Mélanie Mercier née Markowitz (8)

Mélanie starts to fight

Jean Michel Jakobowicz, UN

The following days were surprisingly euphoric. Of course Melanie couldn’t help thinking about David, but everything else seemed to be going well. It was as if there was one weight less off her shoulders.

The best moment had surely been the first meeting with her whole team. They all felt a bit guilty to have let her down in such a cowardly way during her period of disfavour. In just a few words she had put them at ease. However, when Radronovi entered the room, she adopted the most serious tone possible and said.

– Good morning, Mr. Radronovi! To what do we owe this pleasure? – I’ve come for the meeting, Radronovi answered, quite surprised by this question. – It doesn’t seem to me that you were invited, answered Melanie. Furthermore, I am quite surprised that you are still among us; I was under the impression that you had been transferred to the Stock Management team down in the basement! A few laughs could be heard in the room.

Radronovi got up, his face flushed and left the room. Some people heard him saying under his breath something like "B… you will pay for this!"

The meeting went very well. Everyone agreed that economic growth was going to be a total disaster. The world economy was heading towards a monstrous recession and the small positive signs there were, in particular in the US, were mainly due to the forthcoming presidential election. This shudder wouldn’t last and crisis was inevitable. Obviously these conclusions were counter to what other institutions had written. Melanie knew it, but she was absolutely convinced that she was right. Until now her "economic intuition" had never let her down.

At the end of the week her kids were supposed to come back home, accompanied by their grand- dad. Melanie was impatient to see her little ones again. Jérôme, her ex-husband, had called her twice during the week to ask how they were. He asked all sorts of other questions which in fact Melanie appreciated. The dreadful period that followed their divorce seemed to be over. Jérôme seemed much more relaxed. He seemed to be interested in them without being intrusive.

On Wednesday, Melanie had lunch with Julia Thornbird, her colleague the translator. She seemed quite depressed. They spoke at length about David and about what had happened. Melanie was repeating constantly that it was her who had sent him to his death. Julia was desperately trying to convince her of the contrary. However, in spite of Julia’s efforts, Melanie was convinced that she thought that everything was her fault. By the time they had finished their lunch Melanie was in pieces. During the afternoon she began to feel much better. Even if it were true what Julia implied, Melanie knew that she was going to do everything possible to find David’s killers. And from now on she was no longer alone.

On Thursday, she tried to avoid Julia Thornbird at the cafeteria, but Julia saw her and came immediately to her table.

– Why are you wearing sunglasses inside, asked Melanie? – I have terrible conjunctivitis, answered Julia.

Julia spoke constantly about David throughout the whole meal as if she wanted to rub salt in the wound. At one point Melanie almost told her what the plan was to find his killers, but she didn’t, because its success depended mainly on how well the secret could be kept. When she was about to take leave of her friend, Melanie discovered while leaning over to pick up her bag that behind her dark glasses Julia was hiding a huge black eye, not conjunctivitis. Melanie didn’t dare say anything.

Thursday afternoon a message was waiting for her in her e-mail inbox. It was again from friend42312@hotmail.com. The message was relatively brief. "We know that your children are coming back tomorrow. You can be certain that you won’t see them again."

Melanie couldn’t stop herself from shivering. Her hands were trembling when she dialled the number she had been given. It was only when she heard Sasaka’s voice that she began to recover. – He has sent another message, she said with difficulty.
– At last! said Sasaka, I was starting to despair. So you must do exactly as you were told the other night. Don’t worry I’ll handle the rest.

Despite Sasaka’s confidence, Melanie didn’t feel reassured. She dialled her parents’number. – Hello, said her mother and without letting Melanie get a word in edgeways she added in the same breath, I don’t understand what you give your kids to eat. Here they gobble up everything, whereas when they at home they eat almost nothing. It’s not surprising given the kind of life you lead… – Mum, cut in Melanie totally exasperated. Can I speak to dad please ?
– Typical, as soon as I start to say the truth you turn to your father… – Mum please… it’s urgent. Melanie heard her mother say.
– Léon, your daughter wants to speak to you. When her father came to the phone, Melanie just said a few words and then hung up.

A three-storey house on 87th Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenue

Erwin Mülbach was on the phone.

– The operation will start as planned next Wednesday in Tokyo.
–…

– On my side everything is under control, he then added.
–…

– I know, said Mülbach exasperated. Those are only small mistakes that will not happen again. The figures will say what we want them to say, don’t worry about that. We have some very good arguments in order to succeed.