“Sometimes life gives us a hard time when we want to love the most”

The hatred Brian was feeling in his soul was unspeakable because he had never expected that Sophie would be so obsessed and so reckless of her rival, enough to wish her death. And even if Sophie never talked openly about this, Brian saw it in her eyes, full of jealousy and zeal, and this always made her lose control and accuse an innocent girl of Edward’s death.

“I’ll never allow her this,” whispered Brian, while his carriage was moving in a hurry on the London streets, washed by the brilliant midday sun.

“Something goes wrong, mister Beneath? I see you are really downcast these days” told him Bardain, while keeping tightly the reins, so that the horses don't run wild and heaven forbid, feeling free, to trample someone under feet because this was something intolerable in modern English society.

“Nothing special,” Brian replied dryly, trying to send the teamster his hidden wish to be left alone, but on the other side, he wanted at least somebody to tell him that everything will end well, if he wants it and if he does things well.

But what he was most afraid of was to be judged harshly by somebody, because he was feeling guilty for not keeping a tight rein his feelings for Eva and he made her love him so much that she entered his bed and she became his mistress, when he could first wait for his divorce of Sophie and then to marry Eva.

However, as Bardain often says: “fate has its own plans. We are nobody to interfere in it” so he finally managed to control himself, when they were already out of London, heading toward Marlow in a hurry, where he knew Christine could be, because even if he tried not to face her, especially after making plans with Beatrice Evans to help John to apply for the Prime Minister position, but this time he hadn’t any other choice. He must find Eva as quickly as possible until Sophie won’t plan something devilish, that can hurt the woman he loves the most.

But Brian was also afraid that he wouldn't find her. He was afraid that Sophie, who had much more influence than he had, thanks to the acquaintances of her father, will be the first in finding Eva and to destroy her future, she will tell the girl about the reasons why Brian approached first Alfred Stonebridge and her, but what he didn’t know was that Sophie lost most of those connections because most of the Edward’s “best friends” and partners were afraid not to end like him and they tried not to reveal the fact that they had been once in good relationship with him and about the businesses and plans that they made, while the ex-Prime Minister was still alive.

“Tell me, Bardain, what would you do if you hate someone so much that you wish him death?” Brian asked, in the end, his teamster, but even if he tried to be extremely calm and calculated, a slow shaking of his voice was betraying him, but this didn’t bother at all Bardain, who took his time to think about the meaning of the question and then he answered calmly as if he chose his words: “Probably I’ll kill him, mister Beneath. Usually, I am a calm person, but if someone manages to drive me crazy, I’ll be cruel at heart, because my honor is the most important for me.”

“Honor,” Brian told himself. He had forgotten this word for so long or at least he pretended not to know its meaning because it was why he was afraid - that this “honor” will make him step back and finally lose Eva. Yes, he was afraid. Such a successful and great man as Brian started to fear the loss of a woman and not an ordinary woman, but one who managed to “touch” his soul.

He loves her. Yes, he loves her and he wishes to be with her, but he still can’t find the right path that will bring them together, happily and forever. He fought with himself and with the world for months, he knocked on many doors, but he couldn’t find an answer, and the fact that Eva finally disappeared somewhere made Brian doubt if she went somewhere alone or someone forced her because Eva wasn’t a woman to go somewhere in silence, without telling him a word, without sending him a note at least or to tell him goodbye, but she left … somewhere and that place he doesn’t know it and she also didn’t say goodbye to him.

At first, he thought that it was one of Christine’s tricks to punish him, because he dared to betray her, instead of helping her in her plans, when he became Beatrice’s ally and worked for her to bring John Evans in the list of the favorites for the Prime Minister chair, but he soon gave up to the idea, when he found out about Sophie’s plans: she hired a private detective, well-known in London for his well-made job and for his harsh methods of searching and that he was never refused to do a job if it meant loyal customers and a lot of money.

The detective’s name was Vincent Keen. A man about 40, with a huge experience in a lot of spheres of searching and who also knew how to do his job to succeed. In his track record were mentioned a lot of solved cases, once enough hard that even the English Police couldn’t solve it, but he did it, because of his stubbornness and perseverance, and of course, of a very experimented eyes, because he could “smell” if the case was an ordinary one, made by a cheap thief or it was a “request” of someone influential and rich enough to involve later also with the solving of the case.

But the fact that there was a puppeteer wasn’t at all a problem for Keen, whose priority was the successful solving of the case and not to satisfy a “rich ass” how he used to call those always involved in something stinky and in the majority of the cases he was right, because his cases almost always were related to a criminal wearing wealthy clothes.

Keen had never been a wealthy man. He was born in a poor family, but his zeal to become someone important in life, someone with a word to say, helped him a lot in achieving his goals.

