Simon Urquet looked awkward. "It's ... not all gone."
"Tell us," said Matt.
Urquet sighed. "It's a tricky one. You remember how Jason Heinman dropped those cylinders in my office last night?"
Zoé's eyes lit up at the memory. "When I kneed him in the..."
"Yes," said Urquet. "Exactly. But he left one of them under my desk."
"He could not see it," replied Zoé. "The man had tears in his eyes."
Urquet winced. "I'm not surprised. Your aim was horribly accurate. But it leaves me with a problem."
"Destroy it," said Matt without hesitation. "Like Sophie said, it's evil."
Simon Urquet shook his head. "It's not as simple as that. I've checked with the French authorities, and the police may insist you go back to France for questioning."
"I hadn't thought about that," said Matt.
"You're not likely to face arrest in Switzerland, but I would strongly advise you against setting foot in France for the next few days," said Urquet. "I've been on the phone to Paris. The national police have taken over the investigation. I'm sure they'll stand no nonsense from Captain Lacoste."
"You must still destroy the oil," said Matt. "That stuff is a secret that should have died with the war."
Urquet sighed. "As a lawyer, I must advise you that its existence is your best line of defense."
"You'll think of something else," said Matt.
Simon Urquet nodded as though to acknowledge Matt's trust, his face wrinkling up along lines that smiled. "Let's go and bury it some place it will stay hidden forever."
"Any suggestions?" asked Zoé.
"There's an old quarry near here, and it's being filled in with mineral waste. DCI has an involvement."
"Venez," said Zoé in her native French. "We can all witness the end of it."
Urquet hesitated. "I don't have a car," he said sheepishly.
"We have the Renault," offered Zoé. "But it may not start after a night in the open."
"I've seen it," said Urquet. "We'll rent something."
Sophie took hold of Matt's arm. "You remind me so much of your grandfather, Matthieu. Would you like to make an old lady happy?"
Matt felt his face redden. He caught Zoé's eye and smiled, but she seemed withdrawn, as though thinking of other things. "What do you have in mind?"
Sophie let out such a loud laugh that Matt jumped. "We will sit together in the back seat, and you will allow me to hold your hand. I would like that, Tommy. I hope your pretty girlfriend will not be jealous."
"I think she'll let me do that," said Matt. "She might even let me put my arm round you."
But Zoé's response surprised him.
"No, Matt, you are taking me for granted. I am not your girlfriend. I said I would help you, and I am glad we did these things together. But now it is finished."
"But I was looking forward to..."
"I like you a lot, Matt. You are a nice person, but I have to go and see Florian. I phoned him from the hotel this morning."
"When are you going?" He realized he sounded stunned, and wanted Zoé to know how he felt.
"This afternoon I will catch the train from Geneva. Florian will meet me in Lyon and take me to Clermont Ferrand in his Mercedes. My parents are expecting me. I am sorry, Matt, really sorry."
"I don't even have your address."
He wanted to see her face, but she kept it turned away.
"I need you, Zoé. Please stay."
She shook her head. "Soon perhaps you will understand."
Chapter 30
SIMON URQUET arranged to get Matt's Mini shipped back to England, although Matt had to pay for a new exhaust. Anyway, a new exhaust was cheaper than another old banger -- and he was becoming almost attached to that bit of machinery from an era when not all cars were the same.
It was Ken who managed to track down the real Fergus Hawkins in Canada, and Matt who invited him over to England. Father Alban said he would also like to see Matt again. It seemed the young priest was a hero in the parish for putting one over on Lacoste, but wasn't quite so popular with his bishop. He was thinking of moving to England to work with the homeless and would like Matt to show him round.
Tracking down Zoé was proving difficult. Matt even bought a CD of Ravel's music arranged for the flute and harp, ready for their reunion. It might not be gloomy enough to cheer Zoé up, but the music would remind them both of their trip to France -- if he ever saw her again.
The hostel where Zoé had been staying had packed her things away, the warden said, and there was no forwarding address. She said she was hoping Zoé would make contact soon. Matt told her he was hoping the same, and walked home wondering if he should leave thoughts of Zoé alone. She could have returned to England with him if she'd wanted to. Obviously Florian was the greater attraction. The CD remained in its case.
The New York Times had three apparently unrelated items in the Friday paper. The first item was about an angry crowd of Jews and Palestinians that sparked off riots in Jerusalem. The initial reports from the city were confused, but the authorities said there was no connection between the riots and a problem with the drains in the city. The situation was reportedly under control, although there had been several casualties.
The second report stated that shares in DCI had fallen heavily following the tragic deaths of the president and his father. The paper reported a rumor that the Heinmans had been leaving Switzerland illegally, while wanted by the police for questioning into a series of deaths in northern France. The French police refused to comment, but did go as far as to say that they were no longer looking for anyone in connection with certain incidents. Inside sources claimed that all was not well with Domestic Chemicals International which had been borrowing heavily. News of a DCI breakthrough in cancer care had been premature. A cynical analyst claimed that the announcement had been little more than a ploy to boost stock market confidence during the company's downward slide.
