Malik didn’t seem as if he wanted to leave the party. He was about to take a bit of toast topped with pâté from the plate Sylvie was offering him, but he immediately dropped his hand. “Désolé,” he said, apologizing to Sylvie. “You know how it is. We’ve got the early shift.”

“D’accord,” Sylvie replied with a shrug. “À demain.” She offered the plate to Lucy, who took a toast and, nibbling it, made her way through the crowded, tiny room to the futon, where Bill and the Stillingses were still sitting. Her place had been taken, however, by a young man, and they were deep in conversation.

“I am not surprised about what happened to Larry,” he was saying. Lucy noticed his hands were rough and red, and he hunched his shoulders, as if expecting a blow. “He was asking for trouble.”

“In what way?” asked Lucy, intrigued.

“Ah, Lucy, this is Émile,” said Pam. “He worked with Chef Larry at the Cavendish Hotel.”

“Really? I didn’t know Chef Larry worked at the Cavendish.”

“Only for a short time,” said Émile with a smirk. “He didn’t play by the rules.”

“He seems very ambitious,” offered Ted. “He told us he didn’t want to spend hours and hours chopping carrots and onions. That’s why he started his bakery shop and the school.”

Émile raised one very dark eyebrow. “That’s not why he left. He was fired.”

“Why?” asked Pam.

“I don’t know for sure,” replied Émile. “But after he was gone, people were saying that a lot of stuff was missing. Expensive things, like caviar and truffles.”

“They thought he was stealing?” asked Lucy.

“I don’t know for sure,” said Émile. “But that’s what I heard.”

Just then the lights were flicked off, and Elizabeth appeared in the kitchen doorway carrying a birthday cake, complete with candles in the American style, and everybody was singing the birthday song. Definitely the birthday song, thought Lucy, recognizing the tune but not quite making out the words.

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Bob greeted them eagerly when they got back to the apartment. “I heard from Norah,” he said, looking more cheerful than he had in days. “She referred me to a top-notch firm of international lawyers. I’m going to put a call in first thing tomorrow, before the interviews. If these guys are as good as I think they are, they’ll want to represent us at the police interviews.”

“That’s great, Bob,” said Lucy, her spirits lifting. She hadn’t realized how depressed this whole thing was making her, but now she suddenly felt a lot more optimistic.

“If we hadn’t drunk so much at the party, I’d suggest a champagne toast,” said Pam.

“That’s okay,” said Rachel. “Bob’s already celebrated.. . .”

“It was only a beer,” said Bob.

“Well, you deserve a big thank-you,” said Bill, clapping him on the back.