Read Online Murder in Aix (The Maggie Newberry Mystery Series Book 5) by Susan Kiernan-Lewis - Free Book Online
Authors: Susan Kiernan-Lewis
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you have another friend not twenty feet from where you are
sitting right now who also needs you.”
The energy seemed
to seep out of Maggie. She knew he was right. Grace, for all her big talk, was
in a bad way. She had come to Maggie for support and friendship. Grace did need
her right now.
But Grace wasn’t
sitting in a foreign jail accused of murder.
“I know,” Maggie
said. “And I’m sorry about the timing of all this, but right now Julia’s
situation trumps Grace’s. Can you watch Zou-zou?”
Laurent threw
down his dishrag in frustration and the little girl snapped her head to where
the two of them stood facing each other. It occurred to Maggie that maybe the
child had recently heard more than her fair share of bickering adults and she felt
instantly ashamed. But Laurent was faster than she was and scooped the little
girl up into his arms, prompting an outbreak of giggles as she wrapped her arms
around his neck.
“ Ma petite Z et Oncle Laurent will go
visit Madame Danielle, n’est ce pas ?”
he said to the child, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks,
Laurent,” Maggie said.
He gave her a
solemn look as he reached for the child’s coat. “We are not finished with this.”
Finished or not, Maggie
knew she had to hurry to make the luncheon engagement she had set up with none
other than Roger Bedard. Not only had she dodged a bullet by Laurent not being able to accompany her today,
which would have been awkward, she had caught another break because he didn’t
need the car either. She felt extremely guilty about the covert luncheon but, honestly,
he drove her to do it. She had to find out what Roger knew about Julia’s case
and she had to see Julia. It was infinitely annoying that Laurent didn’t appear
to understand that, or if he did understand it, didn’t realize how important it
was.
Maggie had to
admit she didn’t love being this large when she met with Roger after all this
time. It wasn’t like he was an ex-boyfriend or anything, but when someone
thinks you’re hot it’s depressing to then present them with dramatic evidence
to the contrary.
I’m being silly, she thought as she parked the little Renault into one of the few parallel
parking spots off of Rue Mejanes. What
Roger does or doesn’t think about me is entirely beside the point. No
wonder Laurent wasn’t comfortable with her seeing him.
Reminding herself
that the French were different and could easily find a pregnant woman every bit
as sexy as a bathing suit model (did she really believe that?), Maggie
reapplied her lipstick in the car then threw her bag over her shoulder and
tottered down the cobblestone street to the café on her too-tall high heels.
He was standing
at the entrance waiting for her, and damn if he didn’t look every bit as
confident and sexy as ever. Maggie felt her heart beat a little faster. Doesn’t mean I want him, she reminded
herself. Just means I’m not blind .
She smiled when
he saw her and she could see he was struggling to remain cool and unaffected.
He still cares.
He touched her
elbow and leaned in to kiss her on both cheeks. She could smell the mints
covering a light scent of tobacco.
“You are looking
well, Maggie.”
“And you, Roger.
Thanks for meeting me.”
“Of course. It
has been a long time.” He gestured to the outdoor dining area and Maggie picked
out a table under a large umbrella. It could still be very warm in September,
and afternoon downpours were more and more common these days.
Once they were
seated and had ordered, Maggie asked after Roger’s little girl and how living
in Aix suited him. She could tell by the way he answered her—a faint
smile tugging at his lips all the while—that he knew she was waiting for
the moment when she could talk about why she was really here.
And he wouldn’t
make that easy on her.
“So,” she said
finally, sipping her Perrier. “Why is it you think Julia is involved with
Jacques’s death?”
“Come
sitting right now who also needs you.”
The energy seemed
to seep out of Maggie. She knew he was right. Grace, for all her big talk, was
in a bad way. She had come to Maggie for support and friendship. Grace did need
her right now.
But Grace wasn’t
sitting in a foreign jail accused of murder.
“I know,” Maggie
said. “And I’m sorry about the timing of all this, but right now Julia’s
situation trumps Grace’s. Can you watch Zou-zou?”
Laurent threw
down his dishrag in frustration and the little girl snapped her head to where
the two of them stood facing each other. It occurred to Maggie that maybe the
child had recently heard more than her fair share of bickering adults and she felt
instantly ashamed. But Laurent was faster than she was and scooped the little
girl up into his arms, prompting an outbreak of giggles as she wrapped her arms
around his neck.
“ Ma petite Z et Oncle Laurent will go
visit Madame Danielle, n’est ce pas ?”
he said to the child, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks,
Laurent,” Maggie said.
He gave her a
solemn look as he reached for the child’s coat. “We are not finished with this.”
Finished or not, Maggie
knew she had to hurry to make the luncheon engagement she had set up with none
other than Roger Bedard. Not only had she dodged a bullet by Laurent not being able to accompany her today,
which would have been awkward, she had caught another break because he didn’t
need the car either. She felt extremely guilty about the covert luncheon but, honestly,
he drove her to do it. She had to find out what Roger knew about Julia’s case
and she had to see Julia. It was infinitely annoying that Laurent didn’t appear
to understand that, or if he did understand it, didn’t realize how important it
was.
Maggie had to
admit she didn’t love being this large when she met with Roger after all this
time. It wasn’t like he was an ex-boyfriend or anything, but when someone
thinks you’re hot it’s depressing to then present them with dramatic evidence
to the contrary.
I’m being silly, she thought as she parked the little Renault into one of the few parallel
parking spots off of Rue Mejanes. What
Roger does or doesn’t think about me is entirely beside the point. No
wonder Laurent wasn’t comfortable with her seeing him.
Reminding herself
that the French were different and could easily find a pregnant woman every bit
as sexy as a bathing suit model (did she really believe that?), Maggie
reapplied her lipstick in the car then threw her bag over her shoulder and
tottered down the cobblestone street to the café on her too-tall high heels.
He was standing
at the entrance waiting for her, and damn if he didn’t look every bit as
confident and sexy as ever. Maggie felt her heart beat a little faster. Doesn’t mean I want him, she reminded
herself. Just means I’m not blind .
She smiled when
he saw her and she could see he was struggling to remain cool and unaffected.
He still cares.
He touched her
elbow and leaned in to kiss her on both cheeks. She could smell the mints
covering a light scent of tobacco.
“You are looking
well, Maggie.”
“And you, Roger.
Thanks for meeting me.”
“Of course. It
has been a long time.” He gestured to the outdoor dining area and Maggie picked
out a table under a large umbrella. It could still be very warm in September,
and afternoon downpours were more and more common these days.
Once they were
seated and had ordered, Maggie asked after Roger’s little girl and how living
in Aix suited him. She could tell by the way he answered her—a faint
smile tugging at his lips all the while—that he knew she was waiting for
the moment when she could talk about why she was really here.
And he wouldn’t
make that easy on her.
“So,” she said
finally, sipping her Perrier. “Why is it you think Julia is involved with
Jacques’s death?”
“Come
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