by Marie Laval
‘Maybe Anne Loubier sent it,’ Amy suggested. ‘She went out of the temple just before you arrived.’
‘And there are so many tunnels, it's no wonder I didn't see her - or any of the others. What I’d like to know is where the bloody hell the gendarmes are. They should be here …’
‘Unless Bijard is one of them, and he didn’t alert Ferri and his men,’ she finished in a grim voice.
‘Damn it, I think you’re right. Remember what I told you? My mother thought he had rushed the investigation into my father’s accident, all these years ago. You said he refused to take Sophie Dessange seriously and practically forced her out of Bonnieux.’
‘He is – or was – a close friend of Marc Chevalier,’ Amy added.
Fabien let out a sigh, rubbed his face with both hands, and looked up.
‘I’ll call Ferri now, and tell him to get Frédéric and the Chevaliers out of the tunnels, even if the prospect of leaving them all down there to drown seems very attractive right now.’
Amy put her hand on his forearm.
‘Wait! What if Bijard has other accomplices at the police station? You can’t take the risk of anyone alerting Bijard.’
Fabien closed his eyes and leaned against the headrest.
‘Then I’ll go to Bellefontaine on my own and sort this mess out. We should get changed first. You can’t stay like this, and I’m soaked through. Thankfully I left some stuff from the climbing trip in the car.’
He turned round and rummaged through a bag on the back seat. He pulled out a sweatshirt, stripped down to the waist and cast away his wet shirt. In the crude glare of the overhead light, she saw the large purple bruises and deep scratch marks on his chest, shoulders and arms. How on earth had he managed to fight Frédéric then carry her through the flooded tunnels earlier?
He handed Amy a jumper and a pair of woollen socks.
‘I’m afraid that’s all I have left but it should keep you warm for now.’
They didn’t talk during the fifteen-minute drive to the bastide. Amy kept flexing her fingers and toes, glad to be regaining some feeling in her arms and legs. Fabien parked on the side of the main road, a hundred metres or so before Bellefontaine’s gates. As soon as the car stopped she put her hand on the door handle to get out.
‘The effects of the drug are wearing off. I’ll be able to walk, I think.’
He turned to her, an almost savage expression in his eyes.
‘You’re not going anywhere. You’re staying here and you’re waiting for me. Is that clear?’
‘I want to help you,’ she protested.
He put his hands on her shoulders so that she faced him.
‘Will you do as I say? I want you to be safe. You’ve just escaped from a bunch a lunatics and murderers – from my cousin who wanted to …’
He took a ragged breath, leaned over and kissed her deep and hard.
‘You stay here. I’ll come back for you.’
And he got out of the car.
Chapter Twenty-six
Amy checked the digital clock of the Range Rover once again. Almost two in the morning. It was over half-an-hour since Fabien had left. Enough was enough. Never mind his instructions not to leave the car, she wouldn’t stay here a minute longer.
She let herself out. The rain soaked her in seconds as she crept along the flooded road and into the courtyard but she hardly noticed. Two cars were parked next to hers – a Mercedes coupé she’d never seen before and Paul’s red van, which displayed fresh scratch marks and dents on its right side. Paul must have found out Stéphane was there and he had come to rescue him.
She stood in the courtyard for a minute, indecisive. She had to find a way to get in, but knocking on the front door was out of the question and all the downstairs shutters appeared to be closed. She remembered the window she’d left open that afternoon while working in the study. She could only hope no one had noticed it.
The window was still open. She placed her hands on the wooden frame, stood on her tiptoes and climbed into the dark and empty room.
Muffled voices drifted from the living room. Holding her breath, she pulled the handle down and opened the door slowly. Please don’t creak, she prayed.
Frédéric was shouting. ‘Let me finish him off, I don’t understand why you want to keep him alive.’
So he was there too, no doubt he'd followed one of the tunnels and got in through the trap door in the basement.
‘Because we need him,’ Bijard answered in a calm voice. ‘He’ll give us the money to get away if Serena doesn’t tell us where the treasure is. All we’ll have to do is get a bit rough with his dear mother.’
