Read Online Elusive by Linda Rae Blair - Free Book Online

looked
into this Roddy Delamare and his niece , Blair. He found that
the man had died just the day before. No—he hadn’t died— he’d
been murdered, or so his sources told him. No doubt at the hands of
some other criminal sort. How—why—had such people sucked his family
into their intrigues?
    After unpacking, he walked outside and paced
on his balcony. He kept this small, third floor apartment in
Paris—overlooking the Seine—for those occasions when he needed to
get away from business and rest his mind and body.
    It was a nice little place that pleased
him—soothed him. He didn’t need anything as large as his estate in
Bretagne when he traveled here. It felt comfortable. He had had it
decorated by a young student at the university who was studying
design. It suited him and was close to his favorite restaurants,
cafés and shops.
    He watched the sun set over Paris while
deciding what he should do next.
    ***
    Three days after his death, Blair’s uncle was
laid to rest in a small cemetery on the outskirts of Paris. Roddy
Delamare had always been a quiet man, had often kept to himself—
except for the company of an old familiar friend in the form of a
book. Blair thought he would appreciate the quiet, solitary
setting—if he had been able to see it. Still in shock, she almost
laughed at the irony.
    She noticed that there was a sweet, little
bench just a few yards away where she could sit when she came to
visit with him.
    Roddy’s small, select circle of friends and
hers were all in attendance—Esmée, Madame, Mssr. LeGard and his
nephew, Claude. Few faces were strange to her, but one of those
bothered her considerably.
    She was not sure she liked the looks of him.
Mind you, it was not that he was not handsome! She thought he was
probably as handsome a man as she had ever seen. Tall, probably
exceeding six-feet by at least three inches, his hair was long,
sleek, shining, thick, and black as night. It flowed freely in the
morning’s breeze only to settle touching his broad shoulders when
the breeze abated.
    There was undoubtedly a good strong build
under the long overcoat he wore. The shoulders were broad. Unlike
most of the men present, he was clean shaven, although the dark
beard fighting its way to the surface of his smooth, creamy-colored
skin could not be hidden entirely.
    He had high cheeks and dark blue eyes that
looked out from between thick black lashes. Those piercing eyes
settled on her throughout the brief ceremony at the gravesite. The
mouth was strong, and would have been very appealing if it had not
been set in a sneer.
    She tried to avoid his gaze, but his stare
had brought her back to him more often than made her comfortable.
She felt uneasy, and, because she was already in such pain, she
could hardly bear to stand there under his scrutiny.
    Once the ceremony was over, he simply
vanished as the others came forward to offer her their condolences.
She did not understand her feelings. She had wanted him gone, but
once he left—she wished him back.
    ***
    The next morning, Blair was restless and
decided to go to Roddy’s apartment to pack up his belongings. This
was a task she had been unable to carry out until now. She
carefully wrapped the vase from the kitchen and packed it in the
box of special items she would take back to her own apartment. His
clothing was packed up and donated to the soldier’s home. Then,
while she sorted through his many books, there was a knock at the
door.
    “Oui?” She said, as she greeted the stranger
at the door. He was an odd, little man in a dark suit. Thick eye
glasses rested on what she thought was a most generous nose, and
the only hair she could see was the tiny amount sitting on his
chin. He carried an attaché case in worn, brown leather.
    “May I help you, Monsieur?” she asked.
    “Mademoiselle Delamare?” Then he looked down
at the paper in his thin hand, “ Blair Delamare?” He’d been
told that she spoke English at home, so he would try to