The third item merited a mere four lines in the deaths column. Ms Karen McDowell, an eighty-three year old New York woman, had passed away peacefully. She had just the one son, Victor McDowell, aged 60, now living in Boston.
Simon Urquet phoned Matt to assure him he would come to England to say thank you properly, just as soon as he had sorted out a problem with some paperwork that Victor McDowell had found among his mother's effects.
Chapter 31
TWO WEEKS after Matt returned to England, Zoé rang the doorbell.
"I am back," she announced.
He noticed the easy smile as she leaned forward to give him a kiss. On the pavement he could see a large suitcase, and in her hands Zoé held an enormous bunch of flowers. Not pretty girly ones, but strong colors mixed with large brown leaves and twigs. He'd never been given flowers before. He hoped he didn't look too taken aback.
She put an arm round his neck and pulled him close for a long hug. "You are pleased to see me?"
"Pleased. And surprised." He looked over her shoulder. "I've been thinking about you every day, but I didn't know how to get in touch. The student hostel didn't have an address. What happened?"
"I needed the time to think. When we met in the bookshop, things started to go too fast for me."
"Are you on your own?"
She laughed. "Florian has not come, if that is what you are thinking. Do not worry, mon cher, that man is no longer part of my life." It was Zoé's turn to look beyond him, into the hallway, which she did rather obviously. "You are also alone?"
"Alone and wondering if I'd ever see you again. This calls for a celebration. Fancy the pub?"
Zoé shook her head. "Not the pub, I think. The White Lion, it is too ... too..."
"English?"
"Noisy."
"I thought you liked pubs."
"The White Lion? Non. If we are to go out together I would like to choose where we go. Sometimes. You have much to learn about French women, Matt."
"Teach me."
"For a start you are too tense. I
have brought my flute. Shall I play for you the Pavane of Maurice Ravel? Or would you like me to massage your neck?"
She laughed as she made her way past him.
Matt picked up the suitcase.
THE END
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More books on the following pages:
HANDS OF THE TRAITOR
A Matt Rider thriller #1
Christopher Wright
New Edition
Private investigator Matt Rider wants to find out if his grandfather killed Sophie Bernay, and uncovers an appalling international secret. Domestic Chemicals, a New York company owned by the Heinman dynasty, made poison gas for Nazi Germany. And now the past is back to haunt them - like the bloated corpse Frank B Heinman saw rising to the surface in the East River as a boy. Matt Rider in England and Frank Heinman in New York are on a collision course. The ex-president of Domestic Chemicals will make sure no one stays alive if he sees them as a danger to the company. Matt Rider just wants the truth. Hands of the Traitor is the first Matt Rider detective thriller.
SHROUD OF THE HEALER
A Matt Rider thriller #2
Christopher Wright
New Edition
Archbishop Valdieri from New York is impatient to get the Pope to the Clinic of the Little Sisters of Tourvillon in Avignon, France, for treatment. The surgeons at the American-owned clinic are eager to treat the Pope, but the Archbishop suspects there's a problem. Matt Rider, an English PI, is on holiday in Avignon with his girlfriend Zoé. They get talking to a local nurse in Avignon. She tells them that all is not well at the American clinic up on the hill. Matt thinks the nurse is crazy -- until her husband calls with devastating news. To investigate the clinic, Matt needs some bugs and a phone tap. But he doesn't know that the national security forces are involved, and he doesn't know that one of the surgeons will soon want Zoé dead. Shroud of the Healer is the second Matt Rider detective thriller.
ACADEMY OF THE DEAD
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SHOUT IN THE DARK
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A thrilling chase through Europe as the Vatican and a neo-Nazi faction hunt down an ancient relic with a value greater than human life -- a relic that threatens the traditions of the Christian Church. Sturmbannführer Kessel killed to get his hands on the relic in wartime Rome. An elderly Jew risked his life to return it to a religion that was not his own. And today, Kessel's son wants it back -- to destroy the Christian Church and change the face of Europe. Someone is needed to probe the darkened web of evil. Into this explosive situation steps young priest Marco Sartini, once married, and still suffering the trauma of bereavement. The Vatican Security Services have found the perfect bait...
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This story was written in the 1920s when political correctness in fiction was not even on the horizon, and a villain was often physically disabled or disfigured to make him or her appear more villainous. Note that the physical descriptions of the characters are from the original book. This is an old fashioned story of murder, industrial mayhem, and a weapon of mass destruction -- with a touch of romance.
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Guy Thorne
Abridged Edition
Published in conjunction with
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This book has been abridged and edited for today, with an added author biography.
"I, Joseph of Arimathea, took the body of Jesus, the Nazarene, from the tomb where it was first laid and hid it in this place."
A press report on this discovery just outside Jerusalem says: "There now seems no shadow of doubt that the disappearance of the body of Christ from the first tomb is accounted for, and the Resurrection as told in the Gospels did not take place. Joseph of Arimathea here confesses that he stole away the body, probably in order to spare the Disciples and friends of the dead Teacher, with whom he was in sympathy, the shame and misery of the final end to their hopes."
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