A Suspicious Couple. (standard:mystery, 3025 words)
Author: meg malpas	Added: Jan 26 2009	Views/Reads: 4188/2336	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
On a short trip from various parts of the U.K.to Paris people start to loose money and travellers cheques. As they cross the english channel on a ferry and as their coach speeds through the french countryside two people start to engratiate themselves with

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picked up my book and tried to read. Neither my book nor her CD player 
got our full attention, as the scenery was so beautiful on that May 
afternoon and Julia interrupted me with; "Wow have you seen this 
beautiful scenery?" and similar gasps as we sped through Northern 
France. 

Our two drivers took turns to either drive or give us regular commentary
on the places we were passing and every couple of hours they came round 
with tea, coffee and soft drinks. The trip had the option to spend two 
of the four days in Euro-Disney and that meant there were families with 
young children on board.  Occasionally a little one would roam up and 
down the aisle as the coach sped down these major roads.  This brought 
out the worrying parent in me and as I watch a child return to the back 
of the coach I caught site of "Nicole" sitting with an elderly lady and 
chatting across the aisle to another young couple.  "Phil" seemed quite 
content to sit behind and await her return. My mind began to build a 
picture as I often did when people-watching.  I imagined Phil in some 
sort of manual work.  Maybe not a builder as he did not have the tanned 
skin of an outdoor worker.  He could be an electrician or a plumber.  
She, however, was more a people person; maybe a social worker or she 
may be a Personnel Manager. This picture I was building of this couple 
was interrupted by the voice of the driver as he explain that we were 
arriving soon in the outskirts of Paris were our hotel was situated. 
"Everyone wanting to go on the "Paris-by- Night Tour" he called "Should 
book in quickly and be back on the coach in one hour." 

Julia and I hurried to check in and take our luggage to our room on the
second floor.  We barely had time to freshen up before we were off on 
the coach again and circling round the Arc de Triumph. As we arrived at 
the Louver Art Gallery the coach stopped and we were given time to jump 
down and take photos.  When I skimmed through my digital pictures back 
on the coach I realised I had "Nicole" in shot as I tried to get a long 
view down to the Champs Elise.  Her slim, tall figure in the 
distinctive red top was so easily picked out as she bent close to an 
elderly couple and chatted. Our driver-couriers then left us in the 
Place de la Concorde and gave us two hours to explore before our return 
journey at 9pm to the hotel. Julia and I set off to find a restaurant 
for dinner and on the Rue de Napoleon we sat in the window of a quiet 
restaurant and watched the Paris nightlife go by.  We ate large plates 
full of chicken salad and followed them down with our favourite ice 
cream and cool still water. Julia was practising her French as she had 
in the hotel and she was quite good.  My French is so rusty that I left 
her to it.  By the time I heard her ask for; "L'addition si vue plais" 
the small, chubby waiter was smiling broadly and asked me if he could 
keep her in full payment for the bill. 

Next morning we were up early for our pre-booked half day "Site seeing"
tour of Paris including the trip down the River Seine.  This we were 
really looking forward to however, the Parisians insist that you hire a 
french tour guide who comes onto your coach and takes over the 
microphone.  From our position half way down the coach we understood 
only about a handful of sentences.  So, when they parked the coach and 
we were to follow the French guide up the steps of Notre Dame Cathedral 
we instead escaped to a nearby café.. After eating fresh French bread 
filled with cheese and various cold meats we opted for ice cream in 
cones so that we could wonder the many street stalls as we ate. As we 
left the café I could see the distinctive red of "Nicole's long 
cardigan, a similar red to yesterdays sweater, still following the 
guide who held aloft a rolled-up yellow umbrella to be followed.  The 
group were trying to descend the steps of Notre Dame through the many 
street-sellers who jangled rosary beads in their faces and shook snow 
domes of the cathedral in front of them to block your escape path. Once 
again "Nicole" chatted to other members of the party and "Phil" seemed 
happy to follow close behind them.  Not a great socialiser I presumed 
or maybe just grown used to her chatting to everyone. 

That afternoon, after the boat trip we headed for the nearest Metro
Underground Station and took the train to the Eiffel Tower were we did 
the tourist thing of standing underneath, looking up and turning round. 
 Some people were doing this barefoot.  This we didn't understand. As 
the sellers were not so pushy here Julia bought a lovely pencil drawing 
of the tower and surrounding area, then we returned to the train. "Now 
for the Palace de Versailles." said Julie as we confidently stepped on 
to what we thought was the correct train. Five trains later and having 
crossed the river three times we arrived in Versaille and took the 
little bus to the palace.  The enormity of the place and the huge 
cobbled courtyard has to be seen to be believed and we returned very 
tired to our hotel. In the reception we could hear the raised voices of 
two ladies that I recognised from our coach and from the broken French 
I understood they had been robbed.  It sounded like a "pick-pocket" had 
taken all the cash from one of the ladies' handbag. The receptionist 
seemed to be making out enough English and French to fill out his form 
and the lift had arrived so we ascended to our room. 

