Murder in Paris

Table of Contents MURDER IN PARIS (The Camille Divine Murder Mysteries, #5) PROLOGUE Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 MURDER AT THE CAFÉ BONBON This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organisations is coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, or reproduced in any form except for the inclusion of brief quotations in review without permission in writing from the author. MURDER IN PARIS Andrea Hicks PROLOGUE Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Note from the Author PROLOGUE ‘I DON’T KNOW WHY WE just can’t go on the boat,’ Cecily grumbled to Knolly as she dried wine glasses from dinner with a tea towel and slammed them down onto the kitchen table. ‘Boats ‘ave water to keep ‘em afloat. God knows what ‘olds up one of them aeroplane things. I mean, they’ve got wings aven’t they, but they don’t even flap. Even birds ‘ave to flap their wings to keep them up in the air.’ ‘You’ll break them glasses if you keep banging ‘em on the table like that.’ Knolly turned to Cecily, wiping washing-up suds from her hands. ‘If you’re that worried tell Lady Camille you don’t want to go, that you’re frightened of being up in the air with nothin’ to ‘old you all up.’ Cecily looked glum. ‘Would you go in one?’ Knolly pulled a face, knotting her eyebrows together. ‘No, I would not. Birds fly, people walk. If God ‘ad wanted us to fly he’d ‘ave given us wings wouldn’t ‘e. Nope,’ she said, pulling out the plug in the butlers’ sink. ‘I don’t even want to get in the car with Lady Camille but she insists I do when we go to that market in Finchley. Ooh, I ‘ate it I really do. And she goes so fast down them roads. We nearly mowed down a load ‘a chickens last week what ran out in front of the car. She just laughed and said, ‘Roast chicken for dinner tonight, Knolly’. I just ‘eld on for dear life with me shopping bag in front of me.’ She shook her head. ‘Youngsters today. They’re all as mad as March ‘ares.’ Cecily laid her tea towel down and sat at the table, her head in her hands. ‘Oh, Knolly,’ she sighed. ‘What am I going ter do?’ Knolly pulled out a chair and sat at the table with her. ‘Well, ducky, the way I see it is like this. You’ve got two choices. You either go...or you don’t.’ Cecily raised her head and gazed at her. ‘Oh, Knolly!’ Chapter 1 ‘IS MY TRUNK READY TO go in the taxicab, Phillips?’ Camille asked her footman as they stood in the hall. Camille was ready to leave and was impatient to get to the airport in good time. ‘Lady Ottilie’s is on the second floor landing. Can you manage it, or shall I ask the driver to help?’ ‘I can manage it, Lady Divine. Still got some life in the old body yet,’ he puffed. Camille’s lips twitched into a half-smile. Phillips was determined not to give up just because he was nearing retirement age and she admired him for it. Knolly and Ottilie joined Camille in the hall, Knolly looking worried, wiping her eyes on her apron. Camille frowned at her cook, then widened her eyes at her daughter questioningly. ‘Is everything alright, Knolly?’ ‘It’s Cecily, Madam. She’s bin sick.’ ‘Sick? Oh no. Is she unwell?’ ‘No..., not unwell exactly.’ Knolly wrung her hands. ‘She’s worried about the hairoplane.’ Ottilie giggled. ‘It’s not a hairoplane, Knolly. It’s an aeroplane, and it’s terribly exciting don’t you think?’ Knolly bit her lip. ‘I don’t think Cecily sees it that way. She’s proper frightened that she is. That girl’s bin worrying about it for weeks.’ Camille tutted. ‘Oh, dear. I wish I’d known about it. I would have put her mind at rest. There is no need for her to come if she doesn’t wish to. The poor girl. I thought she would be as excited as Ottilie and Amandine to be going to Paris.’ ‘I am excited,’ said a little voice from the kitchen vestibule, ‘but I am frightened too.’ Ottilie ran out into the vestibule. ‘Oh, Cecily, please don’t be upset. I’ve never been on aeroplane either. We can hold hands. You, me, and Amandine. And Mama will be there to make sure we’re alright. You will, won’t you, Mama?’ ‘Of course I will,’ replied Camille. ‘I haven’t flown before either, and I must say I had a slight frisson of nervousness this morning, but all will be well. I can’t wait to arrive in Paris and see Madam Tatou again. I’m sure you will all love her.’ She looked into the vestibule where Cecily was standing with Amandine. Cecily was wearing her coat, her hat rather skewwhiff where she had been unwell and it had left her dishevelled, her face flushed red. ‘Cecily, my dear. There is no need for you to come if you really would prefer not to. The reason