The Pear Affair by Judith Eagle

Author:Judith Eagle [Eagle, Judith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780571346844
Publisher: Faber and Faber
Published: 2019-04-14T16:00:00+00:00

‘The date!’ Nell stabbed her finger at it and turned to Xav. ‘The fifteenth of January. Aunt Sophie’s birthday. That was the exact same day that Pear was dismissed!’

Chapter Seventeen

‘Wait!’ Xav and Nell stopped and turned. They were on their way back to the Métro because Xav didn’t think it was safe yet to go underground. Emil bounded down the steps after them, his cap firmly back on his head. ‘I just thought … We could ask my sister to do a bit of nosing around. All of them journalists at Le Monde have … what did she call them? Contacts! She can ask around, see if they’ve heard anything about your disappeared friend.’

‘That would be good,’ said Nell. ‘Wouldn’t it, Xav?’

Xav nodded, but he wasn’t really listening. He was transfixed by a window display boasting sequins and buttons and ribbons, masses of them – tartan ones, spotty ones, grosgrain, satin, and ruffled ones. ‘Marie’s Mercerie’ read the sign above the door.

A haberdashery! An idea bloomed in Nell’s head. Without stopping to explain, she pushed the door of the shop open and stepped inside, beckoning at Emil and Xav to follow. It was packed with sewing things: tiny scissors displayed in leather cases; spools of thread in every colour of the rainbow; fringes, tassels and all sorts of trimmings. On one side of the counter a drift of feather boas fluttered, on the other side sat a wooden box piled high with appliqués: strawberries, flowers, peace-and-love signs. ‘25 Centimes Each’, read the price tag.

A woman wearing a kaftan and perfectly pencilled eyebrows wafted out from behind the counter. Huge gold hoops dangled from her ears. ‘The strawberry one’s nice isn’t it?’ she said, seeing Nell admiring it. It was nice. It was just the right size to patch over the hole in her favourite jeans.

‘Yes,’ said Nell, digging in her pocket for twenty-five centimes and waiting while the lady rang the price up on the till and then tucked the appliqué into a little wax paper bag and slid it over the counter to her. ‘I’ve come to ask about a friend of mine. She’s called Perrine. She used to live round the corner. She’s an embroiderer, so she might have come in here to buy stuff. Have you seen her?’

Nell was glad she’d made the purchase. The lady was listening properly, looking like she wanted to help.

‘Can you give me her surname? So I can check my invoices?’

‘Chaumet,’ offered Nell. Her knees had gone a little weak.

There was a pause, while the lady flicked through a small notebook, covered in red velvet.

‘Ahh!’ she clapped her hands. ‘I know exactly who you mean. But I haven’t seen her for a couple of weeks.’

‘A couple of weeks!’ said Nell. Thankfully there was a little chair by the door because all of a sudden she felt the need to sit down. This was an improvement on six months. ‘What did she say? Where was she living? What did she buy?’

‘That’s a lot of questions!’ the lady laughed.

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