‘What about your shadow, sir?’

‘Oh, if he’s come back, or I get another, I’ll keep them busy. There’s lots of Paris to see, after all! Report back to me at the hotel this evening and we’ll take it from there.’

Chapter 48

Annette left the market and walked back towards the apartment. Several times she stopped and turned suddenly, and once she went round a corner and ducked into a doorway, watching to see if anyone was following her, but by the time she approached the apartment building she was almost certain there was no one. Even so, she first went into the butcher’s shop as if to buy something, and looked out of the window. It was then that she nearly caught sight of Parker, but he, as he saw her looking out of the shop window, continued walking and disappeared round the corner. While the street was still empty, Annette slipped out of the shop and in through the door beside it, and ran up the stairs to the apartment.

Hélène was sitting in the window, finishing collars and cuffs on some blouses. ‘They should pay more for these,’ she said as Annette came in. ‘They’re very fiddly!’ She looked up as Annette crossed to the window beside her and peered down into the street.

‘What are you looking at?’ Hélène asked.

‘Just checking that I wasn’t followed here, but I can’t see anyone down there now.’

‘Followed?’ Hélène was immediately apprehensive. ‘Who was following you?’

‘No one, but yesterday Aunt Agathe came into Paris and when I saw her she said that Simon Barnier was on the same train, and though she tried to avoid him, he saw her at the station and demanded to know why she’d come in.’

‘Madame Sauze? Was she coming to see us?’ asked Hélène. ‘To bring us news from Belair? What did she say?’

‘She told him she was coming for a funeral.’

‘And was she?’

‘No, she was coming to find me. She wasn’t coming here, as she didn’t want to risk it, but she was coming to find me at the market, as she did have some news for us.’

‘What was it? Is someone ill? Maman or Louise?’

‘No, nothing like that, but we do have to talk, Hélène.’

Hélène folded the last blouse and laid it aside. ‘Well, what news did she bring?’

Annette didn’t answer immediately. On her way home from the market she had been deciding just how she would break the news about Rupert to Hélène. She had thought she would find the words when necessary, but now they failed her.

‘Was it bad news? Come on, Annette. Tell me.’

‘Not bad news, no,’ replied Annette. ‘Just something… surprising.’

‘Come on, then,’ urged Hélène with a smile. ‘Surprise me!’

‘Pierre has had a letter – well, it was addressed to him on the envelope, but inside it was to me.’

‘Who was it from?’

‘It was… it was from Rupert Chalfont.’

The colour drained from Hélène’s face and she said, ‘I don’t think that’s a very good joke, Annette.’