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A week later...
I changed into a pair of brown riding trousers that I found in a dresser. I hopped on my bike and rode through wide and cramped gray stoned roads. It was such an interesting feeling to still be in Paris, and yet feel free! There were no reporters to bug me. No detective to intimidate me. And hopefully no bad people to find me. I occasionally stopped to study, so I could soak in my intriguing new surroundings. I rode at times over organic matter like moss, rotten food, poop, and bones. And also I rode by inorganic matter like old plaster walls, broken and unbroken bottles, books and newspapers. Exploration has been a fascination of mine, even when there were decay.
After I rode for half an hour I stopped for a rest. I opened a secret compartment of my jacket, and pull out a wrinkled newspaper.
The newspaper heading read:
Still No Concrete Clues in Madame Charlton's Mysterious Disappearance
I glanced down at her picture. Then I kept on reading.
"After a week later the authorities have no concrete clues of Madame Charlton whereabouts. The heir to the Le Charlton Hotels has not been seen since her disappearance. Her assistant Mr. Edwards, along with her personal chef, the maid, and Miss Jones were all found unconscious on the library floor by a hotel worker.
What did those people wanted from her? How come they knocked us unconscious when they kidnapped her? Is not like we were going to do a kung fu fighting or something like that.
"After days of interrogations with police Miss Jones remembered that the two masked men smelled musky. She said that the masked men didn't need to take Madame Charlton by force, since she willingly went along with them. Although the surveillance inside the suite supported the story of the masked men. There where no recorded videos whatsoever of them leaving the hotel."
There was a picture of Mr. Edwards, the chef, and maid.
"Mr.Edwards had been working for Madame Charlton's as her traveling companion and assistance for 20 years. He never had to encounter this kind of situation before."
The maid had been known as a petty thief in the city of New York and New Jersey. She wanted to get the code of Madame Charlton's safe.
The chef couldn't remember details of the incident because he developed some memory problems. He did noticed a bright light before he past out on the ground.
There was an awful picture of me wearing my retainers. Well, I couldn't help it! The reporters came knocking on my door early in the morning.
I continued reading the paper.
"Miss Jones said that after she had left the suite that she had realized that she had left her camera behind. So she went back to the suite to look for it.
When she was about to knock on the door of the suite she realized that it was left slightly opened. She heard noises and people talking very load from one of the rooms. She quietly walked towards the library where she saw Madame Charlton, Mr. Edwards, and the chef being held at gun point by the maid, whom Miss Jones had met earlier.
Then a few minutes later Miss Jones said that the elevator door opened and that was when the maid told Madame Charlton to get into the elevator. Then Miss Jones heard a man's voice say to the maid to give him Madame Charlton. The maid didn't want to dropped her gun to the ground. At that moment Mr. Edwards and the chef took the gun away from the maid. Miss Jones said that she ran inside the room to the get Madame Charlton away to a safer place. But then she saw Madame Charlton get into the elevator, she ran to try to rescue her, then she said that she might have blackout because she didn't remember anything after that. Later Miss Jones was awoken by the police.
The police and detectives are still puzzled by the whole elevator incident. According to an elevator expert, the elevator have been working fine for the past 70 years. But since the events that occurred that day the elevator had stopped working."
Then I continued reading.
"Recently Investigators found a couple of interesting items on the scene. There was a peacock shaped insignia that was found inside the elevator.
There was a photographed of a peacock shaped jewelry. I looked closely at the picture.
"How many of these are out there?"
They also found a pair of an old spectacle laying on the floor near a bookcase. The spectacle seem to work like a night vision. Although the spectacle was about 100 years old, it had been reconfigured with new technology. The spectacle had been taken in for fingerprints.
There have been speculations that Madame Charlton may have been kidnapped by a sophisticated international group seeking perhaps her fortune. But, still there have been no ransom money requested at this time."
I folded the newspaper and put it back in my secret pocket. In another pocket I took out a small laced bag. In it I had a peacock shape insignia. I always wondered where my auntie got this from. She had gifted it to me after my graduation. Maybe it was something that was on style around the time when she was young. It was interesting that it was the exact same design of the other peacock.
Then I thought about both my auntie Sally and uncle James. "I really missed you guys!"I said as I thought of the family I left behind. "I wondered how they are managing without me?" I whispered. "If I could just let them know that I am o.k. And that I am enjoying living in old Paris and this whatever you call this, scary, crazy adventure ride of my life!" I hope my uncle is still taking care of his blood pressure. I hope that my auntie and him are still enjoying their walks in Central Park.
This had been the strangest apprenticeship ever to say the least. I wondered if Madame Charlton ever going to come back and teach me a few things. What I don't get is how come the kidnappers took her from modern New York to old Paris? What was it about old Paris that they wanted to come here for? It is so the turn of century, old fashion kind of place. Nothing much to show here except for a few technological discoveries and a lot of art and sculptures, musicians, and dancing shows. It's interesting that in both places people are trying to locate her. And in both places I happened to be involved! This case is definitely going down in history!
It was already late at night. So I emerged from my cocoon to check out the city life. I approached the hotel but still keeping a safe distance.
I was going to meet Juliet at the Hotel. She had something to give to me.
"Victoria, it so nice to see you again!"
"How great to see you mon ami!"
"Victoria I have a few lamps for you!"
"Thank you Juliet! I can't wait to show you the place."
I was able to manage to put the pair of lamps inside the basket of my bike. Once awhile the manager asked the staff to throw away stuff that they find is no longer needed in the hotel. I was only allowed to do some of my scavenging hunt at night. I couldn't wait to finish adding the last touches to my new Victoria Lee Jones Café Society and to finally have my staff and customers over! It's going to be a bit tricky to go to my new home and café place. Only those that receive a personal invitation know where it is. But that is the intriguing part of having your own café deep down in the heart of Paris, yes, and right in the middle of the catacombs! Thanks to the my friends in high places I could offer this amazing and unique experience! 👢
To purchase my artwork and my latest vintage and retro finds. Please visit Victoria Lee Jones Etsy Shop at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/VictoriaLeeJones.
Picture: Getty Images
