Follow Your Star by Jennifer Bohnet (best value ebook reader .TXT) 📗

‘A gun. Zac would never ever have owned a gun in the past,’ she added quietly. ‘Shall we open it?’ Nanette asked looking first at the package and then at Jean-Claude.

He didn’t reply for several minutes and then slowly shook his head.

‘Not here. I’ll take it with me and put it somewhere safe. I don’t feel happy with you having it.’ He sighed. ‘It’s late. Time I went home. I’ll be here at about eleven o’clock tomorrow to take Patsy to the airport. Goodnight, ma chérie.’

A gentle kiss brushed her cheek and he was gone, leaving Nanette feeling strangely bereft.

There was no sign of Mathieu the next morning before Nanette left to take the twins to school and his bedroom door remained firmly closed. When she returned, Patsy was out on the balcony enjoying her breakfast croissant and coffee.

‘I’m going to miss this view,’ she said. ‘Can’t believe in a few hours I’ll be back on the farm.’ She spread some marmalade on her croissant before adding, ‘There’s been a lot of activity on Pole Position this morning. People coming and going.’

Nanette helping herself to a cup of coffee glanced up. ‘What sort of people?’

‘Lots of people in suits. Look, there’s one of them leaving now.’

The sisters watched as a man carrying a briefcase appeared in the stern of the yacht with Phil. The two men shook hands and Phil waited as the man left before raising the gangplank and disappearing into the main cabin.

‘Hmm,’ Patsy said. ‘Wonder what that’s all about.’ She glanced over. ‘Bit of a family ding-dong last night?’

Nanette nodded. ‘Sorry if it disturbed you. Jean-Claude is getting more and more worried about Mathieu. Unfortunately I don’t think there is anything he can do. Have you seen him this morning?’

Patsy shook her head. ‘No. Florence said he went out very early.’

Nanette sighed. ‘Part of me wishes whatever it is, would all come to a head and hang the consequences – at least we’d all know where we were.’

Patsy stood up. ‘Well, I’d better go and finish packing.’

‘Need a hand?’

‘No thanks. Might need Jean-Claude to carry the suitcase for me though, it’s a bit on the heavy side.’

While Patsy finished her packing, Nanette stayed out on the balcony looking down thoughtfully at Pole Position. Just what had been happening earlier on the now deserted yacht? Something to do with Vacances au Soleil maybe?

Florence, busy cleaning the sitting-room had the radio on softly in the background and Nanette was gently humming along to a favourite song when Jean-Claude arrived.

‘How are you today?’ she asked, returning his hug and staying in the circle of his arms, concerned at the lines of worry she could see still etched in his face from last night.

Jean-Claude shrugged non-committally. ‘I’ve been better, but I’ve done as Mathieu asked and called off the private detective.’

‘Did he have any final information to give you?’

Jean-Claude glanced towards Mathieu’s bedroom door.

‘Is he here?’

Nanette shook her head. ‘No.’

‘Apparently Mathieu has had lots of meetings in recent weeks just over the border in Italy. The detective can’t prove it, but he thinks Mathieu was recruiting people to join a business cartel.’ Jean-Claude sighed. ‘With Boris being refused a permanent visa, I’m afraid that Mathieu will attract more attention from the authorities and move up the list of undesirables. Who knows what will happen then?’

Nanette didn’t answer. ‘Did you open the package?’ she asked instead.

‘Non.’ He shook his head. ‘I thought we’d do it together when we get back. Now, is Patsy ready? We should really make a move. I’ve booked a table for an early lunch in Cannes before we go to the airport.’

Both Nanette and Patsy enjoyed the drive and the lunch Jean-Claude treated them to at one of the restaurants on the Bord de Mer at Cannes. It was 1.30 p.m. as they drove past the roundabout with the preserved prop plane that graced the entrance to Cannes-Mandelieu airport.

‘Jean-Claude, thank you for a lovely last day. And for arranging this flight. I still can’t believe that I’m going home in a private jet,’ Patsy said.

After she’d checked in, Jean-Claude left the two sisters to say their goodbyes.

‘You take it easy when you get home,’ Nanette said. ‘If Helen wants to spoil you – let her!’

‘I will,’ Patsy promised. She hesitated before continuing, ‘Nanette, as much as I would like you to be with me, I will understand if things here make it impossible for you to come back when the bump arrives.’

Nanette hugged her sister. ‘Fingers crossed I’ll make it. You’ve got a few weeks to go yet so hopefully things will have sorted themselves out. Vanessa and Ralph might even be back. Now, your flight awaits. Ring me when you get home.’

Nanette left her sister to board the aeroplane and joined Jean-Claude in the car-park where she watched the Lear jet take off with the comforting feel of Jean-Claude’s arm around her shoulders.

Settling into the car for the drive back to Monaco, Jean-Claude switched on the car radio as a news bulletin started.

‘A failed coup in South America, has led to the arrest of a number of people in Columbia and Brazil.

‘And in a series of dawn raids this morning in a joint operation with Interpol, police have arrested a number of men in London and Monaco.’

Jean-Claude and Nanette turned to each other in apprehension, both instantly thinking of Mathieu.

‘The arrested men, who include the Russian millionaire, Boris Takyanov, are being held in unnamed police stations. No further details have been given, but it is believed the investigation, code name Sunny Climes, is part of an ongoing inquiry into charges of fraud and tax evasion in Monaco and France.’

Silently Jean-Claude leant forward and turned off the radio before starting the car.

Glancing at Nanette, he said quietly, ‘I think we’d better get home as quickly as we can.’

CHAPTER NINE

Nanette was silent, scarcely noticing the kilometres flying past as she sat, immersed in her own thoughts, as Jean-Claude expertly negotiated their way back to Monaco along the auto