‘You’re wasting your time,’ Serena said in a breathless voice. She must have followed Frédéric out of the tunnels. Anne Loubier was probably there too, but Amy couldn't see into the living room from where she stood.
‘I will never tell you where the treasure is,’ Serena carried on. ‘It belongs to the goddess and her priestess.’
‘Then you are crazier than I thought,’ Bijard retorted.
A woman was crying – Céline, probably. Filled with dread, Amy slid along the wall in the corridor and into the kitchen. Who else was there, and why couldn’t she hear Fabien’s voice?
‘Where’s my dad?’ Stéphane asked then.
‘At the bottom of a pit in the old village,’ Bijard answered coldly. ‘I got rid of him this afternoon when he told me he sent you that text. I had to. The fool wanted to give himself up and tell Ferri everything, including how we rammed that nosy cow Sophie Dessange off the road in his van yesterday. He completely lost it when he saw her at Bellefontaine. Kept saying she was the ghost from his past, the young woman he raped when he was high on drugs the night we helped Serena perform her blood ritual. Now she’d come back, he was sure she’d recognize him – recognize us all.’
‘You’re lying! My dad would never hurt anyone.’ Stéphane started sobbing.
‘You can believe what you want, kid,’ Bijard said. ‘Whether he liked it or not, your father was in it with us up to his neck.’
‘Yet he was the one who rescued Brice and sent me the text to tell me where he was,’ Stéphane protested.
‘How did you find that out?’
‘When I got to old village that afternoon, Brice was still conscious and he muttered something about my dad being there with him and helping him out of the tunnels. I understood then that he must be the one who'd sent me the text, but I was so scared and confused, I didn’t know what to believe. So I broke my phone and threw it away. I didn’t want the gendarmes to trace the text back to him. When I visited him in hospital, Brice told me that my dad brought him food a few times down in the temple. I begged him not to tell the police until I talked to my dad and he had a chance to explain.’ He let out a sob. ‘But he never did. He got drunk and refused to speak to me.’
‘Yeah, the fool rescued Brice all right, and ruined weeks of planning,’ Frédéric said in an angry voice.
‘I bet you were the one who pretended to be Alain, Brice’s brother,’ Stéphane cried out.
Frédéric laughed. ‘It was so easy. All I had to do was scribble a few postcards and your silly friend fell for the whole thing. Then your dad messed up everything. He said he couldn’t stand the thought of another sacrifice, especially since Brice was your friend.’
Amy pressed her hand against her mouth. How could Frédéric be so cold about killing a young, innocent boy?
‘You wanted to kill Brice?’ Céline asked with a choked voice. ‘Why?’
‘Ask her, she’s the priestess,’ Bijard sniggered and Amy guessed he must be pointing to Serena.
‘It was time for me to pass on my duties, and the goddess requires the blood of a young man to read the oracles every time a new priestess is to be chosen,’ Serena answered calmly. ‘It’s tradition.’
‘And how many boys did you and your accomplices murder for your so-called goddess?’ Céline asked.
‘Only one, when the goddess
chose me to succeed my mother.’
‘You are crazy.’
‘Tell me about it.’ Bijard spoke again. ‘Serena, my patience is running thin. We want the treasure and you’re going to lead us to it before the tunnels flood completely. Ferri might be an outsider and quite new to Bonnieux, but he isn’t a complete fool. It’s only a matter of time before he figures everything out, and Anne and I want to be a long way away when that happens.’
‘Why should I help you? My husband is dead, murdered by that drunken, useless fool over there. The doctors say I only have a few weeks to live. The people I considered my friends and disciples betrayed me. I’m not afraid of dying tonight. In fact, it would be a blessing.’
‘Then you’ll get your wish. I’ll kill you, and the others too,’ Bijard said in a cold voice.
‘Go ahead. I don’t care.’
Amy repressed a gasp. She was the only one Serena cared about. If she convinced her to reveal the location of the treasure, maybe Bijard, Anne, and Frédéric would leave. It was a gamble, but it was the only chance she had.
