The Paris Conspiracy (A Nathan Grant Thriller Book 2) by Kenneth Rosenberg

Author:Kenneth Rosenberg [Rosenberg, Kenneth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-02-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Genevieve drove a rusted blue Fiat hatchback, circa 1996. Nathan was astonished that the car hadn’t entirely disintegrated, yet somehow it held together. She took the driver’s seat and Nathan climbed in on the passenger side. When Madame LaRue had approached her assistant to ask this favor, the younger woman hardly said a word other than a quick oui and a nod of the head. She wasn’t in a position to deny a request from her employer, but that didn’t mean Genevieve was happy about having to escort this guest to her private family home. It was obvious to Nathan how much of an imposition this was but that couldn’t be helped. If her grandfather grew up in the orphanage, Nathan had to speak with him. Genevieve would simply need to put up with it.

As they started down the lane toward the main road, the young woman kept her eyes focused straight ahead. Nathan tried to think of something to say that might put her more at ease but nothing really came to mind. This was a girl who did not seem particularly happy with her lot in life, trapped in a small town with few good prospects to improve things. He knew the score. A place like this could be suffocating for a younger person. No matter how scenic it might be for a British retiree, this was the kind of place that the dreams and aspirations of youth died a slow death, day by day, year by year. One was either built for this life or not. He’d faced a similar choice himself. In Nathan’s case, he was fortunate enough to have the means for a college education. He’d gotten out when the going was good.

To fill the uncomfortable silence, Genevieve switched on an old AM/FM radio, tuning in a contemporary music station. They headed toward the village of Pont-de-Crau. Entering the outskirts, Nathan imagined that her family home might be a source of some minor embarrassment. Perhaps that was why the young woman was so uneasy about bringing him home, or maybe it was just the fact that he was an older, foreign man, invading her personal space. When they finally pulled up to a small, single-story home, it was actually in fairly nice shape. The house was white, with a red-tile roof, fresh paint and a well-maintained yard. Genevieve parked in a driveway out front and shut off the engine. “Nous sommes arrivés,” she said before getting out of the car. “We’ve arrived.” Nathan exited his side and then followed her to the front door. Entering the house, Genevieve hung her car keys on a hook and then called out. “Bonjour, Maman!”

“Bonjour!” came a voice from somewhere inside.

“J'ai amené un invité!”

A moment later, a woman in her 40s appeared in the hall, drying her hands on a dishtowel and eyeing Nathan with surprise.

“Hello,” he said. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

The woman looked from her daughter to Nathan and back, trying to determine who he was and why he was here.

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