The Adventure Continues

[abrightboy]

For thatsfascinating.



The villa Malcolm rented was in the Languedoc, not far from Marseilles, south of Avignon. It was a very historic region, though Malcolm was particularly not interested in visiting Marseilles again. There was a charming village nearby the villa and if they were going to go to an historic city for a day, he'd rather make the trip over to Montpellier, where he'd never been at all, much less with Dr Whitly.

The villa had six bedrooms. As the driver brought their luggage inside the bright and spacious main room, Malcolm handed him some folded Euros and thanked him and shut the door behind him.

"First choice of a room is yours," he told Edrisa with a smile. "But you might want to explore first."

Comments

[abrightboy]

"We have no evidence that he actually had her. He won't just admit it. It won't take just going there. It's going to take manipulation. Emotional blackmail. He's a malignant narcissist. We have to go there to take away what he wants. Then he might tell us. It's a long game. It won't happen right then." He looks between Edrisa and Eve. "Are you both up for that?" He held up his hand. "And remember that Nietzche warned to be careful when you battle monsters, lest you become a monster."

[thatsfascinating]

Edrisa knew that becoming the monster his father was was Malcolm's worst fear.

"You're not your father," she said softly, squeezing his hand. "If we have to manipulate him to get answers...then that's what we do. We know what he wants. You."

[abrightboy]

"I can't do what needs done. I can't light the fuse. He'll shrug it off from me." He looked between Eve and Edrisa. "One of you has to do it."

"I'll do it," Eve said immediately, her chin jutting out a little.

"You don't even know what 'it' entails," Malcolm pointed out.

"If it helps us find out what happened to my sister, I don't care what 'it' is."

[thatsfascinating]

Edrisa glanced at Eve and nodded back. She admired the woman's determination, even if she didn't like how she had deceived the Whitlys.

"What is 'it'?" Edrisa asked turning back to Malcolm.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm understood why she did it. His mother was mad but... Malcolm had crossed lines in his search for answers before. He knew what it was like.

"You have to demean him. Tell him he's nothing to his face. Then we leave, on the condition that I'm willing to talk to him again when he's ready to tell us the truth. But the first part is the important part. He's a profound narcissist. He needs to feel important. He has to believe you think he's garbage. We leave only one door for him to regain status."

[thatsfascinating]

A smile played on Eve's lips. "I think I can do that."

"Me too," Edrisa promised. "I can help convince him that he'll never see us again unless he relents and cooperates."

[abrightboy]

"And he has to understand what little esteem we hold him in, for keeping this information to himself," Malcolm added, looking between them again to see that they understood.

[thatsfascinating]

"Oh, that won't be hard," Edrisa answered. "He's terrible for what he's done to you." She looked at Eve. "What he's done to you both."