like a big iron ball. It seems that Jericho fell to his knees." Down, without saying a word, like a downed cow in a slaughterhouse. Ahmed laughed. He said: 'Well done, Mr. Boniface.' They rummaged through his pockets and took his money and purses. Then, fearing that another boat of their accomplices would come and discover their crime, they picked up a wreck floating by, and tied the body to it. They then returned to their own boat, and dragging the wreck, They rowed together, and threw the boat and the body on the sea far from the shore. No one saw them. When they joined the others, Boniface said to them: Jericho has landed. Next week in June Constantinople. Those people know nothing of what happened. Jericho was not seen in Constantinople. The plot against Miss Manoelson is out of the question." This concludes the Italian woman's retelling of Boniface's confession.The room was eerily silent.After hearing this, Maxim finally understood what assumptions could be made. Natalie's face turned pale, and they all looked closely at Alan Rock. He remained motionless, his teeth clenched, his fists clenched.But his cheeks sunken, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. They heard him whispering to himself: "I don't understand...I don't understand...what's the point of this story?" He really can't understand.Because he doesn't remember anything.There is no connection between the present and the past in his mind.No image emerged from the unfathomable bottomless pit.But what dreadful thoughts roiled in his turbulent mind! Natalie moved away from him a little.Although she became very weak, she still said in her heart: "No...no...it's impossible!...it wasn't him who killed my father..."