Murder in Nice by Susan Kiernan-Lewis Read Free Book Online

way I do,” she said in a loud whisper. “I wish
your little friend knew what you were capable of.”
    “ Funny, Janet, I was going
to say the same thing about you.”
    She saw by the way his eyes went suddenly
blank that he didn’t care who he hurt. Especially her. For a
moment, the stark look startled her because she hadn’t expected
that kind of honesty from him. She pulled her foot back just in
time as he slammed the door in her face. She stood there for a
moment, hearing her own breath, the sound of the door echoing
softly in her head, until she realized one of her fingernails had
been too close to the door jamb.
    A thread of blood traced down her finger to
her wrist.
     
    *****
    Maggie walked Annie to their hotel room and
closed the drapes while Annie took a sleeping pill and a bottle of
water to bed. It occurred to Maggie as she slipped out of the room
that Annie was in prime position to swap one addiction for another
if she wasn’t careful. Maggie rode down in the elevator and found a
large wing chair in the lobby with a view of the Mediterranean. She
dialed home and closed her eyes, willing herself to sound calm and
nonchalant when he answered.
    “ Allo ,” Laurent said. “Are you on your way, chérie ?”
    “ No, I’m not on my way, Laurent,”
she said, already feeling defensive and hoping she didn’t sound it.
“This is a very tense business. A woman has lost her only child.
I’m doing what I can to smooth things over and take some of the
horror out of it for her, but it’s not an easy or fast
process.”
    “ When are you coming
home?”
    “ Would you please listen to
me? Lanie’s mom is really upset and I’m helping her sort out all
the bureaucratic red tape in getting Lanie’s body shipped home. I
did tell you they’re calling it a suspicious death,
right?”
    “ You are not needed for
that.”
    “ I’m needed to be
with her , Laurent.
She has no one.”
    “ Why have I not heard of
this person before now if she is so important to you?”
    “ That is a very interesting
story and I’m going to tell you as soon as I get home.”
    “ I have time
now.”
    “ Well, okay. Let’s see…I
guess it’s not so much that she was important to me as the other
way around. Without knowing it, I was used as a sort of wedge
between her and Lanie when…look, it doesn’t matter, Laurent. Why
can’t you take my word for the fact that she needs me?”
    “ Incroyable ! Your child needs you.”
    “ Jemmy has you —he’s probably sitting
on your lap right this minute—and I’m only talking about another
twenty-four hours. Annie has no one.”
    “ If you tell me you have
agreed to investigate this woman’s death, I am putting Jem in his
car seat and driving to Nice tonight to bring you home.”
    “ Jeez, Laurent, way to
overreact. Did I say I was investigating it? Did I even hint at
that? The police have someone in custody that they are very happy
with and I have no reason to doubt their choice.”
    “ So this is just about
helping your friend’s mother navigate the red tape?”
    “ Yes, that is it. Almost
completely.”
    “ Almost?”
    “ Completely.”
    There was a pause. “Twenty-four hours?”
    “ I promise. Put the baby on
the phone; I’ll promise him, too.”
    “ He isn’t old enough to
know your ways yet.”
    “ Laurent Dernier, you take
that back.”
    He made a sound of disgust.
    “ Oh, I meant to mention
that my brother and Haley are on their way,” she said. “He said
he’d call you when he’s an hour out from Arles. Okay?”
    Laurent grunted, which Maggie decided to
take as an affirmative.
    “ Meanwhile, can you tell me
what cute thing Jemmy’s done since I’ve been gone?”
     
    An hour
later, Maggie hurried up the broad stone steps of the Soho lobby to
the front desk. It was after three in the afternoon but there were
no guests in the lobby or standing by the desk. The concierge, a
tall man with a long jaw and small eyes that missed nothing,
watched her approach