The Intern Affair (27 page)

As they alighted
from the plane in
Victoria
Harbour
, Samir was admiring the sight before him.
He had had time, sitting in the cockpit, to appreciate the scenery below when the aircraft was approaching their destination. Yet, once on the ground, the surroundings were embracing his senses. The buildings, the sailboats in the harbour, the flowerbeds descending to the edge of the piers and walkways, together with the tall pines caressing the façades of some of the edifices, gave him the impression of stepping into the pages of a fairy tale book.
The freshness emanating from it all was invigorating. He had seen many cities in his travels through Europe or
Africa
, yet he had never experienced such serenity and pleasure at their sight. He looked around and instantly knew why Talya would come here. She belonged to the peace of these surroundings.

Ghali
, on the other hand, who knew the city well, wasn’t paying much attention to the beauty displayed before him under the bright morning sun. He was walking ahead toward the Empress Hotel. His stride was decisive and unyielding.
His resolve to find Talya had been augmented ten folds since he had heard the description of her last journey in
Senegal
.
His medical training told him that Talya, if she was to relive the horror of her past, was most likely to take her life if she was left to her own device. Then
Ghali
thought of her reaction on the previous night, when he had wanted to follow her to
Africa
with Samir. In an instant, he knew he could not go any further. He had to back off now. Talya didn’t want him near then, and she wouldn’t want him near her today.
Samir was right; he shouldn’t want to bring her back.
He had to let him handle this and he would be waiting for them to return to
Vancouver
.

Samir watched the young man walk in front of him.
He knew he would have to stop him. Talya wouldn’t reveal any of her designs or plans if they were to interrupt her escape.
He quic
ken
ed the pace, put his hand on
Ghali
’s shoulder, and stopped him.
Ghali
turned with a jerk and looked at the Touareg, his eyes filled with a mixture of admiration and resentment.

“Before you say anything, I want to talk to you.
Let’s go and sit down,”
Ghali
said, indicating a bench close-by.

Samir was startled yet pleased. He sensed that
Ghali
’s demeanour had changed. He was in control once again. The ‘medical practitioner’ had returned. They reached the bench and sat down.
Samir was curious to hear what
Ghali
had in mind.

“I will tell you what I have decided,”
Ghali
began. “Although you think of me selfish, I only wanted to protect Talya from her impending need and obvious desire for self-destruction. That’s why I called you in the first place. What she’s gone through in the past few weeks would be quite an ordeal for anyone under normal circumstances, but for Talya, while the past is haunting her,
Kareef
’s assault and the attack on
Alhassan
’s life; these incidents have made matters a lot worse.
As you said, she should be left alone, and since you are the only one who seems to understand thoroughly what she’s going through, I will let you continue your search on your own. Talya is in danger and I can’t be party of sending her over the edge. So, I’ve decided to go back to
Vancouver
on the next ferry.”

Samir had been watching
Ghali
and listening to him intently. “Doctor, from now on you deserve my friendship and my admiration. I can’t however, search for her in this strange city by myself.
Or I need a few more indications before you leave.”

“Anything, Captain.”

“First, I don’t think she would have gone to stay at the Brownstone Inn directly.”

“What makes you think that?”
Ghali
was surprised at the strange surmise.

“
Ghali
, you’ve got to focus. Let your mind work in peace and not in revolt. We’ve concluded that Talya is looking for answers right here. However, she’s not going to face her
enemy
the minute she gets here. She wants to reach some stage of quiet resolve before going into the Brownstone Inn alone. She desperately wants to recall the past to try to pay for what she believes she did. When she arrived however, I think she needed to take a step back and consider what she was about to do. Therefore, she went to another hotel.
Now the question is which one.”

“You think she’s
taken
a room somewhere else, just because she’s alone?”

“Yes, and I also think she didn’t go into any hotel. She went to a specific place where she feels comfortable and surrounded by familiar, endearing objects, like antiques…. You mentioned she loves antique furniture. So, tell me where would we find a hotel that has such items and where comfort is of prime importance?”

“The Empress, behind us, fits that description,”
Ghali
replied without hesitation. “We actually went for High Tea in the conservatory at least ones every time we’ve been here.”

“Very well then, let’s go and see if we can locate her.” Samir rose from the bench hurriedly.
Ghali
got up, shook his head and smiled at the man. He thought that he now understood how Samir’s mind worked.

The two of them entered the hotel, and Samir asked
Ghali
to remain seated in one of the hall chairs, and to wait for him.

“Good morning, sir. How can I be of service?” the front desk clerk said, smiling agreeably when Samir approached the counter.

“Good morning. Perhaps you could answer a couple of questions for me.”

“Yes, of course, if I am able to provide answers to your queries, I shall.”

“The first question, concerns a friend of mine. I have some news for her from home and I would like to know if she is staying in your house.”

“What is her name?”

“Ms
.
Gilmore
, Ms
.
Talya
Gilmore
.”
The clerk turned his gaze to his computer monitor and typed the name on the keyboard.
He then lifted his head to reply, “Yes, Ms
.
Gilmore
has registered this morning and she’ll be staying with us for two nights. Would you like me to announce your arrival?”