She stepped out of the safety of the corridor.
‘If I am to be the next priestess, then I need to know where the treasure is,’ she said calmly as she walked into the living room.
‘You!’ Frédéric sprung up to his feet and grabbed her arm.
His face was bruised, his nose bloodied and swollen, probably broken. His white robe was ripped and covered with blood and mud stains.
‘Let go of her, you idiot.’
Bijard waved a gun and Frédéric stepped aside.
Faint with fear, Amy took in the scene in the living room. Her eyes were drawn immediately to Fabien’s unconscious form lying in front of the fireplace.
‘What have you done to him?’
‘Frédéric hit him from behind – the coward, as Fabien tried to negotiate our release,’ Céline replied.
She sat on the sofa, a protective arm around Stéphane.
‘And I’d do it again, and more,’ Frédéric sniggered.
‘Be quiet, will you? You’re not helping,’ Anne Loubier said.
She sat next to Serena. Both women still wore their white ceremonial robes, now dirty and muddy like Frédéric’s.
‘Fabien Coste will die, you know.’ Serena looked at Amy. ‘If not tonight, then soon. As our next priestess, you must do your duty.’
‘What duty?’ Amy asked, her throat tight.
‘It’s the duty of the ladies of Bellefontaine to punish the ducs de Coste for destroying our temple.’
Serena turned to Frédéric.
‘Your side of the family always helped us. It was their revenge for being deprived of inheritance, and it gave them a chance to manage the estate to their advantage.’
So she'd been right about that. Something however didn't add up. ‘But Philippe Coste died during the flood. It was an accident.’
‘It was no accident. My mother drugged his and his men’s drinks. All she had to do was to wait until they became drowsy, push them into the pit and watch as they drowned in the mud one by one.’
There wasn't a trace of compassion in her voice. Amy swallowed hard, and hesitated as she glanced at Céline. There was something else she wanted to know.
‘What about Fabien’s father?’
Serena smiled. ‘He was mine … Coste men can never resist the ladies of Bellefontaine, and Armand was no exception. He adored me. We were lovers for a long time, even after he married her.’ She pointed at Céline. ‘Rosalie said he had to die, like the others.’
‘So you shot him in the forest,’ Amy said.
‘Frédéric’s father helped me. He desperately needed money to pay off his gambling debts and needed to be in charge of the Coste estate.’
‘You killed my Armand, you crazy, heartless monster!’ Céline’s face was pale, her eyes open wide in shock.
She glowered at Bijard. ‘You knew all along, didn’t you?’
‘That’s right, Ma’am.’ Bijard walked to Amy, pointed his gun to her forehead. The cold metal against her skin made her gasp.
‘Anyway, that’s enough talking for now. Serena, if you value your new priestess’ life, I suggest you get up and show us where that damned treasure is.’
Serena’s face turned livid, and her lips grey. ‘Please don’t hurt her. I’ll show you the way.’
Bijard stepped back and Amy let out a breath of relief.
‘I need my wellies to go down into the tunnels,’ she said. ‘They’re in the kitchen.’
‘Hurry then.’ Bijard followed her into the utility room
She was pulling her boots up when a muscular man dressed entirely in black, his hair covered with a black woolly hat, slid noiselessly out of the study behind Bijard and hit the gendarme on the head with the butt of a gun.
Bijard collapsed in a heap onto the tiled floor, his gun fell by his side with a clanking noise. The man in black picked it up and slid it into his belt before looking at her, a smile on his handsome face.
‘Hey, sister-in-law, long time no see.’
‘Toby.’ Amy’s voice was a faint whisper.
‘What’s going on in here? I expected to find the whole household asleep. Instead I see you’re having a weird fancy dress party with some very dodgy people.’
He chuckled and called. ‘You can come out now, Jake, and get your burner out, the girls have company.’
A giant of a man came out of the study, a menacing expression on his face. Toby pointed to the living room.
‘Get in there and keep that lot quiet.’
He walked to Amy and grabbed her arm.
