Тигрис Рафаэль
Letters from beyond
But two days after the funeral of Matilda, another terrible news spread around the city. During the night, Dr. Marek died suddenly of a heart attack. Robert was friendly with him and went straight to the police station to find out the details. Here, as a journalist, he was provided with detailed information.
Dr. Marek never complained about his heart. However, on that day, he and Josephine made love, and so intensely that at the peak of pleasure the doctor's heart could not stand it and froze forever.
The police let Robert read the conclusion of the forensic expert – no signs of violent death and poisoning were found. The conclusion was unequivocal – heart failure.
It is very possible that during sex- games, blindfolding her partner, she injected him at the peak of pleasure with an exorbitant dose of a heart drug that the doctor always had at hand.
Only Robert came to terms with the death of Marek, as the next day he read in the morning newspapers: on the Paris-Nice highway, a well-known emigrant in Polish circles, Josephine Kshesinskaya, died in a car accident. The probable cause of the accident is a malfunction of the car's braking system.
This news has already alarmed Robert in earnest. Campaigners are dying one by one, as if they are being pursued by evil fate. And now, for some reason, the brakes of Josephine's car failed, when for some reason she rushed to Nice. But just a week ago they gathered in Kshesinskaya's house and, not suspecting anything, had fun talking and talking.
At another time, Robert would have launched an immediate journalistic investigation into these strange deaths, but now he was not up to it. Now his intuition told him that his life was in danger.
With such gloomy thoughts, Robert returned to the hotel and in his hearts threw the newspaper on the bed, where Monica still lay asleep.
– Of the entire campaign, only you and I remained. We need to urgently leave this city, – said Robert.
But Monica didn't seem to agree with that decision. The expression of disappointment on her face spoke of it.
– Something is wrong?– Robert was surprised.
At that moment there was a knock on the door and a messenger boy entered the room.
– Parcel for Mademoiselle Monica.
– From whom?
– It's all there.
Robert gave the messenger a tip, and Monica immediately began to open the package.
– Perfume Dior! – the girl exclaimed, – this is from him.
– From whom?
– From that guy I met when I went to an ear piercing salon.
Robert looked at his companion in surprise.
So that's it! Has she already got a boyfriend? However, she quickly learned the lessons of Madame Kshesinskaya.
– He made an appointment for me today at the Maxim restaurant, on Royal Street.
Robert looked at Monica in amazement.
– Okay, you admire the gift, and I'll go to the post office and at the same time book tickets for tomorrow's flight. We're leaving, you understand? So finish all your personal business today.
From the post office, Robert sent the finished report by air mail to America so that the article would be printed in the magazine before he returned.
– Mr Jackson! Please stay a minute longer, – said the postal worker, – we have a letter for you.
– Letter? From whom?
– From Mrs. Matilda Kshesinskaya.
Robert was taken aback. Did he get a letter from the other world? He quickly opened the envelope. It really was from Kshesinskaya.
"Dear Robert! If you are reading these leter, then you are the only survivor of our entire campaign …"
What does "only" mean? Robert whispered and went cold.
"Monica"! – Like lightning flashed through his mind.
Without reading the letter to the end, Robert rushed towards the hotel. Even from a distance, he was horrified to notice a crowd of people just under the windows of their room, which was located on the third floor. There was a huge pool of blood on the sidewalk.
Robert looked up, saw the wide open window of their room and understood everything. He leaned forward, but the cordon policeman stopped him.
– Where is she?
–The body has already been taken away, monsieur,– the policeman replied.
Robert ran upstairs. In the room, the police were doing their job.
An investigator approached him.
– Did you live here together?
–Yes, we are business partners.
– Often quarreled?
– Absolutely. Vice versa. We had more than just business relationships.
– I understand. Are you familiar with this bottle?
The investigator showed an empty vial from the parcel received.
–Yes, we got it an hour ago.
– From whom?
– I do not know. A messenger brought it to us.
– It is written here – from Matilda Kshesinskaya. Was the bottle full when you received it?
– Yes. Was full and closed.
A policeman approached them and gave the investigator a note. He began to read it in his mind.
– Here you go. Something is clearing up, – the investigator concluded and handed the note to Robert.
