章 49: Chapter Forty Nine
Raphael had never felt so cold before.
He's experienced loss two times before. When his Father told him his Mother had passed and his Dad had been declared dead for the first time. But those two times compared nothing to watching Anita disappear over the edge of the platform.
He became compulsive and launched forwards, ignoring the demands of the Detective or the Officers behind him. He charged forwards as if he was going to leap off, and that was his plan. He wanted to jump after her, rip Anita apart from Sir Lucian and be the one to hold her, to not break his promise again.
But Maria caught him, stepping in his back and running into him, forcing him either to stop or take her with him. He attempted to push past her, but she clutched him desperately, in tears herself as she pleaded with him not to. Looking over her shoulder, he could see the dark swirl of the water below and the white caps created by the crashing waterfall that continued to rage.
Raphael didn't know when he did, but he was kneeled, holding Maria as if for dear life as he sobbed.
Maria apologised as she held him. The officers swarmed them and looked over the edge as if either were clinging to the edge.
"My condolences, Phantom," a deep voice said.
Raphael turned his head and saw Detective Riley resting a hand against his shoulder, the first sympathetic gesture he had received from him. Raphael placed his own hand on his and nodded, unable to speak as he assumed what would happen next. "But I have protocols," he added. Raphael nodded again, predicting this, but chose to ignore it.
"You can arrest him a moment," Maria snapped, "Can you just give him a minute, please?"
Raphael felt her cheek rest against the top of his head as Detective Riley took a few steps back. "What do you want to do?" she muttered against him.
Raphael shook his head, "It doesn't matter…"
"No, come on, tell me," she sniffed, her chest heaving as if she was trying not to sob, "Do… do you need a distraction, so you can run, is that it?"
Raphael pulled away from her, rubbing his eyes as he sniffed, "There's not much point, really." He stood up, much to Maria's distress, but she didn't have the strength to keep him down.
"Detective Riley…" Raphael called. He held his hands up, "I'm ready… to…" In the corner of his eye, hidden amongst the shadows, was a mud bank where the water met land, far down below. "Start running!" Raphael started bolting towards one of the pathways, perplexing the Detective as he pursued.
Confused, Maria got to her feet and ran after them both. A handful of police officers followed also.
At the end of the pathway, there was a bank where the water ended. It was very unnerving to see where the water crashed and threw itself around where it was calm and shallow. By the time they had gotten to the bottom, a figure was staggering towards the shoreline, their steps disturbing the serenity of the water they trod. They were too tall to be Anita.
Raphael gritted his teeth and sprinted at the figure. Every step caused a big splash as Raphael yelled at him. "I'm gonna kill you!" Raphael tackled Sir Lucian, who was too weak to defend himself against the attack. The two made a mighty splash as each tried to overpower one another. Raphael was winning.
"What happened to her? Where did she go?" Raphael demanded as he sucker-punched him. He realised he couldn't answer any of his questions because he was either held under the water or his face was getting assaulted by Raphael. But at that moment, it felt so good to beat this man.
Maria was yelling after him to stop, at first hesitating before simply running through the shallow water. However, Detective Riley and another officer had no such reluctance. They ran straight at him just as Raphael started pinning Sir Lucian beneath the water. Raphael was taken out in a clean sweep by the Detective, who was forced to strike Raphael to neutralise him. "That's enough, Phantom! Enough!"
Raphael shoved the Detective away from him. "Enough? Enough! Laisse-moi noyer ce cochon et ça suffira !" He kicked at the water.
"There's nothing you can do now, Phantom!" Detective Riley snapped. There was a sorrow in his voice like he was too unnerved by what happened. "It's an amazement that he survived. If you kill that man, then you're no better."
"I don't want to be any better. I want to know," Raphael raised his voice so that he was yelling, "where Ann is!"
Still short of breath, the man countered. "Like I would know! The current swept her away! She's long dead by now, that brat!" Sir Lucian screamed back. He was aiding the hand she had bitten.
Raphael made it past the Detective but had his arms quickly restrained. He swore French at the man and attempted to kick water at him but could only fall to his knees. Detective Riley finally released him as Raphael started crying, his tears dropping into the water as he screamed. There was no shrill to his scream, nor an awkward pause or a sense of over-exaggeration, just agony.
Raphael kneeled on all fours and heaved, suddenly unable to breathe. He felt a hand rest on his back, at first thinking it was Maria, but noticing it was Detective Riley. Raphael pushed himself into a sitting position and leaned against the Detective's leg. Detective Riley stayed, his comforting hand still on Raphael's back as he wept.
Maria approached slowly, the water up to her knees, the weight of what had happened weighing heavily on her shoulders. But she didn't cry. She felt she didn't have the right to cry, or certainly not louder or harder than Raphael deserved to cry. And for a long time, that was the only noise that lingered aside from the waterfall.
