Shallow Be Thy Grave (33 page)

The woman appeared at the front door a few seconds later, her lips pursed and rabbiting away in French. Lily shrugged. “I’m sorry, but whatever you’re saying, this is more important.”

She pushed past the old lady and went upstairs. The room Brigitte had been in was empty, apart from the furniture. Lily opened the drawers and the wardrobe but there was nothing left of Brigitte. On the table next to the bed was a white envelope, which said ‘Olivier’.

The old woman had her purse in her hand. She opened it to show them it was empty. “Cinq cent francs.”

Lily picked up the envelope. “Can I take this?”

The woman folded her arms across her chest and nodded. “Prostituee. Les hommes. Ils n’apprennent jamais.”

“I’m sorry, Lil,” said Jo.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Lily, striding down the path to where they’d parked. “We don’t need her. She did all we needed her to do.”

“But she’s our bait.”

“They’ll come to the house looking for her. If they see a woman in bed with Bruno, they’ll assume it’s her.”

“And who’s it going to be?”

Lily climbed onto the bike and picked up her helmet. She glanced across at Jo. “Me.”

Jo dropped Lily at the bottom of the street to Bruno’s flat. “I’ll be back quick as I can. Hopefully Bruno’s mates will be there already.”

 Jo sped away on the moped and Lily strode down the street in the hot sunshine. She rang the intercom but there was no answer, so she walked through the small alley to the side of the flats and round the back. She found a set of concrete steps leading up the rear of the flats, with a stone corridor outside each floor. Lily ran up the steps to the third floor. She wasn’t sure which one was Bruno’s from the back but then she saw a broken window that had been boarded up. Probably where Brigitte’s family had got in last time, she figured. She banged on the door, her hand a fist as she hammered on the door as hard as she could. No one answered. She kicked the door. “Bastard.”

“Hey, Lily?”

She turned round to see a thin, weedy man coming down the stone steps from the floor above. “Yes?”

“He left a key for you. He said to say sorry, he had to go with his heart. But you can use the flat, he said.”

Lily cursed under her breath, and then looked up at the man and forced a smile, “Thanks.”

She opened the door with the key he had given her and then pushed it open and stepped inside. On the table in the kitchen, clustered together was a note, a packet of tea bags, a video and a small bag of grass. The note said, “Good look.”

His English was worse than her French.

Lily sat and smoked a spliff in silence, waiting for Jo. It was still early morning and Brigitte’s family probably wouldn’t arrive until it at least got dark. They were going to need reinforcements, Lily realised. She picked up Bruno’s telephone and checked for a dialling tone. It buzzed reassuringly in her ear. She pulled out the piece of paper Alain had given her and rang the number. Alain’s voice sounded in her ear, but the recorded version. Lily couldn’t tell a word he said but she was guessing it was along the lines of ‘I can’t come to the phone right now, please leave a message’, she waited for the beep and then left as short and simple a message as she could think of.  She saw Bruno’s telephone number written on a slip of card affixed to the phone and repeated it slowly into the phone.

It was lunchtime before Jo showed up, the shopping in two huge black linen bags. She set them down on the floor and asked, “What happened to Bruno?”

“The path of true love,” said Lily.

“Shit, now what do we do?”

“Nothing’s changed,” said Lily. “The plan’s still the same. I’m staying here. You don’t have to.”

Jo pulled a face. “We can’t do this on our own.”

“Yes, we can. I can.”

“What’s Stuart up to?”

“Taking Ruth to the police station.”

“We’re going to have to ask him to help, Lil.”

“I’ve rung Alain.”

“And?”

“He wasn’t in. Probably at work, but he’ll ring when he gets home. If he and Marcel come, we’ll be fine.”

“And if they don’t?”

 “We’ll be ok.” Lily didn’t want to argue about it. Jo could stay or go, didn’t matter. Lily was going to see it through. “Did you get the stuff?”

“We’ve lost too many people. We at least need a lookout.”

“We don’t. We’ll hear them break in.”

“It would still be good to have someone outside. To ring the police.”

 “He’ll only say no.”

Jo picked up the keys to the motorbike. “There’s only one way to find out. I’ll go up to the police station.”

“You don’t need to,” Lily sighed. “I’ve got Yvette’s number. I’ll ring and see if he’s there.”

