Follow Your Star, Jennifer Bohnet [best fiction novels to read txt] 📗

Jean-Claude had tuned the car radio into the Monte Carlo station frequency hoping to hear some more information about the arrests, but there were no further news bulletins before they arrived back in the Principality.

A worried Florence met them at the apartment door, hysteria in her voice as she said something rapidly to Jean-Claude. The only word Nanette caught and understood was ‘Mathieu’ and she looked on anxiously as Jean-Claude’s expression became grimmer and grimmer before the housekeeper paused for breath.

‘She thinks Mathieu’s among the men who have been arrested,’ Jean-Claude said turning to Nanette. ‘I must go and find out; see if there’s anything I can do. I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

‘I need to meet the twins,’ Nanette said. ‘I’ll walk down with you.’

Leaving a clearly worried Jean-Claude at the entrance to the underground garage, Nanette made her way towards the twins’ school where Pierre and Olivia were already waiting for her in the playground.

The old port was busy that afternoon with yachts and boats continually making their way in and out of the harbour. Tourists strolled along the embankment taking in the atmosphere and trying to get a glimpse of the celebrities sunbathing on the decks of their large yachts.

Stopping to buy the twins an ice cream at one of the pavement cafés, Nanette watched hundreds of passengers as they disembarked from one of the large ships that spent the summer months cruising the Mediterranean and regularly berthed in the harbour.

Wandering back along the embankment they passed a deserted Pole Position – its gangplank raised and the No Entry sign firmly in place. With Zac not due back until shortly before the French Grand Prix the crew would be enjoying having time to themselves.

Briefly, Nanette found herself wishing she didn’t have to wait so long to talk to Zac. She desperately needed to discuss her returning memory with him, tell him what she’d decided to do. She wanted to be free to get on with the rest of her life.

Stifling a sigh she shepherded the twins across the road and back to the apartment, hoping to find Jean-Claude and Mathieu there. But Florence was still alone and shook her head when Nanette asked quietly, ‘Any news?’

When the phone rang at eight o’clock that night Nanette snatched it up instantly, hoping it was Jean-Claude.

‘Hi, Sis,’ Patsy’s voice said.

‘Oh, hi,’ Nanette answered, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice as she realized it wasn’t JC.

‘Just ringing to tell you I’m home safely,’ Patsy said. ‘And that the bump is behaving itself.’

‘Great. You take care now for the next few weeks.’ Nanette hesitated before adding, ‘Patsy, can I ring you for a chat tomorrow? Right now I’m waiting for Jean-Claude to phone.’

‘Is everything all right down there?’ Patsy asked.

Nanette crossed her fingers before answering. ‘Everything is fine. I’ll phone you tomorrow and we’ll have a chat.’

Once the twins were settled and in bed for the night, Nanette wandered out on to the balcony, unable to concentrate on anything as she waited for news from Jean-Claude.

Down below, Monaco nightlife was buzzing with its usual mid-evening intensity. Yacht crews were welcoming guests on board for dinner, glamorous couples were walking arm in arm along the embankment and the restaurants were full to capacity. The cruise liner Nanette had seen earlier, Reine Soleil was slowly manoeuvring its way out of the crowded harbour, beginning its overnight journey to Corsica.

As darkness began to fall, the twinkling reflections of yacht and town lights in the harbour water seemed to Nanette to add a poignant romanticism to the familiar scene. A brief stillness in the night air though filled her with apprehension.

Unexpected tears pricked at the back of her eyes as she suddenly felt very alone and incredibly vulnerable for no real reason that she could fathom. She longed for Jean-Claude to come as she struggled to compose her thoughts.

A matter of minutes later when he did arrive, Nanette surrendered herself totally to the joy of being held in his arms.

‘You seem unhappy ma chérie?’ Jean-Claude said. ‘Have you been crying?’

Nanette shook her head. ‘Not really. I just felt sad and lonely for some reason. I’m better now you’re here.’ She stayed happily in the circle of his arms, glancing up at him.

‘Now, tell me – is Mathieu in jail?’

‘Non.’ Jean-Claude said. ‘But I don’t know where he is either. I’ve contacted everyone I can – even people I wouldn’t normally talk to – in the hope that someone would know something, but nothing.’ He sighed. ‘Maybe tomorrow we’ll have some news.’ He hesitated. ‘I’ve brought the package with me,’ he said quietly. ‘I think we open it tonight.’

‘Do you think we should?’ Nanette said. ‘I’m beginning to wish I’d just done as Zac asked and put it in his safe.’

‘But, for whatever reason, you didn’t,’ Jean-Claude said. ‘If we open it, it may provide a clue as to what is going on. If not.…’ He shrugged.

‘I think, whatever we find, I ought to put it in the safe before Zac returns,’ Nanette said slowly, as she followed Jean-Claude into the sitting-room.

Jean-Claude had placed the package on the table and they both looked at it thoughtfully before he picked it up and examined it.

‘Look, if I pull this Sellotape off gently and open it carefully, I can reseal it and Zac need never know we’ve opened it.’

As he spoke, he gently ran his finger under the seal and carefully eased the package open. Nanette, biting her lips in worry as she watched, felt her mouth forming an astonished ‘oh’ as she saw the contents slide out of the packaging: a piece of A4 paper with a handwritten list on it and six bottles of shampoo.

Nanette shook her head in disbelief as she looked at Jean-Claude and went to pick up one of the bottles.

‘Non! Don’t touch them,’ Jean-Claude said. ‘Fingerprints,’ he added as Nanette looked at him shocked.

‘It’s just bottles of shampoo JC,’ she protested.

‘No, I don’t think it’s as simple as