I shift on my feet. “I had to get a costume.”
“Costume?” Her brow wrinkles as she stares at the bag. Then her brows shoot up with excitement. “You’re going to the monsters’ dance?”
I nod.
“That’s great. You’ll be able to look around the main house.”
“Alice, listen?—”
“There will be lots of drinking, so whenever you can get away unnoticed, you can search for the journal. I bet one of them has it.”
“No,” I say bluntly. “I can’t snoop around in their home. I told you I’d search my apartment, and I have.” I remember the storage room with its maze of dusty boxes. “Well, most of it.”
“Most of it?” Her face flickers to a frown again. “Can you go and finish now?” she asks, tone somewhere between suspicious and hopeful.
“I don’t know, maybe. Maybe.” The rain picks up, wetness soaking through to my skin. “I need to get inside, but I’ll message you as soon as I can.”
“When?” she demands.
“I know you’re worried, and I promise I’m not giving up.” I hike the bag up on my arm. “But I need to get out of the rain.”
“I’ll come with you.” She walks ahead of me, toward the gate.
“Wait.” I hurry to catch up. “You can’t.” I glance at the mansion. There’s movement in the windows.Shit, shit, shit.
Grabbing her elbow, I pull her back down the sidewalk, praying no one has noticed us. “You can’t storm your way inside. They won’t allow that.” I jut my chin toward the house.
Alice has already butted heads with the family and told me herself she’s unwelcome.
“Besides,” I continue, “the journal might not be in the apartment at all. Rose could have taken it with her.”
Alice clenches her jaw. “She didn’t take it, because shedidn’t leave.” The last two words grind through her teeth with anger.
“Alice, please.” My weary tone draws her gaze sharply back to mine. “I saw Rose’s Instagram.”
“So?”
“Her last post talked about an adventure. And a new relationship. Some of her friends think she went away with someone.”
Alice’s laugh is a scornful bark. She invades my space and gets up close. “You have no idea what you’re talking about!”
“Okay, okay.” I back up, shocked by her sudden hostility. I’m seeing a new side of Alice. A domineering side.
Alice’s eyes narrow to slits. “I know who you are.”
I whip my head as if I’ve been slapped.
She moves in, crowding me. “I also know some bad things happened on your movie set. People are throwing around accusations, and I read charges might be filed soon.”
Charges being filed.
Which could mean a trial.
And sworn testimonies.
“What’s your point?” I say, trying to sound confident while my arms weaken and my stomach flutters.
Alice jabs a finger at me. “That’s why you came to Paris, isn’t it? Why you were afraid I was a reporter? You’re hiding.” Her mouth twists into a sneer. “And I bet you’d hate it if anyone found out where you were.Especiallythe press.”
