Anya opened the door of the apartment on the Rue Soufflot. It didn’t take Dimitri more than a second to run off and join the gang of kids in one of the bedrooms.
A voice came from behind them. “Merry Christmas!”
Alexis was returning from the wine cellar, his arms full of bottles. Nico’s physician brother-in-law was a passionate seaman, having sailed both the Atlantic and the Pacific, and a connoisseur of wines.
“A Château-Chalon!” Nico said, full of enthusiasm.
Alexis had introduced him to this white wine from the Jura a few years earlier. The elixir had an aroma of walnuts and dried fruit, and Nico imagined that it would have been relished at the table of Tsar Nicolas II.
Caroline disappeared into the kitchen to set down the traditional bûche de Noël and hide the candy. Otherwise the younger crowd would devour it before the meal.
The doorbell resonated throughout the apartment. There was activity in the vestibule. Nico recognized the voice of his friend Alexandre Becker. They greeted each other with a friendly embrace. The magistrate’s two children ran off to find Dimitri and his cousins. His wife was already in the kitchen, praising Tanya’s dishes. While Alexis put the finishing touches on the appetizers, Becker and Nico retreated to the Christmas tree.
“Are you happy?” Becker asked, smiling.
“You could say that,” Nico responded, thinking about Caroline’s key ring.
“An investigation well done,” the magistrate said.
He was referring to the molar mystery, which was now the Edward Quere case. “Everyone involved is locked up, but people are still talking about it. It’s affected the whole world of medical research.”
“There are good people fighting heart and soul to defeat cancer. A few black sheep can’t detract from their heroic work.”
“In any case, your intuition never ceases to amaze me. It’s a real gift you have there.”
“Ho, ho, ho. Boys, it’s Christmas,” Alexis said. “Forget about work. I’m opening the Champagne.”
Tanya called them to the table. Anya asked for silence. Tasting caviar required contemplation. Russians claimed the protein-rich food was an aphrodisiac, that it improved eyesight and slowed the effects of alcohol. Not that any caviar aficionados wanted to do that, considering all the vodka they enjoyed consuming with it. Tanya served the blinis, and Alexis brought out the ice-cold vodka. Anya started humming “Kalinka,” a traditional—and naughty—Russian song.
Raising his glass, Alexis responded with a traditional Breton song. He wouldn’t be outdone. “Or these Russians are going to eat us alive. Sooner or later, they’ll be trying to put a tsar on the French throne.”
“Nico I,” Dimitri cried out.
“You see, all fanatics!” Alexis shouted.
They all laughed. Nico was rubbing Caroline’s thigh under the table. He was also thinking about Jacqueline and André, his former in-laws, and about Sylvie. The next day, on Christmas, he had planned to drive his son to Saujon so Dimitri could celebrate Christmas with his mother, but Dimitri had refused. “Dad, this is between me and Mom. Let it go,” he had said.
Alexis turned to Dimitri. “So, you’re a few months away from high school. Do you have an idea what you want to do later?”
“Of course.”
“And that is?” Becker asked.
Dimitri blushed. “The National Police Academy.”
Nico’s jaw dropped open. “But the job is…”
His mother interrupted. “What? Dangerous? Dimitri’s not ten anymore. If he wants to play gendarmes and robbers, that’s his choice. Now tell him what’s in your heart, which is the only thing worth saying.”
Nico found himself catapulted into the past, his mind swirling. He cleared his throat and hesitated. And then he did exactly what his father had done.
“I love you, son.”
“Case closed,” Anya proclaimed.
Gifts were piled under the tree, waiting for their recipients. Anya picked up the first present.
“A book.”
“Why, it’s a guidebook to Ukraine,” Tanya said, holding up the present that she had just opened. “What—”
“Plane tickets,” her mother cried out. “For Kiev! In February.”
“We’re going as a family,” Nico said. “Ten days. Kiev, Odessa, the Black Sea.”
