Page 60 of French Escapade

“Fuck!” Ted grumbles.

Even though I’ve always been an optimist, I’m swept by a wave of discouragement. Even if we assume that it was Arkady who came on board with Madison last night, we’re back to where we were this morning. Right now, they could be on the other side of the planet.

As if she felt my mood shift, Élodie puts her hand on mine and holds it tight.

“Don’t worry,” she says. “We’ll find them. A man who walks around at the crack of dawn with a girl on his shoulder, whether or not she’s fighting back, can’t go unnoticed.”

“In April, that is,” Andrea adds. “Because in August, anything goes.”

“Either he took a taxi, or someone came to pick him up. We could find out by asking the crew. One of them had to come out to set the gangway.”

“Yes, and that’s where the help of the gendarmes will be interesting,” Ted states. “Andrea, we’re not going to the harbor, but straight to the gendarmerie.”

“You’ll see,” Élodie says. “I have no doubt the gendarmes can be very persuasive.”

“They’ll make the crew sing like canaries,” Andrea confirms.

I force a smile onto my face. It never hurts to have faith, and today, I’ve decided to believe in my lucky star.

A star who goes by the pretty name of Élodie.

* * *

---