PART III - Chapter 29: THE HOMECOMING

 

 

Chapter 29

The Homecoming

(Ó 2010)

 

In the Salon of Clive’s Coiffeurs

Clive had always thought of Ilsie Moet as a sweet girl ever since he hired her some eighteen months before. However, he also knew her to be a very naïve girl just the same. She came from an affluent family in the town of Beausoliel, just north of Monaco. Clive, who would insist on never judging someone from their appearance, could not help in doing so with Ilsie, for she would always be dressed in the most well known designer labels from head to foot.

She came to Clive’s salon just after her eighteenth birthday. She confidently walked into his salon telling him how much that he needed her as a receptionist and as an assistant to all the other stylists. He was so enamored with her innocence and happy demeanor that he agreed and hired her. The salary that he could pay her was not much, but that was just fine with her, because her father still would supplement her with a generous “allowance”.

After her hiring however, it did not take long to see just how deep Ilsie’s naïveté really was. Ilsie in fact had led a very sheltered life, one might say she had lived life “in a bubble”, and that she always saw the world through the cliché “rose colored glasses”. Once Clive and a couple of his close gentlemen friends were having a serious discussion on some current world events and the subject of nuclear armament was being discussed. She overheard them talking about the former Soviet Union and of there still existing nuclear arsenal. She interrupted the conversation with her question, “Wait, are you saying that they have bombs pointed at us? But why?”

However Clive did seem to love having her around and felt that her naiveté along with her innocent, youthful view of the world had brought back some of the happiness that had left this salon some seven years before. Moreover, he would hope for her that the only real evil that she would ever come close to experiencing would be that of the empty chair that was closest to the window. The chair that was kept neatly dusted with all the combs, brushes and other styling equipment still in their proper places. The chair that belonged to her, ‘le petit coiffeur’ remained empty and unused since the day of her death.

Clive told Ilsie all about her, ‘le petit coiffeur’, and of the events of the day she died, Ilsie just could not comprehend the evil ways of men and why she was murdered. She cries always when her name, or that of her ‘Legionnaire’, would ever be brought up in conversation.

Clive though would always see Ilsie as the new breath of fresh air that was needed in the salon, it would never though ever replace that of ‘le petit coiffeur’, but her presence seemed to help ease the pain.

It was now the earliest part of the afternoon and Clive had sent Ilsie down to the small bakery two streets up from the salon to get some fresh bread and croissants for their afternoon tea and coffee break. There was free hour or so before the afternoon clientele were to arrive. Clive sat in his chair reading the newspaper as he always did, Cosette, Miriam and Bricey were finishing cleaning up their stations from their last clients. They were looking forward to their break and to the fresh breads that Clive was buying for them all. All were working in silence, and the silence was then broken by the sound of the bell that would ring whenever the main door would open. Clive folded down his newspaper in order to see over it, there he saw Ilsie with the box of bread and croissants. Clive immediately noticed though that she did not have her ever present smile on her face as she came in. She quickly walked to the table in the back of the salon where they all gathered for their breaks. She placed the box of breads on the table then turned and just as quickly walked to the large open window in the front of the salon.

“Is there anything wrong Ilsie?” Clive asked her. When he did everyone else then placed their attention upon her.

She looked out the window and then stepped back from it. “Oh, I do not know.” She answered with some uneasiness, “It is just that … well … there is this man outside.”

“What about him my dear?” Clive asked with concern.

“Oh, I do not know … maybe it is just my imagination but I first saw him out there this morning.” She answered, and then turned to look out the window again. She then turned back to Clive and took another step away from the window. “And … well a couple of times this morning, while I was sweeping the floor, I saw him again outside, only in different places across the street.”

Cosette then stepped up to the young girl and asked, “So is this man doing anything wrong? Did he approach you while you were outside or something?”

“No, no he did not.” The girl answered now wide eyed, “It is just that when I left, I looked around and I did not see him, but when I came back there he was again.”

“Where?” Asked Cosette.

“Right there, outside, right across the street.” She answered, now showing a little fear.

Cosette then stepped up to the window and looked out, there were a few men slowly walking in both directions on the sidewalk. “Where is he?” She asked the girl.

Ilsie then timidly came up next to her and looked out, the men who were walking in both directions were gone and standing there was a large man in a black leather jacket, black t-shirt and blue jeans. Ilsie pointed at him and said excitedly, “There, right there, see? Directly across standing there, see?”

Cosette looked at the man; he was standing there with his head down, looking to the sidewalk and his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans. Nothing particularly noticeable at first … but then … something she saw in him made her freeze in her motions. There was something about the man across the street that became intensely familiar to her. She looked directly at him … and then … the man raised his head up and saw her looking at him from the window. She then made direct eye contact with the man and when she did … she felt her blood stop flowing. Cosette then began to breathe in short quick breaths, her lips began to quiver and her eyes opened very wide. She then managed to whisper … ever so very quietly, “Logan?”

