The Curse - Prison

This is the very end of the story, where we get the 'why'. so, SPOILERS!!

[après l’arrestation de David le tournage se poursuit et se termine à Al-Waead et elle accepte de reprendre le job de David et d’être conseillère technique. David est emprisonné à Amman en attendant son procès en Jordanie et son éventuelle extradition]

I had never seen the inside of a prison except on a screen, and I found it less dark and gloomy in real life. I suppose lighting and camera effects made it look oppressing to show the audience more a feeling than the real thing. One thing was right, though. The glass window and the phones on each side.

When David had been sent to prison, I had taken hold of all his notes and files so I could fill in for him in the production.

I sat down where the guard showed me and I waited for him. Nobody had had contact with him since he had been sent to prison and I needed to clarify a few details before leaving for the States. I’d been both surprised and happy he had agreed to see me.

He came in from a door in the back, shackles both on his wrists and ankles, and that sight shook me. His usual tan had paled and he looked unkempt with his shaggy hair and scruffy chin. I had trouble reconciling the brilliant archaeologist I knew and liked with the murderer I was looking at. I felt both disgust at what he had done and pity for who he had become.

We both took the receivers.

“Hi, how are you ?” He looked different than usual, more detached than usual.

“Fine. I haven’t been in trouble with anyone. How’s the movie going ?”

“We just finished filming in Al-Waead and we’re starting again next monday in L.A.”

“Good, good.”

“That’s why I’m here, by the way.”

“They gave you my job, I suppose ? And you’re here to pick my brain ?”

“Yes.” I was embarrassed and felt uneasy. “Is it okay with you ?”

“I suppose.”

I opened the file and checked my notes. “In the script, there’s no mention of the civilization the god belongs to. Have you chosen one in particular ? Or did you leave it to creative license ?”

“I’ve always hated you.”

My head shot up. David was looking at me like an entomologist studying an insect.

“What ?”

“You took him from me.”

I couldn’t quite understand what he was saying. “I took him ? Jerry ? But I was never interested in Jerry. He was a colleague, nothing more. And that romantic dinner didn’t change anything.”

“He became obsessed with you long before that. The day we met on Al-Waead, we were together, did you know that ?”

“Yes, I did. You shared a tent, you were a couple.”

“I lost him the moment he met you.”

“But that was eighteen years ago. I was a kid.”

“He broke up with me because he wanted to be with you.”

“I’m sorry, David, I never did or say anything to encourage him. I didn’t even know. I hadn’t seen him in over three years, he wasn’t part of the last expedition.”

“He saw you with Ned.”

“So he tried to charm me ?”

David’s eyes had become hard. “He wanted you. Always you. He didn’t see me anymore.”

The conversation had shaken me, and my voice dropped to a whisper. “That’s why you killed him.”

And the realization dawned on me. “It’s a wonder you didn’t try to kill me.”

“I wanted to. I was looking for him and I saw the table in his tent. I knew it was meant for you, so I went to your tent. That’s when I discovered Jordan trashing your belongings.”

“And you didn’t say anything, alert someone ?”

“Like I said, I hate you.”

“Then why did you hire me, if you hate me so much ?”

“Because Al-Waead was the best site for the job, and you’re the expert. Going there without you made no sense. You’re smart and I’ve always enjoyed working with you.”

He paused for a second. “Interesting paradox.”