Birds of a Feather: 3: Fly the Nest (Bennett Sisters Mysteries Book 16) by Lise McClendon (free novel 24 .txt) 📕

with clothing and toiletries. Conor opened the other bedroom door. At first glance it seemed the same: Sabine’s gowns hanging from the curtain rod, her suitcase bulging, clothes hanging out, her shoes shoved haphazardly under the luggage rack.

“His bag is gone,” Pascal said. “He would have a key to this apartment, wouldn’t he? No need to break in.”

Conor rounded the bed. “Right. Anything else missing?”

Merle poked around in Sabine’s clothing. “Her jewelry bag isn’t here. I saw it yesterday.”

“What was in it?” Elise asked. “Good stuff?”

“It looked like it. Diamond necklace, pearls, a ruby ring.”

They backed out of the room. “Why would he steal her jewelry? Is he broke?” Elise asked as they stepped back down to the driveway.

Conor turned to her. “That car is worth a load of money. If you could sell it.”

Pascal rubbed a spot between his eyebrows. “We need to find out more about him.”

In the front hall Merle tapped Elise on the arm. “Let’s go talk to the French girls.” Pascal and Conor went on to the drawing room, still speculating on the whereabouts of Gabriel Tremblay.

The sisters found the chef and maid in the kitchen, washing up from lunch. Isabelle was standing across the table that served as an island, writing a list and discussing dinner plans. They all looked up as Merle and Elise entered the room.

“Bonjour, Isabelle. Ladies.” Merle nodded to all. “I was wondering if I could ask Audette and Gini a few questions.”

“About?” Isabelle frowned at her.

“Last night. If they heard anything in the carriage house,” Merle said, looking at the younger women. “Did you?”

Both women shook their heads.

“Nothing? No footsteps or garage door openings?”

“Oh!” Gini said. “I heard the garage door about one o’clock. Up and down, I think. I woke up, then I put my earplugs in because sometimes Audette will snore.”

Audette made a noise. Merle turned to her. “Did you hear anything?”

“I also wear ear plugs,” the chef said.

“We think Gabriel came into the apartment and got his belongings in the night,” Merle said. “His luggage is missing. Would you have heard him?”

Audette and Gini exchanged a glance and shrugged. “We didn’t,” Audette said. “Our door was closed for the warm. We had the heater in our room.”

Merle nodded and said to Isabelle, “It looks like Sabine’s jewelry is missing. Gabriel must have taken it when he came back for his bags.”

Isabelle stirred, agitated. “This gets worse and worse.”

Audette’s eyes widened. “We did not touch her things. Never.”

Merle reassured the women that the theory was Gabriel grabbed them. He must have stolen the car as well. Isabelle said the police had been informed in the morning, about the missing Jag. Richard hadn’t waited a tick to call it in, even if his daughter was the one who ‘lost’ it.

Elise and Merle left the kitchen. Elise whispered, “Do you think it was just a coincidence that Gabriel saw the Jaguar parked at the rail station?”

“I know,” Merle agreed. “How could he have known the girls would go to Newport last night? It’s strange.”

Chapter Eight

When Isabelle left the kitchen she saw her son and Elise, along with the Frenchman and Elise’s sister, heading upstairs. Maybe Conor was giving them a tour of the house. That was fine. But where was Duncan today? Pauline had come down to breakfast and taken toast and coffee up to their room. She reported he was doing better and sleeping in the room now. No sign of either of them at lunch.

Isabelle felt an urgency to find a rehab center for Duncan as soon as possible. She should check on him but first she needed to find a spot for him. She went to the drawing room to find her laptop. Where had she left it? She searched the different sitting areas in the large room, especially around the small desk in the corner she used. Cecily helped her look around, putting her novel aside.

Finally they gave up. “I will look in my room in a bit,” Isabelle said as they sat down in the armchairs by the fire. “Is Richard bereft?”

Cecily gave a sly smile. “I’m afraid he is. Poor thing.” She leaned in to her sister-in-law. “Best thing that happened this week, I say.”

“His obsession ends with a whimper?”

“Better than a bang,” Cecily laughed. “He is always so careful. He rarely even drives the Jag. I mean, he always drives it here for holiday but never in town. I couldn’t believe he allowed Bree to drive it yesterday. She did beg him.”

“Well, that won’t happen again. When do the girls go back to Cambridge?”

“Tomorrow. They’ll miss Twelfth Night.”

“We’ll have something special tonight for them. I’ll ask Audette.”

Cecily looked around the drafty room. “It’s so quiet with Sabine and Gabriel gone.” She sighed.

Isabelle was glad of the quiet. It was horrible that Sabine had died, of course. The police told Evans they would come by with news, if there was any. Maybe later today they would find out what happened to her. Still, the calm that had returned, more or less, was welcome. And they had left their chef and maid, making the holiday much more pleasant for Isabelle.

Footsteps in the hallway heralded the arrival of Pauline, dressed in her thin wool coat, leggings, and heavy black trainers that made her feet look enormous. She was pulling a knit cap over her ears when she caught Isabelle’s eye.

“I am going to take a walk,” she announced. “Okay?”

Isabelle nodded and she was off, through the front door. Her figure passed the windows of the drawing room, hands stuffed in her pockets.

“What a strange girl,” Cecily said.

“How so?” Isabelle asked.

“Secretive, don’t you think? Do you know anything about her?”

“She’s a model in Paris, that’s all I know.”

Cecily frowned. “How did Duncan meet her?”

“She was working in London, he said.” Isabelle tried to remember what her son had said about their relationship, how they met, and it was all vague in her memory. Something about a club. Wasn’t that where young people met?

“Pascal seems