“Oh, Nico, I didn’t think I’d see it before I died.”
“Who said anything about dying? Besides, we’ll have a doctor on board.”
“Schastlivogo Rozhdestva!” Dimitri said.
“Oh yes!” his grandmother said, thrilled to hear her grandson wishing her a Merry Christmas in her native tongue.
Nico suddenly had a memory of his son on his tricycle. The boy was hardly more than a toddler. Nico was running after Dimitri’s colored balloons as they took off toward the sky, and his son was squealing with delight. Life passed so quickly. Too quickly.
Epilogue
Agence France Press Dispatch – January 25 12:33
Reference: DAT0508 3 Y F 0150 FRA/AFP-AG16
Paris, January 25 (AFP)
Edward Quere Attempts Suicide
Held in solitary confinement at the Santé Prison in Paris, well-known businessman Edward Quere attempted suicide this morning. He had taken an unknown quantity of opioid painkillers. The guards were quick to respond, and a medical team intervened immediately, saving his life. He will remain under medical watch for forty-eight hours. Prison officials said that Quere told them he would try again. He said that he wanted to join his daughter, Clarisse, who died last month. An investigation is under way to determine how Quere obtained the pills.
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Acknowledgments
The mystery is solved, and the book closes. Now comes the time to express my gratitude and my friendship to all those who accompanied me on this adventure:
Édith Bordereaux, administrative manager of the Paris Descartes University Body Donation Center.
Dr. David Corège, chief rescue-squad medical officer in the Saône-et-Loire, and forensics expert with the court of Dijon.
Christian Flaesch, police commissioner and former section chief of the Paris Criminal Investigation Division.
Maurice Harasse, anatomy lab technician at the Paris Descartes University.
Frédéric Péchenard, national police prefect and former chief of the Paris Criminal Investigation Division.
Patrick Prieux, dental surgeon with a passion for anatomy.
Christine Sagnal, with the National Police Forensics Institute, responsible for communications and training at the Lyons forensics laboratory.
Dr. Bruno Salles, hemato-oncologist at the Chalon-sur-Saône Hospital.
Hubert Weigel, director of the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité for the director of the National Police Forensics Institute and all its services.
A special mention goes to Dr. Lionel Yon, an orthopedic surgeon, and to Lilas Seewald, my editor at Fayard Noir.
About the Author
Writing has always been a passion for Frédérique Molay. She graduated from France’s prestigious Science Po and began her career in politics and the French administration. She worked as chief of staff for the deputy mayor of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and then was elected to the local government in Saône-et-Loire. Meanwhile, she spent her nights pursuing the passion she had nourished since penning her first novel at the age of eleven. After The 7th Woman took France by storm, Frédérique Molay dedicated her life to writing and raising her three children. She has five books to her name, with three in the Paris Homicide series.
About the Translator
Anne Trager has lived in France for more than twenty-six years, working in translation, publishing, and communications. In 2011, she woke up one morning and said, “I just can’t stand it anymore. There ar
e way too many good books being written in France not reaching a broader audience.” That’s when she founded Le French Book to translate some of those books into English. The company’s motto is, “If we love it, we translate it,” and Anne loves a good police procedural.
About Le French Book
Le French Book is a New York-based publisher specializing in great reads from France. As founder Anne Trager says, “There is a very vibrant, creative culture in France. Our vocation is to bring France’s best mysteries, thrillers, novels, and short stories to new readers across the English-speaking world.”
www.lefrenchbook.com
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A total Epicurean immersion in French countryside and gourmet attitude with two expert winemakers turned amateur sleuths gumshoeing around wine country. Already translated: Treachery in Bordeaux, Grand Cru Heist and Nightmare in Burgundy.
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Contents
Cover
Paris Homicide series
Praise
Title
Info
Dedication
Quote
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
Thank you
Acknowledgments
About the Author
About the Translator
Discover more books
Crossing the Line Page 20
