“That was plenty of time to locate Sabine,” Merle said. “Odd that no one else found her though.”
“We gave up just after nightfall,” Evans reminded them.
“Pauline told the police Sabine had threatened her,” Isabelle said. “Told her to stay away from Gabriel, stop bothering him or she would take matters into her own hands, or something like that. Whether that is true or not, I don’t know. She’s probably working on a defense. But it’s possible they set up a meeting to discuss their differences of opinion. That could be why Pauline suddenly decided she must help with the search for Sabine.”
“There was a call on Pauline’s phone, around five o’clock,” Elise said. “I didn’t get a chance to see whose number it was. We haven’t found Sabine’s phone, have we? Pauline must have tossed it.”
“Did the constables take Pauline’s mobile?” Freddy asked.
Elise nodded. “I wonder—do you think Pauline was blackmailing Gabriel?”
“I think that’s possible,” Evans said. “She is penniless, right?”
“As is he,” Merle added.
“Have they located him?” Aubrey asked.
“They’re watching the airports and rail stations,” Pascal said. “They have downgraded the search for him since Pauline’s arrest. But it will happen soon. The French authorities are also aware.”
“Why did he run off— steal autos— if he had nothing to do with Sabine’s death?” Aubrey asked.
“Fear of exposure is my guess,” Pascal said. “The police say he has many complaints in London against him for failure to pay what he owed. His rent is overdue by six months. I would be surprised if the same isn’t true in France. He’s practically been on the run for over a year, pretending to still be a casino magnate. He could have been trying to avoid the responsibility for the staff salaries and food bills.” He looked at Conor’s parents. “I’m afraid that will come to you.”
Evans sighed. “The least of our worries. It will be dealt with.” He put a hand over his wife’s. “As we must with Duncan.”
Eyes lowered to their plates. Duncan’s problems had spurred the entire event, in a way. If he hadn’t been susceptible to Pauline’s wiles because of his blackouts, hadn’t brought her into their mix, the holiday would have been much different. Sabine and Gabriel still would have showed up unannounced. But there would be no death hanging over them, no murderer in their midst.
That wasn’t Elise’s view of it though. Duncan, drunk and disorderly, would have been just as hideous, and caused just as much heartache, with or without the drama of Sabine, Gabriel, and Pauline.
Conor took her hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. He leaned closer to her and whispered, “Tomorrow we’re out of here.”
Elise put her head on his shoulder. It was nearly midnight. She took a deep breath, feeling relaxed for the first time in days. She liked Conor, a lot, and the comfort of him next to her. Not that she couldn’t take care of herself, rewinding her vicious kicking of Duncan. Her mind often went back there, standing over him, wanting to hurt him. Despite its malice, it was a good feeling, a proud moment, knowing you had it in you to defend yourself. That if necessary you could dig deep to defeat your own fears and fight back. To not run away but stand your ground. She liked to think of herself as a warrior, in her own way. But her warrior self— the angry, violated woman lashing out— took a back seat to the one who felt appreciated, protected, and, yes, loved.
It was pretty damn nice, she had to say.
She let out her breath and squeezed Conor’s warm hand. “I’m ready.”
Bonus Recipe
Celeriac Parsnips Purée
1 cup Desirée or similar potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup celery root, peeled and cubed
1 cup parsnips, peeled and cubed
4 ounces truffle butter (or unsalted butter)
Add chunks of potatoes, celeriac and parsnips to a large saucepan of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until tender. Drain and put in a pan with the butter. Mash well by using a potato ricer or by hand, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Keep warm or serve immediately.
For a creamier mash, add 1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream, as desired.
The Bennett Sisters Mysteries
Read all
The Bennett Sisters Mysteries
Blackbird Fly
The Girl in the Empty Dress
Give Him the Ooh-la-la
The Things We Said Today
The Frenchman
Odette and the Great Fear
Blame it on Paris
A Bolt from the Blue
DEAD FLAT
1: Bottle of Lies
2: Outside the Bubble
3: Uncorked
Lost in Lavender
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
1: Swan & Peacock
2: Crazy as a Loon
3: Fly the Nest
plus
The Bennett Sisters French Cookbook
featuring recipes from the books
ALSO BY LISE McCLENDON
The Alix Thorssen Mysteries
set in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
The Dorie Lennox Mysteries
set in World War II-era Kansas City
Standalones
Jump Cut
PLAN X
All Your Pretty Dreams
Written as Thalia Filbert
Beat Slay Love
See all the books on AMAZON
About the Author
Lise McClendon is the author of numerous novels of crime and suspense. Her bestselling Bennett Sisters Mysteries has been charming readers for over ten years. When not writing about foreign lands and delicious food and dastardly criminals, Lise lives in Montana with her husband. She enjoys fly fishing, hiking, picking raspberries in the summer, and cross-country skiing in the winter. She has served on the national boards of Mystery Writers of America and the International Association of Crime Writers/North America, as well as the faculty of the Jackson Hole Writers Conference. She loves to hear from readers.
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