Marriage is Murder

Khaat was sitting in the hotel room alone. She was feeling lost. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful to the police for putting up with her mutism. They'd been patient. She had been frustrated and frightened and couldnt remember the name of the hotel. Nor could she speak Italian. A clerk had given her paper and a pen. She'd written a description of the hotel in English, and one of the police officers had translated it and they'd taken her in a police boat back to the hotel, gotten her a key to her room, and had put guards on her door. They had said they had no evidence to believe Brian was dead. But they were honest enough to tell her that every hour he was gone, his chances of returning alive were dramatically reduced.

They'd left her alone in her room, and she'd wrapped up in his blue terry robe because it had the smell of his aftershave on it. She's simply wrapped it over her jeans and her sweater and she sat in a deep comfortable chair that looked out over the canal, hoping to get a sight of him.

And then she heard the door unlock. Her heart was filled with dread. Surely it was a police officer coming back to tell her Brian wasn't coming back. But it wasn't. It was Jess. She suddenly didn't know what to say. Her hands were shaky but she finally spelled to her.

"He's gone," she spelled. "I don't know if he's coming back."

Brian woke, laying face down on a stone floor in a darkened room. The back of his head felt like it was exploding. He felt the back of his head, felt it was painful and swollen, and when he brought back his hand, it was covered in blood. Great. He stumbled to his feet and saw the only light was coming from a window--a cellar window. He looked out the window and could see the Eiffel Tower. Paris. Oh God--Paris. It was so far from Venice. Khaat was alone, without words, without any memory, without any protection, without anyone. He panicked. She was as incapable of taking care of herself, he felt, as if he'd left Abbey alone in Venice.

He tried his magic, but all he got was a frustrating little fizzle. They'd tried to bind his magic, and they'd buggered the spell. He had a wee bit but it was almost completely useless. He could smell wine and vinegar. That was familiar. So was this place. He couldn't place how. He began to search for a way out. And then he remembered. Gelding. Damned him. Tom Gelding. He was in the cellar below Gelding's mansion in Paris. And for all Brian knew, Khaat could well be dead. He began to frantically search now for a way out. He had to get back to Venice--immediately.

Robert got the message the moment it came through the floo. "Michael," he called. "Come with me." He accio'd his coat at once.

"Where are we going?" Michael frowned, coming in from the kitchen, drying his hands on a kitchen towel.

"Venice," Robert said seriously. Michael tossed the towel back into the kitchen and accio'd his coat too, and they dressed. They apparated straight to the hotel suite.

Khaat hadn't had time to answer Jess but she had taken the cup of almond tea and was holding it in her hands when her father and Michael apparated in.

"What's happened?" Robert asked, seeing something wasnt' right. He went over to Khaat. He knelt in front of her. "Sweetheart, where's Brian? Why are you alone?" She tried to explain but her signing got all jumbled in her anxiety. He took her hands in his and kissed them. "It's going to be alright. Slow down and focus. You said he took you to the shops. Were you Christmas shopping?" She nodded. "Okay. Now--tell me what happened. Step by step." She managed to tell him as he coached her slowly through the story, making her repeat any signs she got jumbled. He got the description from her about the store.

"I know the place," Michael said. "From where she says she was in the shop, there is no way she would not have seen him leave if he'd been taken by muggles. No possible way."

"Good. The fact that you know the place helps," Robert said. "You and Steven go. Go to Daniella." He wrote a note and handed it to Michael "This is a magical matter. Go alert Daniella. She needs to take authority over this from the muggles at once. We need her help, and she needs to get us copies of the muggles reports. Then go to that shop and get what information you can. Jack, bind that door so that there is no way the muggles can simply burst in on us. We're not supposed to be here, remember. Lets not confuse the matter by being here where the muggles don't think we are." He took his coat off and looked at Khaat. "You're going to make yourself sick with all those layers on. You're going to get entirely too warm." He took the blanket and the robe. "Drink the tea. It will help. You're not alone. We'll find him. I promise."

At the sight of Michael entering, two aurors in Daniella's office drew their wands on Michael. Michael didn't even try to draw. He was angry, and he glared hard at them.

"Put down your wands at once!" Daniella commanded them.

"He is nothing but a common thief!" one of them charged.

"I said put them down!" she said powerfully. "He is an emissary of Minister Lupin and he is a friend and an honored guest." She came around her desk and embraced Michael "This is not a cordial visit, is it?" she asked.

"No," Michael said. "Robert needs your help in Venice. Brian and Khaat are visiting. Brian was apparently abducted a couple hours ago. It could only have been done by someone with magical skills."

"Irrelevant. Brian is magical. That makes it my business anyway. But if it was a wizard, I shall have him," Daniella said. She looked at the two aurors who looked at Michael with disgust. "You are dismissed. Tell Phillippe to report here at once. He will accompany me. Alert the auror in charge in Venice and have him meet us in the hotel. Waste no time. Minister Lupin's family is in grave danger."

"Then we should accompany you," the one auror said.

"You should do what I tell you. Go now. You're wasting time," Daniella said. They left in a hurry.

"My apologies, Michael. Did you come alone?"

"No. Steven is outside the door."

"Then let us get ready to leave." She picked up her long elegant blue cloak and walked outside her office where Steven was. "We will come with you. I have sent for my head of law enforcement. As soon as he arrives we will go."

"I figued as much," Robert said. "Muggles have thought wizards were just crazy old men for thousands of years." Robert silently knew that the fact that she was mute made her look more crazy to the muggles. He knew they were going to have to intensify their protection around her.

"I think we need to check the scene there but I don't think we're going to find much that is helpful there. I have a couple of ideas," Michael said, "but I don't know if they'll pan out or not." The head of law enforcement arrived.

"Daniella?" he asked.

"These men are emissaries from Minister Lupin. We leave for Venice at once," Daniella said. "Minister Lupin reuests our emergency assistance. You will give him every courtesy."

"Yes, of course," he said. "His usual hotel?"

"Yes," Daniella said. She looked at Steven and Michael. "We will meet you there." Michael nodded. He looked at Steven.

"We need to go back to the hotel," he told Steven.

"Thank you," Robert said to them. Daniella went over to Robert, and they embraced.

"Tell me what you know," she said quietly, noticing Khaat was not at all herself, didn't recognize any of them. She said nothing about it.

"Let's go out onto the balcony," Robert said, not wanting to discuss it in Khaat's presence.

"Allow me," Michael said, knowing they needed a bit of privacy but also knowing the others needed to be filled in as well. He went over to Khaat. "Sweetheart, come with me out onto the balcony. The sunshine would do you good, and they can talk." He got her to her feet. She reached for the cane--the last thing Brian bought her before he disappeared. Michael handed it to her, and he saw that if he helped her, she could use the cane and slowly walk the few steps to the balcony. Robert stopped short, stunned, watching. He didn't see any possible way she was on her feet, but he was seeing it with his own eyes. Brian had somehow done in 24 hours nothing less than a miracle. Robert was more driven than before to get Brian back, immediately. Michael took her out to the balcony and helped her to a chair.

"Oh, well done," Michael said, pleased. "Have you been working on this with Brian?" She gestured that they'd been working on it a liittle.

Robert turned back to them all. "I want my son in law found," he ordered. "Now." He filled in Daniella. She listened intently.

"Which of you will come with me, and which of you are staying here to bodyguard Khaat?" Daniella looked at them. "If they are bold enough to take Brian, they may well be bold enough to try to come back and get her as well."