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

Boris sitting at that café? Oh, and there’s Mathieu.’

Jean-Claude followed her gaze. ‘Wasn’t Mediterranean Wanderer on Zac’s list? Maybe Boris is waiting to meet someone. As long as Mathieu isn’t doing his dirty work for him.’ Jean-Claude gave an anxious look in his son’s direction.

‘Shall we wait and see?’

Jean-Claude shook his head. ‘No. I have to do as Mathieu says and trust him. Let’s look at the safe.’

Phil, the skipper, was alone on board and eager to offer his condolences to Nanette.

‘It’s hard to believe. Such a tragedy. Away from the race track too,’ he said. ‘Have you heard anything about what happens next?’

‘The funeral is tomorrow – very low-key. We’re planning a memorial service in October,’ Nanette answered, unwilling to tell Phil yet that she was the new owner. He’d find out soon enough.

‘Remember those things I had to put in Zac’s private safe? I need to see if they are still there. We won’t be five minutes,’ Nanette said, taking Jean-Claude’s hand, compelling him to follow her into the master cabin, where she closed the door.

‘The time for secrets is over.’

Kneeling in front of the cupboard in the bathroom she took out the towels and the shelf. Carefully she punched the number into the combination lock and pulled the door open. The package and the gun were still there.

Amuttered ‘Blast’ escaped from Jean-Claude. ‘Désolé. I was hoping that Zac had already moved the stuff by now. OK, the gun isn’t too big a problem – we can simply hand it in to the authorities. It’s not illegal to own a gun. The package though does give us a problem. We certainly can’t leave it here.’

‘I’ll put it in my bag, shall I?’ Nanette asked. ‘Take it back to the villa and talk to Mathieu. He may be able to suggest something.’

‘D’accord,’ Jean-Claude said, picking up the gun and making sure the safety catch was on before he slipped it into the inside pocket of his jacket.

Phil was waiting for them in the stern. ‘Safe empty then?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ Nanette said. He wasn’t to know that it was empty because the main contents were now nestling in her bag.

Passengers from the cruise liner were thronging the pavements as Nanette and Jean-Claude stepped ashore. Traffic along the harbour road was still at a virtual standstill and a large crowd were watching the gendarmes frog-march somebody off the Mediterranean Wanderer.

Passing the pavement café where they’d seen Boris earlier, Nanette glanced around in time to see him disappearing into the crowd, with a thoughtful Mathieu watching him go.

Mathieu raised a languid hand in greeting as he saw them and walked towards them.

‘Cruz has been arrested. I expect things to start happening now,’ he said. ‘You’re looking very serious, Nanette. Has something happened?’

‘We need you to come up to the villa,’ Jean-Claude answered before Nanette could. ‘We have something to discuss with you urgently.’

Zac’s funeral service was as private as Nanette had hoped it would be. Altogether there were just nine people in the congregation to hear the vicar’s eulogy of Zac’s life and the brave actions that had taken it away from him.

The Oliviers had travelled down and were seated with the woman whose baby and life Zac had saved. Phil was there and Monsieur Mille slipped into a seat at the back. Mathieu and Vanessa sat behind Nanette and Jean-Claude.

Listening to the words of praise for a man who had been a part of her life for several years and who would continue to be a never forgotten presence by virtue of his legacy to her, Nanette found herself fighting back the tears. Silently Jean-Claude handed her a handkerchief.

After the short service Jean-Claude invited everybody back to the villa. The Oliviers, Monsieur Mille and the rescued woman all declined, citing various reasons but Phil accepted.

‘So, if the rumours are to be believed,’ he said, awkwardly, as Nanette offered him a drink, ‘you’re my new boss. Are you going to keep Pole Position?’

‘Phil, I’m sorry, but it’s too soon to know. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do about a lot of things, Pole Position included. As soon as I do, I promise I’ll keep you informed. In the meantime, you’re still her skipper.’

Across the room she could see Mathieu in earnest conversation with Jean-Claude and Vanessa, but it wasn’t until after Phil had left and the four of them were alone that Nanette heard what they were talking about.

‘Boris has had his bail revoked,’ Jean-Claude told her.

‘Once the police got Cruz into custody yesterday he sang like a bird,’ Mathieu explained. ‘Apparently he was more than just a courier. He was able to supply missing contact names, routes and some other information the police needed. They didn’t wait for Boris to do his daily sign-in – they rearrested him last night and got a judge to revoke his bail.’

‘Did Cruz implicate Zac in any way?’ Nanette asked quietly.

Mathieu shook his head. ‘No.’

Nanette breathed a sigh of relief before asking, ‘What did you do with the shampoo?’

‘Told the police where it had come from and handed it over. Don’t worry,’ he continued, seeing her anxious look. ‘It won’t be used as evidence. And, seeing there are enough people willing to testify against Boris, now he’s in custody and can’t threaten them anymore, I’ve “lost” my dossier on Zac’s activities. I can’t see the police bothering with a dead hero. I shall have to give evidence against Boris, of course.’

‘Does he know yet that you were double-crossing him?’ Jean-Claude asked.

‘No. The police are keeping that little bit of information for the trial. I’m just glad it’s all over and I can get back to a normal life,’ he said, looking at his father. ‘I really hated deceiving you.’

‘Now I know the truth I have to say I’m proud of you,’ Jean-Claude said. ‘You did the right thing.’

There was a short pause before Jean-Claude spoke again.

‘Does getting back to a normal life mean getting more involved in my business as well as your