"Dear Monica. After my death, I want you to get that part of the wealth that I did not have time to use. To find out about his whereabouts, please drink the contents of this vial and immediately a guess will flash in your mind. I wish you good luck, your Madame Kshesinskaya.
– In the vial, most likely there was some kind of strong hallucinogen that made the girl jump out of the window.
Robert clutched his head in horror.
With what deceit and ruthlessness Kshesinskaya destroyed those who coveted her wealth. Terrible creature! She managed to take out her jewels from the flames of the Russian revolution, but there were so many of them that in her hundred-year life, she did not have time to spend them. But she also did not allow the survivors to take advantage of it. A sort of dog in the manger is a typical manifestation of female sabotage. And stupid Monica, blindly believing in the infallibility of Matilda, immediately drank the liquid sent.
Suddenly Robert remembered that he had an unread letter in his pocket.
He immediately took it out.
“I'm sorry, Robert, but you didn't have time to save her. I knew – Monica would drink this potion. Your girlfriend had all the makings to turn over time into an insatiable greedy witch and become a source of trouble for you. This is familiar to me. Zhozya, who grew up before my eyes, as soon as she found out that the will was finalized, she immediately persuaded Marek to end me. I bequeathed my Parisian house to both of them equally. But she did not want to share with the doctor and killed him with the same injection that he dealt with me. She must have killed him during the sexual pleasures. How well I know you all. I can see right through, even from beyond. And the stupid police officers never guessed that I had ordered the brakes of Josie's Peugeot to be destroyed, in which she rushed to Nice. Do you know why? Yes, because before I died, I said where the jewels are. Yes, dear Robert, I buried them in the courtyard of my house in Nice, which is now an orphanage. In the corner of the garden, I made Nika's grave. He doesn't have a grave. Here is what I did the best I could. And under it she buried her jewels. Now Nike has a grave and whoever wants to stir it up will suffer my punishment, because, as it is said in the Bible, gold will eat his flesh».
That evening, Robert sat down ahead of time at a table by the window in the Maxim restaurant. He didn't feel hungry. Curiosity and a burning desire to get drunk brought him here. He wanted to see the guy that Monica had a date with. Why did he need it? Monica is dead, which means it's pointless to be jealous, but Robert was interested in seeing who she preferred.
The fact that she was his assistant, companion and shared shelter and bed on trips did not mean at all that he was her chosen one of the heart, his knight on a white horse. Undoubtedly, in her dreams there was someone else with whom she would be close not by the nature of her professional activity, but by the call of her heart, and it was this chosen one that Robert wanted to see today. The intrigue was evident and not a single man would remain indifferent to her.
However, the evening was drawing to a close, but the alleged gentleman did not appear. Guys with bouquets of flowers appeared at the restaurant window at different times, but their objects of love soon joined them in the form of smartly dressed pretty girls, but the one who made the appointment for Monica did not appear.
Robert wanted to leave, but then a snub-nosed boy appeared outside the window with a bouquet of flowers. Unlike today's hippie-style youth, this was a neatly trimmed guy, with a clean-shaven face.
Robert looked at his watch. It was the ninth hour and the boy had already begun to get nervous, looking around endlessly. So he is Monica's chosen one, a young, still fragile man, probably a novice jewelry store manager, coveted a girl with luxurious jewelry. Probably a lot of such rich girls came to their salon, but it was Monica who answered him with a smile and agreed to the proposed date.
And take the guy and invite her to the most expensive restaurant in Paris. Well, just like that! If you want to immediately turn the head of the girl you like with expensive diamond jewelry, then you need to act intensely and dazzling from the very beginning.
Robert emptied his whiskey and told the waiter to invite this guy to his table.
At first the guy was surprised at the invitation, he refused, but then he went into the restaurant and sat down opposite Robert.
–Are you waiting for Monica?
– How do you know? Who are you?
He got excited and started looking around.
– Calm down, I won't hurt you. What is your name?
Robert's calm tone had a favorable effect on the guy.
– My name is Pierre. Do you know where Monica is?
– Pierre, Monica won't come.
– Why won't he come? How do you know? Who are you to her?
