Page 16 of When Fashion Turns Deadly

“I wasn’t sure the police would give me more than one phone call,” Marit said, obviously trying to smooth her agent’s ruffled feathers. “And Cole was the only person I knew who could sort everything out.”

Esmee turned to Cole. “Do you work in law enforcement?”

“I’m with the American Embassy,” Cole said. There was no need to specify exactly where the embassy was located. “Marit may not be an American citizen, but she’s a close friend, and I have some experience working with the local police.”

Esmee’s features instantly transformed from irritation to gratitude. “It was very good of you to help.”

“No problem,” Cole said. “In the meantime, I do think we should consider finding Marit and Nadia somewhere else to stay.”

“You don’t think the intruder will come back, do you?” Nadia asked, panic in her voice.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Fashion Week starts next week.” Esmee shook her head. “All the hotels in this part of the city will already be booked out for it.”

Cole bit back his frustration. “This is their safety we’re talking about.”

“I’ll talk to the building supervisor. I’m sure we can arrange to have an extra guard posted.”

“Tell him you need the lock changed as well,” Cole insisted.

Esmee nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”

Though not thrilled that Marit would be staying where an intruder had been so recently, Cole forced himself to accept Esmee’s solution. No need to mention that he would be looking for other ways to enhance safety measures when he got back to her flat later today.

They arrived at the design house, and Esmee paid the driver while everyone piled out onto the sidewalk. As soon as they entered, Cole ran into another obstacle, this time in the form of a six-foot-two, broad-shouldered security guard. “Sorry. No one goes in unless you’re on the list.”

Marit shot Cole a look of apology. “I’m sure we’ll be safe here.”

“She’s right,” Esmee said. “And I’ll stay close to both of them.”

Cole debated his options. He could use his Interpol ID to circumvent security, he could sit around in the lobby for the next hour and a half, or he could search for answers. He leaned close to Marit and whispered in her ear. “Where is Ralph Molenaar’s office?”

“It’s only a block from here,” she said.

“Can you text me the address?”

She nodded. “We should get upstairs.”

“Text me when you’ve finished here. I’m supposed to meet Isabelle at my hotel room so she can drop off her bag, but I can come pick you up first if you want.”

“Isabelle is coming?” Marit asked, surprise and delight lighting her eyes.

“She lands at nine fifteen.”

Esmee stepped forward and put her hand on Marit’s arm. “I’ll make sure Marit gets to where she needs to go.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that.” Cole took a step toward the door. “I’ll see you at the restaurant.”

Marit nodded. “Thanks, Cole.”

Cole waited until the three women passed through security and disappeared into a nearby elevator before he exited. He then pulled out his phone and called the police station where Marit had been questioned last night. Thankfully, the officer who answered spoke English and agreed to take the report of the incident over the phone.

After giving him the timeline Marit had provided and passing along his contact information as well as Marit’s phone number, Cole headed for the door. With any luck, the police would be able to meet with the building supervisor before Marit returned to her flat this afternoon.

A text chimed on his phone. The address for Ralph Molenaar’s offices.

Cole plugged it into the GPS on his phone. Less than five minutes later, he stepped out of the chilly morning air and into the warmth of an expansive lobby. He approached the sleek reception desk. Suspecting the designer wouldn’t see him without an appointment, he reached into his pocket and retrieved the Interpol ID the CIA had been kind enough to fabricate for him for situations just like this one. Okay, so maybe the CIA didn’t want him to use his fake ID for personal reasons, but Marit was practically family, and it was possible Interpol would end up involved if the theft crossed international borders.

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