The Flinck Connection (Book 4) (Genevieve Lenard) by Estelle Ryan Read Free Book Online Page B

twice. Today was the second time.
    After our first meeting, he had insisted on meeting only with Manny, claiming that the rest of us were inconsequential since we had no law enforcement training. He had told Manny our intellect aside, he was not convinced that any of us would understand the intricacies of politics. He hadn’t met any of the others, but had told Manny he didn’t trust our team. I didn’t trust him.
    “Good morning, Manny.” Henri stepped into the room, his focus on Manny as if he was the only person in the room.
    “Sorry, boss.” Tim walked around Henri towards Phillip, his facial muscles tense. “I told Monsieur Fabron there was a meeting, but he insisted on coming in.”
    “No problem, Tim.” Phillip stood up and held out his hand. “Henri, welcome. Please join us.”
    “I’ll get a chair from the other room.” Tim started walking to my viewing room.
    “No!” I jumped out of my chair, reaching out as if to stop him. Tim’s whole body jerked and he slowly turned around. I lowered my hands and cleared my throat when I realised all eyes were on me. “Please don’t take anything from my viewing room.”
    “He can have my desk chair,” Francine said as she walked to her desk and rolled her chair to the round table. She stopped in front of Henri and smiled. It was not a genuine smile, but a smile I had come to recognise whenever Francine was planning something. “Hi. I’m Francine. Who are you?”
    “Henri Fabron.” He held out his hand to shake hers. The contraction of the muscles around his eyes and the dilation of his pupils was a clear indication of his attraction to Francine. She often elicited this response from men.
    “Henri is from the president’s office,” Phillip said, his eyes moving between Henri and Francine. His expression didn’t reveal his thoughts, but his pursed lips indicated displeasure. “We don’t see you often enough, Henri.”
    “I see him more than enough.” The change in Manny’s posture was miniscule, but the effect large. He hunched his shoulders and adjusted his body language to appear disinterested, even bored.
    “Please join us.” Phillip gestured at Francine’s chair.
    “Thank you, Phillip.” Henri sat down. In the first and only meeting with me, Henri had also insisted on first names. He inhaled to say something else, but stopped when Colin’s smartphone started ringing.
    “Sorry.” Colin didn’t look contrite as he took his phone out of his pocket. He glanced at the screen and his eyes widened very slightly before he controlled his expression. He looked at me. “I have to take this. Be back in a second.”
    I nodded while trying my best not to confront him about his irrational mention of time. It was going to take him at least three seconds to leave the room. What he had said was physically impossible.
    “I hear you were at the scene of a murder last night.” Henri looked around the table, but studiously avoided looking at me. This had also happened at our first meeting. His attempt at sounding nonchalant about Minister Savreux’s murder was noble, but he failed. Curious. “Care to fill me in?”
    Manny shrugged. “One of my CI’s got an anonymous tip about some noises and a possible body in a house filled with valuable art, so I reached out to my contact at GIPN to meet me there and the rest I’m sure you know. Have you not read the report?”
    Manny did not often lie. He was too impatient for that. The few times he had told an untruth had left me in awe of his smooth ability to do so. It was fortuitous that Henri was avoiding eye contact with me, else he might have seen my quick smile at Manny’s expert delivery of the lie. Were I not a top expert in nonverbal communication, I would’ve been prone to believe Manny. He had just told the most exceptional lie.
    “I’ve read the report. I also spoke to Officer Daniel Cassel. He tells the same story.” Henri straightened in his chair to give himself more height. “As I told