Where the Vile Things Are, page 35
I know that tonight you plan to once again play on your chosen field with a certain young man who is wickedly sharp and deceptively beautiful, but there is another option; one that I think is much more appealing to you for tonight.
I know you are set to meet at an amazing luxury suite at a hotel “which has been booked as a place for the both of you” and the prospect of this is new and exciting and even a little naughty for you, I’m sure; but what else is out there waiting for you?
Since being back in the city I have been plotting with Cécile to get you both together. Her cousin has been gone for the past few days, and yet not once have you come over to her place to be with her. The only thing she wants is you. She’s desperate to be with you and make you happy; and yet you’re nowhere to be found!
She wrote you a letter which I have actually dropped in your mailbox, so if you haven’t checked your post, I suggest you go do so now. She was adamant I get it to you. She desperately wants to spend the evening with you; Rafael. I really think you should do it.
The truth is; I admire what you’re doing—playing with whomever you’d like—enjoying them and getting pleasured—but you were once deeply in love with Cécile—I mean, as of last week even.
I get that things with this boy are fun and even taboo for you, but you know in the end you won’t stay with him and how will anyone in your life understand? How will your family understand? You’ve talked before about how your family is very hardline Catholic and were terrified about you moving to San Francisco because they thought you’d be seduced into deviant behavior.
You really want to risk all of that when you don’t have to? I’m sure you’ve thought about it. Why put yourself or most importantly; why put him through it? You know you’re just going to break his heart. You have the opportunity to live a normal, fruitful, and successful life with the woman you love; the woman you have been working so hard to be with for months.
You both are so close. She’s about to be out from under her family and their religion and everything else... she just has to marry Jeremy and then what will follow will be her golden ticket to autonomy—both personally and financially.
Don’t you want to be by her side for all of that?
Since I am sure you will do what is right and what your heart really wants, I say avoid the headache of suspicion right now and just leave things alone with the young man for tonight. You’ll have to come up with excuses, and many gay men, being as inquisitive as they are, will set out to see if you are telling the truth. Wait until tomorrow or the day after—when all is said and done and there’s no way to prove something one way or the other.
Let me know; that way if you do chose to be with Cécile, I can pass it along and maybe she’ll quit having a panic attack over you.
MESSAGE CLVI
(Retyped from original hand-written letter)
To: Rafael Danceny
From: Cécile Volanges
December 4th 20__
What’s been going on? How has it been that for the past week or so I haven’t seen you? You just disappeared on me and I don’t understand. Do you still want to be with me, Rafael?
Isabelle has been gone for quite a few days now; she’s taking care of Stefan Tourvel—he’s her best friend. He’s not doing too well—actually. I have all of this freedom and we have the chance to spend real time together without having to worry or without having to be watched, but I don’t see you at all! I don’t even hear from you!
Please, come over tomorrow night. I’ll order us dinner, get some wine, you can play for me, and I can show you how much I have missed you and thought about you and how much I have wanted you.
Please, I am so anxious to see you! Thinking about it makes me feel a certain way... I’m sure you can imagine. In three days I am leaving for Tennessee to be married. Nathan has assured me that I will not have to be married to Jeremy for very long; he has promised me that I will be free of him by the New Year.
Please tell me that you still love me and trust me? Please tell me that you still want to be with me.
I love you and I need you. Forever and always, I’m yours.
MESSAGE CLVII
To: Nathan Valmont
From: Rafael Danceny
December 5th 20__
Don’t for one second doubt my heart or my feelings, Nathan; how can I resist anything from Cécile? She really is the only one I can love and that I do love with everything that I have. Sure, with everything that happened and the drama surrounding her life and family and her having to leave I became distracted; but I never stopped thinking about her or loving her!
Let’s spare her the knowledge of my... adventure... it’ll upset her and break her heart and it’s not worth putting her through it. She won’t understand things like this. She’s too naïve and comes from such a traditional, heteronormative life; she just can’t understand or handle the nuance of something like this.
I’d never forgive myself for breaking her heart like that. You know she’d never get over it, Valmont.
I will go over to the person in question and I will say to him: “my heart is full of love for you. I have the most intense feelings of friendship for you; and with lust it can confuse things and I thought I was in love with you—that I could have a relationship with you—but I can’t. I’m simply not like you and it’s only going to hurt you.”
He’s a friend of mine and I know he will understand. He was worried about something like this happening, so I think he’ll be really grateful for me sparing him all of this heartbreak and disappointment down the road.
Thank you so much, Nathan! You are a real, genuine friend. A real guy’s guy! Thanks for looking out!
I’m going to go head to Cécile’s now.
Thank you!
MESSAGE CLVIII
(Sent at 5:30 in the morning)
To: Oliver Merteuil
From: Nathan Valmont
December 6th 20__
Well, Oliver, how was your night? Did you have fun with Danceny?
Oh, wait; I’m guessing you spent the evening alone, didn’t you? You know, I must say, it wasn’t hard to figure out. When given the choice between you and spending the night with Cécile; he chose her.
You see, I just realized that as long as he was in the picture, there would be no getting you to see past him. I also realized that you don’t do any goddamned fucking thing without a greater motive—a larger endgame—and I figured I would do what I need to do to get in between that.
