Chapter 24
I’m on the east end of the park when the drops start to fall. Holding the garment bag close, I spot the peaks of the mansion spearing through the trees. I’m almost home. With barely enough time to beat the rain.
To save time, I head for the front gates of Maison Marteau, no time to cut around back through the gardens. Not unless I want to get soaked.
With my head tucked down, I don’t see the figure until they leap from the bushes.
“Brooke!”
I stop short, jolted by the ambush. “Alice, what . . .” I look past her to the mansion, to the empty courtyard. “What are you doing here?”
“I messaged you last night and again today. Why haven’t you answered?” Her tone is severe, her arms tense.
“I’ve been busy. I don’t have anything else to tell you. Not yet.”
She frowns at the garment bag. “Yet you had time for shopping.”
I shift on my feet. “I had to get a costume.”
“Costume?” Her brow wrinkles as she stares at the bag. Then her brows shoot up with excitement. “You’re going to the monsters’ dance?”
I nod.
“That’s great. You’ll be able to look around the main house.”
“Alice, listen—”
“There will be lots of drinking, so whenever you can get away unnoticed, you can search for the journal. I bet one of them has it.”
“No,” I say bluntly. “I can’t snoop around in their home. I told you I’d search my apartment, and I have.” I remember the storage room with its maze of dusty boxes. “Well, most of it.”
“Most of it?” Her face flickers to a frown again. “Can you go and finish now?” she asks, tone somewhere between suspicious and hopeful.
“I don’t know, maybe. Maybe.” The rain picks up, wetness soaking through to my skin. “I need to get inside, but I’ll message you as soon as I can.”
“When?” she demands.
“I know you’re worried, and I promise I’m not giving up.” I hike the bag up on my arm. “But I need to get out of the rain.”
“I’ll come with you.” She walks ahead of me, toward the gate.
“Wait.” I hurry to catch up. “You can’t.” I glance at the mansion. There’s movement in the windows. Shit, shit, shit.
Grabbing her elbow, I pull her back down the sidewalk, praying no one has noticed us. “You can’t storm your way inside. They won’t allow that.” I jut my chin toward the house.
Alice has already butted heads with the family and told me herself she’s unwelcome.
“Besides,” I continue, “the journal might not be in the apartment at all. Rose could have taken it with her.”
Alice clenches her jaw. “She didn’t take it, because she didn’t leave.” The last two words grind through her teeth with anger.
“Alice, please.” My weary tone draws her gaze sharply back to mine. “I saw Rose’s Instagram.”
“So?”
“Her last post talked about an adventure. And a new relationship. Some of her friends think she went away with someone.”
Alice’s laugh is a scornful bark. She invades my space and gets up close. “You have no idea what you’re talking about!”
“Okay, okay.” I back up, shocked by her sudden hostility. I’m seeing a new side of Alice. A domineering side.
Alice’s eyes narrow to slits. “I know who you are.”
I whip my head as if I’ve been slapped.
She moves in, crowding me. “I also know some bad things happened on your movie set. People are throwing around accusations, and I read charges might be filed soon.”
Charges being filed.
Which could mean a trial.
And sworn testimonies.
“What’s your point?” I say, trying to sound confident while my arms weaken and my stomach flutters.
Alice jabs a finger at me. “That’s why you came to Paris, isn’t it? Why you were afraid I was a reporter? You’re hiding.” Her mouth twists into a sneer. “And I bet you’d hate it if anyone found out where you were. Especially the press.”
“I told you I would help you, and I am.” I swallow against the rise of nausea. I need to calm her down and get her to leave.
“There are a lot of boxes in the storage room I haven’t finished searching.” I try to mollify Alice with an optimistic smile. “As soon as I’ve checked them all, I will contact you. Promise.”
“Promise?” she mimics, glaring at me. “No. Uh-uh.” She takes a deep breath and shakes her head. “Not good enough.”
Angling across the sidewalk, she positions herself in front of the gate. “I’m going with you. I’ll look for myself.”
“No, I don’t think—”
“Madam!” A man strides across the courtyard, his steps clipped and forceful. I’ve never seen him before, but he wears the black clothing labelling him as staff.
Beyond him, Victor stands in the open front door, his expression tight with annoyance.
“Alice, you need to go.” I throw out my arm and point, making it clear I don’t want her here. Trying to distance myself from her as much as possible.
I can’t get involved in any more drama. Not now, right when everything in Los Angeles is blowing up.
The manservant is close enough to speak to us in French. Then, remembering himself, he switches to English. His stare bores into Alice. “You are not supposed to be here. I will call the authorities.”
She moves down to face him, grabbing the bars with her hands and yelling at him through the gate. “I have every right to be here! I want my sister’s belongings!”
I take the opportunity to tap in the code and slip inside the gate, shutting it quickly once I’m inside. I speak to the man. “I’m sorry, I—”
He holds up a hand to stop me. “Please, I will handle this.”
“You bastards! Let me in!” Alice screams, jerking on the bars as if they’ll budge.
Mortified by the spectacle, I hurry past him, wanting nothing more than to disappear. I toss a glance to the doors where Victor stands watching. Chantal and Lyam have joined him.
And Noah has stepped out of his apartment.
So much for not disturbing the family.
Turning away, I hurry to unlock my door. Once inside, I take one last look at Alice, still arguing with the man.
She’s fixated straight ahead, shouting through the metal bars. “You’re lying to me! I know you are!”
Her hateful stare is now for the Marteau family looking out from their mansion.
Slipping inside, I try to block out the chaos, because I can’t bear the pain in Alice’s voice.
Pain—and anger—as she screams for her sister.