Chasing Ghosts by Madalyn Morgan (best fantasy books to read .txt) 📕

It’s my husband who is accused of being a traitor, and if he is having an affair with Simone, or Eleanor, whatever her name is, that’s my problem too.’

‘I agree. Your husband’s personal life is nothing to do with me,’ Thomas said, ‘but while you were saying goodbye to Doctor D’Aramitz, Doctor Puel asked me to help you and to keep you and the briefcase safe.’ The waiter brought two glasses of brandy, put one in front of Claire and one in front of Thomas.

‘He thinks because I’m a woman, I’m not capable,’ Claire said, and drank her brandy down in one.

‘I assure you he does not think anything of the kind. He thinks it could be dangerous getting the documents to Cheval, especially if Beckman has corresponded again with your husband’s commander. He said if there are two of us we can watch each other’s backs. He’s an old Resistance man. He thinks we’ll be safer as a couple, that’s all. And I agree with him.’ Claire tilted her head and shrugged. ‘Anyway, I gave him my word, so you’re stuck with me.’

Pleased she had someone she could trust to help her, Claire smiled with relief. ‘So, what now?’

‘I need to telephone my assistant at the University, get him to cover my lectures next week. Then I’ll have to telephone the principal.’ Thomas pulled a face.

‘Could you lose your job?’

‘No. I shouldn’t think so.’

‘I hope you don’t.’

‘I’ll give Antoinette and Auguste a ring too. Fill them in with what’s been happening.’

‘And I’ll make a couple of overseas calls,’ Claire said. ‘I ought to let Alain’s grandmother know I’m all right. I also need to check she still has the documents he sent her.’

‘Shouldn’t you telephone your husband’s commander first?’

‘I suppose so. The sooner he calls off the military dogs the better. I’ll ring him after I’ve talked to my daughter. It’s been three days since we last spoke. She won’t be happy with me.’ Claire looked up at Thomas, her forehead lined with worry.

‘She’ll forgive you once she knows her father is safe.’

‘But is he? We don’t even know where he is.’

‘No, but we soon will.’ Thomas pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. ‘Right, I’ll pay for the drinks. You go up to your room and book the calls to England. It may take some time to get an overseas line.’ He looked at his wristwatch, ‘I’ll see you in the hotel bar at six-thirty.’ Claire made no attempt to move. ‘What is it?’

‘I don’t want to telephone England from my room. There aren’t any outside lines. All calls go through reception and I don’t want that nosy Madame to know I’m calling England, let alone listen in to the call, which you can bet your life she will. It wouldn’t matter so much if she listened to what I say to Mitch’s grandmother, but I’ll need to tell Commander Landry about the documents Doctor Puel gave me if I’m going to convince him Mitch isn’t the traitor.’

Thomas’s brow creased in thought. ‘Railway station! Every station has telephone booths. I’ve called all over Europe from my local station.’

That’s in Paris, Claire thought, this is the back of beyond. Still, it was the better option. The call she needed to make to Mitch’s commander was a matter of life and death - her husband’s life or death.

The station at Saint-Gaudens was a commuter station, surprisingly big for such a small town - and it was rush hour. From the main concourse, Claire watched people in droves spilling out of city trains onto the platforms, running to other platforms, and jumping onto other trains. It was where city workers changed trains to go somewhere else by the look of the swarms of people running from large locomotives to catch smaller local trains.

Claire spotted a bank of five telephones along the east wall by the ticket office. She stepped into the middle booth, Thomas took the one next to her.

She thought she would never hear what the recipients of her telephone calls said, but bedlam was happening on the platforms, not on the concourse. Inside the booth it was remarkably quiet. She picked up the telephone and put two francs into the metal coin box. A second later a voice asked her what number she wanted. She asked for the international operator. It wasn’t long before an operator with a Parisian accent asked her which country. Claire said England and a minute later a tired voice with a London accent said, ‘What number would you like to be connected to, caller?’

Claire gave the operator the number of the Foxden Hotel. From depositing two francs, to being connected to the English operator, had taken five minutes. At this rate I’ll be cut off before I get through to Bess, she thought. Then she heard a faint ringing in the background. The operator said, ‘Putting you through now, caller.’

The next voice Claire heard was that of her sister. ‘Good afternoon, Foxden Hotel.’ Seconds later Bess had dispatched her husband Frank off to find Aimée. When Aimée came on the line she asked a dozen questions, hardly giving Claire time to answer one before she asked another. Thomas was right, believing her mother was close to finding her father and bringing him home, Aimée forgave her for not telephoning for three days.

Claire went through the same rigmarole with the French and English operators before she was connected to Mitch’s grandmother. She didn’t have to wait long for the telephone to be answered. It rang only once before Esther picked up the receiver.

As soon as she heard Esther’s voice, Claire knew something was wrong. ‘Hello? Hello?’ Esther said, not giving Claire time to speak. ‘Is anyone there?’

‘It’s Claire.’

‘I can’t hear you,’ she said, ‘It is a bad line.’

‘Are you on your own?’

‘No! I