The Armstrong Assignment (A Janet Markham Bennett Cozy Thriller Book 1) by Diana Xarissa (books for 10th graders TXT) 📕

“I signed the guest book,” Janet remembered. “I signed my name, and then my husband reminded me to add his surname to my signature.”

“Do you have this guest book?” the inspector asked.

The man nodded. “It’s here,” he said, pushing the book that was on the desk in front of him towards the inspector. “Ms. Markham signed just here,” he added, opening the book and pointing to the page.

Janet leaned forward and then gasped. Her neat signature was still there, exactly as she’d written it, but only the “Janet Markham” portion appeared. Underneath her signature was another name. Someone named “Jacob Hirsh” had apparently arrived next after Janet. Edward’s name was missing.

“Ms. Markham, I’m not quite sure how best to help you,” the inspector said. “You’ve told me that your husband travelled with you and that he disappeared overnight. This gentlemen has told me that you arrived alone. The evidence that I’ve seen thus far suggests that he is the one who is being truthful.”

Janet opened her mouth to argue and then slowly shook her head. “It’s all smoke and mirrors,” she said softly. “I should have expected as much, really. I’m sorry that I bothered you,” she told the inspector. “I think I need to go and have a rest.”

“Take my mobile number,” the inspector said. “Ring me if your husband returns.”

“Thank you,” Janet replied, quickly putting the number into her phone.

“I will be here tomorrow at ten to speak with you again,” he told her. “It is important that you be here as well.”

She nodded. “Thank you for all of your help,” she told him before she headed for the lifts. As she stepped into the car, she heard the inspector speaking in French again to the man behind the desk.

“I don’t know if she’s confused or criminal,” he said.

“Neither,” Janet said in a whisper. “I was just naïve to think that Edward was truly retired.”

She let herself into her room and locked the door behind herself. Sighing, she pulled out her mobile phone.

“I’m not crazy,” she said when Joan answered.

“I didn’t say you were,” Joan replied. “But that’s a worrying statement, considering you’ve only been married for a day.”

“Edward has disappeared,” Janet told her.

Joan made a noise and then sighed. “I feel as if I should be surprised, but I’m not.”

“I was. I still am, actually. I never imagined that he’d allow work to interrupt our honeymoon, even if I didn’t actually believe that he’d fully retired.”

“Are you quite certain it’s work?”

“What else could it be?” Janet asked. “And before you say anything, yes, I’ve imagined a great many other things it could be and they’re all horrible. For now, I’m going to believe that he’s been sent on some sort of essential mission and that he’ll be back here in a day or two to explain everything.”

“Are you going to come home or stay there?”

“For now, I’m going to stay here,” Janet said, making the decision as she spoke. “Whatever has happened, I know Edward will do everything he can to let me know something, anything, as soon as he can.”

“You aren’t just going to sit around the hotel room, are you?”

Janet sighed. “Edward had all sorts of tours and excursions planned for us, but I don’t have the itinerary. I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“You should go out and see the sights,” Joan told her. “You’ve been to Paris before and you saw most of the sights on your own the last time you were there, as well.”

Janet chuckled. “That was less than ideal, though,” she replied, remembering that after their two-year teaching assignment had ended, she and Joan had decided to spend a week in Paris. On their second day in the beautiful city, Joan had fallen and broken her leg. She’d spent the rest of the week in hospital while Janet had divided her time between visiting her sister and enjoying Paris.

“It was still better for you than for me,” Joan reminded her.

“But you got to enjoy Paris with Michael recently,” Janet said.

“I did, and it was wonderful. In a way, I was almost glad I hadn’t done any of it before. Seeing it all for the first time with Michael was very special.”

“And now I shall be seeing it all for the second time, alone again,” Janet sighed.

“Promise me that you’ll go out and enjoy the city,” Joan said. “Don’t sit in the room worrying about Edward.”

“I’m going to worry about him anyway.”

“But at least you can worry about him from the top of the Eiffel Tower.”

“I know you’re right, but at the moment, going out and seeing the sights doesn’t hold much appeal. I may just curl up with a book for the rest of today. I brought several to read on the plane, but Edward and I were too busy talking about the wedding on the journey. I could probably use a day to recover from all of the wedding excitement anyway.”

“I don’t want to worry you, but do you think you should talk to the police?”

Janet laughed. “I tried that,” she said. “The policeman seemed to think that I’d married Edward for his money and that I’d had a hand in his disappearance. That was before we got back here and the hotel manager told the inspector that I’d arrived alone.”

“Say that again slowly.”

“Weirdly, that made me feel better,” Janet told her. “Especially when I saw that the guest book had been altered. I’d signed my name and then added ‘Bennett’ when Edward suggested it, and then he’d signed after me. Today, the ‘Bennett’ is gone and so is Edward’s name.”

“And that made you feel better?”

“Someone is going to great lengths to hide the fact that Edward and I arrived together.