Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn

Author:Kat Dunn [Dunn, Kat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781789543636
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Published: 2020-05-06T18:30:00+00:00

13

The Théâtre Patriotique

Inside the theatre, the stage and the expensive boxes were brightly lit but the pit was dingy. Faces half in shadow, a sheen of sweat catching the light here or there. The theatre had been rebuilt only a few years ago, but the murals on the walls and ceiling were already smoke- and tobacco-stained, the paint peeling in the corners where the damp festered. The discordant hum of the orchestra tuning to a common key filled the air.

‘Where’s the best place to hide?’ Al had asked Camille, as they’d dodged carts and pedestrians, beggars and street performers. ‘A crowd.’

He had led them on a short dash from the Porte St Martin east to the Boulevard du Temple and the Théâtre Patriotique where they’d quizzed Léon for information only the day before.

And crowded it was. The popular matinee performance was about to start, and it seemed as though half of Paris had crammed its way into the cheap standing area in front of the stage.

A few quick words between Al and the ticket seller had seen them waved in and soon they were swallowed by the crowd. Camille pushed further in, keeping a tight hand around Olympe’s arm. The rest of the battalion could take care of themselves if they got split up. With Olympe, she wasn’t taking any risks.

‘What now?’ asked Guil as they edged past an orange seller and a couple taking advantage of a dark corner. All the battalion were staring at her expectantly. But Camille couldn’t look at them; her eyes kept being drawn back to the entrance. Dorval had been right behind them. They couldn’t stop. They couldn’t be complacent.

‘We split up.’

‘Is that a good idea?’ asked Ada.

‘Dorval is following us. If we split the scent, we make his job harder. Make sure you’ve lost him, then meet at the Saints-Innocents safe house.’

Al opened his mouth to say something, but Camille cut him off.

‘It’s not a request.’

At that moment, the curtain lifted and the crowd shifted in a surge towards the stage as the first act came on. The flow of people tugged Camille one way and Ada another. She hesitated long enough to see Al lead Ada away, and Guil salute as he melted into the crowd on his own. Then, with a tight smile at Olympe, Camille took her in the opposite direction, towards the doors near the stage. Her plan was simple: hide until the show was over, then escape amid the crowd as it poured into the street.

It only took a few goes to remember the route Al had taken her on to meet Léon, and then she and Olympe were out of the faded grandeur of the public face of the theatre and into the grubby hinterland.

Hiding backstage was easier said than done. It was teeming with people going back and forth carrying heaps of wigs, piles of clothes, rolled sheets of painted backdrop and bulky props. Men and women, both half-dressed, faces painted in thick make-up, paste jewels glittering at their ears and throats.

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