Page 61 of One Summer in Monte Carlo
Nanette didn’t bother to throw the light switch in the bedroom – there was enough light from the passageway for her to see her way across. In the bathroom, she pushed the door to as she switched on the mirror lights before kneeling down and moving the towels and lifting the under-sink shelf out.
Once again she concentrated on remembering the twists and turns between the numbers and breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled the safe door open. She was doing what she should have done originally – putting the package in the safe.
Another minute and she’d be on her way back to the apartment. Her actions froze as her gaze took in the empty shelf where the gun had been: there was only one person in the world who could have removed it.
The door behind her creaked. Slowly, she raised her head. A cold shiver ran through her as she saw the man reflected in the illuminated bathroom mirror.
Nanette watched, rigid with fear, as Zac Ewart casually flipped off the safety catch before levelling the gun at her and asking, ‘Why, oh why, did you have to meddle, Nanette?’
Night-time sounds of the crew moving about up on deck punctuated the silence as Zac regarded Nanette intently, the gun steady in his hand.
‘What are you doing here?’ Nanette forced the question out, her gaze firmly on the gun.
‘Only five drivers were going to trust their tyres enough to line up on the grid. As none of them are anywhere near me in the championship, I decided I could boycott the race too, without it affecting my title chances,’ Zac said. ‘So, as I had some urgent business to sort out here, and my usual private jet was on standby, I decided to come home.’
‘Do you intend on using that, or shall I put it in the safe too?’ Nanette asked quietly, indicating the gun.
Zac looked at the gun as if he’d forgotten he was holding it, and shrugged. ‘Might as well.’ As he leant forward and handed it to her, he said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s not loaded.’
Wordlessly, Nanette took the gun from him and put it in the safe.
‘Why didn’t you put the package in the safe the other day?’
Nanette swallowed hard. ‘Couldn’t remember the correct twists and turns between the numbers,’ she said finally, hoping he’d believe her.
‘Oh, and now you can. Came back to you in a flash, did it? Incidentally, I’ll have the Vacances au Soleilpapers if that’s what’s in the envelope. They don’t need to go in the safe.’
Silently, Nanette handed the envelope up to him. ‘You lied to me, didn’t you, Zac, when you told me there was nothing illegal about the package?’
Zac shrugged. ‘Did you open it?’
Nanette flushed but didn’t answer.
Zac’s eyes narrowed. ‘You did. I trust you didn’t go as far as using any of the contents? Or even showing them to anyone else?’
‘Why would I show bottles of shampoo to anyone?’ Nanette said, as innocently as she could. Nothing would induce her to tell Zac that Jean-Claude had been with her when she opened the parcel – or that Mathieu had also seen the contents and told her what they contained.
‘Good. Well, go on, put it in the safe.’ He watched as she carefully did as she was told and closed the door. ‘Don’t forget to leave everything tidy, will you?’ he said, looking at the shelf and the towels on the floor, before turning on his heels and leaving Nanette alone in the bathroom.
Shakily, she carefully slotted the shelf back in position before reaching for the towels. Only a few more minutes and she’d be off the yacht and on her way home.
Nanette steadied herself against the cupboard as the yacht rocked unexpectedly on her mooring. That wasn’t right. Boats didn’t rock like that on their harbour moorings. Suddenly she registered the muted vibration of the boat’s engines.Pole Positionwas underway. Terror flooded her body as bile rose in her throat and she realised the truth.
Leaving the towels on the floor and slamming the bathroom door behind her, she ran to the nearest porthole in the master bedroom. Monaco town lights were fading into indistinguishable specks along the shoreline. The walls that guarded the entrance of the harbour were disappearing from view as the yacht made for the open sea.
‘Beautiful evening for a trip round the bay, don’t you think?’
Nanette spun round to see Zac watching her lazily from the large king-sized bed.
‘Turn the yacht around and let me off,’ Nanette demanded.
Zac shook his head. ‘Sorry, I can’t do that. We have to talk.’
Nanette glared at him. ‘If I’m not there to take the twins to school tomorrow morning, Mathieu will be worried.’
Zac shrugged. ‘I spoke to him a few minutes ago. I told him you were spending the night on board with me.’
Nanette flushed angrily at the implication behind his words. ‘If you don’t turn around immediately, the first thing I shall do when I get back is go to the authorities and have you charged with kidnapping,’ Nanette threatened.
