Read Online Lost in Paris by Cindy Callaghan - Free Book Online Page B

friend,” Brigitte said.
    â€œFantastique,” Henri muttered, but I sensed he meant un - fantastique .
    When Brigitte backed out of the parking spot, the petmobile made a Beep! Beep! Beep!
    A dozen parrots mimicked, “Beep! Beep! Beep!”
    Henri, who was closer to the flock, covered his ears. On his hands’ way to his ears, he popped a mini muffin into his mouth.
    â€œHere we go,” Brigitte said.
    â€œHere we go!” “Here we go!” “Here!” “Go!”

16

    Brigitte pulled into a lovely cobblestone alley with creeping ivy and flowers. She honked the Squaaawk! horn to scoot a few stray cats out of her way. She opened the mobile’s back door and carried one cage of four birds through a small door next to a faded sign covered almost entirely by vines. The sign said BAIN D’OISEAU.
    â€œBird bath,” Henri translated for me.
    â€œBath?” “BATH?” “Baaaath?” “BAAAATTH?”
    The remaining parrots did not like the idea. Brigittecame back, and when she heard them yelling, she asked, “You told them?”
    â€œNot exactly. They kind of overheard us talking. You might want to explain to them that eavesdropping is rude,” I said as she carried in the second cage, which contained four nervous birds yelling about a bath.
    â€œThey are freaking out,” Henri said, using one of my expressions.
    I agreed, “Yes, they are.”
    â€œThey’re freaking out!” “Freaking!” “OUT!” they said. One shouted, “Baath?” and the remaining three started flipping out about the bath all over again.
    Once Brigitte brought the last cage inside, the petmobile was filled with beautiful quiet, and I was able to think about “I leap off.” But the quiet didn’t help. I still had no ideas where that might be written.
    Brigitte drove to the library via a road that ran parallel to the Seine, the main river flowing through the center of Paris. I watched a tour boat glide down the water.
    â€œI really want to take one of those river tours,” I said.
    â€œWant me to stop at the ticket station?” Brigitte asked.
    â€œNo thanks. Winning this contest is more important.”
    We arrived at the library. “Wait,” I said when I saw Jean-Luc, Sabine, and Robert parking.
    â€œDo you think they found ‘I leap off’?” Brigitte asked.
    â€œLet’s watch them for a second,” I said. “Stay still and they won’t even know we’re here.”
    â€œI’ll just back into this spot behind the bushes,” Brigitte said. She put the petmobile in reverse and Beep! Beep! Beep!
    Jean-Luc, Robert, and Sabine looked over and had a good hearty laugh at the van’s new ensemble. They cupped their hands by their noses like beaks and hooted.
    â€œOwls hoot,” Brigitte explained to us. “Not parrots. They are so stupid.”
    â€œLet’s just get in there and find the book where ‘I leap off’ is written before they do,” I said.
    On my way out, my foot stepped on a paper on the petmobile floor. It was the place mat that Brigitte and Henri had played hangman on.
    It’s a game.
    Puzzle.
    Misdirection.
    â€œHang on,” I said. “I don’t think ‘I leap off’ is written in a book. Well, maybe it is, but that’s not the clue.”
    Brigitte said, “But it says—”
    â€œWe’ve been thinking about this wrong. Each clue needs to be solved, like a puzzle.” I wrote, I leap off is written here on a blank section of the place mat. “Do you know what anagrams are?”
    â€œLetters that are like . . .” Henri pantomimed stirring something in a bowl.
    â€œMixed up,” I said. “Letters have to be rearranged. Maybe if we rearrange these, they will reveal the real clue.”
    I played with the letters:
    At top.
    Irish.
    Brigitte added:
    Pet Fifi.
    White leaf.
    â€œThat’s