CHAPTER 3
After a late night, breakfast the next day was informal. There were not many guests at the table. As the morning progressed, Louis took note that Bisset had rejoined the group, but his niece was now missing. By lunch, Louis could not contain his curiosity and sat next to Bisset.
“I see you are feeling better, sir. It seems the rest yesterday did you well.”
“It did indeed, monsieur. Thank you for asking. I find I have quite an appetite today.” He bit into a piece of chicken as proof.
“I could not help but notice your niece, Mademoiselle Durant, has not been down. I hope she is well. I had such a lovely time with her yesterday, and I was hoping to see her again.”
Bisset wiped his mouth. “Unfortunately, she had to leave this morning. She received word of an urgent family matter that needed her attention.”
“Well, I hope she has a safe journey. Where does your niece live?”
“She lives just outside Paris.”
Louis could barely contain his triumph. He had caught Bisset in a lie. Mademoiselle Durand had said she lived in the southern part of France. South, my foot, Louis thought. Laurent’s estate was west of Paris, which implied the lady was traveling east, not south. Now he knew she was involved in something nefarious. Whatever her role, searching it out would have to wait. His focus for now was on Bisset, and to that end, Louis would return to Paris and redouble their efforts to discover his secrets. Louis explained the situation to Laurent and before the sun set that night, he was on his way.
As soon as he returned home, he sent word to the Ministry of Defense to look deeper into Bisset and his holdings. With any luck, in a few weeks, they could trace his movements and discover his contacts.
The Fox had grown bolder over the last two years since the start of the war. Nothing like death and destruction to bring the worst out in people. Smuggling and robbery had always been an issue, but now with it being organized under one man’s control, it was making things difficult. The Fox was unlike any criminal the Ministry of Defense had ever before encountered.
Louis had first caught wind of the Fox prior to the war, before he’d even begun his work for the Ministry. He owned several shipping vessels, some of which had been victims of theft. Once he’d offered his services to the Ministry, he’d heard the name mentioned in hushed tones: Le Renard. The Fox was crafty and always a step ahead of those in pursuit, making it harder to apprehend the fiend.
Now with the war on the Crimean Peninsula, the need for secrecy regarding shipments and military strategy was more vital; but still the Fox discovered their warehouses and ports. Someone was feeding the villain information. Louis would put a stop to the man’s treachery and at the same time avenge his wife, Michelle.
When Louis had met Michelle, she had been a courtesan who stole secrets. She had grown up on the streets, learning from a young age how to be an effective thief. Despite her dark history, he had fallen in love and foolishly believed that if he took her away from Paris, her past would be left behind. He had been mistaken. They had been married only three years when he had found her body one morning in the garden. The doctor had said it was suicide. There had been no sign of a struggle, but Louis knew Michelle would never kill herself, or the baby she carried. Even though he had no proof, he was certain that his estate had not been far enough out of the reach of the criminal element who wished to ensure her silence by ending her life
After Michelle’s death, Louis had tracked down everyone he could find from her past, learning more about his wife’s previous life. She had infiltrated houses, stolen goods and information, anything it took to stay alive. But he had never discovered the answer to the main question: who did she answer to? Who gave the orders? In his mind, it had to be the Fox. Although he had no solid proof, in his gut, Louis knew somehow, she had been connected to the Fox. With Louis’s knowledge of how the criminal operated and based on the few facts Michelle had told him, he surmised she had been in a lower position in the Fox’s criminal ring. Louis made it his life’s mission to find the man and exact revenge.
For now, Louis had to focus on the job at hand. He had correspondence to write and business to conduct. Besides the shipping company, Louis had other ventures in the city, including his own network of informants scattered throughout the arrondissements of Paris. He needed to hear reports from them and see if there were any new leads. Between his business dealings and work for the Ministry of Defense, he would be busy for the next several days.
The first person he needed to speak to was Henri Fontaine, his second in command. Louis and Henri had grown up friends. Henri’s father had worked as the butler for André, Louis’s godfather, who had raised him. Although their paths had diverged when Louis had gone to school in England, he and Henri had remained close.
Now Henri was his right-hand man, acting as his secretary and confidant on business matters. Henri had been at the house the day Michelle had died. He had been the one to find Louis, kneeling over her body. They had been through much together over the years. Louis considered Henri like a brother. He sent a message for Henri to come to his house at the earliest convenience.
Never one to disappoint, Henri arrived within the hour and was ushered into Louis’s study.
“How was your trip?” Henri asked as he took a seat opposite Louis.
“Not a total disappointment. I have some leads we need to look into.”
Henri withdrew a piece of paper and pen, waiting for Louis’s instructions.
“We need to find out everything we can about Bisset. I sent a message to the Ministry, but I want you to use our own investigators. We need to know his business contacts, his bank, his creditors, his mistress, anything that might be useful.”
“Anyone in particular you want for the job?”
“I will leave that to your discretion.”
Henri nodded.
“There was a woman with Bisset at Laurent’s party.”
“A woman? Now that is interesting. Do you think she is involved with Bisset?”
