The airport came into sight and Telo steered the VW into a space near the entrance, his eyes never once leaving the road in front of him. Isobel unfastened her seatbelt as soon as they stopped, and the young man did the same before jumping out to retrieve Izzy’s suitcase from the boot for her.
Isobel took the case from Telo’s grip and nervously leaned forward to kiss him on both cheeks in traditional fashion. ‘Merci, Telo, au revoir.’
The young man swiftly returned the words and pressed a hand to Isobel’s side, as though attempting to hug her, but the action was brief and he quickly pulled away.
‘Bon voyage, Isobel Green.’ He smiled at Izzy and climbed into the car and she waved as she watched him drive off.
Nestled into her seat at the rear of the plane, Isobel Green closed her eyes and fought back the tears. She was certainly going to miss Maurice Fabron, with his kind and trusting nature. She was also confused about her feelings for Gaston Lauder, the handsome artist who had pretended to be her friend; the man who had wined and dined her, giving not a single hint that he himself was involved in Cecile Vidal’s murder. The person with the most gall had been Simone Dupuis, Isobel pondered. Pretending to offer support, collecting Izzy from the police station and lending her clothes, the woman had been more devious than anyone she’d ever met in her life.
Isobel wondered what lay before her. With the box of documents destroyed, she hoped that new beginnings were on the horizon. She hadn’t found the courage to phone her parents or Viv after all, and in the end, everything had worked out. They’d never know where she was or what she was doing. That was the punishment they deserved for not believing that Martin Freeman had raped her.
Tears began to flow, and Isobel reached into the pocket of her hoodie for a tissue. Her fingers touched on something silky yet hard and Izzy gingerly pulled it out, almost dropping it as she looked down at the slightly charred photo of Martin Freeman gazing back at her.
Telo Fabron tapped his fingers to the beat of his favourite Led Zeppelin song as he drove steadily back to Saint Margaux. The sun was shining brightly and the fields on either side of the highway were filled with lavender and poppies that swayed in the faint morning breeze. Today was a great day, he thought, grinning to himself.
Telo felt no remorse at having slipped the singed photograph into Isobel’s pocket as she’d kissed him goodbye. After all, she might not have killed his Aunt Cecile, but she was still a murderer and she didn’t deserve to walk away from that fact as though wiping the slate clean.
The young man hoped Isobel would be far away when she found the image that he’d lifted carefully from the burning pyre. Papa had explained about Isobel’s past and what she’d done, but Telo couldn’t comprehend that you could commit such a crime and walk away after ten years.
A life for a life, that’s how he saw it, and as long as that photograph was with Isobel Green, she’d never forget her sins.
The End
About the Author
A.J. Griffiths-Jones began her writing career in 2014 after returning to England after a decade living and teaching in China. Her passion lies within the realms of crime, both historical and current, and in particular she enjoys the research of cold cases and mysteries.
In 2016, A.J. was awarded the ‘Jack the Ripper Book of the Year’ prize for her work ‘Prisoner 4374’, an account of the life of convicted poisoner Doctor Thomas Neill Cream, which had taken years of research and unearthed some ground-breaking documents concerning Cream’s whereabouts during the Whitechapel murders of 1888.
Since completing her research, Griffiths-Jones has gone on to publish a series of five cosy mysteries and a standalone crime thriller with Next Chapter Publishing and plans further crime novels in the future.
Now temporarily residing in Shropshire, A.J. enjoys swimming, cooking and the great outdoors, with a passion for exploring National Trust buildings and ancient ruins.
A move abroad is on the cards, watch this space!
You can follow A.J. Griffiths-Jones on her website: www.ajwriter.simplesite.com
Twitter:
@authoraj66
Facebook:
A.J. Griffiths-Jones Author Page
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