Fox Files with Jacques Forêt

Sorry this is late everyone. I was on vacation in Yellowstone. Weird stuff happened. Maybe I'll do a post on that this week too. Who knows.

Anyway, like one weird vacation could stop my nighttime traveling. Spoiler alert, it did not. But I'm starting to really look forward to my travels. I meet such cool people I would never really meet.

I went back about four years, so not long ago, but it's weird how different things feel back then. Also, I was in France. Maybe that was part of what felt so different.

I met another PI. There is something about my traveling that takes me to similar types of people. Murders, reporters, PIs...yeah, I gravitate to those. I'm not sure what that says about me. Anyway, He's this super tall dude named Jacques.

So let's get into it! I met Jacques and knew he was the one I needed to talk to.

Cali: Hi there. I know this is weird, but my name is Cali Fox and I was hoping we could chat.

Jacques: Chat? About what?

Cali: I told you it was weird. I do interviews with people on the street and you look like someone I want to talk to.

*He just raised an eyebrow at me.*

Cali: That sounded a little creepier than I meant it. I just mean you're so tall and it caught my attention. And anyone that catches my attention for any reason is who I like to interview. I trust my instincts. I can tell who's interesting.

*He blinked a few times.*

Cali: I've made it worse, I think. Put aside my creepiness. Can I just ask you some questions? Nothing deep and if you don't want to talk, you can just leave. I promise I won't follow you.

*He finally laughed.*

Jacques: Go ahead.

Cali: Thank you. We'll start simple. What’s your name?

Jacques: Jacques Forêt.

Cali: Is that French?

Jacques: Yes. I mean, we're in France. You're Amercian?

Cali: I am. Sorry, dumb question. Maybe I'm jet-lagged. So, umm, what’s your favorite color?

Jacques: I don’t think I have one. I’m not that good with colour. My wife Beth was the one who knew all about colour and I kind of left that sort of thing to her.

Cali: It surprises me how many people say something like that. Tell me about where are you from?

Jacques: I was born in Paris, in Montmartre. My father still lives there, although he is getting a bit frail and forgetful these days. I went to school and university in Paris and joined the police, but I now live here in the city of Mende in the Cévennes in south-central France.

Cali: I've never been to Paris.

Jacques: Are you planning to see it before you leave?

Cali: I wish, but I don't really have control over that.

Jacques: What?

*I laughed and tried not to sound nervous.*

Cali: Work controls where I go. So, what do you like to do for fun?

Jacques: Most of my spare time is spent with my son. Taking him to his creative arts class, or swimming or cycling lessons, or wherever else he needs to go. His social calendar is much more full than mine. But once he’s in bed - he’ll be seven in August - I like nothing better than to have a couple of beers and some good conversation with any friends who drop by.

Cali: Seven is a really fun age. Tell me about the other people in your life.

Jacques: My son, Lucien, is the most important person in my life now. I have my own investigation agency in Mende and my colleagues are also very important to me. Didier, he’s a retired detective, works as my partner. There’s also Maxim who is our IT wizard and he does our admin and finances. But I also have some old friends who live in nearby Messandrierre where I have a chalet and I like to spend the weekends up on the col with Lucien and Gaston and his wife Marianne. I also have some ex-colleagues that I see from time to time and it’s always good to catch up with them whenever I can.

Cali: What’s going on in your life now?

Jacques: Quite a lot at the moment. I’ve got a new but difficult case to manage, and discretion is paramount, so, I can’t say too much about that. But it involves a painting and a family will and… well, sometimes these things can get quite fraught. Didier and I have some leads that we are following up on and I think we are close to unraveling this mystery and recovering the artwork.

Cali: That sounds really interesting. Do you have any goals or plans for your future?

Jacques: My most immediate issue is to keep my business healthy and afloat. The last few years have been difficult for me personally because of what happened to Beth… But Lucien and I are getting through that. Our current case, when we resolve it, will bring us more interesting work, I think.

Cali: Beth is your wife?

Jacques: I'd really rather not talk about that now.

*I felt myself blush.*

Cali: Of course, apologies for bringing her up. What are you doing to keep your business healthy? Is that something like an expansion for your kind of business?

Jacques: We’ve been looking at how we might diversify further. We currently handle security reviews on household or business properties, we undertake house-sitting and of course, we handle research for divorce cases and for insurance companies. We’re thinking about adding tracing and recovering stolen or missing goods to our current spheres of work. But that will be something for us to look at in detail once our current case is complete.

Cali: Is there anything standing in your way?

Jacques: How can anyone know that? Whatever we decide to do next I’m sure there will be obstacles for us to overcome. But we make a good team and I’m sure that, together we will handle whatever the future throws at us.

Cali: That makes sense. Thank you for letting me take up your time. I appreciate you talking to me and hope it wasn't too painful.

*After a few pleasantries we parted ways and I sighed at the comfort of knowing I hadn't simply faded away while we spoke. Such a weird thing to be happy about.*

Once I woke up, as per usual, I looked him up. Jacques has done a lot of good work as a private investigator. It was a lot of fun to read about the cases he was involved in.

There has also been a book written about him by Angela Wren.

On a quiet forest walk, Investigator Jacques Forêt encounters a sinister scene. Convinced there is evidence of malicious intent, he treats his discovery as a crime scene.

But intent for what? Without a body, how can he be sure that a crime has been - or is about to be - committed? Without a body, how can Jacques be sure that it’s murder and not suicide? Without a body, how can the perpetrator be found?

A baffling case that tests Jacques to his limits.

It's an interesting read and you can get your copy HERE!