Page 71 of One Summer in Monte Carlo
The Oliviers had travelled down and were seated with the woman whose life and baby Zac had saved. Phil was there and Monsieur Mille slipped into a seat at the back. Mathieu and Vanessa sat behind Nanette and Jean-Claude.
Listening to the words of praise for a man who had been a part of her life for several years and who would continue to be a never forgotten presence by virtue of his legacy to her, Nanette found herself fighting back the tears. Silently, Jean-Claude handed her a handkerchief.
After the short service, everyone was invited back to the villa. The Oliviers, Monsieur Mille and the rescued woman all declined, citing various reasons, but Phil accepted.
‘So, if the rumours are to be believed,’ he said, awkwardly, as Nanette offered him a drink, ‘you’re my new boss. Are you going to keepPole Position?’
‘Phil, I’m sorry, but it’s too soon to know. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do about a lot of things,Pole Positionincluded. When I do, I promise I’ll keep you informed. In the meantime, I’d appreciate you staying on as her skipper.’
Across the room, she could see Mathieu in earnest conversation with Jean-Claude and Vanessa, but it wasn’t until after Phil had left and the four of them were alone that Nanette heard what they were talking about.
‘Boris has had his bail revoked,’ Mathieu told her. ‘Once the police got Cruz into custody, he sang like a bird. Apparently, he was more than just a courier. He was able to supply missing contact names, routes and some other information the police needed. They didn’t wait for Boris to do his daily sign-in – they rearrested him last night and got a judge to revoke his bail.’
‘Did Cruz implicate Zac in any way?’ Nanette asked quietly.
Mathieu shook his head. ‘No.’
Nanette sighed before asking, ‘What did you do with the shampoo?’
‘Told the police where it had come from and handed it over. Don’t worry,’ he continued, seeing her anxious look. ‘It won’t be used as evidence. Seeing there are enough people willing to testify against Boris, now he’s in custody and can’t threaten them any more, I’ve “lost” my dossier on Zac’s activities. I can’t see the police bothering with a dead hero. I shall have to give evidence against Boris, of course.’
‘Does he know yet that you were double-crossing him?’ Jean-Claude asked.
‘No. The police are keeping that little bit of information for the trial. I really hated deceiving you.’
‘Now I know the truth, I have to say I’m proud of you,’ Jean-Claude said. ‘You did the right thing. And I’m sorry I doubted you – I’ll know better next time.’
Mathieu shook his head. ‘There won’t be a next time, I promise you. I’m just glad it’s all over and I can get back to a normal life,’ he said, looking at his father.
There was a short pause before Jean-Claude spoke again. ‘Does getting back to a normal life mean getting more involved in my business as well as your own? I was hoping that we could combine them both, with me taking a sabbatical for a few months.’
‘Shall we have a business meeting tomorrow morning and start to sort things out?’ Mathieu said.
Jean-Claude hesitated. ‘I was going to suggest I took Nanette down to Zac’s apartment, but when we get back would be fine.’
‘JC, don’t worry about that,’ Nanette said. ‘I’ll drive myself down. Leave you free to discuss business with Mathieu. Vanessa will come with me, won't you?’ Nanette turned to her friend.
‘Of course.’
‘Are you sure?’ Jean-Claude asked.
‘Definitely. My convertible has been sitting in your garage far too long. It’s time I got mobile again.’
Nanette knew unlocking the door to Zac’s apartment for the first time and realising whatever it contained now belonged to her was going to be an emotional experience and would likely bring back a lot of memories, both happy and sad. Having Vanessa at her side as she discovered the contents of the apartment, in case she struggled to contain the tidal wave of sadness for the way Zac’s life had ended that was lurking just below the surface, would be better than breaking down in front of the new man in her life.
44
The next morning, Nanette drove herself and Vanessa down through Monte Carlo towards Fontvieille and parked in one of the underground car parks near the circus tent.
‘Do you mind walking to the apartment from here?’ she asked Vanessa. ‘You can tell me how the plans for the cooperative are coming on as we go.’
She winced as a particularly noisy helicopter came in over the Mediterranean to land at the shoreline heliport, just metres away from where they were standing.
‘I’m still looking for sponsors for the first year. Flying down here for Zac’s funeral was the main reason I’m here, but it isn’t the only reason. I need to talk to you about Fruits of the Forest.’
Nanette looked at Vanessa and waited.
‘I know you said you didn’t want to be involved because you were going to be spending more time down here and I planned to run Fruits from the UK. Well, I’ve changed my mind. Ralph and I are going to relocate down here. He can work from anywhere, the twins like their school and seeing more of Mathieu – and, of course, both my business and the cooperative will benefit from the tax breaks Monaco can give. So, will you change your mind?’
