Fatal (Delphine Rougier Book 4) by Sally Spedding

Author:Sally Spedding [Spedding, Sally]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-02-01T04:00:00+00:00

39.

15:10 hrs.

‘Except my wife was killed…’

Those ominous words accompanied Delphine up the two flights of stairs to their room and, having knocked on the door was shocked to see Diaz with his packed rucksack at his feet.

“I’m off,” he said, without giving her a chance to speak. “Coming with me or not?”

Immediately her stomach contracted on to pain. Her plans for the rest of today and tomorrow like a house hit by an earthquake. Had she so badly misjudged him? Was he really defeated? Had Bailhé’s unintended insult about his status been the last nail in the coffin or…

“Is it Janine?” She ventured. “Has she been on to you again?”

He turned away. His shoulders beginning to heave. A man trapped.

“Would you let me speak to her?” she tried, hoping that Robert Bailhé was still outside.

“What’s the point? She’s just gone to her mother’s. For good. So that’s that. Apparently she’s left her engagement ring on the kitchen table.”

“The cow.”

“She’s not. She’s just…”

“Don’t give me that crap. She knows what your job involves.” Delphine gripped his nearest arm. “This is totally unreasonable.” She stared at him. His fine, brown eyes lined by tears. “Tell her good riddance, then. Don’t make it easy. After all, she’ll keep doing it. Pressing your buttons…”

She went over to the window. That ex-cop down below was fishing in his pockets for another cigarette.

Good.

Diaz chucked his rucksack on to his bed and wiped his face. She noticed his discreet engagement ring still in place.

“Sorry, Delphine. I’ll sort it tomorrow when we’re back.”

“I feel sorry for you. This isn’t a job many would choose. But we have to do it, whatever this shite life throws at us. And I’m thinking of Patrick Gauffroi soon to be free, and…” She patted her stomach and just then, he was in front of her, pulling her towards him, holding her as tight as could be, letting his head rest against hers.

Not a word, just the deepest of sighs before letting go and escorting her out on to the silent corridor. The heavy bedroom door shutting itself behind them.

*

“I think Robert Bailhé could actually help us,” Delphine ventured, before she and Diaz rejoined him, aware that now most of the other outside tables were occupied. “And for that - in fact for anything - we’d be grateful. We won’t mention his poor wife, or that we saw him lurking around that huge chalet.”

“Agreed,” said Diaz. “Because we’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

“OK. But there is one question I still need to ask him.”

Diaz knew exactly what she meant.

“I’ll leave it to you.”

Bailhé himself, seemed suddenly far away. A sad smile appeared, leaving his eyes untouched.

“My favourite aunt was also called Delphine,” he began. “It’s a lovely name. She died aged ninety-three last year.” He glanced at Diaz. “Take care of this one.”

A blush crept on to Diaz’s cheeks. She knew that embrace they’d shared upstairs shouldn’t have happened, but it had.

“And as for you, Alonso, we’ve a lot of Spanish and Catalan people here now.

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