Mélanie Mercier, née Markowitz (16)

Second “suicide”?

Jean Michel Jakobowicz, UNOG

The children of Mélanie Mercier, née Markowitz, were abducted by a stranger. One of her friends was killed. On the other side of the world, a man who was nearly ruined by Mélanie’s study has decided to take his revenge. (You can find the previous episodes of Mélanie on the UN Special Web site, http://www.unspecial.org. )

It was very hot in the back of the shop, which smelled strongly of dried fish. But despite all that, Mr. Liu was quite happy to have found such a refuge with an unknown address. After the suicide – assassination – of his friend Erwin Müllbach in Geneva, Mr. Liu had realized that his life was in danger. He had taken refuge at the home of this distant cousin who lived in the Chinese city of Singapore. At least here would come look for him. Who could be behind this murder? One of the many retirees who had lost everything in the pension fund debacle! Or else John Gardiner, who had directed the entire affair from New York. No matter. The important thing now was to save his own life.

Mr. Liu drank his fifth glass of hot water of the day. Tomorrow he would cross the border into Malaysia. In Kuantan he owned a villa that no one knew existed. There, he could wait much more comfortably until things settled down. His thoughts were at the villa when a slight noise made him jump up. He saw the face of his cousin appear at the door.

— “What is happening?” Mr. Liu asked him. — “Nothing !” said his cousin in a strangely feverish voice.

Mr. Liu realized immediately that something abnormal was afoot. He leapt for the trap door that allowed him to escape in case of danger. He had hardly taken three steps when the door at the back of the shop flung open brutally. His cousin was thrown through the room by a large pale man.

Geneva, 3: 00 p.m.

Jérôme, Mélanie’s ex-husband, drove a 4X4 while singing. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had foreseen. Soon the affair would be settled.

Sainte-Lucie, 9: 15 a.m.

John Gardiner was eating his breakfast on the terrace when he was brought the Singapore newspaper. Without hurrying he finished his strong espresso. Then he opened the newspaper. The front page showed the photo of Mr. Liu with the headline, “Ruined Liu Meets his Maker.” Mr. John Gardiner smiled with satisfaction.

Geneva, 9: 30 a.m.

Mélanie was in the middle of drying her hair that she had just washed. Here it was five days since her children had disappeared. Five sleepless nights filled with the same question: “Why! Why! Why me!” The question rang in her head without cease, and never, never did she have an answer. The evening before, after several days of silence, her ex-husband Jérôme had called. Mélanie had recounted to him what had transpired. He had remained surprisingly calm. Mélanie could not help but admire him. She had told him everything, from the organized decoy kidnapping by the police to the real kidnapping of a few days ago. His only response was to say:

— “I know. It is really too stupid that you didn’t trust me. We would not be in this situation right now.” — “Your friends,” Mélanie had asked, “Perhaps they could help us?” — “Perhaps,” Jérôme had responded laconically. Then without saying anything else he had hung up.

Mélanie was totally desperate. While she was drinking her morning coffee, the doorbell rang. She rushed to open it. In front of her, the postman held out a small package. She signed the receipt and closed the door. Without waiting she rushed into the kitchen where she picked up a knife. Nervously she cut the string that wrapped the package and feverishly opened it. When she saw what was inside, she immediately fainted.

Geneva, General Hospital, 3: 30 p.m.

In the emergency room hallway Mélanie’s father paces back and forth. His wife is sitting and seems perfectly calm. Next to her inspector Z.

— “Stop pacing like a lion in a cage,” said Mélanie’s mother. “You know quite well that it accomplishes nothing.” — “But why?’ said Mélanie’s father for the hundredth time. “Why?” — “If we knew that,” responded the inspector, “we would have already solved a major part of the riddle. I wonder,” added the inspector with a pensive expression, “what this message could mean. A lock of children’s hair without a word of explanation.” — “It is psychological war,” said Mélanie’s mother quietly. — “What war?” asked her husband. — “Psychological war,” repeated Mrs. Markowitz. “A war of nerves. Look at the state our daughter is in now. That is exactly what they were trying to do to her.” — “I don’t understand any of this,” Mr. Markowitz said. — “It is quite simple,” said his wife. “They want to push her over the edge.” — “Bur why ! Why would they want to push her over the edge?” asked her husband. — “That I have no idea,” said Mrs. Markowitz. “But what is necessary above all is that we don’t let them do it !”