The Riviera Affair (The Yellow Cottage Vintage Mysteries Book 4) by J. New

Author:J. New [New, J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Phantom Press
Published: 2018-08-12T22:00:00+00:00

“So you took Dolores out of the cupboard and dusted her off, did you?” Pierre asked my aunt on our return home, his eyes twinkling with merriment.

“I did indeed. Did you get a telephone call?”

“Of course, the operator put them through again almost immediately, but rest assured they are no longer suspicious you are home and dry as the saying goes.”

“What was the code you talked about, Aunt?”

“Do you remember me saying to ‘Smithers’ I would call back if he was not there to meet us?”

I nodded.

“Well that was the code. Pierre would then know another call would be likely, to answer it himself and to keep up the pretense.”

“Very clever,” I said. “Tell me when did Dolores first make her appearance?”

“Do you know I can’t quite remember, dear.”

Pierre coughed and was awarded a stern glare from my aunt. He held up his hands in mock defeat. I would get no help from that quarter.

I sighed. “I’ll get to know one day I hope?”

“Perhaps I’ll write my memoirs, darling. Published posthumously of course.”

I laughed. “All right. So where is mother?”

“She is resting,” Pierre said. “Quite worn out with everything but she will be fine do not worry.”

We heard the telephone bell then and a moment later Adele came in, “Mademoiselle Bridges, it is Capitaine Robillard.”

“Good evening, Captain Robillard,” I said upon lifting the receiver.

“Miss Bridges, I apologise for being absent when you telephoned. I am currently in Nice.”

“Yes, your butler said you were away. Are you on the trail of the colonel?”

“I am making inquiries. However the trail, if there was one, has gone cold.”

“But he did definitely arrive in Nice?”

“Yes. I have spoken with two of the railway staff, a porter and a ticket collector, both of whom remember him getting off the train and leaving the station. He turned left on foot and after that I am sorry to say there is nothing.”

“Have you…have you checked the hospitals?”

“I have and there is no sign of him in any of them. I also checked the mortuaries and again nothing. To my mind, Miss Bridges, there is only one or two possibilities: either he has been kidnapped or killed and the body disposed of in such a way we will never find it.”

“Or both,” I said softly.

“I’m afraid that is also possible, I’m sorry. But try not to lose hope. We will keep looking. I also have some news regarding the murder of Madame Dubois. The cause of death was an overdose of heroin, two needle puncture wounds were found during the post-mortem examination and there was a significant amount found in her system.”

“Oh my word, how dreadful! But you emphasised two needle marks. Is that significant?”

“I think so. I believe the first may have been used to make her more pliable, to allow her to be dressed as she was to get her into the gallery without arousing suspicion and place her where she was found. The second was the overdose that killed her and I believe this to have been done once she was under the easel.

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