Chapter Four: In Plain Sight

How the day was supposed to plan out, Mercy did not know, however, this strange reunion was the last thing on her mind.

Mercy and Liam left Gabrielle to handle the slowly growing crowd that had just barged in to the library and approached the center information desk.

Out of the large domed room, down one corridor, then down the next corridor, then down a long, curved hallway, Mercy silently led Liam to a small room filled with broken furniture, and faded, dust covered shelves.

“So, how have you been, Mercy?” the man asked conversationally.

“I’ve been better.”

“Anything you want to talk about?”

“No.” she stated flatly, then after a pause she asked, “How have you been?”

“Doing well, Renée asked me to join this investigation on the Fox Thief.”

Uncomfortably, Liam looked at Mercy, then down at the floor.

“What is it?”

“Well…” he started, “It’s just odd, that the day that we cross paths is the same day, three years ago, where we ended our path together. It’s just odd.” He repeated.

The woman stopped in her tracks and thought hard, “Do you remember that day?”

“How could I forget? I still have the marks.” He joked uneasily.

The woman did not return the smile, instead, she spoke in a voice that was unlike her, “I’m sorry for all those names I called you. I was just so furious at you,” her fingers clenched into a tight ball. “I just felt that you loved your job more than your life, more than the life we shared.”

“Mercy…” Liam reached out to grasp her hand, whether she saw the gesture or not, she moved her hand away.

“It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Silently, she led him a few more paces until they reached a door labeled: Authorized Personnel Only.

 

Mercy knocked once, twice, three times and the door opened.

“Mercy, how are you?” an aged voice called from the door.

Liam looked in shock as his gaze fell on an aged man with large glasses that made his eyes larger. He continued speaking. It was clear that he did not register that company had joined her. “I have the works you were looking for, it’s ready to-”

“Charles,” the woman cut him off sharply, “Thank you, but as you can see, we have the detective with us.”

Charles looked up, his lens made his eyes look like large buggy eyes, “Ah companionship, very good.”

“Bonjour monsieur, may we come in?” the Liam smiled.

“If you could give me a moment…” Charles slammed the door shut, a few moments passed, then opened it again and pulled back to allow his company to cross the threshold. “There we go, come in, s’il vous plaît.”

Mercy and Liam entered the room.

The latter’s jaw dropped as he studied the circular room. Two stories of shelves covered the walls; they were filled with books. A single ladder that rose to the second floor was latched onto a brass bar that also circled the room.

“This is where we keep the texts on magic, the twentieth century New Age, and history of mysticism.” Mercy explained, “I wanted these preserved, especially the older texts, so Charles and I moved them here. This is also where we keep the volumes that are too damaged to be handled.”

She looked at the cards again, studied them carefully. Then she picked up a small electronic device on the table in the middle and climbed up the ladder with swift gracefulness.

Liam was taken aback when he saw how agile she was.

“I don’t believe we properly met.” Charles said to the stunned man.

Recalled to his surroundings, Liam shook his head, “Forgive me, we have not. I am Liam Olivier, a retired detective.”

“It’s a pleasure Liam. I am Charles, just Charles.

Liam shook the man’s withered hand. The Detective was equally surprised that the aged man retained a strong grip.

“You are very young to be retired, what brought you back?” the elderly man questioned with a quizzical look.

“I’m not as young as I used to be, but Renée, the chief of police wanted me on this Fox Thief case.” Liam noticed Charles wince ever so slightly when he said the thief’s codename, “Do you know the thief?”

“No.” was Charles’s quick response. “But I must ask you, do you believe in magic?”

Disbelief struck Liam, everyone he questioned so far asked him that question. He saw Mercy glance at him, whether hopefully or interrogatively he could not tell. He chose his words carefully, “I have not been around magic or mysticism, so I am not sure if it is real or not.”

“It’s real.” Mercy stated from above as she gazed back at the older tomes on the upper level. “You just choose not to acknowledge it.”

A sly chuckle escaped Charles, “My dear, you are too vituperating, you criticize too harshly, if your husband-”

“Ex.” Mercy and Liam said in unison, they were both paused and looked at each other, not with antipathy but sympathy.

Charles was positively grinning now as he continued.

Liam gazed at him, “How did you know that we were married?”

“Mercy likes to talk about you. A lot too.”

“Charles…” Mercy warned him without turning around.

“Yes, well…” he diverted the conversation, “If he does not wish to believe in magic, then he does not have to. Although Liam,” he studied the detective carefully, “If you do not believe in magic, how do you ever expect to find or even capture the Fox Thief.”

Liam thought deeply for a quick moment, “I will do all I can to find this thief, with or without magic.”

“Good luck.” Mercy chided as she held a single book in one hand and slid down the ladder with the other.

“This is the only book I could find that matched all the cards so far.” Mercy thrust the book into Liam’s chest, the cards stuck out at different places.

“Thanks…” he gasped and looked down at the title, “Tomes of White Magic: Defeating the Evil Inside and Out?”

“You are sure that was the only one?” Charles asked, he sounded unsure.

“Oui,” Mercy stated. “The cards mark where the quotes are. C’est l’exception.”

She held up one card with two fingers and passed it to Liam, he read:

 

My mission is clear, stay away or you will pay.

-Le Voleur de Renard

 

“So this is the first card the thief left…” Liam sighed. “Can I borrow this book?”

Charles looked at Mercy; she crossed her arms and nodded, “This is a library after all.”

“Thanks, I’ll be sure to return it, and I won’t destroy it.”

 Liam took one last, almost loving, glance at Mercy; he smiled and left.

 

Once the door was shut tightly, Charles sighed and locked the door the detective just left through, “Was it smart giving him the book?”

“Don’t worry.” Mercy knew what he was really asking. “I’ve already printed the rest of the cards.”

After a slight pause, Charles asked again, “Is he truly intelligent?”

“You have no idea.” Mercy stated, “He could track anything and everything, as long as he can find evidence.”

“Then we must drive him from the trail. Fox would not like someone tracking her. We still have a job to do.”

Mercy looked at him with a commiserated plea, “Please don’t ask me.”

Charles shrugged and walked over to the table to flip a switch that was concealed underneath. “You know him best. You can slow him down until we can finally stop the L’Ange du Mal. If you do not wish to slow him down, maybe I can get Gabrielle-”

“No!” Mercy cut him off sharply as a set of stairs appeared on the floor that led downward.

“Well then, you can stop him.” Charles smiled as he walked down the steps. “I trust you, my dear. Just follow through, as the ‘Fox Thief’ has done.”

 

Mercy thought quickly for a moment, “Charles, about Snow, the painting. Cyril told Fox that he lost his wife, and others lost their friends and family, will there be any chance of recovering them?”

He stopped on the steps and sighed, “Je ne sais pas, chérie; I will do what I can to return them. However, I cannot make any promises. Snow is a particularly devious painting. The strongest yet. I only hope that it will be simple.”