‘So, where are Chris and Peter? And more to the point, where’s my money?’
‘Chris isn’t here and your money is at the police station.’
His face twisted an angry grimace. ‘What?’
He pushed Amy roughly into the living room where Serena, Anne, and Frédéric now sat in silence, a stunned expression on their face.
‘Qui diable êtes-vous?’ Anne Loubier asked Toby in a haughty voice.
‘What was that, sweetheart?’ he answered with a thin smile. ‘Try saying it again, but in English. I’m afraid I don’t speak your lingo.’
He pointed to Fabien, still unconscious on the floor. ‘Is he dead?’
‘Not yet,’ Frédéric snarled in English, ‘but it won’t be long if I have my way.’
‘So what do we do now, boss?’ Toby’s friend asked.
Toby shrugged. ‘I dunno. I need to think.’
Amy had an idea. There was only one way she’d get rid of Toby and his friend.
‘You need money to get away, don’t you?’ she started. ‘Interpol is on your trail, and I bet your friends won't be pleased if you return to Manchester without the money. What if I were to offer you more than just money? What if I gave you a treasure of gold and silver and gems?’
Toby narrowed his eyes. ‘Go on.’
She pointed her chin at Serena and prayed she was convincing enough.
‘To cut a long story short, this woman there is the priestess of an ancient sect and the keeper of a treasure buried in tunnels under the forest. Only she knows where it is, and she will only reveal its location to me, because she believes I am the next priestess.’
Toby’s mouth twisted into a grin.
‘Well, well … Haven’t you been busy since you moved to France. A goddess and treasure, no less. You really think I’m dumb.’
‘I know it sounds unlikely but it’s the truth. Anyway, what do you have to lose? The police and Interpol are after you, it’s only a matter of hours before they find you here. Imagine what you could do with a sack full of gold.’
She held her breath. Would Toby take her offer up?
‘What do you think Jake? Shall we follow this up or is it just a fairy tale?’
Toby’s accomplice shrugged. ‘Sounds a bit far-fetched to me, boss, but it’s your call. You decide.’
‘Are they all part of that cult?’ Toby asked.
&nb
sp; ‘No, not all of them. The man you knocked out is a gendarme – a corrupt one. His name is Bijard.’
Amy pointed to Anne Loubier and Frédéric.
‘They belong to the cult and want to get their hands on the treasure.’
She looked at Fabien, still unconscious on the floor and her voice softened.
‘He has absolutely nothing to do with all this … So, do you want me to ask the priestess to lead us to the treasure or not? If I do it, you must swear you’ll go away with your friend and leave us alone, unharmed.’
Toby narrowed his eyes, scratched his head.
‘All right. I’ll take the treasure. It’ll make up for your sister’s disappearing act, but you'd better not mess me about.’
Amy breathed a sigh of relief. She now had to convince Serena.
‘I need your help,’ she said as she knelt at Serena’s side. ‘These are dangerous men. They’re after money. If I don’t give them something, they’ll harm all of us, me included. If they can take some of the treasure, they’ll go away and leave us alone.’
Serena took Amy’s hand, squeezed. Amy resisted the urge to pull away.
‘I suppose it doesn’t matter any more whether it’s Bijard or these two here who get the treasure, as long as you are safe. You’re the only one who matters now. All right. I will take you to the treasure.’
‘What about me?’ Anne protested. ‘I deserve something for putting up with you all these years.’
‘You and Frédéric deserve nothing,’ Serena snapped as she rose to her feet. You betrayed me, and he killed my husband.’
‘Watch it Jake,’ Toby warned then, pointing at Fabien. ‘The big guy over there is waking up.’
Fabien let out a groan as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head with his hand. Immediately, he glared at Amy.
‘What are you doing here? I asked you to stay in the car.’ He then glanced at Toby and Jake. ‘And who the hell are you?’
‘You could say Amy and I are family.’ Toby laughed. ‘Her little sister stole something from me, but it looks like I’m gonna get some treasure instead, so we’re cool.’
