Authors: Lisa Harris
“Did this have anything to do with whatever Chad was involved in?”
“Yes. They are looking for something that he had and believe Rachel now has.”
“What about Sophie?”
“They kidnapped her. As leverage.”
“Took her?”
“The people who shot Rachel. There’s evidence they brought her to Paris. Which is why I’m here.”
M. Laurent tugged on the side of his mustache. “Rachel’s such a sweet girl. And that Sophie. When they were here in Paris I enjoyed showing them around the city. Made an old man’s heart feel proud, and young again, for that matter. Never did understand my son’s foolish actions. She’s so good at keeping in touch. Sends me photos of her and Sophie at least once a month, along with birthday and Christmas letters. Chad was really my only family except for Rachel and Sophie, and now... She promised to come back and visit as soon as she could.”
“And I’m certain she still will. She loved her time in Paris.”
M. Laurent shook his head. “I’m sorry. This is all so very...confusing to me.”
Kate waited while a group of schoolchildren followed their teachers through the room, barely paying attention to the masterpieces surrounding them.
“M. Laurent,” Kate finally said, “I understand that this is difficult for you, but in order to get Sophie back, we need certain information. Marcus would like to ask you a few questions.”
“Of course. Let me pack up my paints and turn them in first. I can’t paint any more today anyway.” He quickly organized his things, allowing Kate and Marcus to help carry his easel and stool to where the copyists stored their supplies. “I’m not sure how I can help, though. Like I said, Chad didn’t tell me anything.”
“Can you tell me how Chad sounded the last time you spoke to him, M. Laurent?” Marcus asked as they started for the exit of the room, the stunning works of art surrounding them momentarily forgotten.
“It was clear something was wrong,” he said. “I tried to get Chad to talk, because I knew he was involved in something he shouldn’t be. He seemed nervous. Distracted. Like there was a ghost behind every shadow. He thought he could continue doing whatever it was he was doing without getting caught. And now...now my son is dead and his family torn apart because of stupid decisions he made.”
“There were some music boxes Chad bought for Sophie,” Marcus continued as they walked into the next room. “He sent them to her for her birthday and Christmas the past couple years. Rachel shipped them to someone. We think it might have been you.”
His weathered hand clasped Kate’s arm. “Rachel did send them to me. They were beautiful. Made in Switzerland, and they weren’t cheap.”
“Do you still have them?”
“I couldn’t bring myself to sell them. For one, they were beautiful. I know Rachel worries about me. I have some health problems and can’t work the way I used to. She thought I could use the money. I thought maybe there would come a time when she would take them back.”
Kate looked to Marcus. “Would it be possible for us to see them?”
“Of course. They’re at my apartment. But there is something else you need to know.”
“What is that?”
M. Laurent stopped. “Chad gave me an envelope a few weeks ago. He told me if anything happened to him, I needed to open it.”
“Do you still have that envelope, M. Laurent?” Marcus asked.
“Yes, but I just... I never expected to have to open it.”
Kate felt a shiver of fear creep up her spine, praying that whatever Chad had wanted to tell his father from beyond the grave would help them save Sophie.
M
arcus stepped into the elevator behind Kate and M. Laurent as the older man pushed the button for the fifth floor of his apartment building. After two days in Paris he already missed his roomy town house and decent-sized yard in Dallas. Growing up in West Texas had given him a love—and need—for space. But space was a luxury in this city.
“How long have you lived in this building, M. Laurent?” Kate asked.
“Moved here with my wife, Monique, three decades ago. Chad was about...seven, I think. The building had a face-lift a decade ago in an attempt to erase the signs of pollution. It boasts of a musty cellar and no parking space, but my wife saw charm with the wooden floors and fireplaces. She fell in love with the place the first time we set foot in it. And she loved it until the day she died.”
“I’m sorry for your losses,” Kate said. “I know this has to be extremely difficult for you.”
M. Laurent pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “Honestly, I’m just glad Monique isn’t here to have to go through this. I’m not sure how she would have dealt with losing Chad this way. He was her world.”
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. They stepped into the small landing, where an overhead light turned on automatically. A musty smell filled the air, along with the hint of men’s cologne. Marcus stepped across the space, wishing he could shake the uneasy feeling that had settled in the pit of his stomach.
So far the men they were after had managed to stay one step ahead of them. He was tired of losing. Tired of surprises. He needed answers—needed those diamonds—and prayed that they’d finally come to the right place.
Marcus turned to Kate, wishing—not for the first time—that he had his weapon. “I’d like to go inside first, M. Laurent, if you don’t mind.”
The older man hesitated in front of the door. “You think they might be after me?”
“Chad was clearly worried about you, and I don’t want to take any chances.”
The older man shook his head then fumbled to unlock the door. “I thought Chad had more common sense than to get involved in some devilish scheme that would end up getting him killed.”
Marcus stepped into the apartment ahead of them both, then stopped short on the threshold. Like Rachel’s house, it appeared as if every square inch of the tiny apartment had been gone through. Drawers had been dumped out, couch cushions strewn across the floor and artwork torn down from the wall.