– Calm down Pierre. I am her boss. Today she was forced to fly back to America. So let's have a drink and wish her a soft landing.
Robert returned to the hotel pretty tipsy. Pierre was in the best condition and supported his drinking companion.
– Could you give me her address?
– Did you really like her?
– Highly.
– Tell me honestly, not because of the diamond trinkets?
– Not at all. She has a pure naive look.
– Good. I will give your address and if she likes you, she will definitely write. Everything. Now leave.
They approached the door of the hotel and the porter intercepted the guest from the hands of Pierre.
– Farewell, Pierre!
The morning train sped Robert to Nice. After yesterday's booze, he sat sullenly in the compartment and consoled himself with soda. His head was terribly cracking and very sick, and his mouth tasted like horse dung.
Yesterday they went over the whiskey, but they talked sincerely and he liked Pierre. Open minded guy. To be honest – a great match for Monica. It’s just that she’s gone, but he didn’t tell Pierre about this yesterday and did the right thing. May he live with unquenchable hope and love in his heart.
It was already late in the evening when the train arrived in Nice. Robert immediately went to the hotel and fell asleep.
–There’s a tombstone over there in that far corner. You can go there, monsieur, – said the porter of the orphanage, pointing Robert into the depths of the garden.
It was a bright sunny day and the orphans were playing merrily in the fresh air. At the sight of Robert, they began to look at him warily, and the most daring even approached closer, showing open curiosity.
– Don't be offended, monsieur. Any stranger who comes here is a potential parent for them. Such is the orphan's lot – to live with the eternal hope that they will be found.
Robert looked with pity at the destitute children and went deep into the garden.
"Niky from loving Malya" – was hollowed out on a stone slab, and below was the coat of arms of the Russian Empire – a double-headed eagle.
It was impossible to find a more charitable place than an orphanage for remembrance of an innocent person who died. Nicholas II himself was popularly called "bloody" and there were good reasons for that. During the celebrations on the occasion of his coronation on Khodynka field, one and a half thousand people died in a terrible stampede and the same number were maimed, and 130 civilians died during the execution of demonstrators during "Bloody Sunday". However, with his blood and the blood of his family, he atoned for past sins, and Kshesinskaya could not endure the fact that he had not yet been honored with the burial of this. As a result, this symbolic place arose.
The slab itself bore little resemblance to a tombstone. But one way or another, according to Kshesinskaya's letter, it was here that her jewels were located.
For Robert, the moment of truth was coming. Until that moment, he was a simple layman, surrounded by orphans, admiring the memorial plate of the last Russian tsar. But unlike the others, he knew what was under it and now it's up to him to decide whether to get the contents or not.
"It's someone else's, it's not mine," Robert said to himself.
He turned decisively and headed for the exit.
He had already reached the gate, when a red-haired girl of seven years old with a face covered with freckles came close to him and murmured:
– Uncle, you didn't come for me by any chance? If behind me, then why are you alone?
– Who else do you want me to be with?
– With my mom.
Robert's heart sank.
– What's your name baby?
– Rosie.
It was only then that he noticed that the girl was missing her right hand and almost half of her forearm. The orphan, in addition to everything, was also disabled from birth.
The shelter was located right on the famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice and, having gone out of the gate, Robert stopped to admire the seascape. Then he remembered lines from the Bible, as well as Kshesinskaya's warning not to disturb the king's grave, even if it was symbolic.
“That's right! I'm doing the right thing. It is impossible for the sake of gold to disturb the memory of the innocent deceased.
A florist stood at the gates of the orphanage. Robert went up to her, bought a large bouquet and returned again to the yard of the orphanage. The girl Rosie was still standing in the same place.
– Went. Help me with flowers.
He took her good hand and they returned to the gravestone.
– Come on, lay out the flowers neatly here.
Rosie began carefully to arrange the bouquet. Her flawed hand worked on a par with a healthy one just as skillfully and actively.
– Leave one flower for yourself.
– Thank you.
Together they returned to the exit.
– Well, let's say goodbye, Rosie.
– Uncle! Will you still bring flowers here?
– Why are you asking this?
– Next time you come, bring my mom. Do you promise?