Maria scanned the water, hoping to see Anita swimming frantically or call out to tell Raphael to stop crying. But the further out she looked, the rougher the water seemed, and the less likely it became Anita would emerge.
"Oh my God…" Maria ran past Raphael and the Detective, desperately going through water to get to what she saw. By the time she reached it, she was past waist-deep.
Raphael sniffed as he stood up and watched as Maria picked up a lump and started desperately swimming back. When Maria could run again, Raphael saw she was holding Anita's limp body. The Detective saw it as well and sent one of the officers after her. An officer met Maria and took Anita from her arms, managing to get to the shore quicker than she could.
The Officer laid the child down and put an ear to her mouth, immediately starting CPR. Raphael tripped over himself thrice in his desperation to reach her. He threw himself beside her, her wet hair plastered to her skin which was pale and sickly. She didn't respond to the Officer conducting the CPR. He leaned over and gave her quick breaths before continuing. Anita seemed so small, almost doll-like, as she laid there, unresponsive.
"Anita… Anita, please…" Raphael felt his eyes stinging again. "You need to live, sweetheart. Please."
I'm sorry for everything that happened, I won't let anything happen to you ever again… just please… don't leave me, he pleaded, Please, wake up. Please!
Anita remained unresponsive, her body occasionally jerking, but only from the compressions.
"Anita, please. I'll buy you that cat! I'll let you have whatever you want! We can go wherever you want. We can leave Paris, we can stay in Paris, whatever you want. Just please, please."
Minutes went by, and Anita remained unconscious. The Officer rechecked her pulse for the fourth time, and felt nothing, however unlike before, he didn't continue. He just sighed and shook his head.
Raphael grunted as he desperately continued the compression, harder and faster, ignoring the pain in his hands, down his side, in his head, and his growing exhaustion. People attempted to pull him off her, but he shoved them away, shouldering them off to continue until he was ripped off her. "No! Please! No!" He kicked at the air, trying to wriggle out of the Officer's grip as Detective Riley examined the tiny corpse.
Maria's breath shuddered as she kneeled by the Detective. "This is tragic…" he commented, taking off his hat and resting it against his chest. "I would blame Phantom," he confessed, "But I feel like he blames himself more than I ever could." Detective Riley turned his head away, scratching at his moustache before hatting himself.
Maria leaned over Anita and opened one of her eyelids. Her body was cold to the touch. She wanted so desperately to warm her. Her eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. Maria rolled Anita on her side and started patting her back hard. Her small town was by a river, and children being children, often when to the river unsupervised. This isn't the first time she had seen a kid drown, but she had seen the orphanage moderators do this.
She continued this for a moment until Anita started spluttering and vomited, water puddling around her head as she hacked. Maria sighed in relief as she aided Anita in sitting up. She hunched over and continued coughing, more water escaping her mouth as she took long, greedy breaths. Just as quickly, she fell to her side in an exhausted heap.
Raphael kneeled beside her, overwhelmed as he took her hand and spoke softly to her. "Thank God you're alright…" he was determined not to cry, but his voice quaked.
Anita didn't look at him, but she didn't seem to focus on anything. Her eyes stared absently at the ceiling, the only response she was able to make being an occasional mumble and the loose grip of her little hand in his. But just that little gesture was enough. "You're going to be okay, Ann. You're going to be okay."
*
What happened next seemed to go by so slowly. When Anita was able, Raphael picked her up. He followed the Detective and his officers out of the catacombs after several misdirections. Raphael wished he knew what people thought of police roaming the streets with several knights in handcuffs.
Raphael felt the cool night Paris air when they had escaped the tunnels and heard the soft humming it made as it never truly fell silent. Upon request, several police vans and cars came to pick up the Unknown Royals, each one being de-helmeted before being formally arrested. When it came to one knight, an officer of the law known as Detective Leroy, Detective Riley was called over.
Raphael expected a loud confrontation, perhaps colourful words that would quieten everyone to listen. But the two shared a long glare, neither stating a comment nor a gesture until Detective Leroy dropped his gaze, and Detective Riley read him his rights before loading him into one of the police cars.
He watched as the car left and stared for a long time before breaking away from it to deal with other knights. It dawned on Raphael that that whole encounter may have been a lot harder than it looked.
The nurses who had arrived to treat injuries and provide basic checkups looked over Raphael while he still held Anita. She was barely awake now but had been given a blanket which she snuggled into. Despite this, she still trembled in his hands.
Maria had been provided with a blanket as well. After explaining how she wasn't injured, she had been left to stand by the tunnel entrance until someone came to aid her. The bricks were wet from dew and cold against her back, but the chill was welcomed. She eyed the officers and knights scattered around the space, still amazed she had been the centre cause of all this. In its own way, she found it fascinating.
