Page 60 of One Summer in Monte Carlo
‘Let’s give up,’ Vanessa said. ‘I’ve a feeling it’s going to be easier to organise it through a third party from the UK.’
Before returning to the hotel, they wandered through the vast ancient market thronging with locals buying their produce from the traditional stalls. The outside streets were packed with more stalls and souvenir sellers. Vanessa was delighted to find one selling the locally made woven bags and ponchos.
‘Nanette will adore one of the bags,’ she said. ‘I’ll get a couple of ponchos for the twins.’
Back in their hotel room, Vanessa booked another call to Monaco, crossing her fingers that this time she’d get through. Standing, receiver in hand, she listened to the ringing tone before shaking her head at Ralph.
‘Still no reply. I don’t understand it. Oh… hello Jean-Claude? Where is everyone? I was just about to hang up.’
Vanessa was silent as she listened to Jean-Claude for several minutes.
‘OK. Will you tell Nanette I’ll ring her tomorrow then with our plans? Yes, we’ve had a great time. Hope to see you soon. Love to the twins. Goodbye.’ Vanessa slowly replaced the receiver before turning to look at Ralph. ‘That was weird. Neither Mathieu nor Nanette were in the apartment. Nanette had taken the twins somewhere and he didn’t know where Mathieu was. He assured me the twins are fine and looking forward to seeing me.’ Vanessa sighed. ‘Something is going on back there. I can just feel it.’
39
‘Right, you two. Dry yourselves off, get dressed and go to the games room while I have a quick swim. Papa Jean-Claude will be here soon and then we’ll have a quick snack before we go home.’
Nanette had taken the twins up to the villa on Sunday afternoon for a swim. To her disappointment, there had been no sign of Jean-Claude. Anneka had told her, ‘Monsieurhad to go out for an hour. He asks that you wait for his return.’
Lazily floating on her back after completing a couple of energetic lengths, Nanette found herself thinking about Mathieu’s revelations and the package currently concealed under her bed. Somehow she had to find the right moment to go inconspicuously toPole Positionand put it in the safe.
She heard the twins calling out ‘Bonjour, Papa Jean-Claude,’ and quickly swam to the steps and got out of the pool. Before she could pick up her towel, Jean-Claude appeared and took her in his arms.
‘I’ll make you all wet,’ Nanette protested weakly, before she surrendered herself to his embrace. Several minutes passed before Nanette sighed and drew away. ‘I think you’d better let me get dressed before the twins come demanding to be fed,’ she said regretfully, giving Jean-Claude one last lingering kiss.
It was early evening when Nanette left to take the twins back to the apartment. Olivia and Pierre had already kissed their grandfather goodbye and were waiting for Nanette out on the terrace when Jean-Claude said, ‘I’ve been thinking about the package. If you are determined to replace it – and I agree that would probably be for the best – I will come with you. I think tomorrow morning after the twins go to school,n’est pas? I will wait on the quay, while you go on board.’
Nanette hesitated before saying, ‘Perhaps Mathieu ought to come with me instead. The police have involved him officially, whereas you…’ Her voice trailed off.
‘Non. I’m coming with you.’
Nanette smiled, before kissing him gently. ‘OK. Thanks. Now, I’m going home to get the twins to bed and I think I might have an early night myself. I’ll see you in the morning.’
When Nanette did go to bed, soon after the twins, she slept fitfully. She’d been convinced she was so tired she would have no problems sleeping, but the hot midsummer night air was stifling. Even the ceiling fan silently whirring away above her head was failing to keep her cool. It wasn’t just the heat keeping her awake. Her mind was tossing and turning, too. All day Mathieu’s words ‘it isn’t over yet’ had been playing on her mind.
She knew Boris was still in jail, having been refused bail, and the latest rumour flying around Monaco was that Interpol had arrested his son. More arrests were expected to be made soon. Was that going to include Zac?
Mathieu had spent most of the day in the apartment on his computer after warning her and Jean-Claude that things were likely to come to a head soon and he intended to lie low for a few days.
Unable to sleep and sighing in frustration, Nanette got out of bed. Pulling on her dressing gown, she went through the silent apartment to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. A dim light was shining under the threshold of Mathieu’s door, everywhere else was in darkness. At least he was home tonight.
Returning to her room, she opened the curtains and pushed the balcony door open. The breeze from the harbour ruffled her hair but was too hot to bring any relief from the heat.
Glancing down at the harbour, Nanette was struck by a sudden idea as she looked atPole Positiongently moving on its mooring. The lights were on in the main saloon of the yacht – that had to mean only one thing: the crew, or at least Phil, the skipper, was still up.
Ten minutes – fifteen at the most – was all it would take to go down, put the package in the safe and return to the apartment. The quay was relatively empty of people, with only a few couples out, taking a romantic night-time stroll.
With luck, nobody would even notice her. She’d be able to tell Jean-Claude in the morning he needn’t worry about accompanying her to the yacht. The package was back where it should be. She and Jean-Claude could no longer be linked to the contents.
Quickly putting on a pair of jeans and a dark top, she slipped her feet into her docksiders, before pulling the box from under the bed and taking out the Vacances au Soleilpapers as well as the package. If the luxury holiday business was a front for money laundering, as Mathieu had said, those papers, too, would be better back on board.
Picking up her keys, Nanette quietly left the apartment and went down the marble stairs rather than take the lift. As quiet as it was at this time of night, the sound of its movement did drift through to the apartment and she didn’t want to disturb Mathieu.
Once on the quay alongsidePole Position, Nanette was surprised to find that although the ‘No Entry’ sign was in place, the gangway to the yacht was lowered, so she simply unhooked the chain with its ‘Private’ sign and walked on board, before hooking it back in place. The door to the main cabin was closed and, as she opened it, Phil glanced up from the table where he was working on some papers.
‘Hi. I just need to put these in Zac’s safe,’ Nanette said confidently, as she walked past him towards the master bedroom, willing him not to stop her.
Phil looked as though he was about to say something and then simply shrugged his shoulders and returned to his paperwork.
