Maria Identifies Her Mystery Man
Auckland (New Zealand):
Maria, the California-based widow who met a retired New Zealand lawyer during a fleeting conversation at a Paris restaurant three months ago, has tracked him down again with the help of the Sunday Star-Times.
Last week we told the story of the wealthy American trying to find the mysterious Kiwi she felt an instant connection with when they sat at neighbouring tables at le Temps Perdu restaurant.
Maria - who wants only to be known by her first name - liked the man immensely and regretted not getting his contact details; not even his name.
With encouragement from her daughter, Maria, who works at a museum in Los Angeles, got Auckland private investigator Simon Shields on the job. Shields placed advertisements in legal newsletters but the response was muted. Then, a breakthrough came last week after the story appeared in the Sunday Star-Times.
The man, who lives in Auckland but was in France visiting his daughter, recognised his description in print.
He rang Shields and said "I think that might be me". Shields asked some test questions about his daughter's occupation. The man answered correctly and Maria and the mystery man made contact last Monday.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMaria was reluctant to give details about their conversation, saying it was private. But she did reveal they were likely to talk again even if they haven't yet made plans to meet.
The Dutch native did say he was "very, very nice".
Shields said the man remembered the dinner-time conversation, as he had been talking with a table of Americans on his left before finding them too dull and turning his attentions instead to Maria and her daughter on his right.
Shields said the man, who is single, was "a bloody good bloke" who was thrilled Maria had decided to track him down.
18 September 2005
By Irene Chapple
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3414102a11,00.html
Auckland (New Zealand):
Maria, the California-based widow who met a retired New Zealand lawyer during a fleeting conversation at a Paris restaurant three months ago, has tracked him down again with the help of the Sunday Star-Times.
Last week we told the story of the wealthy American trying to find the mysterious Kiwi she felt an instant connection with when they sat at neighbouring tables at le Temps Perdu restaurant.
Maria - who wants only to be known by her first name - liked the man immensely and regretted not getting his contact details; not even his name.
With encouragement from her daughter, Maria, who works at a museum in Los Angeles, got Auckland private investigator Simon Shields on the job. Shields placed advertisements in legal newsletters but the response was muted. Then, a breakthrough came last week after the story appeared in the Sunday Star-Times.
The man, who lives in Auckland but was in France visiting his daughter, recognised his description in print.
He rang Shields and said "I think that might be me". Shields asked some test questions about his daughter's occupation. The man answered correctly and Maria and the mystery man made contact last Monday.
AdvertisementAdvertisementMaria was reluctant to give details about their conversation, saying it was private. But she did reveal they were likely to talk again even if they haven't yet made plans to meet.
The Dutch native did say he was "very, very nice".
Shields said the man remembered the dinner-time conversation, as he had been talking with a table of Americans on his left before finding them too dull and turning his attentions instead to Maria and her daughter on his right.
Shields said the man, who is single, was "a bloody good bloke" who was thrilled Maria had decided to track him down.
18 September 2005
By Irene Chapple
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3414102a11,00.html
