Chapter 15: A Ménage à Trois or A work of Art

We stood around waiting for Terry to return from making a simple call to the Police, thinking they will be sending someone to pick up the gun powder and that would be that.

Terry came back and was shaking his head, “Nothing is straightforward for some people. They want us to evacuate the building they are sending the bomb squad to collect it. Honestly, some people are hopeless.”

“I’ll get everyone out, you find Mia and give her the good news, I’ll try and find the Foreman and get him organised,” I told him.

I grabbed Louie by her arm, “can you and a couple of your mates, put this crate somewhere safe?” Pointing to the guns.

She smiled, “I have a ute, we can take it anywhere you want me to.” I smiled, “when Michelle reappears she’ll show you the way to my place, there is a garden shed down the back.”

And right on cue, Michelle came running down the stairs, “Mistress, good news. The paintings can be seen by experts that authenticate Toulouse Lautrec’s work. They are going to contact you, direct Madam.”

“That’s wonderful,” I told her. “Now I have another job for you, show Louie where we live and get them to put this box in the garden shed, for me please.” I handed her a small key to the shed and then reminded her. “Make certain you lock it up afterwards. Then bring me the key OK?”

“Oui Madam.” She looked at Louie and the other laborer, she smiled at them then looking at Louie, she wet her lips and opened her eyes widely.

All of this right in front of me. “Michelle, behave and do not distract them from their work.”

“Sorry Madam, I was thinking of something else.”

“Yes I know what you were thinking Michelle, everyone knows what you were thinking, my sweet. You are very obvious.” I reminded her.

She pouted at me, shrugged her shoulders and said “No madam I am very discreet.”

“No Michelle, you are not, you try but discreet you are not, am I right Louie?” Putting her on the spot.

“Errrr I got your message Michelle.” She said as she and her other mate picked up the crate and manhandled it up the stairs.

Michelle and I watched them move, looking at every minute twitch of every muscle, and as soon as they were out of sight, she turned to me, grabbed my arm and head-butted my shoulder, “Oh madam, isn’t she so adorable, I think I shall have her before she has a shower, I need to take in all of her aroma’s I think. Would that be OK? Do you think?”

“I think you are one very excitable girl and yes you should make it very memorable, for you both. I think she likes the way you are dressed today. ‎very‎ sexy.” I told her She then ran out of the room and up the stairs to catch up with her soon-to-be new conquest.

Terry was just back into the room when Michelle whizzed passed him, “Where is she going in a hurry?” “Doing me a little favour,” I told him.

“I am moving the crate of rifles to my garden shed. I didn’t want the police to see them and then get them caught up in some bureaucratic red tape crap.” I explained.

“Kathleen, we are going to have to declare everything we find down here you know.” He said.

“I know and we will, but of a time of our choosing. Which reminds me, did someone make an audited account of what was down here?” I enquired.

He looked at me, cocked his head to one side, it is an Ambrose thing, then told me “Erica and her girlfriend did.”

“Her girlfriend?” I looked at him with a cold stare.

“Yeah, aren’t they a couple?” He asked

“Not that I know of” I told him. Nodding my head at the same time.

“Mia is organising the evacuation by the way. I could tell your hands were going to be busy.”

“I was wondering where everybody was.”

It was then that we heard the sirens approaching from a distance, we looked at each other smiled, looped arms and marched ourselves back to the site office.

We were a happy pair actually, although we can’t work together we still love each other as brother and sister should. We walked into the office which by now was crowded. There was a high-ranking police officer there looking at the drawing and both Mia and Erica were giving her instructions as to what was where. I caught Mia’s eyes and very slowly went sshhhhshhhh.

I leant into Erica and Anita and asked quietly. “Did you two make a list of what we found?’ neither said a word but I got a slight nod from Erica. “Lose it for now,” I told her. She and Anita left the office together.

Cynthia and Miriam came and stood with us and soon after Emily joined us. I turned to them all and said to them that the paintings were to be authenticated and that I was just waiting on a phone call to arrange it. That brought a smile to everyone’s face. Mia then waved me over to the desk and introduced me to the police officer in charge of the operation.

“Kathleen Ambrose this is Sargent Briscoe, he will be running the operation today. I will let him explain what they plan to do.” We shook hands and exchanged pleasantries and he just simply said, that he didn’t think there was any real danger, but they won’t take any chances. The barrels will be placed into bomb-proof metal containers, removed from the site and they will dispose of them. They have the Fire Brigade and the Ambo’s there just in case.

“What can you tell us about the barrels?” He asked.

“Not a lot really, the building was finished in 1863, and probably took a couple of years to build, so the powder could have been there from around the early 1860s. We have no family records from that time to suggest any of this!” I told him.

I smiled but it wasn’t convincing. He suggested we vacate and let them handle everything from here on in.

We all went outside to find the street full of people and extra police cars and personnel, ushering people back further down the street. TV news vehicles were being set up so I guided the family away from them. I looked at Terry and Cynthia and they took both Emily and Miriam even further away. I rang Terry, even though he was only a couple of hundred feet away from me.

