J'adore Paris by Isabelle Lafleche Read Free Book Online Page A

flute. “I’m sure you have nothing to worry about if the police are accompanying you, Catou.” He rubs my shoulders and kisses my cheek. His tender gesture lifts my spirits. “You need to trust Sandrine and Frédéric.”
    “You’re probably right. Anyway, I can hardly wait to seeRikash riding around town with the police. It should be a day to remember.”
    We order some smoked salmon appetizers and enjoy our aperitifs.
    “So, how was your day?” I ask.
    “Same old, same old; just billing my life away while thinking about you.” He takes my hand in his and kisses it gently. “But let’s not talk about work. Save your energy for your big raid,
mon amour
.” He feeds me a bite-size canapé and whispers in my ear. “And I have a good idea about how to help you relax before your big day.” He kisses me on the nape of the neck, and my worries about what awaits me tomorrow magically disappear.

Chapter 7
    “Y ou know I’m only doing this for you, love,” Rikash declares between bites of almond croissant as we wait for the gendarmes to arrive at the office. “Spending the day dressed down in a filthy police truck isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I accepted this position.”
    “Yes, I know, and I really appreciate it. I’m sure this is a test to see what we’re capable of. After today, we’ll be back to pushing paper.”
    Sandrine explained during lunch yesterday that we’d be responsible for maintaining an evidentiary chain of custody for all Dior trademarks. Clearly, there will be lots of paperwork involved.
    “Dior is renowned for its New Look, but this is a bit much, don’t you think?” He points to his ripped jeans, fleece sweater, black motorcycle jacket, and dirty Diesel sneakers.
    “I think you look sexy. Maybe you’ll charm one of the gendarmes,” I say, trying to pierce his sombre mood.
    He immediately perks up. “Ooh, you’re right. Men in uniform!”
    I’m wearing a pair of khaki combat trousers, a grey sweatshirt, hot pink Marc Jacobs sneakers, and my red glitter Miu Miu sunglasses. Nothing too conspicuous, I tell myself.
    Frédéric shows up in our office a few minutes later with three middle-aged men in full police dress. All are of medium height and on the burly side. Rikash’s face falls as he catches a glimpse of the men we’ll be spending the day with, and he gives me a thumbs-down.
    “Catherine, Rikash, please meet Sergeants Larivière, Ruppert, and Mazarin.”
    “
Bonjour
. Very nice to meet you. We’re looking forward to our first raid.” My voice is brimming with faux enthusiasm.
    “The pleasure is ours, mademoiselle,” Larivière replies. He gives Rikash a friendly nod but keeps a comfortable distance. “Frédéric told us about your time in New York. I’m sure you’ll be prepared for some of the characters you will encounter today.”
    “Yes, it was quite a jungle.” A smile crosses my face. I’m not referring to the crowds on the streets of Manhattan but rather to the atmosphere at my former office: it was about the survival of the misfits.
    “Sergeant, can you give us an idea of the role you expect us to play today?” I ask.
    “
Absolument
. We will need your assistance in identifyingthe fake goods to make sure they’re in fact replicas of Dior merchandise. Once they’ve been duly identified, we can seize them. The vendors may try to flee, so we must act quickly. Afterward, we will rely on both of you to inventory everything and make itemized lists.”
    “What do you do with the seized merchandise?” Rikash asks.
    “We have it destroyed in a secure facility,” Frédéric answers.
    Given the huge amounts of money involved in producing, distributing, and camouflaging the copies, I’m taken aback to learn this.
    “We need to wait for Chris, our private investigator, before we can set out,” Sergeant Larivière says, staring at his watch. “He’s apparently received top-notch tips about where some of the vendors will be today.”
    Rikash sighs,