The man across the street had been able to read her lips. He gave a gentle nod of his head ‘yes’ with closed eyes and a minor wave of his hand.

Cosette then brought her hands to her mouth and managed to once again say, this time in a normal tone and volume, “Logan?” She stepped backwards from the window, placed her hands on her knees and while still looking out the window she screamed, “LOGAN!! … OH!! … OH MY GOD!!!” She turned to the others now pointing out the window while she continued screaming, “CLIVE!! … MIRIAM!!! … OH MY GOD!!! … LOGAN!!! … IT IS LOGAN!!! … BRICEY!!! … IT IS LOGAN!!!”
 

The three others then stood up from their chairs and quickly made their way to the window. Cosette however bolted past them in the other direction, making her way to the main door. When they all came to the window, they looked at the man across the street, it was indeed there long departed friend and he gave then a half hearted wave. Just then he jumped, because he was startled as the main door was thrown open and he and everyone else on the street heard as Cosette began blaring with an ear piercing shriek, “LOGAN!!! … OH MY GOD!!! … LOGAN!!!” It was quickly followed by the sound of her loud sobs. Cosette then began to run towards him and Logan had to quickly step out into the street to stop the traffic so that Cosette would not get hurt. She blindly ran to him, still screaming and crying. She would stop and jump up and down on her feet and pound her fists into her legs. “LOGAN!!! … OH … LOGAN!!!”
 

She then ran up to him, she jumped up into his arms and he lifted her off the pavement. She buried her face onto his neck and sobbed uncontrollably. She then lifted her head up and looked at him directly in the face and cried aloud, “EST IL VOUS?! IL IL VRAIMENT VOUS?!” (IS IT YOU?! IS IT REALLY YOU?!). He nodded ‘yes’ to her and then she began kissing his face all over. She then once again buried her face on his shoulder, moaning loudly as she continued to cry loudly. Then suddenly she raised her head up again, released his neck and began pounding her fists onto his shoulders screaming, “LÀ OÙ AYEZ-VOUS ÉTÉ?! LÀ OÙ AYEZ-VOUS ÉTÉ?!” (WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!). She then embraced his neck again and continued her loud, uncontrolled sobbing.

Logan stood there, holding and comforting her in the middle of the street, “It’s all right Cosette.” He whispered into her ear, “It’s all right. I am sorry, I am so very sorry. Please, forgive me.” He looked around and he saw that he and the woman in his arms crying uncontrollably were now drawing quite a lot of attention by not only those who were stopped in their vehicles, but also by the onlookers on the sidewalks. He then looked over to the salon to see Clive, Miriam, Bricey and the young girl that he saw entering the salon a few moments ago. They were all now standing on the sidewalk at the foot of the steps, tears in their eyes; Clive was motioning him towards them. Logan then gently carried Cosette as he walked over to his old friends to greet them.

As he reached them, they then all gathered around him trying somehow to embrace him. It was impossibility at the moment because Cosette still had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, all the time moaning raucously with her face buried onto his chest. He then carried her up the three steps that led into the salon, all the time with the others surrounding him. Once inside he saw the bench that was for where the patrons were to wait, he sat down and made it so that Cosette was now sitting on his lap, still with her embrace around his neck. He then returned her embrace and slowly began to rock her back and forth, as if she were a little girl. “Shh, don’t cry, it’s okay … it’s okay.” Clive then sat down to his right and Miriam to the other side. Clive put him arm around his should and hugged Logan the best he could, while Miriam did the same from his other side. She also stroked Cosette head as she continued to cry. Bricey knelt down in front of them all and took Logan by the hand.

 

Cosette continued to cry for ten more minutes, then Logan said to her, “Come now Cosette, put yourself together dear, if you don’t, then Miriam will think there’s something going on between us.”

 

Cosette then started to laugh and raised her head to look at him. Bricey stood up, got her a box of tissues, and handed them to her. She then wiped her tears and cleared her nose. “I am sorry, seeing you standing there … I was not at all expecting that. Oh, it is so good to see you Logan. I … we … we have all missed you so terribly. Where have you been?”

“I was back in America.” He answered.

Clive then asked, “So … you went back home then my boy?”

“No, I didn’t go back home. It turns out that I was going away from it when I left here.” He looked at them and said, “This is my home.”

“When did you get back my boy?”

“A little over three weeks ago.”

Cosette then said somewhat angrily, “Three weeks? Why did not you come see us right away?”

He patted her on the back while still rocking her, “I had to do some business sweetie. I have staying at the hotel at the village where … where Lily and I used to live.”

Miriam then asked, “What were you doing there all this time?”

Logan smiled at her and answered, “I have made a deal with the family that lives in my former house. I have arranged for me to buy it back. I bought my old house back. ‘Chalet de Lily’ belongs to me again.”

The news that he gave to them brought about a controlled cheer. Bricey asked, “Does this mean that you have moved back here Logan?”

“Yes, it does.”

“For good?”

“Yes, for good. I’m never going to leave here again.”

Clive asked, “How did this all come about?”