We had been on our feet most of the day so, after a freshen up, we
decided we were too tired to go back into Paris and opted for a local 
Italian restaurant at the end of the road for dinner.  It did not 
disappoint with a tasty Carbanara and it was as we returned to our room 
that we first spoke to my intriguing couple. They were letting 
themselves into a room along the same corridor as ours and "Nicole" 
asked if we had a enjoyed our day.  It was easy to see why she was 
always chatting to someone. "Where did you end up?" she asked with 
obvious interest. We went to the Palace of Versaille" I replied. "So 
did we!" she replied. "It really blew me away," I said to both of them 
"the size was much bigger than I was expecting and the gardens were 
amazing. "Yes" she replied "You would really need a week to have a good 
look around. "Well it tired us out so we just had dinner at the Italian 
on the corner.  It was very good. Have you eaten yet?" "No." again it 
was Nicole who spoke  "Maybe we will try it." Phil just smiled. 

As we ate our included, continental breakfast in the hotel restaurant
the following morning a hushed argument at the next table concluded 
with the father of the family telling his son it was his own fault for 
not looking after his money. "Just because they are Euros doesn't mean 
you can leave your wallet lying around." He snapped at the embarrassed 
teenager as people began to arrive and take their places at the 
scattered tables. "I didn't." he retaliated. "It was definitely in my 
pocket." We finished our breakfast and made our way into the lounge to 
watch for our coach that would take us into Paris for a "Day at 
Leisure". Some of our group where gathering on the pavement outside the 
window.  True to form Nicole was chatting to a small, thin elderly lady 
and bending to make eye contact beneath the ladies large, bright red 
sun hat.  As Nicole related, what seemed to be a very funny story, she 
tapped the lady on the arm in a friendly manner.  Phil as usual was 
tucked in behind the elderly lady and smiled at them both. 

Minutes later Phil walked into the lounge and sat on an adjacent settee
to Julia and myself.  I seized the moment with, "Did you enjoy the 
Summer Fruit Pudding?" and explained with "We were sat on the next 
table on the ferry.  It looked delicious." "Er yes" he began, caught 
off his guard, then "It could have used a little more sugar." "Oh 
really," I answered, "I said to myself I bet they don't have four 
children to run around after." "No I don't have any children. But what 
made you so sure." He asked. "Well all those fruits have to be digested 
slowly and most parents will find that just as you start to eat it one 
of the little ones will want to go exploring the ferry.  Another will 
want to go to the bathroom and another will spill something."  I 
finished. "That all sounds familiar." Agreed Nicole who had walked in 
and sat down beside him. "My two would want to be off  before you got 
the spoon into it." "Sandy has children from her first partner." Phil 
was quick to add. Just then the Driver put his head round the door and 
shouted, "All aboard."  And we all walked out into the sunshine. 

Our plan for today was to visit the Louvre Art Gallery to see the Mona
Lisa and many other works of art.  Julia was also studying GCSE Art and 
wanted to see as much as possible.  As we entered the Gallery's 
ostentatious glass dome entrance we descended the circular staircase to 
have our bags searched and then on to follow our internet map to find 
the Italian Exhibition. The Mona Lisa was a lot smaller than we 
expected and constantly surrounded by flash photography.  Julia tried 
to get a photo over the heads and we later scanned the camera to find 
the back of a head in every one. We then headed for a café in the 
Louvre gardens and after a light lunch we indulged in rather too much 
retail therapy. After a lovely dinner in another amazing restaurant we 
returned to the hotel to over-hear the family of that morning's 
argument consoling another family.  The second family had lost some 
traveller's cheques and didn't speak much French as they tried to 
explain to the hotel staff. "Don't worry" Julia steered me to the lift. 
"I'm sure the hotel can handle it."  She didn't like getting involved 
in any scene. 

The last day of our trip came too soon and our coach collected us soon
after breakfast to allow time to stop at a cash and carry on the way 
back were we bought some French wine and Belgian chocolates.  As we 
left the large warehouse people were wandering around in the warm air 
stretching their legs and the elderly lady with the large bright red 
sun hat came up behind us and linked my arm.  She smiled at Julia and 
asked, "Did you enjoy Paris?" "Oh yes" she enthused,"Especially the 
Loure.  Though I thought the Mona Lisa would have been bigger." 
"Everyone says that." She laughed.  "I was going to get some Belgian 
chocolates.  I thought I had another travellers cheque left but I must 
have spent too much yesterday. "We always spend more than we think." I 
consoled and we all shared our bag of chocolates as we returned to the 
coach. On the drive down to the ferry we started to gather our leftover 
French coins to make a tip for the driver. "I was sure I had a ten Euro 
note left" Julia rummaged in her bag, "but I can't find it." As Julia 
and I enjoyed a sandwich in the ferry restaurant I told her about the 
pattern of missing money and my suspicions about the couple. "Do you 
think I should tell someone?" I finished. "Well they are only 
suspicions and it's not like they stole the Mona Lisa." She dismissed 
the idea with "Do you really want to get involved?" As we neared Dover 
everyone made their way back to join his or her cars or coaches.  Then 
we disembarked and our coach pulled in for passport checks.  Two burly 
Police Officers boarded our coach and made their way to the back. 
Someone else must have suspected them as well, I thought, as the first 
officer approached Nicole. "Did you have a good journey Sandy?" he 
asked. "Not bad." She replied, "She is all yours now." and I turned to 
see the tiny elderly lady with the big red sun-hat being lead down the 
coach in hand cuffs by a Phil Collins look-alike. 

WORD COUNT    3,026 1 

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