“Why don’t you take the girls home or if you want to hang around until they finish, head over to the British and wait for us there,” I suggested to him.

“Yes the British sounds like a good idea, I could do with a drink.” He told me.

“We’ll see you there shortly.” I replied.

I waited until Mia came out of the site office, and we briefly chatted about who is going to say what.

“Mia,” I said, “We could turn this into our advantage you know.”

“Oh, how so Kathy?” She looked at me with a sly grin on her face.

“Well, the TV news teams are going to hound us until they get something. If the police media people are here, let them give the basic details and you speak on the family’s behalf about the building renovations and what the plans are for it.”

“I mean a little advanced publicity for the OWLS Club can’t be all bad,” I explained to her.

“She smiled, “I’m not dressed for it, but your Michelle is.” She told me.

“No, I think that is taking things a little too far, at the moment. Nice try, but it’s you I’m afraid.” I put my hand on her shoulder, “Besides, a good chance to plug your new business name. We are having drinkies at the British if you need us.”

Smiled, waved her goodbye and went off in search of Michelle. Being the good sub she was turning out to be, she was waiting by my car, talking to Louise or Louie as we have got to know her.

I walked up to them and the first thing Michelle told me was that had made certain the garden shed was shut. I smiled, patted her face cheek, Thanked Louie for keeping her company and asked her. “When are we going to enjoy your company around home?”

She looked at me and said they were just talking about the timing of that, then she said, “If you don’t have anything planned for Saturday afternoon, that would be as good a time as any”.

I did check my phone calendar, but I was certain Michelle would have already checked. “We are free this weekend Mistress.” I was told.

I looked at her with lust in her eyes, then turned to Louie, “Would 3 pm be too soon or too late for you?”

“3 pm is fine by me,” She replied.

“Good, I’ll get the spa cranked up, and we can dine outside under the vines,” I told them. “Michelle, I will leave you in charge of organising the food. OK sweetheart?”

“We are heading around to the British Hotel for a family chat and a drink,” I explained. “So we shall see you three o’clock tomorrow Louise.”

I shook her hand and Michelle cheekily kissed her on the lips and dragged her hand across her cheek and then her chest. I smiled wickedly at her, and told her quietly, “you naughty girl.” As we got into the car.

Michelle smiled at me as we drove around to the British, it wasn’t that far, but with roads blocked off and police doing their traffic control thing, it took us much longer than I anticipated.

Michelle turn to me and rested her hand high on my leg, “Mistress why do you drive such a small car?”

“I like this car, it’s quite a nice car,” I told her.

“It is, but it doesn’t suit you, Madam. I mean you are so Élégant such a beauté. You should have a car like your brother.”

I laughed, “No Michelle, I shouldn’t. His is way too ostentatious for my taste. Maybe one of those new Ford Mustangs, bright red or yellow maybe?”

Michelle clapped her hands together like a little girl at Christmas and giggled and I suggested to her “Maybe we can go looking this weekend?”

“Oh no Mistress, we will be busy Saturday, possibly too busy even on Sunday as well.” She answered with a wicked smile on her gorgeous face.

I laughed loudly “If we’re lucky we will be.” As we got waved through a crowded intersection by a burly looking policeman.

We met the others at the British, they had a table arranged for us in the Bistro area, and a bottle of wine opened and waiting for us. The wine was waiting for us, they had already commenced.

I waved our hello to the staff there and Michelle went up to the bar and arranged for some water for the table. I gave her a strange look when she brought it to the table.

“Je veux une tête claire pour nos discussions aujourd’hui et pour le reste de la semaine ma Maîtresse” she told me. [I want a clear head for our discussions today and for the rest of the week my Mistress] We had previously agreed for her to keep speaking French when around my family. Emily and Mia were the only ones who knew of my concerns when around the others.

“Bien sûr, vous le faites, il n’y a rien de pire que d’avoir un nouvel amant quand vous avez la « gueule de bois ».” I replied to her. [Of course you do, there’s nothing worse than having a new lover when you are ‘hungover’.]

I explained to everyone that Michelle would want to remain clear-headed for our discussion. I shrugged my shoulders at Terry.

He replied to her that he thought she was a wise woman.

“Il pense que vous êtes sage” [He thinks you are wise] I told her, she smiled at said “Merci”

“Ok so what do we know, we have some boxes of tea from China, we have a crate of guns, which I have relocated to my place, by the way, ssshhh mums the word.” I then turned to Cynthia and Miriam and asked “I forgot about you two, what were in those little boxes.”

Cynthia took out her little box and put it on the table. We all looked at it, and then looked at both Miriam and Cynthia. “OK, I’ll ask, what’s in there?”

Miriam pulled open the box, and all we saw were pieces of stones and rocks. She told everyone that at first glance they look like pretty non-descript stones and rocks. BUT she didn’t let on about her thoughts and questions.

“Why would someone hide such small amounts of bits and pieces in a store room hidden in a cellar over one hundred and fifty years ago? What was happening at that time?” She asked.