When Imagination tempts Fate

I am in the course of drafting the manuscript of my current novel, Les Ruines (The Ruins), a modern day adventure linked to the activities of the Résistance in France during WWII. Earlier today, a report in a local newspaper of a most unusual tragedy grabbed my attention. It concerned the death of a man who had attempted to open an old safe with the metal cutting blade of an angle grinder to discover its contents. Because of its missing key, the safe had remained locked and unopened since the sixties in a local chateau. Disaster struck when it exploded; it had contained old ammunitions and explosives.

A snippet of the newspaper report:

Un habitant de Couzeix (Haute-Vienne) âgé de 50 ans a trouvé la mort, hier, en tentant d'ouvrir avec une disqueuse un coffre des années 60 qui contenait de la poudre et des vieilles munitions. Tout a explosé.

A few weeks ago, I decided to use the location of this very same chateau as a rendezvous and arms distribution centre for the maquis in this area during the occupation.

I attach three excerpts from my new novel, written over the past weeks. The location names are blanked, as I am sure that an investigation into the original causes leading to this tragic episode will take place.    

EXCERPT 1:

“Where are these meetings held,” Simone asked, showing keen interest in her father’s role in the maquis.

“Mostly at *********, the chateau near *******. Its location is ideal with unrestricted views across the valley towards *******. Lookouts can spot any unwelcome guests such as the milice or German patrols as they approach. It also affords several easy exits for rapid dispersal. Prior to the Normandy invasion, I often used the ruins at ******* for individual meetings. The underground passageways make ideal hideouts.”

EXCERPT 2:

He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s possible. She was a few years younger than I was. The owner of ********* might know. His father was a close friend of Simone’s father. I know that René used to spend a lot of time at the chateau.”

EXCERPT 3:

They turned off the main road onto a gravel track that led down a winding slope to the chateau. The imposing residence stood on an elevated promontory above the river. The entrance to the main courtyard was beneath a stone archway connecting a perimeter wall to a smaller building that possibly started life as a lodge. The first spots of rain descended as they stepped from the vehicles.