Taking a dishcloth from the side of the sink Édith mopped up Claire’s spillage. ‘Drink your coffee, Ma chère. Tell us about Alain when you are ready, oui?’
Claire nodded and smiled through her tears.
‘In the meantime, let us get down to the serious business of photographs. I have an album of photographs of my granddaughter, Lisette, to show you.’ Édith looked at Claire pretending to frown. ‘I hope you haven’t forgotten to bring photographs of Aimée,’ she said.
Claire got up, headed for her suitcase, then froze.
‘What is it, Ma chère?’ Édith asked.
‘Someone is at the door.’
André looked at his mother. ‘Are you expecting anyone, Maman?’
‘No.’ Édith glanced at the clock on the dresser and shook her head. ‘I never receive visitors this late.’
A sharp rap rang out, followed immediately by a second. André shook his head. ‘I had better see who it is. At this time of night, it must be important.’
André returned a few minutes later followed by two men in dark suits. He looked at the empty chair where Claire had been sitting and he physically relaxed. The first man, tall and thin with black hair and a pasty complexion, walked past André to the window and looked out. The shorter man, stocky build with sandy coloured hair and a ruddy complexion, stayed by the door.
‘These gentlemen would like to ask you some questions, Maman.’ André walked over to his mother and stood protectively behind her chair.
The shorter man bowed slightly. His tall colleague, with his back to the room, continued to look out of the window.
Édith eyed the men with suspicion. ‘Good evening, gentlemen,’ she said, looking from one to the other. ‘Questions at this time of night? What sort of questions?’ She stood up and began clearing the table of dirty cups. ‘Would you like coffee, Messieurs?’ She smiled and nodded at the coffee pot that stood next to the half-empty cup which, until a couple of minutes ago, Claire had been drinking from. She casually moved the cup a few inches to the right so it was in front of Therese who smiled, picked it up, and drank from it. ‘It has not been made long.’ Édith put her hands around the pot. ‘It is still hot.’
‘No, thank you, Madame,’ the shorter man said.
The man at the window turned and observed the room. His eyes settled on Therese. ‘We are trying to locate a woman about your age,’ he said, in an intimidating manner. He then looked at Édith, ‘An English woman named Claire Mitchell. You probably know her as Claire Le Blanc?’
‘I know Claire very well.’ Édith gave the man a broad smile. ‘She is like a daughter to me.’ She looked across the table at Therese who nodded in agreement. ‘May I ask what you want with Claire?’
‘She isn’t in any trouble, is she?’ Therese asked.
‘No, Madame, we just need to ask her a few questions.’ Three pairs of eyes were focused on the tall man doing the talking. ‘Her husband, Captain Alain Mitchell, is missing. We would like to help her find him.’
Édith gasped. ‘Alain, missing?’ she said, with genuine surprise. ‘I don’t understand. The last letter I received from Claire was-- One moment please.’ Édith crossed to the kitchen dresser. She stumbled and André turned to help her, but Édith waved him away. ‘I am fine,’ she said, opening the top drawer and taking an envelope with a Canadian postage stamp from it. Pulling out a thin page of paper, she began to read aloud. ‘“Alain’s parents are lovely people... Alain is responding to treatment… At last Aimée is enjoying her school lessons.” And, what else?’ Édith said, casting her eyes along each line until she reached the end of the page. ‘Here we are. “We shall be in England (at the Foxden Hotel) for Christmas, and in France with you, André, Therese, and your granddaughter late spring, early summer. Much love from the three of us, Claire.”
‘From what Claire wrote in this letter,’ Édith said, waving it in the air before dropping it onto the table for the men to see, ‘she is at Foxden, in England, with her family. I have the address of her sister and brother-in-law’s hotel somewhere if you would like it,’ she said, motioning to the door leading to the sitting room.
‘Thank you, but we have the address.’ The tall man turned to his colleague. ‘If there is nothing else, we had better be going.’
‘There is just one thing.’ The shorter man smiled at Édith. ‘Could I use your toilet, Madame?’ he asked, moving quickly to the back door.
‘We have an indoor lavatory, Monsieur,’ Édith said, proudly. ‘It is the door directly opposite the top of the stairs. We keep wood and coal in the old outdoor lavatory, Monsieur. You’re welcome to look. The keys are on the window ledge.’
The man took his hand from the doorknob on the back door and turned to her. ‘Thank you, Madame, that won’t be necessary. ‘Upstairs, you said?’
‘Yes. André, show our visitor where the lavatory is.’
André opened the kitchen door, flicked on the hall light, and the man put up his hand. ‘There is no need for you to show me, Monsieur.’ He looked over his shoulder at Édith. ‘Top of the stairs?’ Édith nodded and the man began his ascent. André closed the door and sat down next to Therese. He looked at his mother and raised his eyebrows.
‘Monsieur?’ Édith said, joining the man who did most of the talking at the window. ‘Are you sure I can’t get you a cup of coffee?’
His body tensed. He shook his head, but his eyes stayed glued to what was on the other side