Her wandering eyes soon met another's, the Queen who had been painstakingly seen to by several officers and medical staff. Beside her was a taller gentleman with a stern expression, a broad nose and a notepad. He attempted to discuss something with her, occasionally lifting his chin and commenting on the Unknown Royals, but aside just stood by her, looking intimidating.
Unable to hold her stare, Maria opted to stare at the ground, slowly allowing herself to slide down the wall to squat above the muddy ground. Within moments of this decision, a voice frightened her from her trance. "How are you feeling, dearie?" It was the Queen, standing by herself before Anita.
Maria struggled to stand and tried to curtsy, "Honestly? I've had better days."
"Haven't we all?" Her Majesty chuckled. She stood by Maria and sat down on the ground.
Not wanting her to feel awkward, Maria, too, sat back down. She hugged her knees and kept her back pressed against the wall to keep her posture and not touch the Queen. A newfound weight had just been added to Maria's shoulders, and she felt ill. But Her Majesty's old voice was comforting. "I apologise for you being dragged into this mess," she said, unable to look at Maria. "If what you said was true, it's cruel they kept you from being adopted because of a hunch." She paused before saying in a sad tone, "My little girl had been sent away for her protection. She was never meant to be adopted out or anything, simply hidden until we knew she was safe from those Unknown Royals." Her Majesty's hands scrunched in her lap, "But she had been lost. Someone somewhere had gotten to her and made sure I would never see her again. I had accepted long ago that I would never see her again."
Maria felt her breath hitch as she looked out to the indistinct scene of the officers and knights. "And then… from nowhere you came along, with this pendant I had left with my sweet child, but I knew it wasn't safe for you if you truly were my daughter. People say things; everyone sees things." Maria felt tears escape, dripping down her cheeks without her aid, "I never meant to be so harsh on you, sweetheart, but I knew of the danger you would be in." She turned her head to face Maria. "You have no idea how hopeful I was, how happy it made me see you playing that violin, see how content and grown-up you had become when I thought you were my daughter." Maria wiped away her tears in silence, unable to level her breathing as she stayed looking ahead.
"What was she like?" the Queen asked after a moment. "What was my daughter like?"
Maria sniffed, fussing with herself to clean up, "Umm… Addison, well…" Maria could hardly find the words to describe her. She had been an adventurous, fearless child who liked to play dress-up and try to hide horses. She cared and nurtured those younger when she told stories way past their bedtimes to soothe everyone's fear of the shadow monster in the closet. Addison was playful and spontaneous, and unique and…
"She was whimsical and energetic," Maria eventually decided on, "Always up to something, wanting to meet people and introduce herself. Her dream was to be a ballet dancer for Paris and dance for the King and Queen." This fact made Her Majesty breathless, as she too was forced to face ahead. "She was amazing and wonderful… and… she wanted nothing more than to meet you. Perhaps not when we were kids, but just at one point, she wanted to find her Mother and tell her that… it's okay, and that she's okay."
The Queen broke down into tears, audibly crying and grasping Maria as she fell against her.
Raphael glanced over at the crying woman as she leant against Maria For the first time, noticing a true sense of happiness. While it was only for a moment, a fleeting second, it was there. Raphael looked down at Anita, who had drifted back into whatever slumber she barely got out of and started humming to her. He rested her head under his chin and embraced her, overwhelmed by the idea that she had died. That she could have passed, that, in another life, perhaps a different time, could've been holding her body. But her body throbbed with a heartbeat as he held her close.
"I promise…" he whispered into her hair, "I will make life better for you, Ann. One that we both deserve." He rested his cheek against the top of her head and, a single blink, shed tears, "Because I do need you, and you need me. We may both be screw-ups or fixer-uppers or just… abandoned things, but…" A shadow cast over the pair during his speech. His face was concealed by her hair, so he promptly wiped away the tear streaks and sat up straight. Detective Riley cast the shadow, along with an officer and a nurse who stood behind him.
"It's time, Phantom," Detective Riley revealed some handcuffs, "I've let you have this moment. I think I'm generous here. Now please, come quietly. Let's not make this an unnecessary scene."
Raphael pursed his lips but nodded, "Of course, Detective." He rose, the blanket hanging off his shoulders slipping off as he did. "Enough is enough. I've come to an end to my doings, and you've caught me fair and square." He readjusted Anita in his arms and sighed, "I am ready to receive my just punishments for what I've done."
The Detective seemed taken aback by his statement, by the sincerity he appeared to hold. Phantom turned to the nurse and gently handed Anita over to her. "You take good care of her. She may be tougher than she looks, but she's still a child."