“No-no, I’ll do that myself in due time. Now if you could answer the second question it would be helpful as well.”

The clerk looked at Samir dispassionately. “By all means…?”

“Would you have a room or suite available for tonight and tomorrow night, which I could reserve?”

“Yes, we should have….
Any preference—a single, double or a suite?”

“I would prefer a suite, but I would take a room if it were adjacent to that of
Ms.
Gilmore
—if that’s possible?”

“Let me see….” Again, the clerk turned to the computer screen. “I think we can manage that; however, that suite will not be available for another hour.”

“That will be fine. Oh, one last thing, do you have a flower shop on the premises?”

“Yes we do. Actually, we have two. The closest one is located down the hall to your right before you reach the lifts.” The clerk pointed in that direction and to his right.

“Thank you, I’ll see to it in a moment.” Samir then quickly filled out the registration sheet and gave his credit card. Once he had received his key, he turned away, and went to sit beside
Ghali
.

“She’s here, my friend. You were right.
I have
taken
a suite but it won’t be ready for another hour. So, why don’t we take a walk through town?”

Ghali
nodded and both men walked out of the hotel.

A man followed them. He stayed at a safe distance, and once he
saw his quarry go
up the hill toward the Pedestrian Mall, he unclipped his cell phone from his belt and pressed a digit.

“We will have to call
Charles
once I’ve talked to her. Will you stay until then?” Samir asked while going in the direction of the jewellery store where
Ghali
and Talya had seen the bracelet, which had caused such an upheaval in Talya’s mind.

“Yes, of course.
But do you really think I should see her?”

“Definitely; you’re not here imposing your presence on her and she’ll appreciate that. She needs to know that you care enough to go back and wait for her.”

“Okay, as long as you’re sure it’s for the best.”

Samir looked at the doctor without speaking.

Ghali
knew the answer the moment he saw it in Samir’s eyes.
The man is definitely a mystic
.

32

When Talya came
into her room after lunch, on the table near the window, she saw an enormous bouquet of flowers—white roses and orchids—arranged in a lovely rattan basket.
She rushed to it.
Her heart was beating so hard that she thought she would have to sit down before reading the card pinned on one of the roses’ stem.
She was trembling.
She knew of only one person who would be able to retrace her steps. She opened the tiny envelope, pulled out the card and read:

My Lady, please enjoy these flowers

while I long to be with you.

I’ll see you very soon.

Samir

Talya sat down.
If only she had shared her plans with him. He would be here to enjoy this wee
ken
d with her.

Talya, you’re an idiot!
You wanted to be alone, and for what—to enjoy yourself? Enjoy what—a dinner alone? Then tomorrow, you wanted to go back to the jeweller and buy the bracelet to demonstrate that you could stand the memory of the manacles without flinching? That’s impossible and you know it!

While she was scolding herself silently, and looking at the flowers, she heard a knock at the door of the adjacent suite.
She thought nothing of it at first. Ignoring the repeated gentle tapping, she went to the bathroom to shower and change back into her jeans. She wanted to catch a cab to the
Butchard
Gardens
and take a stroll along its many paths, each leading to a more enticing display of nature’s colourful and wonderful gifts.
She came out of the bathroom wrapped in the hotel’s robe when she heard the tapping again.
This time, she went to answer it.
She flung the door open, intending to give a serious piece of her mind to the intruding caller.

Seeing Samir standing in the doorway gave her a jolt.
She felt the blood drain from her face.
He closed the door behind him, took her in his arms, and held her.

God!
It’s such a relief...
Talya was happy. He was here.

He released his embrace and looked at her intently. “I’m sorry, My Lady, for intruding
...
”

“Samir,” she blurted, “. . . I’ve missed you . . .” The thrill she felt was eclipsing each word in her throat before she could utter a single syllable.

A moment later and when her uncontrollable trembling had abated; Talya led him to the small sofa against the far wall in the room. They sat down and Talya looked at him as she did a few days ago, not believing her eyes that he was actually facing her.

“The road ahead of us is a long one, Samir,” she began, while regaining some of her self-control, but still clamping her hands between her knees in an attempt to keeping them from shaking. “This is so unexpected that I can’t begin to understand what’s happening to me.”

Seemingly trying to subdue his own feelings, Samir put his elbows on his knees and turned his head toward her. “I have to apologize for the intrusion on your solitude. I couldn’t let you be alone for two days, knowing what you went through last night and what you intended to do tomorrow.”

“How do you know what I am planning to do tomorrow?” Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
How could he have known?

“
Ghali
told me about the two little episodes you’ve experienced when you were here last wee
k
en
d.
And from there I knew where you were and what you intended to do.”

“That explains the first part of my question, but not how you knew I was going to put my little plan in action
tomorrow
and not today for example?”

“Have you lost your senses of knowledge already?
I’m away from you for only and nearly a day and you come to pose such a question?”