Page 30 of The Last Library of Paris

Feeling ashamed of myself for missing something that could be important, and wary about why the chap from the embassy was lurking outside the bookshop, I walked up the hill with the women, then peeled away from the group and ducked into a doorway where I could study the man.

I couldn’t remember his full name, which was annoying. Steven, perhaps? But his surname eluded me. He worked on the top floor, near Edith. He must also be working in documents, though at a lower level than Edith, who was in charge.

He was a young-ish chap. Possibly around my own age. Unassuming. Unremarkable. It was entirely plausible that he lived near here and he was simply picking up a newspaper on his way to work.

But I didn’t like it.

Steven – if that was his name – dropped some coins in the box for his paper, tucked it under his arm, and then strolled off down the hill. I watched him go, feeling uneasy.

I gave him five minutes to walk away, then an extra two minutes, just to be sure. Then when I was sure no one was paying any attention to me, I walked back down the hill and went into the bookshop.

Lara was behind the counter, reading Little Women. She looked up when I entered and smiled.

‘You must have read that before,’ I said.

‘About a hundred times.’ She grinned at me. ‘It’s still good though.’

I looked at her through narrowed eyes. ‘You’re Amy.’

‘I am.’ She grinned. ‘You’re Meg.’

‘I am not.’ I was affronted. ‘I’m obviously Jo.’

‘Everyone thinks they’re Jo. But you’re Meg.’

She put the book, pages down, on the counter, breaking the spine and making me wince. ‘What do you need?’

‘I just wanted to ask you something. Well, I wanted to ask both of you, really.’

‘Bea!’ Lara called. ‘Cassie’s here. She wants to ask us something.’

Bea came into the shop from the backroom. ‘What do you need?’

‘Lara told me about the work you did with the visas.’

‘Yes.’ She gave me a knowing look. ‘We did as best we could.’

‘That’s what I want to talk to you about.’

‘Interesting,’ said Bea. ‘Lara, close the shop. We’ll have a tea break.’

‘We just opened,’ Lara called. ‘But fine.’

Lara turned the sign on the door to fechado. She came back to the counter and settled herself down, resting her chin on her hands.

‘Is this a job?’ she asked. ‘Are you back?’

‘Sort of and no, I still have another week.’

‘So Digby isn’t coming?’

Bea came through with a tray of tea.

‘I’m not sure he’d approve,’ I said as she set it down on the counter.

‘Of what?’ Lara said. ‘Tell us what you’re up to. Come on, I’m dying to hear it.’

While Bea poured the tea, I told them my idea about the British visas.