EREC BAUDRY WAS the second in command in the presidential security force, the Groupe de Securite de la Presidence de la Republique. Baudry reminded Mischa of his former boss, Renaud Tissot. He was built like a pro wrestler and had the intense eyes of a bodyguard, the rigid posture of a military man.435Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQXjVgJ5hH
"I have served four years in the GSPR," he told the presiding judge.
"Lieutenant Baudry, are you acquainted with the accused, Robyn Rihanna Fenty?"
"Sir, that is correct." Baudry spoke in crisp sentences with a respectful military tone. "Sir, I first met Ms. Fenty in July 2009."
"And the occasion was......?"
"Sir, I was providing security detail for President Diderot at the G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy. There was an evening cocktail reception and the president made the acquaintance of Ms. Fenty."
Rihanna sat motionless, seemingly holding her breath, as one of President Diderot's bodyguards recounted Rihanna's yearlong affair with the president.
"Sir, I would estimate that it was approximately monthly. There were times when the president would see the woman every week. Other times, several weeks would pass."
"Did you come to witness the interaction between the two?"
"Sir, that is correct. As a bodyguard staying close to the president, you cannot avoid observing some things. Sir, it was my impression that Ms. Fenty treated the relationship differently than did the president."
The red-robed presiding judge waved a hand. "Please elaborate."
"Sir, in my opinion, the lady pursued the president. She initiated many of the contacts. She was----aggressive. I did hear her speak once of marriage." The former bodyguard paused. "I heard her say that she wished to break relations with her boyfriend and wished the president to leave his wife."
The spectators responded audibly and the presiding judge demanded decorum. In Mischa's peripheral vision she could see the figure of Rihanna's boyfriend, Drake, immobile in the first row of spectators as he listened to this very public account of his girlfriend's disloyalty. Presumably he'd had no idea of what Rihanna had been doing. Certainly Mischa hadn't, and she was her best friend. In hindsight, the signs were there. Some of her weekend trips to visit "attend fan meets" or some unnamed relative back in Barbados, or spontaneous overnight trips to tend to a "sick auntie" were really her rendezvous with the president. Mischa even recalled noting a change in her, a certain glow about her, a spark in her eyes. She once said, "Maybe you should visit your sick auntie more often, Rhi," which caused her to burst into laughter. But still, she never allowed her brain to go into that territory; it never once occurred to her that she was having an affair.
"When did the accused Fenty make this statement about breaking up with her boyfriend?"
"Sir, I recall it was early March 2010. The president was campaigning for the regional elections in Alsace. Ms. Fenty accompanied him during some of his travels."
After their arrest and the revelation that Rihanna had been carrying on an affair with President Diderot, the press had gone into warp drive trying to obtain photographs of Rihanna with the president. They found one. It was taken in February of 2010 in Bangui, the Central African Republic, when President Diderot became the first French head of state in more than a quarter century to visit that country. It had been notable because the president had expressed regret over France's role in bringing the tyrant, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, to power back in the 1970s. Now, however, it was far more notable for the photograph taken of President Diderot at the memorial statue dedicated to the teenagers Bokassa had personally massacred, which included in the background, a beautiful woman in a royal-blue dress who, at the time, had probably blended in as part of the delegation. The number of times that this still photograph had appeared in print and television since the actresses' arrest probably rivaled the number of times that the video of Monica Lewinsky, at a rally for President Clinton, had run on TV.
"And how did the president respond to the accused Fenty when she said she wanted him to leave his wife?"
"Sir, the president indicated that he would not leave his wife. 'Not an option,' he said."
"And did the accused Fenty respond?"
The lieutenant took a breath. "Sir, she indicated that the present situation was not acceptable. 'Not enough,' she said."
"Did this conversation cause you concern, Lieutenant?"
"Sir, yes it did. One of my chief responsibilities is threat assessment. I considered her a threat for violence. And for blackmail," he added.
"Did you convey your concerns to the president?"
"Sir, I did. The president indicated that he understood."
The presiding judge flipped to another portion of the dossier. He mentioned the new document he was referencing and waited a moment as the lawyers turned to the appropriate page.
"Lieutenant, the trip to Monte Carlo in June of 2010," said the presiding judge. "You did not accompany the president."
"Sir, I did not accompany the president. Captain Tissot was the only member of the detail to accompany him."
"That was a breach of protocol."
"Most definitely, sir. And rare, but not unheard-of."
"What was your understanding of the reason?"
"Discretion, sir. The president was going to visit Ms. Fenty while she was on vacation. That was not the norm. The norm would be either a visit from Ms. Fenty in Paris, or, otherwise, she would accompany him on an official trip. She would simply travel with the delegation. Monte Carlo was different. President Diderot wished to hide his identity. Leaving behind his security detail was part of that."435Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoJXnSfHbY
"Did you approve?"435Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjLIYHrz10
"Sir, I did not. I conveyed as much to Captain Tissot. In fact, I conveyed my concern to President Diderot directly."435Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEqdEf9frX
"And what did the president say in response?"435Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlA86Bzj5s1
Lieutenant Baudry turned his head to the left ninety degrees, so instead of seeing the back of his head, Mischa saw his profile. But he wasn't doing it for her. He was doing it for Rihanna. It was as close as he could come to turning and looking at her.435Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJlFUJxiQg
"Sir, the president indicated that he was going to end the affair with Ms. Fenty in Monte Carlo. He told me that this was going to be their final trip."435Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbRtIOUb0y
