The Prince of Kuching

Meaghan dragged herself to work early on Monday. The last girl left early Saturday afternoon, so Sunday was spent in setting the house to rights and listening to Leaf prattle about the party. With Rickie in attendance, the fashion show was a complete success, and the girls gave nothing but high marks for the entire party. Rickie left not long after the girls had finished walking the 'runway', leaving a chorus of girlish sighs behind him, and one very private, very wonderful kiss outside.

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She was not long at her desk, however, when she received a phone call.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Meg?" Cynthia's sober voice came through the earpiece. She sounded so formal that Meaghan was alarmed.

"Cynthia, what has happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but I wanted to give you some bad news. Remember Ivoire, your contact in Nice?" Meaghan felt a frisson of fear travel down her back.

"Yes."

"Her body was found last week in Bangkok, apparently the victim of a violent crime. We were contacted when the Thai authorities called the main office through the embassy. Jules remembered you recently received an email from her. Do you know anything about what might have happened or why she was in Thailand? Meaghan? Meaghan, are you there?"

She could only stare at the walls of her cubicle in shock, unable to process what she just heard.

"Ivoire? Is…is dead?" She bit her bottom lip as tears formed in her eyes. "I…can't believe it. Do you know what happened?"

Cynthia's voice softened at Meaghan's obvious distress. "The authorities haven't said anything, but they do have a lot of questions. I know it's tough for you, but do you have any information that might be helpful to the investigators?"

Meaghan thought for a moment, and then shook her head. "She never told me she was going there.I didn't even know she had left the company until I received an email from her replacement. I haven't actually spoken to her in over a month…"

Meaghan's voice trailed off as her tears overwhelmed her. She barely heard Cynthia sign off and hang up. Woodenly she placed the handset back in the cradle and slumped in her chair.

She remembered the last time she spoke with Ivoire. Her friend had just temporarily moved into an apartment, and was planning to stay there a couple of months until she found more permanent solution. She was a competent, friendly, well-travelled individual who had a lively curiosity. It was hard to think that she wouldn't be there anymore to hand off the monthly files…

The file.

She remembered the fear she felt from those few words from Ivoire in that email. Maybe that file was the reason she was…she was...

Meaghan wiped her eyes and blew her nose; she vowed to go through that file again and discover what was so important about that information that may have caused Ivoire to be killed.

'Ivoire', she silently prayed, 'Please help me find out what happened to you and bring them to justice.'