Time: Present Day

Location: HereAfter

Andre Schimmer had gotten the call he was warned about at eleven am, just in time to catch the midday flight to Paris from Rome. On the flight he made meticulous plans on how the evening would go. He played with the ring on his left hand, turning it over and over in concert with his thoughts as he turned over his plan again and again. He was searching for flaws, checking ways he might be caught out, coming up with various escape plans should things go pear shaped, as they often did when carrying out an assignment in a public place. The public were quite unpredictable at the best of times without the added complication of youth, alcohol and other drugs.

Still the pay was good and it afforded him the lifestyle he would be loathe to have to give up. He knew, in his heart of hearts, that the only thing that would take him away from it was if he was caught, or death. He also knew, that probably, in his line of work, the two were synonymous.

Carter couldn't figure out why he was seeing this, who is this mystery man. He turned to ask his Mum who he was but she was gone again. He looked around but couldn't see her, he was about to call out when Teacher appeared next to him, in the seat left vacant by his Mum's disappearance.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"She needs to be somewhere else," answered Teacher.

"But I need her here, shouldn't she see this?"

"She has, many times, but it doesn't get any easier, you will see and understand that, when your time comes, Carter Cheval. This is your story, not hers but everything is connected, every story is connected to many others, you will come to this understanding soon. The connection between her story and yours will show itself in time, Carter Cheval, in time. . . " Teacher quietly laughed to himself and vanished.

When Carter turned his full attention back to the movie the four girls were in a taxi heading to the city. The taxi dropped them off in the Rue de Lappe. They wandered about for a bit then chose a little restaurant close by the club. Over a dinner of delicious Italian food, Amelia told the other two girls, what her and her sister were planning to do when they got back to Australia. How Amelia, with Amanda's help, would track down Peter, the father of her baby, and find out the truth of how he really felt about maybe being a dad twice over.

They discussed things like whether Amelia would ever return to Paris. She said she would certainly visit often but as for making France her home over Australia she couldn't say.

It was nearly ten pm when they called for the bill. Louise insisted on picking up the tab, after all her father was one of the wealthiest realtors in Paris. She was a bit of a wild child as a result. Not up herself or nasty in any way but wild none the less. Her father had been horrified when she returned one night with a shock of blonde hair and a rather large tribal sun tattoo on her left shoulder.

When Louise and Collette left them to wait in line to pay the bill Amelia turned to Amanda and said, "Tell me all about this mystery man, Roger the dodger," she laughed.

Amanda didn't laugh though. "Sorry Sis, it's serious . . . isn't it?"

"Could be," Amanda replied with a faraway look in her eyes. She looked around to see if Louise, and Collette were heading back yet but they were still waiting. "Remember I said I met him on a cruise, well that's what I told Mum and Dad. We actually booked the cruise together. You also must remember how much I wanted to do music too, and Dad wouldn't let us both do the same things all the time?" Amanda waited till Amelia nodded in agreement. "Well Dad Ki, they're coming," Amanda giggled.

Louise came back to the table after settling up the bill and said, "Ready? Let's go. Before we get to the club, I have to meet someone at the Keys in fifteen minutes."

"What's the Keys?" asked Amanda.

"You'll see," said Collette. Amanda looked at her twin.

"I haven't the faintest," said Amelia.

"Let's go then, and you'll all find out won't you?" she laughed.

They went out onto the Rue de Lappe and turned right towards Le Balajo.

"Where are we going again?" asked Amanda. "To Le Balajo!" cried Collette swinging her hips from side to side and doing a little jig as she walked.

"Isn't that a bit exy?" argued Amelia, I'm not made of money you know.

"Don't worry," replied Collette, "Louise is paying, or rather her Dad is. He's given her VIP passes, everything, and I mean everything is included, drinks and all, top shelf even."

Soon Louise had led them to Le Balajo but instead of crossing the road when they got to the entrance she led them past to a little shopfront on the right.

"Where are we?" asked Amelia, "aren't we supposed to be over there?" gesturing to the line up in front of Le Balajo."

"This is the Keys of course!" Louise replied. The others looked around and shrugged their shoulders at each other.

"The Keys, piano keys, look at this shop," Louise sounded exasperated.

"But it's not a music store," Amelia started to say, then it dawned on her. "Oh.I see, the shutters." Then all the girls saw it, the shop shutters were always left only halfway down. This gave the shopfront the appearance of an ebony and ivory piano keyboard. It had become a popular meeting point.

