“But these are not…” I had been about to say “not all mine” when she cut me off. “Not too much baggage for a lady from America. I understand.” Then she held up a hand for me to be quiet. “Madame is in the drawing room with a guest,” she said. “An inspector from the Sûreté.”

“Ah.” I understood now. “Should we go straight up to our rooms then? We have no wish to disturb.”

But at that moment Mary called out, “Molly, have you returned? Come and let me say hello to little Liam. I’ve been dying to see him again.”

I went through into the salon and saw that Inspector Henri was now seated on the brocade sofa. He stood as I came in and then his expression changed as he recognized me. “I know you,” he said. “You’re the woman who showed up at Bryce’s house the other day. You said you were a relative of his with a message. And now this lady tells me you are a relative of hers. Are you related to the entire American art fraternity here in Paris?”

“Good evening, Inspector,” I said, nodding gravely as Liam, sensing my tension, clung to my neck. “I did not say I was related to Monsieur Bryce, if you remember. I said I brought a message from his relatives. And it is quite usual in any country that well-known artists have connections with each other.”

Mary came and put a hand on my shoulder. “I did not realize you had met our dear Molly, Inspector,” she said. “Please, do sit, both of you. I’ll have Celeste bring us all a glass of wine. And dear little Liam. How he has grown.”

She went to ring for Celeste, while I adjusted my thoughts to realize that I was to be either related or a dear friend of Mary Cassatt.

“Was Miss Cassatt the friend you were looking for when you asked me those questions?” Inspector Henri asked as I sat with a squirming Liam on my lap.

“No, those two ladies were unfortunately taken ill, away from Paris,” I said. “Typhoid, so I understand.”

“So of course Molly came to me and I insisted that she come to stay immediately,” Mary added, coming back to join us.

I had no idea what the inspector might have discovered that made him come to question Miss Cassatt, but she was clearly rattled by it. Had he been tipped off that the fleeing Jewish man had come to her door? I decided that attack was the best form of defense. “So how is your investigation proceeding, Inspector? Are you making good progress? Do you have a suspect yet?”

“Not yet, madame. I came to see Miss Cassatt because I know her to be a leading member among the American artists. I thought maybe she could tell me more about Monsieur Bryce—”