Harper Lin - Patisserie 07 - Madeleine Murder by Harper Lin Read Free Book Online Page A

‘I can’t go on anymore.’” 
    “So suicide is likely, then?” he asked.
    Clémence sighed. “The wallpaper on her phone was set to a photo of Nicole Blake. When Rachel and I exchanged numbers yesterday, her wallpaper was definitely different. It was of cartoon frogs. I remember because I had thought it was weird and cute that she’d use that wallpaper. I think someone killed Rachel and tried to pass off her death as a suicide. The killer might’ve changed her phone’s wallpaper to make it look as if Rachel was obsessed with Nicole, and wrote the message in Rachel’s phone to make it sound like a suicide note. I don’t know if this death was premeditated or not, but it’s connected to Nicole’s death.” 
    “Hmm.” Arthur took the glass from Clémence’s firm clutch. She was gripping it so hard that it looked like the glass might break. He took a sip then asked, “Were there any witnesses at the time of her death? Perhaps hotel maids or other guests who might’ve heard something?”
    “No. There was a Do Not Disturb sign on her door, so a maid probably hadn’t been in since yesterday. I haven’t heard from Rachel all morning. She was probably dead since last night. They’re doing an autopsy right now, so we’ll find out soon.” 
    Arthur put his arm around Clémence’s shoulders. “I’m sorry you had to see another dead body. Are you all right?” 
    “It’s just revolting. My instincts tell me that Nicole was killed. Rachel was probably sniffing around, getting too close to the truth. Somebody staying in that hotel killed her, somebody on that film set, I’m sure of it.”
    Clémence rubbed her temples. A headache was forming. All these suspects and clues were clogging her head, and chaos reigned in her brain. Arthur knew her well enough to reach for her notebook and pen and pass them to her.
    “Let’s start from the beginning,” he said. “Who’s a suspect? Who’s benefiting from Nicole’s death?”
    Clémence flipped to a fresh page. It reassured her to know that she’d solved cases before. She could do it again. 
    “Sarah Briar,” she said. “I haven’t met her yet, but she was losing her star power and sliding into supporting roles in the past couple of years. Sarah’s supposedly nice, well, nicer than Nicole, but is it a coincidence that she’s getting a meatier role in the film now that Nicole’s gone? Plus, she’ll get all the magazine covers to promote the film, and it might just lift her status back up to A-list.”
    “Where was she during Nicole and Rachel’s deaths?” Arthur asked.
    “I’m not sure yet. I’ve asked Sophie to help me get the film’s shooting schedule. Sophie’s sort of friends with Sarah, so she can also help me get a meeting with her. Sophie doesn’t think it’s Sarah, but she might be biased because of their new friendship.” 
    “Do you really think that Sarah Briar, a petite blonde, can kill another human being so easily?” 
    “I did some research on her,” Clémence said. “She did an action film five years ago, so she had training. She learned all sorts of martial arts, so I wouldn’t underestimate her. It’s possible, especially if she surprised Rachel or Nicole. Nicole was probably killed during the night, so what if she surprised her under some bridge along the Seine? And with Rachel, what if she had an extra key somehow and snuck into her room? The only thing that doesn’t make sense is that she probably wasn’t the person Nicole was secretly meeting.” 
    “It is possible that Nicole just had a secret boyfriend or something,” Arthur said.
    “Yeah. And Sarah could’ve followed her one night. Who knows?”
    “Okay. So who else do you suspect?”
    Clémence was starting to get in the zone now that Arthur was here to keep her in line.
    “Zach Brant. He didn’t get along with Nicole on set for some reason. Was it a clashing of two big egos, or sexual tension? I haven’t met him either, but their disdain for each