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Chapter 32

Raoul

The moment I closed the door in the twins' faces, I immediately regretted it.

I knew that, despite their jests, they wouldn't say a word about the girl currently residing in my apartment. I knew they'd merely laugh amongst themselves, but would otherwise shut their traps should someone walk by.

Still, the idea of having them assume such...things of Meg. It felt disgusting.

They were still guffawing outside my apartment when I opened it again, fully and wide. Their laughter turned to sniggering as I stepped outside, still barefoot, and closed the door behind me.

"Listen," I implored them. Their eyes only glistened. "She is not...I am not doing...with her...what you think I am."

"And what exactly are you doing, Raoul?" asked Albert, grinning wolfishly. "Do enlighten us."

"She's in danger."

Their smiles faded, disappearing like the sun in a dusk sky. The light in their eyes darkened as well. "Oh?" said Julien.

"Yes. Her mother...brought her here. And hasn't returned."

Just then, Janelle - and I hadn't noticed her walking down the street - returned with a basket of groceries. She asked the twins to excuse her as she moved past them, and then eyed me critically, her stare moving up and down my half-dressed form for all of Paris to see.

"Monsieur de Chagny," she said. "Hope you don't mind my asking, but have you forgotten the location of your day clothes?"

The twins snorted and hissed with amusement behind her, and the corner of Janelle's lip tugged upward.

My face was red again. "No. I remember where they are."

"Right, sir. Well, lunch will be ready in an hour. Is Mademoiselle Giry still here?"

I nodded.

She sighed, eyes tinged with worry. "Right. I will make enough for company, then."

She went inside.

When I looked at the twins, they were staring at one another with shock.

"What?" I asked.

"Giry?" asked Albert, finally looking at me. "Meg Giry? The ballerina you were admiring."

"Yes."

"Her mother is the one who hasn't returned?"

I nodded.

"So...Madame Giry. The dance instructor at the Opera." Albert was frowning. "There was a bit of panic last night when three more women were missing. We heard so when we went drinking with some theatre folk last night - Meg, Madame Giry, and another ballet girl never showed up to rehearsal."

"And after the death of the first ballet girl, and the fact that the alto is still unaccounted for..." added Julien.

"At least Meg is safe, I suppose," said Albert softly.

I nodded. "But - you cannot say a word. The killer...it could be anyone. So I have to keep Meg's location here a secret. Do you understand?"

The twins stared at me a few moments, then both nodded solemnly.

"We can do a little digging ourselves," said Albert.

"Yes," Julien agreed, "we have connections everywhere."

"We can likely find out something about the culprit."

"Yes, something."

"Anything."

"Anything could help."

"Even the smallest detail." Albert gave a soft smile. "The tiniest fragment of information could be the missing piece needed to find the answer."

I glanced between them, thinking. And then sighed and said, "Fine, but you must not-" I closed my mouth as an elderly couple walked past. They stared at me. I gave them a polite nod, but they weren't looking at my face. They were looking at my clothes, my bare feet. They shared a look and moved a bit faster, whispering. The twins had regained some of their mirth at that, but stayed wisely quiet. "You must not say a single word," I said, much lower now. "You must - absolutely must - not reveal what you know of her location."

"Of course."

"Understood."

I turned to move back inside, but then remembered: "Oh! And should you and Meg ever speak, she knows me as Raoul Deleon. Not de Chagny."