WHO-The Tale of Mrs. Anonymous

16-Jardin du Luxembourg

Hello everyone!! How are you all doing? So, this novella is coming to an end, just a couple more chapters to go. Though, have you guessed who the criminal is? I think it's getting kind of obvious now. I hope it's not cliche or anything and you actually like the twist. It's a trilogy so more two novellas are on their way. One's published, the other's, well...it's kind of forming in my head. Though, I assure you I'll get it done in a month after I start it. Keep reading and have fun!

After checking out from the hospital, Lyric spent the weekend with Cliff. They went to Jardin du Luxembourg. It had that smell of rain in the air and cold breeze whistling through the trees. The birds were chirping and there were very less people there. No one seemed to identify them, which as a relief since neither of them wanted attention.

"So, how's everything going?" Cliff asked Lyric while they were walking.

"Saying good would be exaggerating how things are really going!" Lyric spoke dispiritedly.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up!"

"It's okay." Lyric replied. Her voice was still filled with sorrow.

"Um...how about we forget about it for a while and dance?"

They danced near a water fountain in an ankle length lake of water and they looked like 18-year-olds. It reminded Lyric of old times. Before all of this started, how she used to hangout and have fun with her friends in Los Angeles.

"Thanks a lot, Cliff. I had a lot of fun today!"

"Anytime, m'lady!"

"Can we go back home, now? I have to discuss something with Enif!"

"First, there is something I got for you. I still don't understand why your favourite colour is black but since it is," he took out a silver locket with a black diamond in middle. "Got this for you. You might have forgotten but today is our two year anniversary. We met today, two years ago!"

"Aw, you remembered. I am sorry, I didn't get you anything!"

"You don't have to." He tied the locket around her neck. "This might not be as good as the Purple jewel given to Lady Margarete, but I still like it."

"I love it. And it means a lot to me. Thanks!"

Lyric remembered the day they had met. She was sitting in a café called Tèlescope, a cheerful small café, filled with tourists and residents at the same time. There were people snipping pictures of themselves and their food. She looked outside the window of the café at Fountaine Molierè, it was like a hundred metre away from where she was. It was beautifully carved and she saw some tourists admire its beauty. She was working on something assigned by Patrick, her boss when Cliff came to her. "Excuse me, may I sit here? Everywhere else is full." Lyric glanced up from what she was doing and looked around. Sure enough, everywhere else was full. She looked at Cliff, back at her work and muttered, "You may."

"Thank you." He was polite. And he didn't say anything for about 5 minutes but then, maybe he got bored and spoke, "I am Cliff, you are?"

"Lyric."

"So, what are you working on?"

"A crime mystery."

"A detective?"

"No. But I help the cops."

"Help? Five months and you have solved ninety percent of all cases." Said Enif coming in the view.

"Enif! Didn't expect you to be here!"

"Well, I wanted a quick word with you, so I tracked you down. It's urgent. And, uh I see you have met Clifford!"

"You know him?"

"Know him? Well-" he was about to say something but Cliff signalled him not to and he said something else, "We are old friends."

"You're a bad liar. But I don't care, how about you tell me what was so urgent?"

"Will do that. Come with me." After discussing the issue, Lyric went back to her home.

She was lying on her bed, very tired when she heard a message pop on her phone screen. She saw that it was from an anonymous number. Her first instinct was to block the number and report about it since when you are working to catch criminals, you have to be on red alert, opening messages from unknowns could prove to be a big mistake, but something made her open the message. Hello. It read. Just that much. Lyric typed, And who would you be?

But then she thought it sounded pretty rude, so she typed, Do I know you, instead.

Yes, you do. Only, I think you have forgotten me.

That was the reply. A quick reply.

And what makes you think that? Lyric replied furiously. She had a very good memory, it was not possible for her to forget about someone or something.

Or else you would've remembered me, cherè.

Who are you?

I'll give you an hint, we met today at the café.

Cliff?

Finally!

How did you get my number?

I asked Enif for it. He's an old friend.

Yes, I remember he mentioned that, but why did he give you my number?

Because I asked for it.

Why?

Lyric Bouvier, you haven't changed the slightest.

Simplify!

Guess!

Simplify!

Guess!

ARE YOU SIMPLIFYING OR DO YOU WANT TO GO TO JAIL, BECAUSE I COULD DO THAT! NOW TELL ME YOUR FULL NAME OR ELSE I'LL FIND YOU AND KILL YOU!! Lyric knew that it sounded scary, but she was angry. She hated being in dark. And she hated it even more when Cliff sent back two winking and two grinning emojis. She had to hold herself from throwing her phone.

I'll ask one last time, who are you?

Fine, I'll say. But brace yourselves, you might get shocked.

We'll see.

Whatever, I am Clifford Courtenay.

Lyric was grateful no one could see her face, for she was beyond shocked. She was smirking when she read 'Whatever' and when she read the rest of the message her expression momentarily turned between a smirk and shock. And she was too stunned to reply. She knew Clifford, they were childhood friends but then one day when his father died, he and his mother travelled back to France. Her mother was from France and there, his mother took over his father's and maternal grandfather's business and handled it until Clifford was old enough to take over. They hadn't met since they were really, really young.

I knew you would be too shocked to reply for a while. Answer me, when you feel like talking. Good Night.

She wanted to ask him so many things, but she just couldn't bring herself up to the task. She put her phone at her bedside table and went to sleep. For an hour, she was so lost thinking, that she didn't realize that her head was throbbing until the pain reached its peak. She blinked herself out of her thoughts and focused at nothing in particular. There were times when she thought about more than one thing at a time or tried finding solution to more than one problem at a time. Usually it worked fine, but it came up with the price of very bad headache. After staring into void for few minutes, she drifted to sleep.