"So, what now?" Amanda asked a little impatiently, she had heard a lot about this club and was dying to get inside.

"Now, we wait." Louise said.

"Wait for what?" asked Collette.

"For a certain someone, and here he is." Along the way came a short man in an old green beret and duffle coat. Louise went to meet him leaving the others a few metres away. They exchanged a whispered greeting and Louise reached into her bag and pulled out a wad of fifty franc notes. She gave the rolled up notes to him and in the same gesture he offered her what looked like a small plastic coin bag. She took the bag and shoved it straight into her handbag. She turned on her high heels and half ran back to the others.

"What was that?" asked Collette when she returned to them.

"Just a little something to pass the time," Louise giggled.

"So, that was who you told me you were in a hurry to meet earlier," said Collette.

"No, no, that was just a little aside," Louise replied.

"Who are we meeting then?" asked Colette.

"You'll see, he's probably already inside," Louise said mischievously.

"We're meeting some boy then?" Amelia said uneasily.

"Don't panic, it's just the son of one of Dad's clients. He's in town looking at property and Dad asked me to entertain him tonight in return for the VIP passes. But in his words no hanky panky though. He doesn't want any mixing of pleasure with business so to speak, and anyway he says this guy is much too old for me. We just have to make sure he isn't bored and that he is having a good time." Louise explained.

"What does he look like?" asked Amelia.

"Ah! You interested are you Amelia?" Louise quizzed. Amelia felt herself blushing.

"I don't know what he's like. I've never met him. All I know is that his name is Andre, and he is the son of a German businessman, and he now lives in Rome running his father's interests there.

"If you don't know what he looks like how on earth are you going to find him in a place like Le Balajo?" asked Colette.

"He'll find us. Dad said we just have to go to the VIP room and he'll find us," Louise said, "and in the mean time, we have Santa's little helper here to brighten up the night," said Louise slapping the side of her handbag.

"What was it that that guy sold you?" asked Amanda suspiciously.

"Just a few tablets. It's all the rage, XTC, it makes everyone more congenial if you get my drift."

"I'm not taking any drugs!" declared Amelia. She was shocked when Amanda said, "It's okay Sis..I've already tried it in Australia. It's not bad, not addictive, just heightens the senses. Roger gave me some, he said it's no more harmful than a prescription drug."

"Look, this stuff cost me a fortune, I mean Daddy a fortune. I don't care if you take it or not but I've got four tablets and we need to take it before we go in. I'll throw out any you don't want. I can't risk taking it inside, can't risk Daddy thinking I am anything but his little angel can I?" Louise said.

"Okay give it here, I've brought a cola with me from the restaurant, so down the hatch." said Collette as she accepted the tablet from Louise, broke the seal on the cola bottle and took a swig to wash it down. Then she passed the bottle to Amanda and waited for Louise to give her a little pill.

Carter was shocked to see both his mothers taking drugs as Amelia accepted the bottle from her sister and put the tablet from Louise in her mouth and took a big gulp. She passed the bottle to Louise so she could take the last tablet.

"Okay, now let's party," said Louise as she led her party across the road towards the line of eager party goers at the entrance to Le Balajo.

She sidled up to one of the bouncers at the door and flashed him a smile and her VIP passes.

"This way Mademoiselle Louise, we've been expecting you. This way girls to the Green Door," said the bouncer as he ushered them through the crowd to a side entrance.

Carter could feel the euphoria starting to kick in with the girls once inside as they were enveloped in loud music and multi coloured lights.

Louise shouted, "Let's go to the VIP lounge. It's over there past the R&B room."

They were greeted by a waiter with a tray of full Champagne glasses. Louise took two and handed them over then wheeled back and took another two before the waiter could move off towards a group of young men in the corner.

The girls were just starting to sip their drinks when a tall dark stranger left the group of young men, gesturing a no to the waiter he came up behind the girls and said "Amelia?"

Amelia turned and immediately blushed. She had an overwhelming urge to hug the attractive tall dark stranger, must be the drug, she thought to herself.

"How, how do you know my name?" she stammered.

"Hi, I am Andre, sorry if I startled you."

A club photographer interjected and asked them to pose for a few pictures.

Andre reached out put his arms around Amelia and Collette and he clasped Amelia's arm tightly as the photographer snapped off a few shots. The photographer turned his attention to Louise who posed wrapped around the decorative lamppost. Amelia immediately pulled away from Andre's grasp, leaving a dark mark on her left shoulder.

