Chapter 49
By late morning Nick Wolfe had just about given up. He'd sensed no one in his erratic pattern across Paris. He'd gotten Burt to use his contacts to help with some unreleased information... but nothing had led him anywhere.
He'd broken in to David Maillot's place and searched through the man's records to see if there were any connection between him and Cassius. But other than their both being immortal... which only Nick knew... the police had found nothing... and neither had Nick. The attack on the lawyer's office was also a mystery. As near as Nick could figure... there had been no immortals involved in that set of slayings... so why there?
Flashing some phony I.D. he'd gotten access to the office. But once again... he'd found nothing to connect Clermont and his staff to Maillot and the Roman.
He was exiting his car when he felt a presence. Nick looked around. "Amanda!" he snorted. "Thought you'd left." He fingered his keys and brushed past her.
"You need help, Nick. I can help."
"We've already discussed this. I don't need your help."
"Oh..." Amanda drew her sword and lunged at him. Nick backed up and fumbled for his own but found himself against the alleyway wall with her blade at his throat. Amanda's dark eyes peered calmly into his. "I know you've studied Nick... I know Maillot taught you and that he was very good. But listen to me... Whoever this is killed him... so whoever this is... must be even better. You are a greenboy without a chance. Now let me help. Or if not me... let me get you some help." Amanda pulled back and flexed her sword in her hand. "I talked to Liam, Nick. I've met Marie and that child... I know you want to protect them... but trust me... you can't... not alone."
"Trust you? You killed me!"
Amanda nodded. "Yes... I killed you... to save you. I didn't want you to die. Maybe I shouldn't have... but I did what I thought was needed at the time. Immortality is not a curse... it's a gift."
"Yeah... only I have to kill people to keep it!"
"What do you want me to say? I'm sorry? Well I'm not sorry you're still alive!"
"You should have told me... you should have given me the choice."
Amanda shook her head. "It's not that easy Nick. You needed to die a sudden death... an unexpected death. If I told you... it might not have been sudden for you... Expecting to live again... you might have simply accepted your death and died. It happens sometimes... that's why we don't tell those who might join us... not if we can help it."
They were both silent a moment. Finally Nick nodded. "All right... let's say for the moment that we can work together. What are your thoughts about finding this guy?"
Amanda smiled and tossed her head. "I have a friend here in Paris. He's a lot like you... independent... stubborn... loyal... a real Boy Scout. He's likely working on this alone as well... If we can find him, work with him... we might have a chance."
"Well come on... But watch what you say around Burt."
"I always watch what I say." Amanda's voice... so earnest and quiet a moment ago, had regained its teasing tone. "By the way... I liked your friend."
"Val... she's interesting." Nick agreed.
"No... I meant the other one... Marie."
"Marie-France? Amanda," Nick grinned, "she's a nun."
"Really? Well I think she rather likes you."
"Amanda... stop playing match-maker. Let's just contact your friend from Burt's and arrange to meet him." Nick took her by the elbow and steered her toward his SUV.
"Well she does like you."
"Amanda!" Nick said between gritted teeth as he fumbled for the key to unlock the door. But deep within himself, Nick discovered he was feeling a bit warm and secretly he wanted to smile at the thought of Marie-France.
***
Within Liam's office the three immortals waited. Marie-France stared out the small window and worried. Valeraine pace back and forth fuming... and Phillip lounged in the over-stuffed chair while regarding them both.
Val headed for the closed and locked office door. Phillip stretched out one leg to impede her progress. "Let it go, lass. There's nothing you can do except wait."
"Nick might need me... Liam might be dead!"
From the window, Marie-France spoke up. "There's been no quickening... at least none in this quarter. If he'd killed him... shouldn't we have felt something... seen something."
Phillip nodded. "Still... if he's dead and that may be a foregone conclusion... the only thing we can do is stick together to find this killer. On the other hand... if we can determine what he wants... what he's searching for... then we can anticipate his next move."
"But there is no common thread."
"None we can see... yet," Phillip agreed. "But if we pool our resources... our knowledge of the victims... what they knew... who they knew... then..." Phillip's voice trailed off and he shrugged.
"Well... Nick trained with Maillot, and he was with me when I went to see Cassius." Val began softly and then glanced around, "and he's friends with Liam. Nick must be the target for some reason."
"He's so young... I doubt it," came Marie-France's voice from the window. "It has to be something else. Why at the school... why the mortals there? Why the mortals at that avocat's. Perhaps the answer is there."
"Then what would Liam's involvement be if it had something to do with someone at the school?" Phillip mused... "MacLeod asked if you were from Ste. Genevieve... didn't he say something about taking a witness there... one of us? One 'the doctor' wanted protected?" Phillip leaned forward and clasped his hands thoughtfully. A child? Another pre-immortal child? They were more and more rare these days... as if with the onset of the Gathering... no more were needed. He steepled his fingers and tapped them against his lowered forehead. But why the avocat's office? Why Liam? "It might be a good thing you two did not head back to the convent. Keeping its secrets may be worth all our lives."
"Darius once told me that in the end of days... we might all need such a place... to find respite." Marie-France came to sit beside him on one of the hard chairs. Her soft, low voice was warm.
Phillip nodded. He'd forgotten Darius had helped with that place. Although he'd likely never been there... he'd sent money and child immortals there for centuries. "Did Darius send you some papers and artifacts before he died?"
"Marie-Charles asked me the same thing when she last came. Darius sent me nothing but letters. After his death Matthias came, he brought Ursa with him, but that was all."
Phillip sat up and stared.
"Kenny was there... He saw Marie-Charles and followed her here?" Phillip asked. When Valeraine nodded he leaned back thoughtfully.
"When I saw Edmund... the doctor... with Nick recently... he said I shouldn't worry about Kenny and that Marie-Charles was long gone from here."
"Nick met him?" Phillip looked at her, his fear rising. "What name did he use?"
"Adam something..." Val shrugged and then dug in her pocket for the slip of paper. "Cassius had given me the name... here it is Adam Pierson... but he thought he was new. I was trying to find a new immortal that Kenny might be trying to trick. I was hunting Kenny. Is that important?"
"Everything is, lass... now both of you... begin at the beginning. Tell me everything from when Marie-Charles came to Ste. Genevieve this last time. Don't leave out anything... every detail... everything that passed between you or that you observed. I need to know it all." His glance took in them both. They nodded and began to tell the Greek what he asked.
***
Outside, Kenny waited. He'd have his chance... soon. He just needed to be patient.