I want Cécile to be happy. Let her be happy.
Rafael is coming today to tell you, above all, that his “heart is full of love for you;” it really is worth hearing. You will feel so loved and so valued.
I promise.
I hope you will realize, after this little visit with him, that I am the one you are meant to be with; it is you and me till the end and there is no way around it. I hope you accept that it is better to be my partner than my enemy.
Until next time, Oliver.
MESSAGE CLIX
(Sent at 6:15 in the morning)
To: Nathan Valmont
From: Oliver Merteuil
December 6th 20__
I don’t like cheap, pointed jokes followed by tired arguments. It’s not how I roll. When I have issue with someone, I don’t complain about it or talk a lot of game; I just get my revenge, and I do it swiftly and I leave no escape.
You may be happy with yourself and think you are so clever now; but remember, you have a habit of congratulating yourself and patting yourself on the back prematurely for victories you have yet to achieve.
As for Cécile, I do have a greater motive—and this feeds into that and all of it continues to ensure that out of our scorched earth one thing shall remain—one will still be standing—and it will be her and out of our chaos she will become our legacy. What you think you have come in between will only solidify everything and make sure that no matter what; I win.
Goodbye.
MESSAGE CLX
To: Vanessa Rosemonde
From: Isabelle Pratt
December 6th 20__
I’m emailing you from Stefan’s room. He’s just gone. I don’t know what any of us will do. He was pounding away on his laptop, drafting an email that I can only imagine was meant for your nephew. He doesn’t mention Nathan by name, but it’s fairly obvious.
He kept screaming that it needed to be sent and that he would save it and read it over in the morning before sending it. I am sending it to you and then deleting it. It’s so crazed and insane. Stefan’s really just lost it. Some kind of mental break.
Torrance is talking about having him committed. I just don’t know if he’s going to get better or snap out of this, and I don’t know how much more I can put up with or what help I can really give at this point. I’m leaving with Cécile and Oliver to attend her wedding.
Hopefully Jeremy Gercourt will help refocus Cécile on her life trajectory. Torrance has promised to call if there is any change with Stefan.
MESSAGE CLXI
(Unaddressed message in Stefan’s sent folder)
December 5th 20__
How could you have done this to me? How could you have turned my life upside down like you did and then just leave me? You abandoned me to all of this and now I have nothing! Nothing!
You’re Satan! You’re the fucking Devil! You led me astray from the Lord and His plan for me! You took me from the only good thing that I had and made sure that I had no one but you; and now I don’t even have you!
But God, I love you so much and I can’t decide what is best for me and what I deserve; the only thing I can think about—the only thing I can hope for—is that I finally fucking die!
God, why won’t you fucking kill me?!
He has abandoned me and left me to you; the person who has ruined me and ruined my life. There is nothing left. I have nothing left.
Fuck you! God damn you! Damn you straight to hell.
You’re a demon! A fucking demon and you haunt me and I can’t escape you....
I have nothing left and I have nothing left to give. Everywhere I turn I’m being talked about.
Just leave me at peace and let me die. I wish I could feel nothing for you, but I hate you and that hate makes me feel worse and makes me want to die all the more. You torture me and torture me; even apart, you are making my life a living hell!
Can you say anything?! Do you have any defense for what you’ve done to me? Do you care? No. You want me to die! I know you do! This is what you want so you can take me with you to hell! I loved you and you took everything from me!
I have nothing more to say to you!
I hope you fucking die!
MESSAGE CLXII
(Sent at 1:26 in the afternoon)
To: Nathan Valmont
From: Rafael Danceny
December 6th 20__
I have been informed of the shady fucking shit you’ve been doing behind my back, Valmont. I know that not only have you been playing me like a fucking fool, you have bragged about it and I have seen the messages proving it.
It broke my fucking heart. I trusted you, man! I fucking loved you. I am ashamed with myself for having trusted you and given you so much ammunition to humiliate me with.
I know you fucked Cécile. I know that you’ve been fucking her. I suggest you watch your back. If I see you; I’m teaching you a fucking lesson for sure!
You’re as fucking evil as they come, and Cécile’s just as much of a fucking nasty whore as you are!
I’m coming for you; best be sure!
MESSAGE CLXIII
To: Vanessa Rosemonde
From: Ashton Tuttle
December 16th 20__
Dear Mrs. Rosemonde,
As requested, here is the piece in the Chronicle about what happened; at least, what is known thus far; I went ahead and copied and pasted it into this email.
I can’t believe any of it. Why was it done? Who did it? Why did Nathan do what he did to Oliver? How could he have? I just don’t understand....
He loved Oliver. They loved each other. Pathologically so; I just don’t get it. There’s no note and everything’s missing. Wiped from computers and deleted emails and DM’s....
I just wish we had answers. It’s so fucking sad.
I am so sorry for your loss. If there is anything that you need....
