Page 12 of When Fashion Turns Deadly

“They only allowed me one call, and Cole was the first person I thought of who might know what to do if things didn’t go well at the police station.”

“Yeah.” She caught the wryness in his tone. “Most of us don’t frequent those kinds of places as often as he does.”

Fighting back a smile, she glanced at Cole. He raised a questioning eyebrow, but she didn’t take the bait.

“We’re headed to a hotel right now,” she said. “Cole’s insisting that we stay in neighboring rooms tonight.”

“Tell him thanks for me,” Lars said, genuine relief in his voice.

“I will.” She paused. “Can I call you tomorrow, after we’ve both had some sleep?”

“How about I see you tomorrow instead?” Lars asked.

She gasped. “I thought you were arriving on Friday.”

“Yeah, well, when your girlfriend gets pulled in for questioning by the police, you change your plans,” he said. “If there’d been a late-night train, I’d be there right now, but I’ll be on the first one out of Amsterdam in the morning.”

This time, Marit did nothing to hide her smile. “Really?”

He chuckled. “Really. I should be there by nine thirty.”

“I have a break between fittings at ten. Can we meet for brunch around ten thirty?”

“Absolutely.”

“How about Bistro 24?” Marit asked. “It’s just off the Champs-Élysées.”

“Sounds great.”

A flurry of excitement rose above her exhaustion. “I love you, Lars. I can’t wait to see you.”

“I love you too,” he said. “Stay safe. I’ll be there soon.”

He disconnected the call, and Marit lowered the phone from her ear. “Lars is arriving tomorrow morning,” she told Cole. “We’re meeting for brunch at ten thirty at Bistro 24. Do you want to join us?”

“Yeah,” Cole said. They’d reached the hotel’s entrance, and he pulled open the door. “What time do you leave for your first appointment?”

“I’m meeting Esmee in the lobby of the flat building at half past seven. I should probably be there half an hour earlier to clean up and change. We have to be at Camille Allard’s fitting by eight.”

He nodded. “I’ll walk over there with you. Text me when you’re ready to go in the morning.”

“As much as I appreciate your help tonight, you don’t need to escort me tomorrow too,” Marit said.

“Until we know exactly what the police are investigating and Lars is here to take over, I do,” he said firmly.

Marit was too tired to argue. “Thanks, Cole.”

“Happy to help.” He guided her toward the check-in desk. “Come on. Let’s get our keys and see if they can find you a toothbrush.”

***

Isabelle opened her laptop on her dining room table and checked her calendar for the next few days. Nothing on it demanded that she be in the office, and if the silence stretching out between her and Cole was any indication, Marit’s issue with the police was more serious than they’d first thought.

Isabelle paced to the hall closet and pulled out her go bag. Might as well make sure she could leave quickly if the need arose.

Then again, maybe Cole would call and tell her everything was fine and that he was coming home.

That thought had barely formed when her phone rang and Cole’s name lit up her screen.

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