Lily replaced the receiver and turned to Jo, even though Jo had been listening into the conversation the entire time.  “He’s going to come as soon as he’s taken Ruth back to the hotel. I didn’t tell him much. Just said to meet us here.”

Jo seemed to relax. “Do you want to see the stuff I bought?”

“Did you get it all?”

“And some,” said Jo.

After Lily had examined the equipment Jo had bought, she repacked it all carefully into the bags. “They won’t come ’til it’s dark.”

Lily had had a good look through Bruno’s flat while she’d been on her own. He didn’t have much, he’d obviously taken most of his clothes, but the rest of his stuff, plates and kitchen items, he’d left behind. The box of Brigitte’s was still there, although some of its contents appeared to be missing. Lily had found a backgammon board though. “Fancy a game?”

Jo checked the back door was locked and then they both sat down in the front room. “Poor Bruno. Can’t help thinking that one’ll end in tears.”

“He left us some hash,” said Lily as she threw the dice. “And a film to watch. I guess he thinks we’re in for a long wait.”

“I wonder what happened to Olivier? Dumped?”

“I translated the letter,” Lily felt a small flush of pride. “Well. A bit. With the phrase book. It didn’t say much. She’s sorry, but she’s just too scared to stay. She will always love him, blah, blah…”

“That woman is going to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder.”

“You can’t blame her though, she’s obviously terrified of them.”

“She still could have stood her ground,” said Jo. “There would have been six of us.”

The minutes ticked by. “Of course we don’t know that they’re going to see the paper.”

“They’ve killed Fiona. They’ve got to be keeping an eye on the news. They’ll know her body’s been found.”

“The guy in the corner shop said there’s been a few runaway au pairs recently, probably sick of being worked into the ground. And they tick all the right boxes: rich, posh, well educated, white, female, young, pretty - makes for a good story. We might get more coverage.”

“We won’t need any more. They’ll come. I know they will.”

“Do you want to watch the film?”

“Do you know how to work the TV?”

Jo slid the video Bruno had left them out of its sleeve. She managed to get the video machine to open, and as it did it spat out a cassette that was already in the recorder. She took it out and replaced it with the film Bruno had left them. The machine swallowed the new cassette, as Lily marvelled at the way Jo got stuck in. Lily had just assumed she wouldn’t be able to work out a foreign system. She was pleased to see Jo having more trouble with the TV. It made Lily feel less inadequate somehow, watching Jo struggle with technology.

“Bloody thing doesn’t work,” Jo said, eventually, throwing two remote controls at Lily. “You try.”

Lily crossed the room but before she got to the TV, the intercom buzzed. She stared at Jo with wild-eyed alarm. Jo shook her head. “It’ll be Stuart.”

Jo was right. Lily buzzed him up while Jo stood by the window, peering round the blinds, watching the street below. “Did you make sure you weren’t followed?” she asked him as soon as he stepped inside the flat.

“Why would anybody be following me?” asked Stuart. He was carrying a paper bag, and Lily realised she’d started feeling hungry as soon as she’d heard his voice on the intercom.  She dropped the remote controls down the back of the sofa, as she waited to see what Stuart had in his bag. She could feel saliva forming in her mouth as the munchies assailed her.

“Brigitte’s family might be keeping an eye on the police station now Fiona’s body’s been found,” said Jo, coming away from the window. “They might be thinking Brigitte will have to go there sooner or later - the police will want to question her eventually.”

“If they ever stop believing it’s Beaumont,” said Lily.

“That might be why they killed Fiona,” said Jo, “to draw Brigitte out into the open.”

“Why would they hide her body then?” asked Stuart.

Jo shrugged. “Maybe they panicked.”

Stuart took his bag into the kitchen. “Where’s Bruno and Brigitte?” he called. “Did you persuade them to go to the police?”

Lily glanced at Jo before answering, “They’ve gone.”

“Gone?” Stuart came back into the front room. “Gone where?”

“Dunno. I’m guessing a long way away,” said Jo. “She’s terrified they’re going to do to her what they did to Fiona.”

“And Jo’s right,” said Lily. “Once the police work out it wasn’t Beaumont, Brigitte’s going to be the first person they’re gonna want to talk to. That’s probably another reason she ran.”