To have the possibility to learn, he was hired for a variety of jobs, which was bringing him little money, but enough to buy books useful for learning, but this didn’t help him to find the right path through life. Till one day, when he found, by chance, at a crossroad, a police novel and what he read in that novel changed his life, because the book was about a detective involved in a murder case as a suspect after he dared to cross someone’s path while searching for the guilty one of another crime, but the manner of the detective to solve the case, clean and quickly, made Keen think twice about what he wants to do for a living and he decided that being such a detective is close to his manner of being.

He was 17 at that moment, but he already knew that life as a detective won’t be boring, and also it will bring him a sure and constant monthly income, so he started to think about how he could become one.

But it hasn't been easy. He needed more than 10 years to establish connections, only to pass the exam, but he managed it, but this success also brought him a bitter taste on his tongue, because he still remembered how many times he had to trample his honor under feet and to bow his head in front of “slags”, but as the ends justify the means, Vincent decided that it’s better this way, for the moment, to bow your head at first, to have later the possibility to look others from above and to pass besides those who once offended you, showing them what they lost when they didn’t appreciate you.

“What wind brought you here, mister Beneath?” Vincent asked Brian when he knocked on the door and entered the detective’s office, followed by Keen’s young secretary.

“I think we can have a more productive conversation, sitting face to face, as an equal man to another and not standing and looking at the other from top to toe or from toe to top,” replied Brian and in his voice was felt a trace of reproach and Keen disliked it because he was used to be the one who decided how the conversation will take place and not others to make decisions in his place, but knowing who Brian Beneath is, he preferred not to include himself in Brian’s list of persona non-grata, especially being the husband of one of his clients.

“Of course, take a seat, Mister Beneath, and excuse my awkwardness. A tea?”

“I’ll better prefer a private conversation, if possible,” Brian answered, discreetly glancing at the secretary, who was quietly waiting next to the door.

“Of course, of course! You can leave us alone, Karine. We need nothing else for the moment.”

Karine, a young lady about 20, with black hair and eyes of the same shade, which was immediately catching the eye of men, slowly bent in front of them and she left the office, carefully closing the door behind her.

“Now we can freely talk,” said Keen, and, stretching his hand, he took a cigar to light, but when he saw Brian staring at him, he changed his mind. “So?”

“How far did you get with the investigation Sophie asked you to do?” asked Brian, with a superior tone, even if he forced himself not to show it to his interlocutor.

Keen smiled, but it wasn’t his usual smile. He disliked his interlocutor, but he couldn’t do anything else than to answer and not to start an argument, he preferred to choose his words first, while he was carefully analyzing every minor detail on Brian’s movement, who also wasn’t afraid to spy on him.

“And, why should I talk to you about that investigation, mister Beneath? From what I know, Sophie Anderson Bell was the one who hired me for this job and her order was not to reveal any detail of this with anyone, besides her person. And of course, mister Anderson Bell’s death, isn’t a subject of talk for us two either, even if you are his son-in-law.”

Brian stared at the detective for a few seconds, being not too convinced that they are talking about the same thing and even if he was afraid not to step on the wrong foot and to reveal his intention with the detective, knowing the “dog nose” which this one had, he decided to ask him directly: “I’m talking about finding the location of Lorenne Fabeau and Eva Stonebridge. I’m sure Sophie talked to you about this.”

“This is really an upside downturn,” thought Keen, who finally understood what Brian had in mind and, to his surprise, he felt that is coming another deal with a new client, more than being an interrogatory related to the case, so he decided to change his aggressive tone on a soft one and friendly, if possible, and lighting his cigar, he also gave one to Brian, who right away refused it, insisting in listening to his answer.

“What I think is that we are talking about different things, mister Beneath. My investigation isn’t related to any of the two ladies you mentioned. It’s just related to the ex-Prime Minister and about his connections before death, especially if it’s related to some strange women. My question is still about the relationship between Edward Anderson Bell and those two ladies and I’ll really appreciate the fact if you can give me some details about it. “

“Unfortunately I can help you with this,” answered Brian, more convinced than ever to show to the daring detective who’s in charge with this conversation, especially when he felt that the awkward questions the detective was asking him to solve his case, weren't something to help him, but anyway, Keen had something that was giving him certain confidence and this was closely related with the fact that all those who ever hired Keen for a job, told others about his loyalty and that he never “revealed” the results of his investigations to anybody else if it wasn’t the one who hired him.

“I want to hire you, if possible, detective Keen. I need to find a person and I need to find her as soon as possible. I’ll pay really well for this job.”

Keen pierced him with his glance. “This man knows a lot,” Keen said to himself, while he was puffing white-gray smoke rolls from his mouth. “And, who should I find?”

“Eva Stonebridge. She's been missing for two months already and I need to find her, urgently. This isn’t something to wait, while her life might be in danger, and this is what interests me: her safety.”

