She began to open the door, but I stopped her. There were voices on the other side. I figured she would want to be discreet. I brushed past her. Gently twisted the knob and got the door open a crack. It was just enough to make out Daniel the gardener and Maria the house-keeper. They were having a heated argument in whispers. I tried to figure out what they were saying, but realized they were speaking in Portuguese. It was the argument of a married couple.

Maria was pushing her point of view and Daniel was not liking it. At least that was my interpretation of their mime show. They were beside a half-open door. Daniel closed it and locked it. He gave the key to Maria, who hadn’t stopped whispering. Nazari and I waited a while in the dark. She leaned her head into my chest. Traced her fingers across it. I curled her hair in my fingers and watched Daniel and Maria. They came to some kind of conclusion eventually and left.

We got out of Gilles Vaugeois’ room and closed the door. Nazari faced me. “I look okay?”

“You look perfect.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

I pushed a couple of hairs into place. I looked at where Daniel and Maria had been arguing. The door was shorter than the others on that corridor. Maybe a cellar. She said, “I have to go. I didn’t come here alone.”

“You came with your partner?”

“Antoine? No, I came with the other cop.”

“The chief?”

“Yes, Alain.” She read my look, smiled and said, “Yeah, but it’s not like that.”

“What’s it like?”

“The party’s a benefit for the foundation and Rigalle’s on the board. He’s my boss. He asked, so I came.”

“But he thinks you came for him, right?”

She shrugged. “It’s possible, in the weird fantasies of a man like Rigalle.” She gave what I thought was a very French shrug. “Look, the guy’s married with kids. I’m friends with them.”

It was my turn to shrug. “Hey, relax, it’s your life, but married with kids means exactly nothing right?”

“Yeah, I know. Whatever. Who knows what men think? Or if they actually think.”

“What about your partner, the older guy. He’s involved too?”

“Antoine? He’s old friends with Mayor Marbot and Rigalle.”

“High flying for a beat cop. Fraternizing up the chain of command.”

“I was in the academy with Bonnet. It’s his second career. He’d been a big city banker. Hated it and switched, but he knows everyone in town.”

“Middle-aged crisis or something like that.”

“Something like that. They’re probably looking for me.” She kissed me. “I have to go.”

I said, “Will you look up a car plate registration for me? Can you do that?”

“Maybe. Why?”