There Are 3 Women & 4 Men by Payne Jaden

Author:Payne, Jaden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-06T00:00:00+00:00

26

THE LEVERAGE

In Laurent’s office, he and Henri share yet another glass of whiskey. Though, per usual, it starts off with Laurent having glasses of whiskey and Henri taking sips of one.

The lighting is dim, and Henri notices that the air feels much lighter in this office than it does in the rest of the museum. Perhaps Laurent keeps the air cooler in here, or perhaps the constant tension when around the guests is making normal breathing much more taxing.

Henri walks to the window and peers out the blinds, noticing that the news trucks have indeed given up. This, too, allows Henri to breathe a little easier, even if only for the night.

Laurent is nearly finished with his second glass before he speaks. “Apologies, Henri.” He hopes Henri asks what he’s apologizing for, but instead, Henri simply nods his head in return. “For the whole mess back in the theater. It must have not been easy for you.”

Henri puts his drink to his lips. Strips of moonlight come through the cracks in the blinds and catch the detective’s face. “I know.”

“Obviously, that incident was not planned. But we must move forward—”

“It’s not too late, Laurent.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s not too late.”

Laurent allows Henri a moment to further explain himself, though Henri elects not to. “Don’t be ridiculous, Henri. It is much too late,” Laurent replies.

Henri makes his way back to the leather chair in the corner of the room. He sits and crosses his legs. “It’s not. It’s not, Laurent. Mr. Hughes had a point. If you back out now, maybe there’s a way to navigate this. A way where no one else gets hurt. And then you take all of your investigations and notes to someone who can help.”

Laurent’s nose twitches. “First of all, I find it highly disrespectful that you think I didn’t consider those options before I resorted to this.” He again unscrews the crystal cap on the whiskey bottle and tops off his glass once more. He leaves the lid on the surface of the desk. “And second, I was under the impression that you were the person who could help. Was I mistaken?”

Henri’s jaw tenses, the low opacity of the light makes the shadows on his sunken cheeks deeper than usual. “You didn’t tell me it would be like this.”

“What exactly did you expect it to be like, Henri?” Laurent has his forearms leaning on his desk now. “I told you I had six suspects that I was inviting to be locked into my museum and that I’d be doing everything I could to dwindle them down. Did you expect them all to immediately point at one man and I’d take that man into the police station and say, ‘Hey officers! I got the murderer you refused to look for ten years ago!’?” He raises his eyebrows enthusiastically. “Is that what you expected, Henri?”

“Don’t treat me like one of them, Laurent,” Henri snaps. “I know you’re enjoying yourself in there, but I’m not them.”

Enjoying myself? Laurent briefly wonders how his friend could make such a claim.

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