Louis got up from his chair. The image of Colette flashed in his mind. How did a woman like her get involved with Bisset? He thought of Michelle. Some people did what they had to so they could survive. Was Colette in a similar situation? “She was introduced as Bisset’s niece, which I later discovered was false. I do not know the connection between them. Tell the men to be on the lookout for a woman in her twenties with red hair and green eyes.”
“You know the color of her eyes? You must have gotten quite close.” Henri smirked.
Louis’s lips formed a thin line, but he did not answer.
“Is that all?”
“Yes. Do you have any business for me?”
Henri sifted through the satchel he had brought with him. “Pierre dropped off some contracts for you to review. André already signed them. It is for the purchase of the warehouse by the Canal Saint-Martin.”
“Leave it on my desk. Thank you, Henri.”
“I will send the orders to the investigators. They will be out looking by tonight.”
Louis waved his farewells as his friend left. He welcomed the silence that remained. After being at Laurent’s for the last few days, he appreciated the peace and quiet of his home. He sat down at his desk and picked up the contract Henri had delivered. The words on the page blurred together. Louis threw the document aside and tossed his head back. He was not in the mood for business.
The sound of the crackling fire soothed Louis’s frayed nerves. He closed his eyes and focused on the ticking of the clock, a distraction for his mind. He inhaled and found the scents of tobacco and bergamot, both thanks to his godfather, André, who visited frequently. It reminded Louis that he would have to pay the gentleman a call soon. For now, he put his attention back on the contract. There was work to be done.
A week later Louis’s carriage pulled up to a nondescript building. There was no sign outside to advertise the establishment. Only select people were given entrance. Once inside, he went t
o a roped-off section in the back guarded by a footman. He made his way down a dimly lit hallway to the last door. He removed a key from his pocket and unlocked the door, which opened to a staircase leading straight into darkness. Louis had the number of steps memorized and traversed the stairwell effortlessly. At the bottom was a tiny, empty room. A single torch in a sconce on the opposite wall was the only source of light. Louis tilted the sconce and activated a secret opening in the wall.
On the other side was a tunnel which went a hundred yards before ending in another room, like the one he had just left. He walked up the steps and entered the hub of the Ministry of Defense, a secret location known only to those granted permission by the Minister. It was here, not at the main defense offices, where the key decisions regarding the war and the safety of France were made.
Louis had overseen the construction of the tunnel between the buildings. Two years ago, the Ministry had decided they needed further secrecy from prying eyes and ears. The front facade of the building looked like any normal place of business. They admitted no officers in uniform so as not to draw attention.
Early that morning, Louis had received a message from General Lochte, his superior at the Ministry, demanding an immediate audience. There had been a development. The door to the General’s office was closed, so Louis knocked and waited. After a moment, an aide admitted him to the room. Several men sat gathered around a table, all of them known to Louis. He nodded his head in greeting and took a seat.
“Thank you for coming so quickly, Monsieur de Coligny.” General Lochte sat at the head of the table. “I was just informed that a large shipment of munitions, scheduled to leave Marseille, has been seized. Those munitions were meant for French and English forces at Constantinople.”
A murmur of exclamation reverberated throughout the room. Louis did not say a word. His scheme had worked. When the shipment schedule had been drawn up, Louis had recommended that the General limit the number of people who would be privy to the information. If the cargo were then stolen, there would be a small pool of suspects.
Thankfully, the shipment was not a complete loss. At the last minute, Louis had written orders to have half of the cargo switched with empty boxes. Unfortunately, if the Fox was behind this, he would know they were onto him and might take more drastic action.
The meeting rambled on, but Louis remained silent. When it was over, he asked General Lochte to give him the names of the people who had access to the shipment information. He would find the traitor today.
For the rest of the afternoon, Louis interviewed the men in question and checked their alibis. By the evening, the list of suspects had dwindled to two. Louis was about to bring them back for questioning when one of his hired detectives gave him some interesting news. One of the suspects had left Paris for two days the week prior, which raised Louis's suspicions. He asked for the man, a clerk, to be brought in at once.
Louis sat in an empty interrogation room and waited. After a few minutes they escorted in the suspect. The young man, Galle, looked to be just over the age of twenty. His eyes were wide with fear, and Louis noted the slight tremble in his hand as he pulled out a chair.
“Monsieur Galle, thank you for coming back. We have a few more questions.”
“Please, Monsieur de Coligny. I answered your questions earlier this afternoon,” he answered in a whisper.
“Yes, you did, but I received some information a short while ago that I would like to ask you about. Did you leave Paris last week?”
The man’s face blanched, the nod of his head barely perceptible.
“Where did you go?”
“I went to visit a sick relative, sir.”
“Where was that?”
Galle stumbled over his words. “Ah, it was in Bourges.”
“Bourges? Hmm, interesting, since I was told you were seen near Lisieux.” Louis named the city near Laurent’s estate.
“No, sir,” he stammered. “I was visiting my ailing sister.”
“But you only have a brother, named Paul, I believe.”
Galle went to speak but had no reply.
