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Back The Frenchman
Chapters (76)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  3. DEDICATION
  4. AMIN
  5. PARIS
  6. … TWO YEARS LATER
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT
  15. CHAPTER NINE
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  24. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  25. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  62. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
  63. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
  64. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
  65. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
  66. CHAPTER SIXTY
  67. CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
  68. CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
  69. CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
  70. CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
  71. CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
  72. CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
  73. CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
  74. CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
  75. CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
  76. EPILOGUE

When they returned to the living room the second minder left to stand in the hallway, and the bodyguard who had searched de Payns stood post at the door. De Payns turned to Timberwolf and greeted him with his best smile. But the scientist offered only a reluctant handshake and a glowering face. ‘So,’ he said, dark-eyed and humourless, ‘you are the Frenchman.’

CHAPTER FIFTY

CHAPTER

FIFTY

Dr Death took a seat at the table. ‘You are a friend of Anoush, visiting Islamabad?’

‘Yes,’ said de Payns. ‘I’m interested in the old trade routes and ancient cities between the Middle East and the subcontinent, so since I’ve come all this way for forty-eight hours of work, I thought I’d take the opportunity to visit the ruins at Taxila.’

‘That’s interesting. And you and Anoush work together, yes?’

De Payns shrugged. ‘More or less. I’m a consultant and Anoush is a translator for one of my clients. That’s how we met.’

Seeing that the discussion had started and was about her, Anoush went back to the kitchen. Alec played his role of innocent guest.

‘And you, Doctor—are you married? Do you have children?’

The scientist made a surprised face. ‘I’m afraid not. Given how I intend to influence the world, I prefer not to have children.’

De Payns could have killed him where he sat, but he had to laugh at the atrocious sentiment, to create empathy. It occurred to him that Dr Death was playing with him, and as soon as Anoush was out of earshot, the scientist leaned forward and said in his slow, sibilant voice, ‘You know that Anoush’s husband is one of my best friends? We did part of our studies together and it was I who introduced them.’

De Payns was careful in his reply. ‘No, I did not know that. Unfortunately I have never had the chance to meet him.’

Timberwolf held a long silence, staring into de Payns’ eyes, before resuming. ‘I do not understand who you are. I do not understand what you are doing here. I do not understand your relationship with my sister,’ he said. ‘I find it very dishonourable for her and our family, and I feel that something is wrong.’

Alec could feel the rope tightening around his neck. Timberwolf was being deliberately ambiguous, fishing for a reaction rather than accusing. The lack of urgency in the Doctor’s tone was actually more dangerous to de Payns’ ears than an outright denouncement. The man was skilled—he thought he was playing with this Frenchman and de Payns knew he had to get out of there, and quickly. Quickly, but without being arrested. He had to disrupt Timberwolf’s rhythm and the best defence might be attack.