Kate Mosse - Labyrinth

“What is it?”

“A book about the de l’Oradore house. This house,” he said. “The family has lived here for hundreds of years, since it was built. There are architectural floor plans and elevations of each floor of the house.”

Will flicked through until he’d found the page he wanted. “There,” he said, turning the book round so she could see properly. “Is that it?”

Alice caught her breath. “Oh God,” she whispered.

It was a perfect drawing of her labyrinth.

The sound of the front door being slammed shut made them both jump.

“Will, the door! We left it open!”

She could make out muffled voices in the hall, a man and a woman.

“They’re coming in here,” she hissed.

Will thrust the book into her hands. “Quick,” he hissed, pointing at a large three-seater sofa standing beneath the window. “Let me handle this.”

Alice scooped up her bag, ran to the sofa and crawled into the gap between it and the wall. There was a pungent smell of cracked leather and cigar smoke and the dust tickled her nose. She heard Will shut the case with a rattle, then take up position in the middle of the room just as the library door creaked open.

2›“Qu’est-ce que vous foutez la?” 2›

By tilting her head a little, Alice could just about the two of them reflected in the glass doors of the cabinets. He was; and tall, about the same size as Will, although more angular. Black curly hair, a high forehead and patrician nose. She frowned. He reminded her of someone.

“Francois-Baptiste. Hi,” said Will. Even to Alice’s ears he sounded falselybright.

“What the fuck are you doing in here?” he repeated in English.

Will flashed the magazine he’d picked up from the table. “Just dropped by to get something to read.”

Francois -Baptiste cast his eye over the title and gave a short laugh.

“Doesn’t seem your thing.”

“You’d be surprised.”

The boy took a step towards Will. “You won’t last much longer,” he said in a low, bitter voice. “She’ll get bored of you and kick you out like all the rest. You didn’t even know she was going out of town, did you?”

“What goes on between her and me is none of your business, so if you don’t mind-”

Francois-Baptiste stepped in front of him. “Why the hurry?”

“Don’t push me, Francois-Baptiste, I’m warning you.”

Francois-Baptiste put his hand on Will’s chest to stop him passing.

Will pushed the boy’s arm away. “Don’t touch me.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

2›“Ca suffit” 2›

Both men spun round. Alice strained to get a better look, but the woman hadn’t come far enough into the room.

“What is going on?” she demanded. “Squabbling like children. Francois-Baptiste? ”William?“

2›“Rien, maman. Je lui demandais-‘ 2›

Will was looking stunned as he finally realised who it was who’d come in with Francois. “Marie-Cecile. I had no idea…” He faltered. “I wasn’t expecting you back just yet.”

The woman moved further into the room and Alice got a clear look at her face.

It can’t be.

Today, she was dressed more formally than the last time Alice had seen her, in a knee-length ochre skirt and matching jacket. Her hair was loose around her face rather than tied back with a scarf.

But there was no mistaking her. It was the same woman Alice had seen outside the Hotel de la Cite in Carcassonne. This was Marie-Cecile de l’Oradore.

She glanced from mother to son. The family resemblance was strong. The same profile, the same imperious air. The reason for Francois-Baptiste’s jealousy and the antagonism between him and Will now made sense.

“But, actually, my son has a point,” Marie-Cecile was saying. What are you doing in here?“

“I’ve been… I was just looking for something different to read. It’s been… lonely without you.”

Alice winced. He sounded utterly unconvincing.

“Lonely?” she echoed. “Your face tells a different story, Will.”

Marie-Cecile leaned forward and kissed Will on the mouth. Alice felt the embarrassment seep into the room. It was uncomfortably intimate.

She could see Will’s fists were clenched.

He doesn’t want me to see this.

The thought, bewildering as it was, came and went from her mind in the blinking of an eye.

Marie-Cecile released him, a glint of satisfaction on her face.

We’ll catch up later, Will. But now, I’m afraid, Francois-Baptiste and I have a little business to attend to. Desolee . So if you’ll excuse us.“

“In here?”

Too quick. Too obvious.

Marie-Cecile narrowed her eyes. Why not in here?“

“No reason,” he said sharply.

“Maman. II est dix-huit heures deja.”

“ J’arrive ,” she said, still looking suspiciously at Will.

“Mais, je ne…”

“ Va le chercher ,‘ she snapped. Go and get it.

Alice heard Francois-Baptiste storm out of the room, then watched Marie-Cecile put her arms around Will’s waist and pull him against her. Her nails were bright red against the white of his T-shirt. She wanted to look away, but couldn’t.

“ Tiens ,‘ said Marie-Cecile. A bientot .”

“Are you coming now?” said Will. Alice could hear the panic in his voice as he realised he was going to have to leave her trapped.

“ Toute a I’heure .” Later.

Alice could do nothing. Just listen to the sound of Will’s feet walking out.

The two men crossed in the doorway.

“Here,” he said, handing his mother a copy of the same paper Will had been reading earlier.

“How did they get hold of the story so quickly?”

“I have no idea.” he said sulkily. “Authie, I suspect.”

Alice went rigid. The same Authie ?

“Do you actually know that for a fact, Francois-Baptiste?” Marie-Cecile was saying.

“Well, someone must have told them. The police sent divers into the Eure Tuesday, in exactly the right place. They knew what they were looking for. Think about it. Who claimed there was a leak in Chartres in the first place? Authie. Did he ever actually produce any evidence that Tavernier had talked to the journalist?”

“Tavernie?”

“The man in the river,” he said acidly.

“Ah, of course.” Marie-Cecile lit a cigarette. The report mentions the Noublesso Veritable by name.

“Authie himself could have told them.”

“So long as there is nothing to connect Tavernier with this house, there’s no problem,” she said, sounding bored. “Is there anything?”

“I did everything you told me to do.”

“And you have prepared everything for Saturday?”

“Yes,” he admitted, “although without the ring or the book, I don’t know why we’re bothering.”

A smile flitted across Marie-Cecile’s red lips. “Well, you see, this is why we still need Authie, despite your evident mistrust of him,” she said smoothly. “He says he has, miracle, retrieved the ring.”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me this before?” he said furiously.

“I’m telling you now,” she said. “He claims his men took it from the English girl’s hotel room in Carcassonne last night.”

Alice felt her skin turn cold. That’s impossible .

“You think he’s lying?”

“Don’t be idiotic, Francois-Baptiste,” she snapped. “Obviously, he’s lying. If Dr Tanner had taken it, it wouldn’t have taken Authie four days to get it. Besides, I had his apartment and his offices searched.”

“Then-”

She cut across him. “If- if - Authie does have it – which I doubt – then either he got it from Biau’s grandmother or else he’s had it all along. Possibly he took it from the cave himself.”