“You were? What was he . . . was he acting strange?”

Diana shook her head. Other than trying to charm me when he already had a wife at home, no. “He seemed very pleasant. If he was worrying about something, one wouldn’t know it by looking at him. And I’m a curious person. I was just trying to . . .”

“You were trying to see if I could give you any clues to what happened?” Veronique shook her head. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I wish I could. I don’t care how bad things were between me and Claude. Yes, he was dishonest. Yes, he was involved with things I didn’t agree with and didn’t care to know about. But he took care of me in the best way he knew how. If it’s murder, I want to find the person who did it. He didn’t deserve that.”

“Thank you,” Diana said, not sure if I’m sorry for your loss was appropriate considering they obviously weren’t on the best of terms. She clearly needed to move on too. Diana decided not to bother her anymore. “I appreciate your time.”

She went to step back, and the woman almost finished closing the door, but then she opened it wider. “I told this to the police, but it seems the media is coming up with all this wild speculation. Whatever happened, I’m sure it was an accident. That’s all it could be.”

She closed the door, and Diana climbed down the rest of the steps, thinking. If it was an accident, that meant the murder and the stolen necklace had nothing to do with one another. And that seemed like too big a coincidence to her.

Claude’s wife may have been a dead end. But there were thousands of other people at the ball. Other people who had seen the necklace. And somewhere, out there, Diana was sure someone had seen something.

She just had to find that person and get them to talk.

As she was meandering down the street, her phone rang. It was a strange number. She picked it up, “Hello?”

“Hello, Mademoiselle. Bayans here. I called the hotel, and they said you’d gone out. I hope not far?”

Diana’s stomach dropped.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“No, of course, not far,” Diana said. “Just out to do some sightseeing. I’m not in prison, am I?” Not yet, at least.

“Of course not. But I need you to stay close. We did have another question for you.”

“All right. Fire away.”

“A few people on the balcony mentioned seeing the victim acting rather strange before his death. Pacing and seeming rather agitated. Did you notice anything of the sort?”

“No.” As far as she was concerned, he was smooth as butter. A charming rake, who used and disposed of women like they were tissues. “I didn’t notice that at all.”

“Did you talk of anything interesting?”

“No. He told me about the history of the palace. That was all.”

“Did he mention your necklace at all?”