Marcus hesitated, a sick feeling spreading through him. “M. Laurent...”
“What is wrong?” M. Laurent froze in the doorway. “You were right.”
“Marcus...what is it?” Kate stepped into the apartment beside Chad’s father.
M. Laurent’s face paled. “They’ve been here.”
“M. Laurent,” Marcus said, “call the police on your cell phone. Kate, stay here with him while I search the apartment to ensure the intruder isn’t still here.”
The older man nodded as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “There are two rooms down the hall to the left with a couple large closets. The kitchen is to the right.”
Marcus caught Kate’s gaze, and hesitated. “You okay?”
She nodded, but he caught the fear in her eyes and guessed what she was thinking. Things like this didn’t happen in the Dallas suburbs. She lived an ordinary life, where the only crimes that touched her were the ones she read about online or saw on the nightly news on the television. But now everything had changed.
* * *
Kate watched Marcus methodically search the living room with its large bay window and access to a small balcony, before heading down the hall to the bedrooms while M. Laurent spoke to the police on his cell. How had they gotten to this point? They hadn’t mentioned the diamonds yet to Chad’s father, but whoever was after them clearly thought the older man was somehow involved. Or thought he had what they were looking for.
She tried not to panic as she sent up another prayer for protection. She was worrying too much. Marcus was a seasoned agent who knew how to handle a situation like this. And besides, more than likely whoever had trashed the place had already left.
Kate heard the soft creak of footsteps behind her a moment before he grabbed her. Instinct kicked in. She screamed, then automatically jammed her elbows into her attacker’s rib cage. He tightened his grip around her with one arm, then covered her mouth with his hand. Chad’s father lunged toward him and tried to pull her away, but the assailant shoved M. Laurent backward with his foot, slamming the older man into the wall.
Kate glanced down at the man’s sleeve tattoos and fought harder. Her heart raced faster. Bile filled her throat.
He’d found her.
She bit hard across the palm of his hand, then screamed again, but the pain didn’t stop her attacker from dragging her toward the narrow, spiraling staircase that led to the small lobby of the building.
Her eyes widened in panic as Marcus stepped into the landing, running toward her when he realized what was happening. “Let her go.”
“Don’t even try to follow.” Her attacker held up a gun Kate hadn’t noticed in the commotion. “Either of you.”
Marcus hesitated as M. Laurent stumbled to his feet, a thin stream of blood trickling down his head where he’d hit the wall.
“Are you okay, M. Laurent?” Marcus asked, his eyes never leaving Kate.
“I think so.”
Kate felt the man’s gun press against the side of her head. She struggled for air. Struggled against the fear. “Marcus, don’t let him take me. Please.”
“Put the gun down,” Marcus said. “You don’t want to do this.”
The man laughed. “I’m not here to play games or negotiate. And I will kill her if I have to. I only want one thing. The diamonds she has.”
“What diamonds?” M. Laurent asked, still looking dazed.
“I guess your son didn’t tell you about them,” her attacker said.
“They’re in the music boxes,” Kate blurted.
“Nice try, but I found the music boxes in the apartment, and they’re empty. Chad tried to play games as well, but no more.”
The last flicker of hope left Kate. If he was telling the truth and the diamonds weren’t here, someone got to them before they did. And they now had no idea where they were.
“She takes me to the diamonds, and she lives...maybe.”
“You already have Sophie,” Kate said, trying to take out the desperation in her voice. “Tell me where she is.”
He didn’t answer as Kate stumbled down the narrow staircase, a step in front of her attacker, trying not to trip. The paint was peeling on the walls. The staircase clearly hadn’t been a part of the renovations over the past few years. Sirens screamed in the background as he pulled open the door to the small lobby filled with nothing more than a mailbox on one side stuffed with flyers. She started to pull away from him, but he jammed his elbow into her rib cage. Kate gasped for breath as the pain ripped through her side, and she stumbled backward.
* * *
Marcus was forming his plan before the door to the stairwell closed. There were three ways down to the lobby. The stairs, the elevator and a service elevator used to move furniture and other large belongings. He opted for the stairs.
“Wait here for the police,” he told M. Laurent.
The old man nodded.
His mind shifted through the facts as he took the stairs two at a time. He’d seen the music boxes smashed into pieces on the floor of the back room of M. Laurent’s apartment. And no sign of the diamonds. Which meant they still didn’t have the leverage they needed. But neither was he going to let the man take Kate. Career had always managed to trump relationships. He hadn’t had time. Hadn’t wanted to take the time. Kate had changed all of that, and he had no plans of losing her.
At the bottom of the staircase, Marcus eased open the door to the lobby. Kate’s kidnapper had just stepped out of the lobby with Kate, as an older woman walked in, carrying a bag of groceries. Her kidnapper slipped the gun behind him, clearly not wanting to make a scene.
Kate took advantage of his hesitation. She jammed her elbow into his ribs, grabbed the bag of groceries from the woman and slammed them against her attacker’s head, throwing him off balance.
