Play@YSDC

Thinking she might be late home to make lunch Florence persuades Laurent to try and flag down a passing camion, rather than walking down the beach back to Dame Marie. Fortunately one is returning from Cap Matelot and they get back to Dame Marie with plenty of time. Given how long the passengers have been on the bus from Cap Matelot and with the midday sun beating down on them, the ride back is even worse than the one out and neither feel too hungry by the time they disembark.

When Florence returns home Lusette and her girls are already busying themselves around the fire out the back of the house. Fabrice and Pierre have returned and are sitting around talking to Lusette's husband Daniel, who's also a fisherman. Ginette is helping out the older girls while Rosalie flits back and forth between the women and the men, eavesdropping. Marise sits apart from the others, listless and uncommunicative.

Despite their queasy stomachs both Florence and Laurent feel their mouths water at the smell of the freshly cooking meal.

Florence joins Lusette - though she looks over at Marise first - and asks her sister how her day has been (as well as copiously thanking her for her help in watching everyone).

Laurent is glad that his appetite has returned. He has always enjoyed the Lavignes' cooking.

Marise looks very much as she did before Florence left, her usually lustrous complexion is flat and grey, her blank, staring eyes have that odd green hue Laurent remarked upon last night.

Looking over her sister with a look of sympathy, Lusette places a hand on her shoulder, 'Sè mwen, you look tired. Why don't you get yourself some rest. I can look after the girls, they've behaved themselves. But Marise doesn't look well, she's very quiet, and seems unwell somehow. Do you think she should see Dr Clermont?'

"That might help," says Laurent. "It might also help to take her to Auxian Ramses, if this turns out to be something unusual."

"Yes, I will take her," Florence says. She's also recalling that M.Labas said that the doctor was from the old town.

Lusette sucks her teeth at Laurent's suggestion, 'Ramses is a houngan who makes coffins, don't you be getting mixed up with him.'

What do you want to do now? I think you said you wanted to ask Pierre and Fabrice about George Benson

Yes.

Florence will start with innocuous questions over lunch, about how the voyage went. More serious questions can follow when she can and laurent can get Fabrice and Pierre alone.

Laurent also makes small talk with Pierre until they can get some privacy with him and his father.

Pierre talks unselfconsciously about the trip to Cap Matelot. 'We went past the Ti Maman on the way. There were four of them in Mr Benson's boat, a politician from St Joe City and his fat wife, he had this stupid captain's hat on and he was drinking beer first thing in the morning. And there were these white people, I think I recognised them, Mr Langer from the Plantation Margot and his wife.' Then he adds bashfully, 'She's pretty, too pretty for an old man.' He looks up at Marise as he says this but she doesn't show any sign she has heard him.

Laurent and Florence know that the Plantation Margot is a sisal estate near Dame Marie. Jan Langer is the manager there, he's a European from somewhere like Holland or Belgium.

Fabrice seems more tuned in to Florence's anxiety and laughs nervously at Pierre's talk. 'We picked George up just fine, he hadn't been waiting too long. Very grateful for the help.' Lusette can see that Florence wants to talk to her husband and busies herself tidying up after the meal, rounding up the girls to come and help her, and leaving Florence and Laurent with Pierre and the men.

"I had wanted to come with," says Laurent, "but I got there a little too late. Still, we learned some important things today."

Florence tells Fabrice about the day's events, including Pierre Labas's talk of Sirenes - she presents her fear as Marise having been drawn into some group of people who believe in these things (she leaves out her fear that they may be real).

Fabrice looks sceptical, 'Old Pierre talks about a lot of things but he's harmless. Don't pay his nonsense about sirèn any mind. I'd like to get my hands on that naked white man we saw, I'm sure he could tell us what went on, because Marise wont.'

Laurent says nothing on the subject, allowing Florence to decide whether or not to tell him that they had found the man.

"Laurent and I were able to find him," Florence says. "But he was confused. I don't think he knows what happened. But there seem to have been many more people there too, with the clothes we found. I'm so afraid one of them hurt her."

His fists clench and Fabrice's face flashes with anger. 'What are you saying woman? What do you think happened? Tell me!'

Daniel puts his hand on Fabrice's arm, 'The boys and me will go and help with the clearing up, leave you two alone' and he gestures to Pierre and Laurent to come with him out the back of the house.

Laurent nods and quickly follows Daniel outside.

Pulling himself up to his full height, Fabrice stands over Florence, he grabs her arm, too hard, it hurts. 'What happened to my little girl?'

Florence grits her teeth against the pain, and recounts everything she and Laurent found over the day. "I think Marise has fallen in with people who believe in these 'sirenes,' she finishes. "You're hurting me," she adds if he doesn't let go by the time she's done.

Fabrice is right in Florence's face as she recounts the day, she can feel him on her skin, his breath coming in rapid bursts, the faint sweet smell of alcohol. When she says he is hurting her Fabrice's face switches in an instant from one of anger to shame or embarrassment. He turns away from her.

'I'm sorry. What...what do we do?'