Naughty In Nice (A Royal Spyness Mystery)

mother and he married her—although she too was not of his station. We heard that he had a proper daughter now—a legal daughter. He hardly came to see us anymore. You were now the apple of his eye.”
    She was looking at me with undisguised animosity. I didn’t know what to say. I was still stunned by the word “sister.” A small voice inside me whispered that I had a sister. I who had longed for a sister during my lonely childhood was now presented with one and she was looking at me with hate.
    “And then the war came,” she said. “And France was occupied by Germans. The English did not come to the Riviera anymore. There were no millionaires, no clubs. It was a hard time for my mother. She needed someone to take care of us, you see, so there were several new ‘uncles’ in my life. A German officer once, and then an Italian who was probably a smuggler and a crook. When the war ended, our father came back to visit us, but my mother was with this Fratelli at the time. I was no longer the adorable little girl but an angry, awkward twelve-year-old. So Papa went away. He did not think he was welcome anymore—which was perhaps true.”
    She looked at me for understanding now. I nodded.
    “And then my mother died in the influenza epidemic. I was essentially on my own from the age of thirteen onward. I saw my father at times on the Riviera. Sometimes he gave me money, but I understand that he had lost most of his fortune by then. He didn’t have much money to give. Then I heard he had killed himself.”
    There was a trace of sympathy now in the way she stared at me, never taking her eyes from my face, but then the scornful smile returned.
    “But I have survived. I am not a great dancer like my mother was, but men find me attractive.”
    “One man in particular?” I asked. “He employs you to be much more than a dancer. You were impersonating me, so that I’d be the one suspected of theft and forgery and murder.”
    “Murder?” she asked, her face suddenly wary. “Who said anything about murder?”
    I shifted uneasily on the chair, which creaked, the sound echoing through the empty room. “You must have heard that Sir Toby was found dead in his swimming pool. You didn’t expect to find anybody home, did you? And so you had to kill him.”
    “No!” She shook her head angrily. “This is not true. I do not kill.”
    “At the very least you can come with me to the police and let them see that they have made a mistake in arresting me.”
    She laughed. “Are you quite stupid? I don’t want to go to jail. And why should I do anything for you? You are nothing to me. You robbed me of my father. You took away our life. I’ve had to suffer. Now it’s your turn.”
    “Jeanine,” I said softly. “That is your name, isn’t it?” She nodded. “I can’t believe that you’re really bad. I can’t believe that your conscience would let someone else be punished for your crimes.”
    “Crimes? How are these crimes?” Her voice had risen now. “I help to take from those who have so much money that the loss of a valuable item is a mere inconvenience. They care nothing for people like me who know what it is like to be starving and beaten and raped. No, rich lady. I do not think I’ll be helping you.”
    “Did it mean nothing to you when you saw your sister standing before you? Had you never dreamed of the day when you would be with your sister?”
    The angry look faltered. “I always imagined—” she said. “That great big castle and pretty dresses and enough to eat, and no more men.”
    “Then come with me now, Jeanine,” I said. I stood up. “We have a very important policeman staying with us. I’m sure he can help. He can show that you were forced into what you did. And I’ll take you to the castle.”
    “You are foolish,” she said slowly. “You don’t think he’d let me get away, do you? Or testify against him?”
    She looked past me suddenly and I saw confusion and then terror in her eyes. “No!” she shouted and tried to grab me and drag me down to the floor. At the same moment there was a deafening explosion and we fell together, knocking over a table and chairs.
    I got to my knees, shaking. “Jeanine, are you all right?” I looked down at her. She was lying sprawled like a rag doll. Her mouth was open in surprise and her eyes were staring. And blood was spreading across the floor. “I’ll go for help,” I said.
    A small smile spread across her face. “My sister,” she