He helped himself to some crostini topped with brie and strawberries and took a bite. “Much better than eating stale energy bars for three days,” he declared and rested his forearms on the table.
“Macho-Man... I never learned his name...was really starting to lose it after the women left. I snoozed whenever he left me alone, but he looked as if he was about to keel over himself. Now, I’m not saying I was in top shape. I hadn’t slept soundly either, and the lack of nutritious food was beginning to take a toll. But I was his responsibility, not the other way around, which makes a big difference.”
Naomi was silent while she stared at Revan, and pale as a ghost.
He leaned back in his chair again. “I knew I had only one chance to get out. If I blew it, he’d probably shoot me and leave me for the sewer rats.”
“Oh no, Revan, how awful,” Stella said.
“The moment I waited for came this morning, when he untied me for a bathroom break. Well, bucket break would be more appropriate. We both heard someone running, and it distracted him. I slammed my elbow in the side of his neck, which knocked the air out of him. Then I took off. I didn’t care where I went as long as it was away from him. And eventually I ran into members of the SWAT team and their search dogs.”
He winked at Naomi. “Seeing those cops in full gear was a sight almost as stunning as you this morning, Nugget.”
Naomi had tears in her eyes and twisted a napkin between her fingers. Her mouth trembled.
“And you still don’t know what his business was down there or who he was?” Stella asked.
“We watched the press conference earlier and can fill in a some of the blanks,” Sarah said. “His name is Claude Voltaire, and he’s a forty-six-year-old officer in the anti-drug squad. He stole over sixty pounds of confiscated crack cocaine from the safe at police headquarters at the end of his night shift on Sunday, and the police tracked him down after he didn’t show up for work on Tuesday. And the note he sent with the two women had his fingerprints on it.”
“So why didn’t they send in a special unit earlier if they knew who he was?” Naomi asked.
Andrew said, “They weren’t sure if Voltaire was working alone or if he was part of a ring of crooked cops. If he was part of a group, and his name was published, the others would have known they’d been discovered. The police department has had a series of scandals involving drug thefts by insiders over the past few years.
“In 2008, there was a standoff between crooked cops and a SWAT team in an old warehouse here in Paris, and everyone died when one of the bad ones pulled out a hand grenade and blew them all up.”
Sarah added, “Voltaire has worked for the police force in Paris his whole life. He either remembered the case or maybe he’d been somehow involved in it. But the authorities couldn’t risk a similar stunt in those tunnels. The catacombs are under one of the busiest arrondissements of Paris, so an explosion could’ve caused a massive collapse of part of the city.”
Revan nodded several times during Sarah and Andrew’s summary, but didn’t ask questions.
“Did they say why they finally went in today?” Stella asked.
“Yes. The sound of running Revan described was two teenagers who had managed to sneak into the catacombs through one of the hidden entrances. The police were obviously monitoring all known entrances, but some are still unknown to most. The kids saw blankets lying in one of the caves Voltaire must have used and the bucket he used for his personal business. They reported what they found. Now the cops were able to narrow down the location of Voltaire and Revan and decided to go in. And met Revan on his way out,” Andrew explained.
Alexander nodded, “Paris has a huge problem with the consumption and trafficking of crack cocaine.”
“Who knows how long Voltaire had this little side business going? Did they catch him, by the way?” Stella asked.
“Yes, they did. As soon as two cops took Revan out, the rest and the dogs went after Voltaire. When they found him, he was responsive, but didn’t put up a fight,” Sarah said.
“And he did have a hand grenade in his duffel bag,” Andrew finished.
“I wonder if he used drugs himself. Could explain some of his strange behavior,” Revan said. “Well, I had a feeling the guy was more muscle than brain. Imagine, literally his own shit gave him away.”
He straightened and rubbed his hands together. “Now, let’s order dinner. I’m hungry, and I really want to hear your story, girls.”
CHAPTER 36
David—July 2018
“N
ow you know how we all met,” Stella finished her recap of events. While everyone was eating, she and Naomi took turns telling Revan about their first days in Paris and the tour, and Julia and Sarah added a few of their own anecdotes.
“And how I got you back, baby,” David whispered in Stella’s ear while he rested his arm on the back of her chair.
“Well, Cinderella, I have to admit, your story is as entertaining as mine,” Revan laughed and wiped his eyes with a napkin. “I would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall and watch you and Nugget on your turtledove trip. How many boxes of tissues did you go through?”
“Don’t you worry your little man brain about us. We had a wonderful time until you got yourself into a mess, Shutterbug,” Naomi replied and patted his cheek.
“I’m nosy now, but what’s up with the nicknames you have for each other?” Julia asked.
“Revan loves to assign nicknames,” Stella said. “Years ago, Naomi found
