“I’ll admit,” he said, “I’ve seen things recently that I can’t explain.” He listened to the cars accelerate down the street, heard people laughing as they walked their dogs, caught the sound of cutlery as forks and spoons hit the table, and thought about Picasso working just a few doors down. It really did feel like a magical place here in Paris. It made him realize that he and Marla should have traveled more.

“I never subscribed to the occult version of Todd’s disappearance; you know that, but have you ever wondered why our town has zero crime?”

“I think you know that I wonder about it every day.”

“Since Margot,” said Lara, “my family has had to cast a protection spell each year—October ninth. It works except for once every thirty years, when it seems to fall apart for a night. You read the journals, right?”

“I did. My head is still spinning,” said Ben. “What a tale.”

“I know you’re a skeptic, but everything in those journals was true. It’s Esmé’s doing, so now we have to find her painting. I need to see what she looks like.”

“Now?”

“We’re not on a flight until tomorrow at eleven. We’ve got twelve hours. We need to find her before she finds us.”

“Lara, she’s like a hundred years old,” said Ben, puzzled. “Do you mean we need to find her grave?”

“No,” said Lara. “She is very much alive. It was Esmé who chased me in the Père Lachaise Cemetery.”

“Lara, let me repeat: She’d be a hundred years old.”

“She doesn’t look a hundred. She can run, too.” Lara had flagged the waiter and pointed to the tiramisu. “You have a choice. Either I’m crazy and you can explain everything or I’m sane and there is some really strange shit going on. I know the truth and I want answers. You’re either going with me or not, but I don’t want your help if you don’t believe me. I’ll get Barrow to go with me. It’s up to you.”

He sat back in his chair. There was a change in her since he’d last seen her on her front porch after the gala. Gone was the unsure girl who masked her grief for everyone. This Lara was confident. He’d never seen her so sure of anything, but in the year he’d known her, he’d always thought she was grounded. She deserved his trust now. Suddenly Ben became suspicious of the people around them. “Tell me everything, from the beginning.”

She smiled and spun her fork, leaning back in the chair. “You’d better order some strong coffee. You’re going to need it.”

Chapter 30

In the morning, Lara and Audrey met Ben, Barrow, and Gaston for breakfast. When she got down to the hotel lobby, they were all waiting for her eagerly.