"Of course," the woman said as Anita wriggled for a moment in her arms. The young thief brushed a hand through her hair and whispered something to her before placing a loving kiss on her forehead.
Detective Riley was impressed by this sudden maturity and even further stunned when the boy held out his wrists to be cuffed. He declared he was ready whenever they were. Slowly, the Officer cuffed Phantom and guided him to one of the vans without incident. Detective Riley followed, determined to finally see what months of cat-and-mouse had come to an end. Phantom willingly stepped into the back of the van and sat down on one of the benches.
Detective Riley leant against the van door, the Officer standing a few meters from the van. "So, this is it?" he asked.
Phantom nodded, "So it seems."
"You've lost your fedora," he commented.
The thief shrugged, "What is it but a simple hat?"
The Detective chuckled, "Indeed." With nothing else to say, he went to close the doors, only for the Phantom to speak out.
"May I have a private word, Detective?" he requested. He made the gesture for him to come closer.
Eerie, the Detective, reminded him he had a gun, to which the thief acknowledged but still requested his presence. He sat across from him and waited.
"Thank you."
The thanks came as a further surprise. "Pardon?"
"Thank you," Phantom repeated. "For the past couple of weeks, you've been the centre of my case, and you've upheld it with remarkable professionalism and tolerance. Despite my many annoying quirks." The Detective forced himself to remain silent. "My jokes and wrongdoings aside, you have an amazing daughter, who is proud of you, loves you, and misses you. I haven't had a true Father figure in so long now to the point where you almost replaced it but try to remember that you are her Father, and she does need one." He slid to the end of his seat and rested his hands against the Detective, who found this to be a strange gesture but allowed him to continue. "Thank you for being there when honestly no one else was. Thank you for trying and seeming to care. But above all, thank you for saving my friends when they needed you. When I needed you."
The Detective smirked as he clasped the young boy's hands in his own, "That's what we do at the Parisian Police Department," he said simply as he stepped out of the van. "I'll be sure to acknowledge this at your trials, Phantom."
Phantom returned the smile and stood up, offering a whimsical gesture of his cuffed hands, "Oh would you, that would be marvellous!"
The pair shared what felt like a genuine laugh before the Detective shut the door. "Keep an eye on this. He's slippery, this guy," he informed the Officer before approaching the nurse who held Anita. "How is she?" he asked.
The woman placed her gently on a stretcher to be loaded into one of their vehicles. "Hopefully, she should be fine." Some men grabbed each end of the stretcher and swiftly carried the child away.
"Good," he simply said. He was eager to speak with the little girl regarding her involvement with the Phantom, praying that perhaps it wasn't extensive. His eye soon fell to the older girl, who was speaking with the Queen and her advisor. When they were done, he approached, "Miss Maria Stephany?" he inquired.
Maria reacted to her name and nodded, "Yes, Detective?"
"I just have a few questions regarding a figure you may know as the Phantom of Paris," he informed. The title was met with a moment of confusion before some form of nod of understanding. "For starters, do you know his given name?"
"No," she informed after a second of thought, "I never heard a name whenever I was with him."
The Detective started writing in a notepad, "Hmm… yes, and what is your association with him?"
"He rescued me from these knights one evening earlier in the week. That's why he was here now, to help the little girl and me. They had kidnapped both of us for some ghastly ritual. I can't even begin to comprehend what it was about," she explained, resting a hand against her face and shaking her head, "It was simply horrible… Where is he? I do wish to thank him properly."
"I'm afraid he's been sent off for booking, ma'am."
"You've arrested him!" She appeared genuinely outraged.
"He came of his own accord, I assure you, Miss Stephany," he explained. "And need I remind you, while chivalrous he was towards you, he wasn't quite so with countless museums and residents of Paris."
She appeared momentarily distracted by something over the Detective's shoulder and smothered a grin. "I think you may have a bit of an issue with that, sir." She gestured behind him.
Upon turning, Detective Riley saw his Officer handcuffed to the open doors of the police van. His foot outstretched to reach the cuff keys discarded a few meters away. Shocked, he rushed over to his Officer, scooping up the key and releasing him. The can was empty.
"Where did he go?" Detective Riley yelled.
"He came out of nowhere, and blitz attacked me," the Officer defended, "It was an ambush! I had no chance!"
He groaned as he looked to the dark streets that surrounded them, scanning them for any sign of a fleeing figure. But the roads were still.
"He did say something though," the Officer informed, prompting a stern expression from the Detective, who demanded to know what Phantom had said. "He said, 'Tell the Detective sorry, but I still have to hold up my end of the deal first.' And then he just disappeared!"
Detective Riley dwelled on this final comment for a moment before a wide grin formed on his lips, and he released a genuine, full-belly laugh into the Paris night.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット