In the Shadows (The Outsiders Book 1)

by Susan Finlay

  “Were you?”

  ”Of course not!” She stood up abruptly. “Now, look, I have work to do. I’ve given you more than enough of my time.”

  They both rose and turned to go.

  “Will. . . .” Elizabeth began. “Will you let me see what you’ve written before it’s published?”

  Kate looked back at her and smiled. “Of course.”

  As they stepped outside, Dave turned around. “One last question,” he said. “Does Robin have a key to this house?”

  Her mouth gaped open, then closed. “I—I don’t know. Peter has one. Jared once told me he keeps it on a hook by the front door of his house.”

  ON THE TRAIN ride back to Kate’s house, Dave said, “Don't you wonder why they're all so ready to talk to us?”

  “The power of the press. People complain about it, but they always want to talk. If they don't, it usually means they have an exclusive deal with another paper.”

  “Maybe,” Dave said.

  “What else?''

  “Professional criminals get good at saying nothing. But amateurs want to be clever, or they want to find out what the investigators know. They can't keep away from it. Then you get the innocent ones with their own agenda.

  Kate said, “Like what?”

  “Like getting someone else suspected, or even convicted. And not necessarily the guilty person.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  The following morning Maurelle stretched off remnants of sleep and wondered what time it was, since the sun wasn’t peeking through her curtains yet. She got up and looked out at a gray cloud-filled sky that overnight had settled over Saint-Julien. She turned from the window and dressed. By the time she padded downstairs to the kitchen, Jeannette was already setting out plates.

  “Breakfast is my treat today,” Jeannette said as she busily sliced fresh bread.

  Maurelle poured herself a cup of steaming coffee. It burned her lips when she took a sip and she decided to let it cool a bit before repeating. “Have you seen Fabienne this morning?”

  “No, the poor dear was awfully tired last night. I thought it best not to awaken her.” Jeannette sat down and set plates of bread on the table. “She over-did things yesterday, I’m afraid.”

  “I did no such thing!”

  Maurelle swung around. Fabienne was standing in the doorway, looking paler than last night. Dark bags under her eyes made her look as if she hadn’t slept in weeks. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes wrinkled.

  “Don’t go treating me like some kind of invalid,” she said as she shuffled across the cold stone floor. “Just because I get a bit winded doesn’t mean anything.”

  “You are the most stubborn old woman I know,” Jeannette said. She held out a cup of coffee to Fabienne who crossed her arms for a moment, but then reached out and accepted the cup. “Of course we’re worried about you. Did you forget to take your medications yesterday?”

  Fabienne attempted a stubborn pout, but her face crumbled. “I left my medications at home. Right before we left, I searched my handbag for my keys to this house. When I couldn’t find them, I dumped everything out on my bed. I found the keys, but my bottle of pills must have rolled off the bed. I was in such a hurry that I didn’t notice.”

  “Oh dear,” Jeannette said. “We have to go back for them.”

  “No!” Fabienne said. “I won’t hear of it. That would be ridiculous and far too dangerous. I’ll be fine. Don’t go making this a bigger deal than it is.”

  Jeannette shook her head at Fabienne, then looked at Maurelle as if seeking her input, which surprised Maurelle since Jeannette usually acted like her opinions didn’t matter.

  The two grandmothers were the same age, but Fabienne looked older; her color really wasn’t good today, and probably hadn’t been for days, only Maurelle had been too distracted to notice. There was a grayness to her cheeks, and her eyes seemed dulled. Her missing those pills might not be the only problem. Maurelle’s grandfather had died of a heart attack back when Maurelle was a teenager. He’d exhibited similar symptoms.

  “If we can’t go back, we need to get you to a doctor,” Maurelle said.

  “No! I don’t need a doctor. I’m telling you I won’t leave here.”

  “We’ll find a local doctor,” Maurelle said. “Surely they have one somewhere in the area.”

  “If I don’t feel better in a day or two, I’ll consider seeing a doctor. But not yet.”

  “All right. We’ll give you one day. In the meantime, you are going to take it easy. Jeannette and I will take care of you. Right, Jeannette?”

  “That’s right. You’re going to sit down, and let us treat you like a queen.”

  Fabienne nodded, but her mouth was a thin line.

  By the end of breakfast, the sun was already breaking through, and the temperature was rapidly climbing. The day promised to be warm. Maurelle scurried into the town square to the shop where she’d seen rocking chairs for sale. She selected two wicker rocking chairs and paid for them with cash.

  “Would you like some help putting these in your car?” the sales clerk asked.

  “Uh, actually I don’t have a car.” The lie came automatically because she didn’t want the vehicle seen. “I’ll need to carry one home, and come back for the second one.”

  The clerk, a young man, looked at the older man who worked there. The man nodded, and then the young man said, “I’ll carry the other one for you.”

  “Thank you, that’s very kind,” Maurelle said.

  At the house, she set both chairs outside near the front door, and then went inside to get Jeannette and Fabienne. She ushered them outdoors.

  “These are for the two of you.”

  Fabienne clapped her hands together and then hugged Maurelle, kissing both her cheeks.

  “What a dear girl you are,” Fabienne said. “Now we can sit outside and enjoy the fresh air and watch our friends. How lovely!”

  “Oh yes,” Jeannette said. “This is wonderful. Now our friends will know we’re here, and more of them will come visit. I should go inside and prepare refreshments.”

  “No you don’t. I’ll take care of that,” Maurelle said. “Both of you just relax and enjoy.”

  Maurelle didn’t wait for an answer. She rushed into the kitchen and rummaged through the large cooler that they had filled with ice and assorted meats and cheeses. She quickly made up finger sandwiches, which she set out on a serving platter. On a second platter, she placed a jar of sun tea and six teacups. She carried a large folding table outside first, and set it up. It took two more trips to bring out everything, but when she was done, Fabienne smiled and began humming.

  Maurelle tiptoed away. She glanced back once and smiled tenderly at the two women pouring tea and chatting. In the house, she sat down on a stuffed chair by the front window and began reading a book that she’d bought the day before. Occasionally, she would look out and watch the two women as they conversed with locals who popped in now and then.

  They spent the whole day that way. In the late afternoon they brought the trays inside and the three of them set out for a stroll to the only restaurant in the village for an early dinner. They were enjoying their meal, but all were still subdued. Though Fabienne tried to make bright conversation, she seemed to avoid any mention of Dave.

  Jeannette said, “Where do you think Dave is right now?”

  Maurelle glanced at Fabienne across the table from her. The older woman’s mouth tightened and her forehead creased with worry lines. Maurelle said, “He’s probably enjoying the sights. It really is a lovely city.”

  Fabienne’s expression relaxed, and Maurelle was glad, though her own fears lingered. Somehow, they needed to find out what was happening. Maybe Simone had heard from him. Forty minutes later, after finishing their dinner, they strolled back toward home. As they approached the cottage Fabienne slowed down and started wobbling. Maurelle grabbed hold of her arm to steady her.

  “Are you all right?”

  Her face was
ashen. “I think I’m in trouble.”

  Maurelle checked Fabienne’s pulse. “We need to get you to a hospital. Jeannette, can you help me get her to the car?”

  Fabienne’s eyes widened and she grabbed Maurelle’s arm. “You can’t do that. You can’t risk getting caught. I’ll be fine. Help me back to the house. I’ll go to bed straight away. You’ll see.”

  Jeannette shook her head, looking panicked. “Maurelle, talk some sense into her!”

  “Fabienne, I know you’re trying to protect me, but it comes down to taking a chance of getting caught versus running the risk of losing you. It’s obvious you need medical attention. I won’t take no for an answer.”

  “I won’t allow it, and you know how stubborn I am.”

  “Well, now you’re going to find out how stubborn I can be.”

  “And where do you think you’re going to find a hospital around here?” Fabienne asked, giving a weak smile.

  Maurelle and Jeannette each put an arm around Fabienne and walked the last fifty yards to the cottage. As they arrived at the front door, Jeannette said, “Nathalie will know. We should ask her.”

  Maurelle nodded. “I’ll find Nathalie. Will you stay here with Fabienne?”

  “I’ll run away,” Fabienne said. “You can’t keep me here. You’re as old and decrepit as I am.”

  “That’s what you think,” Jeannette said. “We had to practically carry you back to the house. You think you’re going to run away? Now that I’d like to see.”

  While Fabienne pouted, Maurelle slipped quietly out the door.

  Ten minutes later she returned with Nathalie, who said, “We have a doctor in Saint-Julien, now. He’s good. Dr. Maison can handle most emergencies, except for major surgeries, and he has evening hours twice a week. He’ll work later if necessary. If he says you need hospitalization, he’ll know where the best local hospital is located. Come with me.” She hesitated, then added, “Can you walk, Fabienne, or shall I bring the doctor to you?”

  “I can walk,” Fabienne snapped. “I don’t know why everyone insists on treating me as though I’m an invalid.”

  Outside, Fabienne shrugged off help from Maurelle and Jeannette until they’d gone only a block. She stopped and leaned forward, bracing herself with her hands on her knees. Without saying a word, Maurelle and Jeannette stood by her side and when she straightened up, they each put an arm around her waist and supported her as they continued another block to the doctor’s office.

  Nathalie stayed in the clinic’s waiting room, while the other three women sat in the doctor’s consultation room. Dr. Maison asked Fabienne about her medications and medical history. Maurelle was surprised to hear that Fabienne had a stent placed in each of two arteries last year and had been taking an anti-platelet drug to prevent heart attack or stroke.

  The doctor explained that his initial tests would include an electrocardiogram, blood tests, and chest x-rays and then led Fabienne into the exam area.

  Maurelle paced in the waiting room. It was eerily quiet, unlike the hospital where her mother had undergone treatments. Here, there were no other patients, and only one nurse that they could see, although Maurelle occasionally heard faint voices coming from the exam area, probably the doctor and the other nurse she’d seen when they’d first arrived. Jeannette dozed off in her chair, her head tilted back slightly against the wall. The phone rang, and the nurse answered it, speaking softly. For all Maurelle knew, she could be speaking to the gendarmes. They could burst through the front door of the clinic any moment. She chewed on a fingernail and stared at the clock above the door. Forty-five minutes had passed since Nathalie left, but she calculated that with the tests, they’d been in the clinical for nearly three hours. She’d read—or at least browsed—all of the magazines in the waiting room.

  The door opened, and the doctor and Fabienne came out together, both sitting down near Maurelle and Jeannette.

  “Madame Laurent wanted me to give her the results with all of you,” Dr. Maison said. Turning to Fabienne, he said, “I didn’t find any evidence of an abnormality or damage. Your blood tests were fine, and your blood pressure and heart rate appear to have stabilized. You may have had a new blockage that reopened on its own, or perhaps a spasm in one of the coronary arteries. It could also have been as simple as overstress, caused by worry over having forgotten you medications. Since we don’t know for sure, and we don’t have the necessary test equipment here in this clinic, I would like to send you to the hospital for a more thorough examination.”

  Fabienne said, “Do I have to go to the hospital now? Can’t I wait?”

  “I will put you on a beta blocker and give you a new prescription of your medication that you left at home. We can see how that works.”

  “Oh, thank God,” she said, clapping her hands together.

  “Don’t get too thankful yet. As I said, you’ll need more tests when you get back to your home. You’ll need rest, and you must reduce your stress level. It is still possible that you have a blocked artery, especially considering your history.”

  “Oh, I hope not,” Fabienne said, squeezing Maurelle’s hand.

  “Pardon, Madame. No need to worry right now. Get your prescriptions filled and get some bed rest for a couple of days. I’ll come by to check on you.”

  Maurelle said, “Are you sure she doesn’t need to go to the hospital tonight?”

  “I would prefer to send her there now, but it’s not absolutely necessary.”

  “Where is the nearest hospital?” Jeannette asked.

  “It’s forty-five minutes away from here.”

  Fabienne looked at Maurelle and Jeannette, and asked, “What should I do?”

  Jeannette said. “Let’s see how the medicine and rest go. You didn’t have any problems while you were taking your medicine.”

  Fabienne nodded.

  The bell on the café door jingled and Simone looked up. A tall man with curly brown hair stood inside, a few feet from the door, looking lost. He was holding a small suitcase. Simone set down the coffee pot she was holding and walked over to him.

  “Bonjour. May I help you?” she asked.

  “Uh, yes, I’m looking for Simone Charbonneau.” He spoke in French, but his pronunciation was atrocious, and his accent was thick. American?

  “I’m Simone. What do you need?”

  He scratched his head with his free hand. “Well, this is going to sound strange, but I came here from Chicago to visit my friend, Dave Martin. He invited me a couple weeks ago. But I can’t find him. He gave me an address, his grandmother’s house. I went there several times and no one is around. I finally talked to a neighbor who told me I should check with you. Said you might know where I can find them.”

  “I wish I had good news for you. Something came up, and Dave had to leave unexpectedly. His grandmother left, too.”

  “Oh, no. He must have forgotten to call me. Thanks. I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do now.”

  “You could stay at Chateau de Reynier until he returns. It’s just down the street from here.”

  “Thanks. My taxi driver dropped me off in front of the house. It didn’t occur to me to have him wait. I’m kinda stuck here.”

  “Why don’t you sit and have something to eat? My employee will be here any minute. After she arrives, I will walk with you to the chateau.”

  “Thank you. That would be wonderful. And I actually am starved.” He sauntered over to one of the tables, plunked his suitcase down on an empty chair, and sat down.

  “How do you know Dave?” Simone asked.

  “I’m sorry. My name is Greg. I’m his old partner from the police force. I’m on vacation, and I’ve been traveling around Great Britain and Europe. Dave and I send emails back and forth. He invited me to visit him if I had time before I went home.”

  “I thought you sounded American. How long had you planned on staying?”

  “That depends.” He flashed Simone a dazzling smile that transformed him into the most charming m
an she’d seen in a long time.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  In the late morning Kate met Dave at his hotel and from there they travelled together by train to Westglenn School north of Euston. They’d decided not to schedule an appointment because that might put the Headmaster on guard. Surprise could work to their advantage. Whether or not that was true in this case remained to be seen.

  As they exited the Tube station, they discovered that the blue sky had grown overcast with heavy clouds. A block from Westglenn the rain began pelting them. Kate covered her head with her handbag. They quickened their pace, practically running outright, and ducked inside the school building moments before pea-sized hail accosted the roof, windows, and neighborhood. Their rather wet and bedraggled appearance brought smirks from a number of students.

  In the main building they snagged one of the students and asked for directions to the Headmaster’s office. Dave and Kate waited inside the doorway while the Headmaster’s secretary talked to a young, nervous-looking boy. When he left, looking even more worried, Kate approached the secretary’s desk.

  “May I help you?” she asked. She was a young woman with a friendly looking face.

  Kate introduced herself. “We are here to speak with Headmaster Fowler.” The woman got up and went into another office, then returned in a few minutes. “Mr. Fowler can see you now.”

  Fowler, a middle-aged man wearing a navy blue suit and vest, stood up behind his desk and shook their hands as Kate introduced herself and Dave.

  He smiled and reseated himself. “Please have a seat. How may I help you?”

  Kate explained why they were there.

  His expression darkened, and Dave worried they might not get his cooperation. The phone rang. He excused himself to take the call, giving Dave time to study him and the surroundings. Fowler had brown hair, which was thinning on top. His face was pale, with deep wrinkles, likely a sign of his responsibilities and profession. The observation made Dave wonder how the scandal may have affected him personally. The man’s office appeared typical of what one would expect of a headmaster. There were two white walls that were accented with a couple of unimpressive paintings and two framed degrees. The other two walls were covered in a fine oak wainscot, perhaps worn a bit from the years, but impressive all the same. The headmaster’s desk was organized, but piles of paper spoke of many hours of work yet to complete. There was a photo on the desk, but as it was facing away, Dave assumed it was of a wife, kids, or perhaps other family member or members.