I flipped open my laptop and after passing the facial recognition software opened my calendar to see how Marie Louise had shaped up my next two weeks. Luckily it was fairly clear, like I’d asked her to keep it, apart from a couple of meetings, a visit with my late wife’s estate attorney and the lunch with my father. At least Dauphine would be happy. The lunch was at Le Club Cinquante-Cinq, her favorite. I gritted my teeth and hit the confirm button on the invite. “Fine. Done.” Sometimes it was easier to keep the peace and invest a bit here and there with him.

“Okay, the other update is that we got some chatter from one of our contacts in the port that there was a guy asking about us, which is why we took precaution yesterday. He surmised it was just a journalist.”

“Mais?”

“But, what?”

“I’m asking you. You have the look like your spiders are tingling.”

Evan rolled his eyes. “Spidey-sense. When will you get that right?”

“Evan.”

“Sorry. Yeah. You’re right. Something feels shifty. I looked into Michello.” Evan paused. “He was released.”

“He’s out? Shit.” Arriette’s stepbrother. My stepbrother-in-law. He’d been arrested for possession outside a nightclub and briefly taken off the streets. But he’d always been a bad seed. Always hitting his sister up for extra cash when he was short. I blamed Ariette’s addictions on his enabling. He’d spiraled after her death, presumably thinking he’d be inheriting her estate, racking up IOUs with the type of people who liked to tie up loose ends when they didn’t get paid, or even when they did. And sadly, they were also the type who knew I was his relation. Michello was a wild card. I didn’t like wild cards.

“Okay. Keep an eye on him.”

“Already got someone on it.”

I nodded, satisfied, and glanced at my watch, hoping Evan wouldn’t wind back around to my comments about the nanny. “I’ll be ready to go shortly.”

Evan didn’t move.

“What?” I asked.

“I was just thinking that it’s been a really long time since I heard you laughing like you did last night.”

“Oui, maybe it was overdue. They say time heals, no?”

Evan cocked his head to the side. “Maybe. Anyway, just give her a chance.”