"Sorry," he said indicating her shoulder, "leaky pen when I signed in."

"Ah, that's okay, how did you know it was me?" asked Amelia.

"Yes, ah, sorry, I was told to look out for four girls, two of them identical twins. I was told all their names but now I could only remember yours, you see my sister is also called Amelia.

Amanda said., "Hi, I'm Amanda, you must be Louise's friend?"

"Well I know Louise's Dad but haven't met Louise yet, is that you?" he asked indicating towards girl wrapping herself around the lamppost. "Your Dad said you were a blonde bombshell with a tatt," he laughed.

They introduced each other a bit more formally. Amanda said, "What do we do now, then?"

"Well I don't know about you lot, but I am going to the R&B room. I'm going to do some dancing." Louise said with smile and a wink.

"I'll come with you," said Collette.

"I think I'll stay here for a while, I prefer rock and roll, the Beatles and all that," Amelia said.

"Me too," said Andre, "mind if I join you?"

"I'll stay too then," said Amanda.

"You go with them Sis, I'll be okay, I know you like R&B."

"All right, but I'll meet you back here at midnight, okay," Amanda insisted.

"Okay, Sis. midnight, it's a date," Amelia giggled.

"Don't worry I'll look after her, Louise's dad will kill me if I don't," Andre smiled.

"Can I get you another drink?" Andre asked politely.

"Yes, okay, I'll have another Champagne please," Amelia giggled.

"A Champagne, coming up my lady," Andre gestured with a bow.

He's quite the gentleman isn't he? Quite charming actually, and pretty damn good looking as well, pity he's so old. Oh well, he's probably got a girlfriend back in Rome or maybe somewhere in Germany.

When Andre came back with two Champagnes, he put them on the ledge surrounding a nearby pillar. A Beatles bracket started up, 'The Long and Winding Road' one of Amelia's favourites. She started to sway back and forth to the music as she reached out and sipped her Champagne.

"Would you like to dance?" Andre asked.

"Yes, okay," Amelia took Andre's extended hand and joined him on the dance floor.

They had been only dancing a few minutes when Amelia started to feel a little whoosey. She leant into Andre's chest. After a few minutes the Beatles had finished and 'Hey Bartender' came on. She started to think of Peter as she clung onto Andre.

She looked up pleadingly into Andre's deep dark eyes, "I think I am going to be sick. I am so sorry. I'm so embarrassed, can you get my sister please, better yet, can you help me to the toilet?"

"I'll take you down to the Secret Room, I'm a member here, no one will see, you'll be okay there.

Amelia tried to thank him, but she couldn't put the words together.

Carter watched as Andre half carried Amelia towards the stairs. He reached the top of the stairs and was confronted by a security guard in front of a sign that said, 'Closed for Renovations.' He asked the security guard, "Where's Michael?"

The security guard looked closely at Andre and said, "Michael is sick, he asked me to take his shift."

Andre nodded and reached into his pocket, "A little something for your trouble," he said matter of factly and handed the guard a wad of 100 franc notes. Carter went to grab Amelia's arm but his Mum was no longer there. He looked around but couldn't see her.

"Mum, Mum, where are you?"

Teacher answered him, "Amelia had to go, she still finds it hard to watch, you will understand more when it's your turn Carter Cheval."

Carter turned back to the screen with a sense of dread. He watched helplessly as Andre took Amelia down the staircase into a darkened area called the Secret Room. The Secret Room was a member's only area designed for members to have a quiet place to take guests or a pick up. The music filtered down the stairs from the VIP room. Amelia smiled to herself as Peter's favourite song came flooding down "A Whiter Shade of Pale."

Very appropriate, she thought to herself, it must be the drugs, she thought, I feel like I must be white as a sheet. I feel so awful, lucky Andre is here to look after me. I swear to God I'm never touching drugs again.

Andre carried her the last few steps to the ladies toilet, backed through the door, pushed open the first cubicle and placed Amelia on the seat.

'I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight' drifted in from upstairs and echoed around the cubicle walls bouncing off Amelia's drug addled brain.

"No Andre, I think I want to throw up!"

"Shut the fuck up!" he said with a venom Amelia wasn't at all used to.

He grabbed her left arm, reached into his pocket and retrieved a syringe. He jabbed the needle into her arm. Amelia yelped. Andre covered her mouth with his left hand as he jabbed the needle in several times along her arm. Then he found the vein, plunged the needle in and delivered a fatal dose of heroin.

Chapter 32 - Disco Fever.

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