Crêpe Murder: Book 4 (A Patisserie Mystery with Recipes) by Harper Lin Read Free Book Online Page B

systems. He was close enough to find out details such as the code to her alarm, the members of her security team, and when their shifts were.

    The heiress, her family, friends and members of her security team described Victor as suave, charming, and an all-round nice guy. They didn’t want to believe that he could be the mastermind behind the kidnapping.

    Clémence shook her head. Juan must’ve done the same to Sophie. He even managed to move into her apartment after only a month of dating.  

    Before she could Google the Swiss heiress, Arthur called her back.  

    “Okay, Theo and Madeleine are both at Madeleine’s apartment right now. She lives in the 8th, near Parc Monceau. Theo texted me her address with the door code, so I’ll forward that to you.”  

    “Great,” Clémence replied. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”  

    While traffic was always a challenge in the city, the morning rush hour had died down and Clémence managed to flag down a cab. She told the driver to go in the direction of Parc Monceau until she received Arthur’s text and was able to relay the exact address.  

    The area around Parc Monceau was full of rich jet-setters and celebrities. It suited socialites like Sophie and Madeleine Seydoux. The residents weren’t as old and posh as the ones in the 16 th , but it was still an exclusive neighborhood. While it wasn’t as beautiful and expensive as the 6 th arrondissement, or artsy and charming like Montmartre, residents of the 8 th   arrondissement didn’t have to put up with too many tourists either. Not even in Parc Monceau, where it was packed with local kids under the care of full-time nannies. Many of the kids were the off-spring of the rich and famous.  

    Clémence got out of the cab in front of 28 Boulevard de Courcelles. She punched in the entry code and pushed open the door, which took her into an elegant foyer. It had a small elevator barely big enough for two people, not unlike the elevator in her own building.  

    She went up to the 6 th floor and rang the doorbell. Arthur answered. He greeted her with a kiss.

    Madeleine introduced herself with a bright smile, although there was a look of worry behind her eyes. She had the same precious face and big brown doe eyes as her sister, except her hair was a lighter brown and it came down to her waist. She was also a well-known socialite in the Paris scene.  

    “Clémence, I’m sure I’ve met you before, years ago at one of those parties.”  

    “ Oui ,” Clémence replied. “I think we’ve met too. I used to go to more parties back in the day.”  

    “Come on in. Would you like some wine?”  

    “Yes, please.” Clémence did need a drink.  

    Theo stood up to greet her as well. He had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was a mess, and his navy tie was loosened around his neck.  

    Madeleine lived alone in the apartment, which was a luxurious but modest one bedroom. She explained that Sophie lived in the building across the street and their parents’ place was right next to Parc Monceau, an apartment occupying two floors of a building. The Seydoux family wanted to stay living in the same area because they were all very close.

    “I’m sorry this happened to your sister,” said Clémence. She sat down on the couch carefully placed her wine glass on the glass coffee table. The white rug underneath tempted stains of all kinds.  

    Madeleine’s calm facade dropped; she looked down in sorrow. “I wish there was something I could’ve done. I pray every day she’s not hurt, and that it’s just the money they want. If they contact us soon, we’ll give them the money, no problem.” She looked up at Clémence. “But I hear you’re better good at solving crimes. Maybe better than the police. Can you help us? My parents are devastated.”  

    At the sight of Madeleine’s sad face, Clémence’s heart went out to her. What if it had been her own sister who was kidnapped for ransom? She couldn’t