“Of course, it interests you,” whispered Keen, who was already informed about Brian’s affair with Eva, but because it wasn’t something connected to his case, he didn’t pay too much attention to this, but things changed now, favorable for Keen because he understood that he could earn more, investigating the same, because his cop instinct told him that this wasn’t a simple murder case or missing and there was for sure a hidden reason he must find out. And if this is related with Edward Anderson Bell, who was known all around for his past relationships and the methods of doing businesses, for sure wasn’t something random there.

“Why not?!” finally answered Keen and he gave Brian a sheet of paper to write down his contract conditions, while he did the same, but in shorter sentences, where he was ensuring his client about his loyalty and to solve the case as soon as possible.

When the details had been discussed and the contract signed, Brian left the detective’s office in a hurry, because he decided to turn back to London, being already half a way to Marlow, because he realized that Keen could help him better in this, so he decided to visit him first and later to go to Christine, if still necessary. And he understood that his instinct didn’t fail him, because he knew already that he wasn’t able anymore to solve this case alone and that he needed help and who better than a detective as Keen was.

Also, hiring Keen, helped Brian to avoid another wave of pressure coming from Sophie and Christine because he had been between two fires since he started to date Eva.

On one side was Christine, trying to manipulate him with Eva, if he doesn’t help her, and on the other side was Sophie, who had the same aim: to separate him from the woman he loves and even if he tried so hard to escape from this vicious circle and not to involve Eva in this, he couldn't and it brought more hate toward her of her rivals and he wasn’t able anymore to protect her.

And still was Beatrice involved in this, with whom he was involved in politics, to the detriment of Christine and Luis Chesterman and this also made him more vulnerable.

Attacked from three parts, Brian saw how everything that he built till that moment crashed and that he lost the patience and the concentration in solving such things successfully. This is why he made such a drastic decision to hire a detective and he felt better when he signed that contract because he was now free to concentrate on better things and one of these was to confuse Sophie.

“If she looks for a war, then she will have one,” said Brian, while getting into the carriage and after they left Keen’s office, he told him teamster to turn back home.

“What about Marlow?” tried to understand the thoughts of his master, Bardain, enough confused with such a decision, because it wasn’t something specific for Brian to turn back from a chosen path, even if he understood later that it wasn’t the right one.

“It’s not necessary to waste our time till there,” answered Brian, and, approaching Bardain’s ear, he whispered: “I’m more than sure that Christine has something to do with Eva’s missing. If I press her with questions about Eva’s location, she can hurt her or send her out of the country, and this is something that I can't allow. It’s better to let a fresh mind investigate this case. I’m not capable anymore. Too many emotions are taking over me.”

“And anyway, I still think that it can be an inconvenience for you to involve the detective hired by Ms. Beneath in such private cases. He can betray you.”

“He won’t do that. Keen is a jerk and a slippery man if it’s related to his investigations, but he isn’t a traitor. If he has a signed contract, he won’t say a word about what he found out, even if it can cost him life.”

“I don’t bet on this. Life is much more important than a job and this counts for everybody. He won’t keep silent.”

“But I know that he will. I have known him for a long time already. First, I met him when my father was still alive, because he hired a private detective then, to find Helen Walker and Alfred Stonebridge and Keen was working then for that detective. He never said a word about this, even if many asked him to do that. They offered him a lot of money then, for talking, but he didn’t, because he knew that it would cost my father a lot and he preferred loyalty instead of fame.”

“From what I know, they couldn’t solve the case then. Helen and Alfred’s location wasn’t discovered,” tried Bardain to insist on his position, but right away he remembered that the day before Brian’s father's death, Baron Beneath received a report and after he read it, he was so sad as if the world crashed over him. “It can’t be. That report…”

“It was about where my father could have found Helen and Alfred and that they weren’t married yet and that Helen was still Alfred’s mistress and this hurt my father and he did what he did.”

Even if hurts him a lot and he tried not to accept it, Brian must do it, he must accept that his father killed himself not because he had been betrayed by the woman he was about to marry, but because she preferred to be someone’s mistress, instead of his wife and because he couldn’t accept this shame anymore, Baron pressed the trigger that morning, ending his life and the suffering that was killing him inside.

“And, what you’ll do now, mister Beneath? Should we just stay quiet and wait?” Bardain wondered loudly, but Brian didn’t answer for several minutes, thinking about something, but finally, he talked, calmly and mostly whispering: “No. What I have in mind is to kneel Sophie and to do this I must separate her from Marianne Chesterman, but still, I don’t know how to do it.”

“The best way of confusing someone is to transform him into persona non-grata and to do it, all you need is to spread some rumors. False or true, it always hits the target,” said Bardain, in a secret tone and it sketched a smile to Brian because Bardain was right: if someone’s honor is in danger, he will fight for it and he won’t have time to interfere in someone else’s business.

“How come I didn't think of that before?” wondered Brian and when he took the right time to think and to make a decision, he asked Bardain to change their way and to go to Ms. Amiral’s house, known in town as the best slanderer and she’s the best option, especially after Sophie had offended her at Edward’s funeral.