The Gilded Seal
T H E
G I LDED
SEAL
To Amelia and Jemima
“When the first baby laughed for the fi rst time,
its laugh broke into a thousand pieces,
and they all went skipping about,
and that was the beginning of fairies.”
J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
Contents
It started with a whisper; a barely voiced
tremor
of…
3
Part I
11
As the car drew up, a shaft of light appeared…
13
They hit traffic almost immediately when they
turned on to…
18
It seemed less a castle than a mausoleum
to
Tom;…
26
As a precaution against being seen in
Hudson’s company, Cole…
33
The hall was dark and still. Several marble
busts,
once…
38
Tom was finishing a call when Archie let
himself
in,…
43
This was a sanctuary. A refuge. A place
to
escape…
48
With a sigh, Tom threw the bedclothes off
and
swung…
50
Reuben Razi’s gallery occupied the ground
floor of one of…
55
The wooden gate creaked open, ripping the
police notice forbidding…
61
The thing is, Special Agent Browne…I’m
awful
busy.”
65
Gillez led Tom round to the other side of the…
69
The sound of sirens echoing down Broadway’s
steel canyon reached…
73
Tom had waited for the protective cloak
of darkness to…
76
As soon as she was certain that the doors had…
82
Eva seemed reluctant to leave the workshop.
Tom understood why.
87
You got any idea what it means?” Mitchell
asked
Jennifer…
91
The rhythmic tolling of the Basilica’s bell
ushered
Tom
inside.
94
I thought we’d agreed that you were going
to
keep…
99
The air was heavy with a swirling mist
of
cigarette…
105
The air was still and heavy, the washing,
strung
along…
111
In the end, things had gone surprisingly
smoothly. Green had…
115
I’m sorry, but can you say that again?”
Philippe
Troussard…
118
The round pond was encircled by trees.
As arranged, Archie…
123
The elevator was enclosed in a black wire
cage
that…
128
Let me get this straight,” Besson laughed,
as he poured…
136
The room was empty. Milo was alone,
standing to one…
139
Tom had long wondered whether he would
ever really be…
144
Jennifer stepped out into the Cour Napoléon
and paused. The…
150
I thought I asked for the Commando variant?”
Milo
kicked…
155
Let me see that list again.”
158
Dumas had found them this place, a small
end-of-terrace
house,…
166
Jennifer had been on hold for almost fifteen
minutes
before…
170
The edges of the room were wreathed in
darkness,
the…
173
Who is it?”
176
Jennifer stepped out of the elevator and turned
toward
the…
181
The one-way street was blocked by a car,
hazard
lights…
185
A narrow slice of the Pompidou Center was
framed
between…
187
Can I help you?” the security guard challenged
them
as…
191
She had to admit it was an impressive
set-up.
Camera…
193
They’ve stopped,” Ledoux pointed at the screen.
The van had…
197
We’ve got a problem.”
201
You hurt?” Jennifer helped Troussard to his feet,
wiping
the…
204
Tom wasn’t sure when the idea had first
occurred
to…
207
Ferrat and Ledoux stared at her blankly,
and Jennifer realized…
210
There was only one way inside the van—through
the
floor.
212
There it is!” Djoulou, sweat beading his brow,
pointed
at…
215
The tunnel’s access hatch was no more than
five
feet…
218
Djoulou turned to his expectant men and gave
them
a…
220
Who wants another drink?”
223
Part III
227
Leigh Lewis wedged the phone against his
shoulder
and
dialed…
229
Archie’s rasping voice, the overspill of ash
on the floral…
233
Do you mind if I join you?”
236
There was a Napoleon quote that Tom
vaguely remembered, something…
241
Looking around, it struck Jennifer that,
no matter the country…
245
He’s here!” Dumas pointed at the Range
Rover turning on…
249
Jean-Pierre Dumas, DST,” Tom lied.
255
Jennifer lifted her head, her eyes
incredulously searching the room…
258
How long have you known Besson?”
Jennifer asked Tom as…
264
You’re saying she walked out of there
voluntarily?”
Green
eyed…
268
Tom paused in Cécile Levy’s bedroom,
the noise of the…
271
It must have been ten years since Archie
had
been…
277
Did she date the Louvre’s Mona Lisa
before she…?” Besson…
279
Jennifer turned the obelisk over in her hands,
studying
each…
282
This time tomorrow there’d have been no
one here.” Tom…
285
Archie liked this place. Compared to the sleek,
sanitized
efficiency…
290
She’d only been doing about ten miles
an hour when…
294
The heat had scorched the tree trunk and
formed
a…
299
It was a fifty-minute drive from the underground
garage where…
302
The door swung open. Milo carefully edged
his gun and…
309
Tom surged out of the darkness and rapped
his
knuckles…
312
They crossed the road, Jennifer noticing that
Tom was keeping…
315
There. It was done. Besson placed the canvas
in
the…
322
Ledoux’s no idiot.” Ketter looked as though
he might actually…
326
By the time they made it down on to the…
332
The two squat wings of the Palais de
Chaillot
loomed…
335
She couldn’t move—her hands were tied
behind her back, her…
341
Tom had been right about needing a guide.
Archie
was…
345
Through here—” Jennifer rubbed her wrists
as she ran from…
348
Do you carry any tools?” Tom asked Blanco
hopefully,
rubbing…
352
Don’t tell me. They got away.” Milo’s finger
was
angrily…
359
Jennifer stepped from the shadows of the
doorway she had…
361
He couldn’t prove it, but Dumas was pretty
certain
the…
366
The girls were turning out along the Malecón,
their
lipstick…
370
The Museo Napoleónico was located on the
far side of…
373
The color drained from Tom’s face,
his eyes wide and…
378
It was a long narrow room with a
single,
windowless…
382
Please accept this with the best wishes
of the government…
385
What did you say to him?” Jennifer laughed
as
they…
390
The corridor stretched before them,
the unpainted concrete walls closing…
395