Louis had had enough. “Monsieur Galle, I will not beat around the bush. I suspect you of conspiring with a criminal known as the Fox, head of a smuggling ring that has been plaguing our country for quite some time now. I believe you left Paris last week to contact this man or one of his associates near Lisieux, which is an act of treason. You know the penalty for treason, do you not?”
Louis let the words sink in. Galle’s lip quivered, and his shoulders shook. “I’m sorry, Monsieur. I had no choice.”
“What do you mean?”
“My brother has debts. It is the gaming halls. He cannot help himself. He let it be known that I work for the Ministry. A man came to me a few months ago and told me if I gave him some information from time to time, my brother’s debts would be repaid.”
“Why did you not just refuse him?”
“The man said if I did not agree, he would see to it my brother went to debtor’s prison—or worse.” Galle bowed his head, shaking it slowly from side to side. “I had no choice. It was my brother’s life.”
For the next hour, the clerk told Louis of every instance when he had given information to the mystery man who had threatened him. Galle would receive letters telling him what materials to acquire. He would gather the intelligence then relay the details back to a contact. Each time he met with a different person. Louis had to assume none of them were the Fox —he would be too smart to show himself. Galle also admitted he had in fact left Paris the week prior to deliver a document to a contact. From what Galle described, his contact matched Bisset’s description.
“Where did you meet him?” Now it was coming together, Louis thought.
“We met at an inn near Lisieux. I gave him the dates and times of the shipments departing from Marseille and the cargo contained on each ship.”
Louis sat back in his chair. “Were there any other people with the man you met?”
“He was alone.”
There was still a piece missing. Bisset had been at Laurent’s when Louis had left, but his supposed niece had departed early. He was on to something. “What day did you meet Bisset?”
“It was Wednesday, sir.”
The young lady, Colette had left on Thursday. She had to be the link. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Lord knew where she was now, but it was a start.
“Begging your pardon, monsieur, but what will become of me? Am I to go to jail?”
Louis regarded the young man. Galle had only done what he felt right to protect his family; Louis could understand that. He knew what it was like to be manipulated in order to protect the people you loved. An image of Michelle came immediately into his mind. The boy deserved a chance to redeem himself.
“No, Galle, you will not go to jail. You will stay here and continue as usual. But you work for me now.”
“What do you mean?”
“The next time you are contacted, you will let me know. We are going to unmask the Fox.”
CHAPTER 4
Colette opened the door to her small house and laid her bag on the table with a thump. Her backside ached from the lengthy carriage ride. The trip to and from Marseilles had been torturous. Fortunately, the information had been relayed in time to get the cargo smuggled safely off the ship.
Every time she did the Fox’s bidding, it felt as if she lost a piece of her soul, her humanity. After all these years, she should have been used to it. If Colette could have her way, it would all be done and she would have her revenge, but the timing was not right. The last three years had been a lesson in patience.
Colette’s ultimate objective was the demise of her employer. After all she—and so many others—had suffered, he needed to pay. She would avenge those she had loved and lost. Perhaps, in a way, it would help ease her own conscience for the deeds she had committed during her lifetime.
She rubbed the back of her neck, trying to work out the kinks from bein
g cramped in the carriage. This last assignment had been difficult since it required the theft of vital supplies needed by the French military. Colette loved her country, but sacrifices were necessary to gain the Fox’s trust. Over the last two years her boss, Jacques, had given her more and more crucial assignments. Jacques took his orders directly from the Fox.
Little did anyone know that over the years she had been informing the Ministry of Defense about the infamous smuggler’s activities. She chose instances where the risk of discovery was low, and there was little money to be lost. If Jacques or the Fox ever discovered one of their most trusted agents was double-crossing them, she would lose everything. She wrote the letters anonymously and delivered them by night. No one would ever suspect a woman of such a deed.
Glancing around the small abode, Colette knew she had to tread carefully. Even without the letters, the police had been breaking up some of their more profitable enterprises.
Colette took the poker and banked the dying embers for the night. She turned around and saw Etienne, a boy of eight, standing in the doorway, a sleepy look on his face.
“Colette?”
“Yes, it's me. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“I was not sleeping, anyway.”
Colette smiled. The orphan boy was like a little brother to her. She guided Etienne back to bed. The boy crawled in and yawned as he snuggled under the covers. Colette kissed his brow then turned to the bed on the opposite side of the room. Another boy, Antoine, slept soundly. All quiet in the house, Colette retired to her own chamber and fell wearily into bed.
In the morning, the distant sound of voices woke Colette. She dressed and went to the kitchen.
“Good morning,” she said, coming down the stairs.
Seated at the table were the people she called family. Danielle was the oldest at fifteen. Colette had rescued her off the streets four years ago. The girl was bright and had learned to read and write in no time. Danielle had a keen interest in learning, and Colette hoped she would find work at a school when she was older. For now, Danielle taught Etienne when Colette was away.
The Secret to a Spy’s Heart: A Steamy Victorian Historical Spy Series (Romancing Intrigue Book 4) Page 3
