day – I’m meeting Jean-Claude later. Enjoy yourselves.’
She was just closing the door behind them when Mathieu called out, ‘Nanette, there’s a package for you in my office. I’m sorry I forgot to tell you yesterday when it came. It’s on my desk.’
Nanette recognized Patsy’s handwriting on the large envelope. Taking a paperknife out of the desk tidy she carefully slit open the envelope. Replacing the paperknife, a crumpled piece of paper beside the wastepaper basket caught her attention. Picking it up she saw it was a detailed map of the Amazon clearly torn out of an atlas.
The twins were following Vanessa’s progress so there was nothing unusual in Mathieu having a map of the trip – in fact there was a large-scale one pinned to the wall – but this one had some of its place names circled in red and haphazardly linked together with numbers written against them. Puzzled, Nanette tried to work out what they could possibly represent, before deciding that it was probably a piece of scrap paper that Mathieu had been doodling on and threw it into the wastepaper basket where Mathieu had obviously intended it to go.
Going to her own room, Nanette carefully pulled out the contents of the envelope. Along, newsy letter from Patsy was wrapped around another sealed brown official envelope. Pensively, Nanette placed the envelope in the drawer of her dressing-table. Even without opening it she knew exactly what it contained. Taking Patsy’s letter with her she went to make a cup of coffee.
Because it was a fête day, Florence had the day off and for the first time since she’d arrived Nanette was completely alone in the apartment. Coffee cup in hand she wandered around enjoying the solitude. Pausing outside Mathieu’s closed bedroom door she realized she’d only ever had glimpses of that particular room – the door was always closed. Curiously, and smothering her guilty feelings, Nanette turned the handle, only to find the door was locked.
Nanette mused, sipping her coffee, was Mathieu just keen on privacy, or did he have something to hide in there? Deep in thought, she returned to Mathieu’s temporary office. The computer was switched off. The desk, aside from the desk tidy was empty. Not even a diary. And the filing cabinet was locked. The only discordant thing in the room was the crumpled atlas page in the wastepaper basket. She retrieved it and, smoothing it out, wandered back into the sitting-room. Maybe it was only a piece of waste paper, but somehow she had a feeling it was more than that. Perhaps she’d show it to Jean-Claude later and see if he had any ideas.
Standing by the sitting-room window she glanced out at the harbour and froze as she saw a figure sitting at a table on the stern deck of Pole Position . Even from her viewpoint, nine floors up she had no difficulty in recognizing Zac. Or the man he was now standing up to welcome on board – Boris.
Hoping she was shielded from view by the lemon tree in its pot on the balcony, Nanette watched as the two men were served coffee by a stewardess before Boris handed Zac what looked like a large packet.
Ten minutes later, both men stood up, shook hands and Boris took his leave of Zac, making his way slowly along the gangway back to a large black car waiting for him on the harbour road.
On board Pole Position Nanette could see Zac punching a number into his mobile phone before holding it up to his ear, and moving his head so that it was obvious he was looking directly up at the apartment. Nanette stepped slowly away from the window. Had he seen her after all? Realized she’d been watching him and Boris?
The unexpected shrill buzz of the apartment doorbell madeher jump and she hurried to open it.
‘ Bonjour, Nanette . Happy May Day.’ Jean-Claude lightly kissed her on both cheeks before handing her a pot of Lilies of the Valley.
‘Thank you, JC,’ Nanette said, surprised. She’d forgotten all about the tradition of giving the highly scented
She was just closing the door behind them when Mathieu called out, ‘Nanette, there’s a package for you in my office. I’m sorry I forgot to tell you yesterday when it came. It’s on my desk.’
Nanette recognized Patsy’s handwriting on the large envelope. Taking a paperknife out of the desk tidy she carefully slit open the envelope. Replacing the paperknife, a crumpled piece of paper beside the wastepaper basket caught her attention. Picking it up she saw it was a detailed map of the Amazon clearly torn out of an atlas.
The twins were following Vanessa’s progress so there was nothing unusual in Mathieu having a map of the trip – in fact there was a large-scale one pinned to the wall – but this one had some of its place names circled in red and haphazardly linked together with numbers written against them. Puzzled, Nanette tried to work out what they could possibly represent, before deciding that it was probably a piece of scrap paper that Mathieu had been doodling on and threw it into the wastepaper basket where Mathieu had obviously intended it to go.
Going to her own room, Nanette carefully pulled out the contents of the envelope. Along, newsy letter from Patsy was wrapped around another sealed brown official envelope. Pensively, Nanette placed the envelope in the drawer of her dressing-table. Even without opening it she knew exactly what it contained. Taking Patsy’s letter with her she went to make a cup of coffee.
Because it was a fête day, Florence had the day off and for the first time since she’d arrived Nanette was completely alone in the apartment. Coffee cup in hand she wandered around enjoying the solitude. Pausing outside Mathieu’s closed bedroom door she realized she’d only ever had glimpses of that particular room – the door was always closed. Curiously, and smothering her guilty feelings, Nanette turned the handle, only to find the door was locked.
Nanette mused, sipping her coffee, was Mathieu just keen on privacy, or did he have something to hide in there? Deep in thought, she returned to Mathieu’s temporary office. The computer was switched off. The desk, aside from the desk tidy was empty. Not even a diary. And the filing cabinet was locked. The only discordant thing in the room was the crumpled atlas page in the wastepaper basket. She retrieved it and, smoothing it out, wandered back into the sitting-room. Maybe it was only a piece of waste paper, but somehow she had a feeling it was more than that. Perhaps she’d show it to Jean-Claude later and see if he had any ideas.
Standing by the sitting-room window she glanced out at the harbour and froze as she saw a figure sitting at a table on the stern deck of Pole Position . Even from her viewpoint, nine floors up she had no difficulty in recognizing Zac. Or the man he was now standing up to welcome on board – Boris.
Hoping she was shielded from view by the lemon tree in its pot on the balcony, Nanette watched as the two men were served coffee by a stewardess before Boris handed Zac what looked like a large packet.
Ten minutes later, both men stood up, shook hands and Boris took his leave of Zac, making his way slowly along the gangway back to a large black car waiting for him on the harbour road.
On board Pole Position Nanette could see Zac punching a number into his mobile phone before holding it up to his ear, and moving his head so that it was obvious he was looking directly up at the apartment. Nanette stepped slowly away from the window. Had he seen her after all? Realized she’d been watching him and Boris?
The unexpected shrill buzz of the apartment doorbell madeher jump and she hurried to open it.
‘ Bonjour, Nanette . Happy May Day.’ Jean-Claude lightly kissed her on both cheeks before handing her a pot of Lilies of the Valley.
‘Thank you, JC,’ Nanette said, surprised. She’d forgotten all about the tradition of giving the highly scented
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