Kait’s face revealed neither relief nor disappointment.I hope I’m making the right call here. To expect she share my bed feels like…taking advantage. We haven’t even had sex, for heaven’s sake!Doubt twisted at him.I don’t want her to feel like I’m rejecting her, either. What a mess.
Aloud he said, “A separate bedroom seems…less complicated, for the moment.”My fuck, you sound awkward!He cringed inwardly.
Kait, on the other hand, did not seem bothered at all. If anything, she seemed wryly amused. “Whatever the master thinks best.”
Sassy little brat!His awkwardness fled. He smiled and said, “But of course.”
He spent the next fifteen minutes making the spare bedroom comfortable and familiarizing Kait with the basic layout of the apartment. She seemed once again to be surprised at the scope of it, and Aurelian felt justifiably proud. He had spent a great deal of time and resources making a living space he enjoyed and that suited his needs.
He did not, of course, show her the playroom.
A tone sounded on his phone, and Aurelian said, “That’s my friend. For the sake of discretion, it might be better if you went to your bedroom now.”
Kait nodded and padded down the hallway to her new room. She shut the door and locked it.
Aurelian opened the front door, and Marc breezed in. “Salut, mon ami,” the investigator said amiably. If he was bothered by the prospect of killing someone and disposing of a body, he did not show it. “I have some associates outside, to assist with cleaning. May they come in?”
“Absolument,” replied Aurelian. “How much time do you need?”
“Pas longtemps, pas longtemps,” said Marc, inviting in two rather large assistants. They nodded to Aurelian as they stepped into his apartment. “Is the young lady here?” he asked, looking around curiously.
“She’s resting,” said Aurelian.
Marc chuckled. “I hope you know what you’re doing,mon ami.”
Aurelian shrugged. “Does anybody?”
Marc nodded in agreement. “Show me where you have put your problem guest.”
Aurelian led him to the room and opened the door. Marc’s two assistants moved into the room, and Marc closed the door, remaining with Aurelian in the hallway. Aurelian was suddenly glad the room had been soundproofed.
“As I get older, I find a supervisory role more appropriate,” said Marc. “Those two lads know what they are doing. Now, as for you and me,mon ami, we need to talk. Do you mind if I smoke?”
“Second floor. Balcony. Do you want a drink?” asked Aurelian.
Marc nodded. “Some of your very good cognac,s’il vous plait.”
Aurelian had not yet shared the existence of the discreet staircase and entire second floor with Kait, but Marc had been at Aurelian’s place before. They sat on the balcony, Aurelian looking out over the lights of the city as Marc fussed with his pockets, looking for his pack of cigarettes. The spaceport glowed fiercely tonight, and Aurelian watched as a particularly ornate cutter came down to dock.
“From theStella Maris, I’m told,” observed Marc, referring to the cutter. His cigarette was in his mouth, and now he fumbled for his lighter. “Luxury liner. High rollers, all coming to visit the Pleasure House.”
“I’d heard,” said Aurelian sourly. Events such as VIP visits were no longer really his concern.
Marc’s lighter clicked, and he drew a breath then exhaled happily. “Forgive me, Aurelian, I did not wish to irritate old wounds. It is regarding more recent events, I would rather speak.”
Aurelian waved his hand for Marc to continue. “Of course, my friend. Go on.”
Marc drew on his cigarette. The powerful aroma of Gauloise filled the air. “You continue to investigate the death of Talia Sommers, which of course I understand. It was an outrage. The fact the House did not assign me as liaison to the police investigation speaks volumes. They did not want anything solved. Instead, they gave it to thatverBeaumont, who rises in the House because his nose is lodged in the bottoms of his superiors. So, of course, they found nothing conclusive because they did not wish to find anything conclusive.”
Aurelian nodded. “That about sums it up.”
“Oui,” said Marc, and flicked ash into the ashtray Aurelian had provided for his friend. “So, time passes, but of course your anger does not. Andvoila, along comes Kait Pyne, fierce young investigative reporter, out for vengeance for her sister, whose real name, it turns out, is Talia Pyne. You,mon ami, entangle yourself with this lovely woman, who, three days later, is the victim of an attempted murder.”
Aurelian didn’t like where his friend was heading. “Marc…” he began, warningly.
Marc put up a hand. “Hear me out,vieux ami. It is my nature to be suspicious, but my suspicions are not against Kait Pyne. You see, I have always believed Talia was killed because of something she saw or knew. The swiftness of the murder attempt on Kait tells me two things.Un, Talia’s killer or killers know Kait is Talia’s sister, anddeux,whatever secret Talia was killed to protect continues to be dangerous.” Marc took another drag, expelling the smoke into the night air. “Thisaffaireis not over,” he concluded.
“Obviously not,” Aurelian retorted. “Otherwise, your ‘lads’ wouldn’t be disposing of a body in my apartment.”