CITY GRIEVES AS QUESTIONS REMAIN IN TRAGIC DOUBLE HOMICIDE OF PROMINENT SAN FRANCISCO SOCIETY HEIRS
The bodies of thirty-one-year-old Nathan Valmont, heir to Valmont LLC, and thirty-year-old Oliver Merteuil, famed gallery owner, activist, philanthropist, and heir to hotel and casino empire Merteuil International, were found dead Wednesday night in an apparent double homicide.
The call came in Wednesday at approximately 9:00 p.m. from an employee of Mr. Merteuil’s.
It was a scene right out of the movies. The police arrived at the black, purple, and storm-gray Victorian on Laguna Street to find the front door wide open and the bodies of both men on the floor of the front parlor. It was a bizarre and gruesome sight; both men were found locked in an embrace; a wound to Mr. Valmont’s liver which appears to be the cause of death; a fatal wound to Mr. Merteuil’s throat. The apparent murder weapon—a razor-sharp ivory-handled pocket knife—was found next to their bodies in the dark pool of blood that surrounded them.
“It looked like they were floating. That’s how much blood there was. It was like they had both lost all the blood they had in their bodies,” said Officer Kinley of the San Francisco Police Department. “It was really sad. A lot of crime scenes you walk into; they’re gruesome, you know; gruesome in an unsettling and horrific way. This just looked sad.”
Police also discovered a trail of blood leading from the street and up to Merteuil’s front door, indicating that at least one of the men—most likely Valmont—was attacked and fatally wounded before arriving at the home.
Residents of the Pacific Heights neighborhood gathered in curious but frightened groups on their stoops and along the sidewalk, watching police go in and out of the home with its windows shuttered to the outside.
Neither Nathan Valmont or Oliver Merteuil were strangers to the spotlight, and where one became known for philanthropy, LGBTQ activism, and arts education advocacy; the other made headlines early on in his life with a variety of scandals and controversies that he seemed to relish rather than to feel shame in. The two seemed so different, and yet they had become fast and near-inseparable friends, and had been photographed together at numerous events throughout the city and at other events all over the world.
Their friendship had surprised everyone who knew them, and yet it was this meeting of opposites that made for a perfect match; which makes this double homicide all the more surprising and confounding.
“Murder... it’s just so grim...” said Isabelle Pratt, cousin to Oliver Merteuil. “We were so close. Best friends. I just... it’s terrible. Clearly Nathan was unhinged. Look at his reputation. Look at all the shit he’s done. The things he’s known for and made a name for himself on... it’s not at all a surprise that he had enemies. He ruined people. He ruined lives again and again and he enjoyed it; sad but not surprising.”
When asked why he would kill Oliver, Isabelle thought it was obvious: “He had to take my cousin with him. Oliver was the only person to get inside Nathan. Oliver was smart to all of his charms and tricks and he understood Nathan in a way that I think no one ever had and I don’t think Nathan could die without him.
“I think my cousin became a life raft—a security blanket for Nathan—he couldn’t be without it. Nathan knew he was dying and wanted to take my cousin with him because Nathan Valmont had to destroy everything; till the very end. I had always warned Oliver that Nathan Valmont would destroy him... I wish I had been wrong.”
The Police are currently questioning the Merteuil house staff along with Nathan Valmont’s housekeeper. So far there are no leads, and police ask that anyone with any information please come forward. Additionally; the Valmont family is offering a $1,000,000 reward for any information that leads directly to the arrest and prosecution of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Nathan Valmont.
A memorial for Oliver Merteuil will be held at the SF LGBT Center Sunday Dec. 18th, at 1:00 pm; closed services for family and friends of both men will be held at a separate and undisclosed time and location in the coming days.
MESSAGE CLXIV
To: Cécile Volanges
From: Ashton Tuttle
December 16th 20__
Hello. I’m messaging you on behalf of Nathan Valmont’s final requests. It seems things were put in place before his unexpected passing; and it is all contained on a flash drive that I will be delivering to you tomorrow morning at nine at the Ferry Terminal Market. Don’t worry about where. Just make sure you are there.
I will find you.
Two days from now information is going to leak that will bring the spotlight on you and your husband. Do not be alarmed. Play the part. Be shocked. Be surprised. Grieve. Defend your husband no matter what; give no suspicion and ask to know nothing more and you will have your money and your freedom.
I only know a fraction of what you will discover on this flash drive, but you must read it all before the morning of the 19th if you are to be properly armed. Do not respond to this; there is no need. Do as I say and trust that Nathan cared about you and has ensured that you will be taken care of no matter what.
MESSAGE CLXV
To: Cécile Volanges
From: Julian Zette
December, 16th 20__
Dear Ms. Volanges,
I am aware that you are married; but I hardly expect, from all that I know, that you would want to be referred to by your married name. As you are aware, I was Oliver Merteuil’s House Manager; I handled all of Oliver’s affairs, and the handling of such affairs was always a unique obligation to say the least.
The reason I am reaching out to you is that Oliver left provisions in his estate in regards to you, specifically. In fact, in the days leading up to his tragic passing, Oliver made changes to his will; changes that involve you.
Along with these changes, there is an envelope waiting for you. It contains a flash drive, a print out of select correspondence between Oliver and Mr. Danceny, and another drive containing footage from Oliver’s security system and other such devices.