“Another reason?” asked Stuart.

Lily laid the copy of the Parisian newspaper on the table. “We’re trying to lure her family here.”

“What?” Stuart’s eyebrows almost left his brow. “Why?”

“So we can arrest them. Hand them over to the police.”

“Are you mad?” Stuart didn’t wait for an answer. “Lily, don't be stupid. It’s too-”

“Don't call me stupid,” Lily said in a low soft voice.

“Sorry.” He hesitated and Lily knew he was trying to remain calm. “Why don’t you just call the police, tell them what you know. Let them make the arrest.”

“Number one, we have no idea where Brigitte’s family are,” said Jo.

“They could come here to wait for them,” said Stuart. “Instead of you.”

“Number two,” said Lily. “The police think it’s Beaumont. They’re not even looking for another suspect. Yvette said as much - they don’t want to admit there might be a killer of foreign girls on the loose, just as the tourist season is taking off. They want it all done and dusted and Beaumont isn’t in a position to defend himself. They see his suicide as an admission of guilt.”

“And three,” said Jo, “without Brigitte, we haven’t got any evidence to back it up. We don’t even know their names.”

“I am not letting them getting away with murdering my sister,” said Lily.

Stuart’s eyes quickly scanned the article. He glanced across at Lily, before sitting down on the low sofa. “What’s the plan?”

“They come here, break in, and just as they’re about to attack Brigitte, we leap out at them, tie them up, call the police.”

“The two of you?”

“Bruno was going to bring two of his mates as well,” said Jo.

“But now he’s done a runner,” said Stuart. “That changes things.”

“Will you help us, yes or no?”

“Oh, Lily.”

She could see those huge green eyes of his struggle with his conscience. “Think what they did to Fiona,” he said. “They have no conscience.”

 “I could ask Alain to help. He probably knows some people,” said Lily. She knew what she was doing, but she was desperate. She was so close, she wasn’t going to let it slip away now.

“Let’s keep him out of this,” said Stuart.

 “They’re not going to get chance to attack me.” Lily sensed her advantage and pressed on. “We’ll have the element of surprise. As soon as you see them arrive, you let us know.”

“How?”

“Simple, show him Jo.”

Jo opened the first of her black canvas sacks and pulled out a set of walkie talkies. She held them up like she was Larry Grayson’s assistant on
The Generation Game
.

“Then as soon as they break into the flat, they’ve committed a criminal offence. We’re entitled to apprehend them, a citizen’s arrest, and hold them until the police get here.”

“It could take them half an hour to get here.”

“Well, we’ll handle them until they arrive.”

“And how are you planning to handle two fully-grown men?”

“Show him, Jo.”

Jo widened the neck of the first black bag to reveal four reels of thick black masking tape, nylon washing line and a pair of balaclavas.

“What’s with the balaclavas?”

“We look more frightening.”

Jo opened the second black bag and took out three fishing knives, double bladed.

“Great.” Stuart slapped his own leg. “What if they’ve got guns?”

“They were unarmed when they killed Fiona. She was strangled. The bloke who attacked Madame Beaumont didn’t have a knife. There’s no reason to suppose they’ve got guns now. They’re foreigners, they’d never have been able to smuggle them into the country. And besides, we’re saving the best ’til last.” Lily nodded at Jo and Jo opened her jacket and pulled out a gun.

Stuart leapt up. “Jesus Christ. Where did you get that?”

“Relax, it’s not real.”

Lily fixed him with what she thought was her most beseeching look. “I’m doing this whether you help us or not, Stu. I owe Fiona this.”

“What would you want me to do?”

“Just keep an eye out. Last time they broke into Bruno’s flat they came the back way. They’ll probably do the same again. All you have to do is keep watch. As soon as you see them break in, ring the police. That’s it.”

“You think I can stand outside, while you two grapple with a pair of murderers?”

“Well, you can come and join the party, if you like,” said Jo. “There’s a spare knife. You could have the key, let yourself in once you’ve rung the police.”

“I don’t like the knives. What if they take them off you?”

“They’re not army commandos,” said Lily. “They’re a couple of eastern European peasants probably. They’re child abusers. They pick on small kids because they can’t pick on people their own size. I know I can handle them.”