Logan sighed and answered, “I guess it was a long time coming. I was working for the Bank of Paris branch in America. Over the past month or so, something just overcame me, and I wanted to just come home. So … I just up … and did it. I came home. I just left there … out of the blue. I believe I may have angered a lot of people there.”

Miriam then said, “Well then, their loss is our gain.” She then embraced Logan and kissed him on the face, “Welcome home Logan, welcome not only back to your home, but back to you friends … your family.”

The five of them then engaged in a large group hug, Clive then stood, he was obviously overwhelmed with elation, “Here, here indeed. We must have a celebration, a celebration with everybody. Bricey my boy, go phone Giselle and Claude, we must all have feast and drink! Our Sir Logan has returned to us! Yes indeed, a celebration is in order here!”

Bricey stood and went to the phone while Clive and Miriam also stood. Logan looked down to Cosette and asked, “You okay now sweetie?” She nodded ‘yes’ back to him and he helped her back to her feet. He stood and placed his hands on her shoulders and said to her, “You have given me a homecoming that I shall never forget.” He then looked over her shoulder, and saw the empty chair by the main window.

He then stepped over to the chair, placed his hands on the back of it and swallowed hard. He felt the tears come to his eyes. He looked down to the seat of the chair as he caressed the leather in his hands. He looked to the workstation, all combs, brushes, curling irons and hair dryer neatly in place, as if she were just about to come back from the bakery, or begin to work on her next client. On the mirror were pictures of her with the rest of the group of the salon. In addition, on the workstation next to the sink was a picture of Lily with her arms around the waist of Clive, her head resting on his massive chest and he returning her embrace, both smiling so happily. Logan then felt a hand come on his shoulder, it was Clive, “I have kept it this way since she was taken from us my boy. I just could not have anyone come and take her station. She was as dear to me as if she were my own daughter.”

Logan then swallowed hard, “I know that Clive.”

“I still have everything that belonged to the both of you, still, in storage.”

“Really, you’re kidding.”

“No my boy,” Clive said, he too finding it a bit difficult to swallow, “I could not part with any of it, besides I knew, I just knew that this day would come. When you would return home to us.” Clive then embraced Logan and hugged him firmly, “Welcome home my boy, and you have no idea how overjoyed I am, right now at this moment.” Just then, both men heard the sound of someone behind them clearing their throat. It was Ilsie. “Oh my boy, I want to introduce you to Ilsie, she has been with us now for over a year.”

“A year and a half.” Ilsie corrected, “I am so happy to meet you. I feel as if I know you already. Everyone here has told me so many stories about Lily and her Legionnaire.”

Logan extended his hand to her, “It is my pleasure to meet you. You will be joining us won’t you?”

Clive answered for her, “Of course my boy, I said everyone is to attend and that is the way it shall be. It may have been a long period of time but I am still queen and matriarch of our little entourage, and when I call for a celebration, well, I shall not take ‘no’ for an answer from anyone.” He then turned to Bricey who was on the phone, “Bricey, I am just too overjoyed to be bothered with anyone, let us call the clients for the rest of the day and tell them what is happening and who it is that has come home. Tell them to join us. Do you hear me all? Let us postpone the rest of the afternoon and begin the celebration now.”

Bricey then said, “All right, I have Giselle on the phone now, prepare yourself Logan, if you thought Cosette was hysterical just wait until she gets here. Listen.” He then held up the phone and all in the salon could hear the wailing screams of joy from Giselle. Bricey then spoke to her on the phone, “Yes, he is here, right now, right at this moment. Clive has told us to postpone the rest of the afternoon. Yes, he will be here, just get here, good-bye”. He then hung up the phone. He looked at Logan and said, “Like I said, prepare yourself, she is on her way. She said that she was going to scream that ‘her hero has come home’ all the way here.”

Logan then smiled and walked back over to the bench, he then sat down, placed his hands on his knees, dropped his head down and then began himself to cry uncontrollably.

* * *

In the meantime across the city of Paris, in the offices of the French National Police, Organized Crime and Narcotics Detachment, Captain Jean-Luc Pontius arrived late to his desk. He began with his usual routine of looking over the latest files, alerts and bulletins. There was a knock at the door, “Come in.,” he answered, never looking up from the papers in front of him.

It was his secretary and receptionist, “Here is the morning mail Jean-Luc.”

“Thank you Zoë.” He answered cordially and she then left the room. He then proceeded to finish his morning reports, when he did he stacked them neatly together and then placed them to one side. He picked up the morning mail and began to thumb through the envelopes quickly when something out of place caught his eye. One of the letters had postage stamps from the United States. It was addressed to him and in English, stamped in red ink, was the words ‘PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL’. He opened it and saw that it was type written in English on plain typing paper, it was from a Lieutenant David Todd of the Chicago Police Department. Jean-Luc thought nothing of the letter at first, until he saw the SUBJECT line. It managed to get his complete attention. For it read,

SUBJECT: Mr. Logan I. Morrow