Page 71 of The Last Library of Paris

‘I can’t shift the worry that he’s involved with the PVDE,’ I told her. ‘Why else was he sniffing around the bookshop? And now I’m on his radar, and I’m working with Valentine, and doing the extra visas. There’s a lot at stake.’

‘You know everyone at the embassy,’ Lara pointed out. ‘Why not get him moved? Or sacked, even?’

We were drinking port in Bea’s tiny backyard, enjoying the evening sunshine. It was a lovely spot, though it was small. I liked it there.

‘I can’t do anything without proof,’ I said. ‘No one saw him try to … well, you know. No one saw him threaten me, and as for the rest, it’s more of a feeling, isn’t it?’

‘Digby would listen to your instincts.’

I sipped my port. ‘Ordinarily he would, but I don’t want to rock the boat so soon after he’s let me back in. What if he thinks this is all part of my grief?’

‘Hmm,’ said Lara. ‘It’s tricky.’

‘I don’t really know how I can prove anything unless I follow him, and catch him red-handed,’ I said.

‘Then let’s follow him.’ Lara was fearless, but I was more cautious, and I shook my head.

‘You’re not following anyone,’ I said. ‘And if I follow him, then I’m risking putting everyone in danger.’

‘He won’t see us,’ Lara said, scoffing, and ignoring my assertion that she was not going to be involved in any surveillance I was considering.

‘He might see us. Me.’

‘We’re trained.’

‘He might be, too.’

‘We need to find out what he’s up to,’ said Lara, pouring more port into my glass.

‘Maybe he isn’t up to anything.’

‘Everyone is up to something.’

Valentine crept into my mind. We may have been working hard on the books, but he was still wining and dining the women from the typing pool, and when he wasn’t doing that, he was off playing golf with a dignitary or two. I thought more of him now I knew him better, but it was still immensely annoying.

‘What do you think?’ Lara was still talking, and I dragged my mind away from Valentine and back to our conversation.

‘About what?’

Lara rolled her eyes. ‘About Parrish.’

I shrugged. ‘I don’t know,’ I admitted. ‘I was thinking maybe we should do the visa requests somewhere else. I’m worried he’ll get wind of it if we do them at the embassy.’

‘How about the bookshop?’ Lara said.

I gave her a withering glance. ‘Seriously?’

‘In the flat upstairs,’ she said. ‘We can make it into a little office and use the back entrance. No one would even know that door was there unless you told them.’

That was true enough. The back entrance was tucked away down a little alleyway.

‘I’m not sure …’ I said.

‘Cassie, I literally hid a Nazi up there for days and the only reason you and Digby found out about it was because I told you,’ said Lara.

I laughed. ‘That is true,’ I admitted. ‘But now I’m thinking about it, perhaps moving everything from the embassy would attract more attention than less. Clerical is probably the perfect place for it. There’s just so much to do.’

‘Gosh, Cassie, you’re all over the place,’ said Lara. ‘Maybe it is too much for you, being back with Section D so soon after your brother and now this business with Parrish?’