Marcus lunged toward him, shoving him outside the lobby and pushing him against the sidewalk facedown. The struggle was over in a matter of seconds. The other man tried to fight him, but Marcus pinned his arms behind him and held him down.
“Not so fast,” he said in French, while Kate kicked away the gun that had fallen onto the sidewalk in the scuffle.
“You’re foolish,” the man said. “The people I work for want those diamonds. And they’re not people you want to mess with.”
“Who are you working for?” Marcus asked.
The bald man spat on the ground then turned his head.
Keeping a tight grip on the man, Marcus looked up at the older woman, who had backed up against the lobby door, jaw slack, her groceries strewn across the front walk.
“Are you okay, ma’am?” he asked in French.
She nodded, clearly shaken.
“If you tell the manager what you lost, I’ll make sure everything is replaced. In the meantime, I suggest you return to your apartment. The police will want to speak to you later.”
The matronly woman nodded again, eyes wide, then without a word headed up the stairs.
“What about you, Kate?”
Kate nodded, her chest heaving as she fought to catch her breath. “I just want this to be over.”
“It will be. Soon.”
Which was what he wanted to believe, but he wasn’t sure it was going to be that easy. They still had to find the diamonds. And Sophie.
Sirens blared louder as two police vehicles pulled up at the street and officers exited, weapons drawn on the three of them.
Marcus held up one hand, still pinning the man down with his knee as he spoke to the officers in French. “My name is Marcus O’Brian. I’m an agent with the FBI working with French intelligence. This man is wanted in connection to weapons and diamond smuggling, as well as attempted kidnapping.”
“Don’t move.” The two officers walked toward them.
“You can confirm my story with Pierre Durand, who works with French intelligence,” Marcus continued.
One of the officers turned away to speak on his radio for a minute then turned back to Marcus. “Your identification?”
Marcus tossed him his credentials.
“You check out, but we’ll still need your statement.”
“Of course.” Marcus looked to Kate, then turned back to the officers. “Can you make sure this man is booked? I’ll be down there as soon as I can.”
“Certainly, monsieur.”
Marcus nodded.
“Merci.”
A moment later, Kate’s attacker was handcuffed and loaded into the police vehicle.
Marcus let out a sigh of relief, then turned his attention to Kate. “You did well. I’m impressed with how you kept your head.”
Kate leaned back against the outside wall of the lobby. “Thanks, but my head is pounding. I’m shaking like a leaf, and I’m not sure I’m going to be able to keep my breakfast down.”
“Bend over and put your head between your legs.” He rested his hands on her shoulders. “Breathe slowly. It’s over. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
Her breathing had slowed down and the color began to come back to her cheeks.
She started to stand up again.
“Slowly, Kate. Slowly.”
Marcus pulled her against his chest, and held her tightly against him, giving her time to find her equilibrium.
“He said the diamonds weren’t there,” she said, looking up at him.
“I know. I saw the music boxes, Kate. They were smashed. And empty. There were no signs of the diamonds.”
“I don’t understand what Chad was trying to do. Where are the diamonds? And why do they think I have them?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do we do now?” she asked, pressing her hands against his chest.
He wished he could whisk her away from all of this, but this wasn’t going to be over until the diamonds were found and whoever was behind this was put behind bars.
“First I want to check on M. Laurent, then I’m planning to head to the police station. I have a few questions to ask our intruder.”
“Sounds like a pretty safe place at the moment.”
“Yes, though I still haven’t decided what to do with you.” Though at the moment, as she looked up at him with those wide eyes, kissing her came to mind. He filed away the thought for later when he had the chance to do so properly.
“He clearly isn’t the only person involved,” Marcus continued. “But if we’re lucky, he’ll lead us to the others behind this.”
“What if we’re actually looking at two separate groups who know about and are after the diamonds?” Kate asked.
Marcus mulled over her question. “It makes sense, actually. Sophie is kidnapped by one, and the other somehow thinks you—or Rachel—has the diamonds.”
“And it would explain why someone is after me. Because whoever has Sophie already has all the leverage they need. There’s no need for them to take me, as well.”
“It’s a theory worth looking into. For now, we need to check on M. Laurent and ask the man a few questions. Because something tells me he knows more than he’s been willing to share.”
Marcus punched number five on the elevator, his hand tight around Kate’s. All he could think about was that Kate was safe. And that he was going to make sure she stayed that way. “By the way, that was quite a stunt you pulled down there. You completely took him by surprise.”
“I’ve been taking a self-defense class back in Dallas. Never thought I’d use what I’ve learned, though. Realized, as well, that it’s one thing to practice self-defense in a classroom, and another to put it into practice in a real scenario. When someone looks you in the eye with the intent of hurting you...I’m not sure anything can completely prepare you for that.”
“What motivated you to take the class?” he asked.
“While I was in Africa, a friend of mine ran into some problems with poachers while we were filming. Long story short, she was kidnapped by poachers who were tied to an international crime syndicate.”
“Wow. Apparently there are a few things about you I don’t know.” He turned to her as the elevator doors opened and winked at her. “I’m wondering what else I don’t know about you, Kate Elliot.”