He looks at me with something in his eyes that I don’t really understand. Pride?
I nod. ‘There wasn’t another option. But it worked out.’
‘So far,' Mav says, giving me an affectionate squeeze. 'Go find out what he wants. The others will be here in a bit.'
'Okay.' I give Mav a quick peck on the cheek and get up, feeling much better about things now that we’ve talked a little.
I leave our room and go down in the elevator to the floor where Sauvage's office is, down the straight, wide corridor lined with ferns.
The door is opened for me by Thomas, who I flash a wide smile.
In Sauvage's office, the gangster himself is sitting behind his desk as usual.
'Chéri,' he greets, standing up and coming to me.
'Is there some problem?' I ask.
'No problem. I have merely had an update from mes enquêteursmy investigatorsthis evening.’
He gestures for me to take a seat, which I do and then stare at him expectantly.
‘The news is good. Since the John Novelle and Joseph Banderville accident, there has been nothing, no chatter about you at all. The reward for your whereabouts has been rescinded. Neither family seems to care where you are and they do not seek you.'
'What about the stalker?' I ask.
He shakes his head and lets out an annoyed growl. ‘Nothing. He is elusive. A ghost.'
Sauvage frowns. 'I thought perhaps it was my detective. Perhaps he is like Clouseau, the fool fromThe Pink Panther.But two others have found the same. Rien. This clever specter cannot be found. He leaves no breadcrumbs, and, when he does, his breadcrumbs are false. They lead nowhere. They waste time. Perhaps he was one of the men who is dead, but there is no way to be sure.'
'So should I still stay out of sight, or not?' I ask.
'It is up to you, chéri. If you want to stay in this hotel, of course you may, for as long as you desire. But should you want to go to the university, I can have a couple of my men accompany you, make sure you're safe.'
'You’d do that?' I ask.
'Of course.'
I cock my head at him.
'What is it you want from me?' I ask bluntly.
His lip twitches. 'No games with you,' he murmurs. 'It is one of the things I enjoy about your company. Your mind. It is lacking in deception. A breath of fresh air.'
When I say nothing, he shrugs. ‘Why does anyone doanything? I like you. I do not have any daughters of my own. Only my son.'
He looks at his watch.
'Does he ever visit you?' I ask.
Sauvage's mouth upturns. 'Sometimes. But he is a young man now. He makes his own way in this world.’
He raises a sardonic brow. 'Mostly using his papa's money. But at least he is in Geneva. The trouble he will get into will at least be French trouble.'
'Don't you mean Swiss trouble?' I ask.
'Semantics,' he murmurs. 'So, what will you do?'
I frown at him. 'I’m not sure,’ I say. 'I do like staying here. It's nice not to have to go out there and be around people, and have to look over my shoulder all the time. But I'm pretty sure that if I don't start leaving my comfort zone, I'm going to become an agoraphobe, and I don't really want that. So…'
