French Gangsters
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The door was locked. I had to knock a few times before the lock clicked and the door opened. It was an old woman, dressed in a black dress, wearing a black veil. She was quite ugly, with a thin face, wispy hair, and big, dark eyes that looked at me with suspicion. “I am Madame Levasseur,” she said, with a strong French accent.
“I’m looking for Jean-Claude and Yvonne.”
“Jean-Claude is dead,” she said. “Yvonne is in her room upstairs.”
She led me up a narrow staircase. The walls were covered with old black and white photographs of a time long gone by. “You’re lucky to have found us here,” she said. “We’ve been trying to get away from the police for many years now.”
“I can see that.”
“There’s a big gang war going on right now. They’ve killed so many people already.”
“How many?”
“A lot. So many that the newspapers haven’t even bothered to write about it. It’s just another gang war. But they don’t bother with small gangs like us. They want to wipe us out completely.”
“And you are?”
“Just some old lady who was once married to Jean-Claude.”
“Was he involved in this gang war?”
“He was once, but now he’s gone. We are safe here.”
“What do you know about Jean-Claude’s death?”
“Nothing. I never saw him again after he left us.”
“Do you know where Yvonne is?”
“Not exactly. She hasn’t been home since the funeral. Probably she’s gone back to her apartment.”
“It’s important that I find her.”
“If you have to ask, then you’ll never find her.”
“You’re not helping me.”
“Sorry, but I’ve got to go now. This is the only place we can be sure of being safe.”
“Thanks for your help.”
“Don’t mention it. Now get out of here.”
I took my leave and walked down the street. I had no idea where to go next. I thought about the photograph in Madame Levasseur’s house. There was a picture of Jean-Claude, Yvonne, and a girl who looked quite young. I had no idea who the girl might be. Maybe she was a relative?
I thought about what Madame Levasseur had said. The gang war had started because Jean-Claude had killed someone. Could it have been me? I couldn’t remember anything about that night. All I remembered was a strange voice coming from the shadows. I didn’t even know if it was a man or a woman.
The gang war had been going on for over ten years. It seemed strange that it would suddenly end. What did Jean-Claude have to do with the gangs? I walked past the first two buildings before I finally found the third one. It was an old building, covered in ivy. The door was unlocked and I went inside.
Yvonne was sitting at the table. She was wearing a black dress. I stood there staring at her. “Hello,” she said.
“Hello, Yvonne.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for Jean-Claude.”
“He’s dead. He was killed by a gang.”
“Who were they?”
“I don’t know.”
“You were in the car when he was killed, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing. I just heard the shots.”
“Did you see who did it?”
“No. They were all masked. One of them hit him, then they jumped out of the car and ran away. They never even bothered to check if Jean-Claude was alive or dead. Just like the police.”
“Was anyone else in the car with you?”
“Just me. We had a few people waiting outside the house.”
“How many?”
“Four or five. But we only ever used a couple of them. The rest were just in case. Now they’re gone. Gone to fight the gangs. We didn’t want to take any chances.”
“Did you know Jean-Claude well?”
“We’ve known each other since we were kids. We grew up together.”
“What happened to the others?”
“They were all killed. Murdered. By the same gang.”
“Jean-Claude was involved in the gang war?”
“Not really. He was always too good for that kind of thing. He had more brains than most of the guys. He knew how to get things done without killing anybody.”
“Are you saying he wasn’t a killer?”
“Absolutely not! He was a good guy.”
“And you?”
“I’m not a killer either. I just liked the thrill of the chase.”
“So you’re just going to sit here and wait for them to come back?”
“Of course. You don’t think we’re stupid, do you?”
“It’s the only way to be sure.”
“Yeah, but we’ll have to go somewhere else once they’re gone. We can’t stay here.”
“What about the girl? Is she still here?”
“She left with her boyfriend last week. We haven’t seen her since.”
“Then you should leave.”
“Where would we go?”
“You could ask the police to help you.”
“The police are useless. They’ve never helped us before. And besides, the gangs would just laugh at them.”
“Do you know where they live?”
“I guess. It’s not far from here.”
“Have you got a picture of Yvonne?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll need to see her. Do you mind?”
“Not really, but I’d rather not show you.”
“Why not?”
“If she sees you, she might get scared. She’s been through a lot.”
“Is there another way we can meet?”
“Yes. But it will cost you.”
“What?”
“I’ll take you to their hideout. In return, you have to pay me.”
“How much?”
“Ten thousand dollars.”
“That’s ridiculous. It’s too much.”
“It’s the price.”
“Why so much?”
“They’re very rich. The money is just a token.”
“But why are you doing this?”
“Because I’m in love with Yvonne. She’s the one I want to marry.”
“Oh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. You just surprised me. I didn’t think you were interested in girls.”
“I’m not. I’m gay.”
“Really? I thought you were straight.”
“Well, I am, but I like Yvonne.”
“She’s not interested in you?”
“She doesn’t know who I am. Or if she does, she wouldn’t be able to tell you. But we’ve known each other for years. I know her better than anyone. I’ve even had a crush on her for a long time. I never said anything because I knew she was dating someone else.”
“I see. What’s your name?”
“John.”
“Okay, John. When do we leave?”
“Right now.”
“You can’t just go anywhere. We’ll need a car.”
“We’ll have one waiting outside. All you have to do is drive us to the address.”
“How are we going to get out of here?”
“The windows are bulletproof. Once you’re inside, you can leave as fast as you want.”
“But what about the girl? Can we bring her along?”
“No. I don’t want her around.”
“All right. I’ll come back with the money. It might take a while.”
“Take your time. I won’t move until you’re ready.”
“What did you mean by underminers?”
“Everyone who hates us. They don’t have to say it out loud. Their actions speak louder than words.”
The End