‘Did you get any idea of what is likely to happen to him?’ Daisy asked.
‘Not really. We’re limited in terms of what we can do, I’m afraid. But the police have assured me that he will be treated fairly and that they will afford him every opportunity to explain his actions, provided he curbs his temper and language – both of which, I have to say, were not in check when I arrived. Naturally, I have advised him to co-operate fully. Beyond that, there isn’t much I can do. He sends his sincere apologies to you all, by the way. I think the thought of you waiting for him has done much to suppress his anger.’
‘Well, at least that’s something,’ Elsie said. ‘Thank you for your help, Charles.’
‘My pleasure. I would advise you all to return to your hotel for now – the police don’t expect to be making a decision either way before midday, so there really is little point in waiting for hours. I wish you all the best.’
Daisy turned to Elsie and Olly after Charles had left. ‘Right, you heard the man: let’s go back to the hotel.’
Elsie hated leaving Woody at the police station, but a part of her argued that a night in the cells might just persuade him to be willing to work with the police in the morning. None of them spoke much on the journey back to Montparnasse, weariness claiming their full attention. It was five-thirty by the time they wandered back into the reception lobby, heading straight to their rooms without conversation to fall into bed.
Next morning, The Sundaes gathered in a café across the street from Hotel Saint-Louis to discover the details of Woody’s arrest. Strong coffee was all that anyone could stomach this morning – the basket of pastries they had ordered lay untouched in the middle of the table.
‘Man, I know he’s a freak but I never thought he’d be into that kind of dodgy stuff,’ Sasha said, shaking her head.
‘He isn’t into any of it,’ Elsie returned, the four hours of sleep she had managed to steal on her return barely enough to allow her to function this morning. ‘I’m convinced it’s a mistake.’
‘All the same, what do we know about him, really?’ Stan asked, as several of the choir murmured their agreement. ‘We know he lived the rock’n’roll lifestyle before – what’s to say he doesn’t still indulge in the odd illegal substance? You’ve heard some of the stuff he comes out with. It makes sense when you look at it.’
Danny nodded. ‘And we have a ferry to catch tomorrow. What happens if they want to keep him here and we all have to surrender our passports?’
‘It won’t come to that, Danny.’
‘With respect, Ol, how do you know?’
Sasha raised her hand. ‘I vote we leave him here.’
Elsie could hardly believe what she was hearing. ‘Sasha! That’s a dreadful thing to say.’
‘Is it? Well, I’m sorry, but he showed us no consideration yesterday, did he? It was Danny and Aoife’s day and last night should have been about them. If he has so little respect for us, why should we hang around for him?’
Everyone began to talk then, some agreeing with Elsie but most voicing support for Sasha’s argument. Finally, Elsie gave a loud shout and all fell silent.
‘OK, listen everyone. Woody is one of us – whether he remembered that fact last night or not. He’s partly the reason we exist as a choir and he’s worked hard too to get our performance ready for what we did yesterday. He hasn’t been arrested on purpose and while I agree that he is an idiot for getting caught up in the middle of a drugs raid, the fact remains that we are a team. And teams don’t just break apart at the first sign of trouble.’ She let out a sigh. ‘I don’t like this any more than you do. But at least we have today and tonight in Paris. Our ferry ticket is an open return, so we won’t be rushing back to Dieppe in the morning. Woody’s solicitor is coming today and if the worst comes to the worst and he has to stay in France we’ll head home and help where we can from England. Daisy, Olly and I are going back to the police station in a while, so I suggest the rest of you make the most of your last day here. I’ll let you know if we have any news. There’s no point in all of us hanging around.’
Touched by her words, The Sundaes agreed and they left the café to go their separate ways. Making sure they had water and food with them this time, Elsie, Daisy and Olly climbed into the minibus and retraced their steps from last night. In the daylight, the roads were much more distinctive, brought alive by the bustling businesses open along the route. Olly dropped the sisters outside the police station once again.
‘Look on the bright side,’ Elsie said to Daisy as they walked through the front doors, ‘at least we won’t have to drink that awful coffee again.’
‘Thank heaven for small mercies,’ Daisy grinned, walking up to the desk and blessing a different officer with her now confirmed excellent French.
‘What did they say?’ Elsie asked when Daisy rejoined her in the small waiting area.
‘His lawyer is in with him now and should be able to advise us soon.’
Elsie pulled her book from her handbag. ‘Might as well settle in for a few hours then, eh?’
Daisy retrieved a copy of French Vogue from her own bag and smiled back. ‘No harm in being prepared.’
Three chapters of Elsie’s book, half of French Vogue and two bottles of water later, they were summoned by a whistle from the desk sergeant. The door they had seen Charles disappearing through hours before opened and Woody’s solicitor walked through to greet them.
‘Well, this is an interesting place to meet, isn’t it, ladies?’
Elsie stared in disbelief as Torin kissed Daisy’s cheek. How on earth …? ‘You’re Woody’s lawyer?’ she repeated, as if somehow saying it out loud would disprove the fact. It didn’t. Torin Stewart was there, in a central Paris police station, looking like the only hope for Woody’s release.
‘Technically, no. But my father is good friends with Woody’s former manager, so when I heard of his arrest I was only too happy to represent him.’ He leaned towards Elsie to kiss her cheek but she stepped back. Confused, he did the same, his green eyes full of questions. ‘I take it you had a long wait last night?’
‘We did. How is he?’
‘As well as can be expected. They’ve asked him a lot of questions, many – it has to be said – that are irrelevant to the case. I’m glad I was here to advise, or else his frustrations could have caused considerable problems.’ He smiled at Elsie despite her not returning it. ‘Try not to worry.’
‘Easier said than done.’
‘So, what happens now?’ Daisy asked, as Olly walked into the waiting area and joined them on the uncomfortable red plastic seats.
‘Sorry, only just got parked,’ he said, planting a kiss on Elsie’s head.
The merest flicker passed across Torin’s expression. ‘They’re still interviewing the other suspects, so they won’t be talking to Woody again for at least an hour. Oliver,’ he extended his hand, which was politely received.
‘Torin. Never expected to see you here.’
‘It’s a bit of a shock to be here, if I’m honest,’ he replied. ‘How about we try to find a bar or a restaurant nearby and I can talk you through the details? I haven’t had a decent coffee since I arrived this morning.’
Walking out into bright October sunshine, they found a small, cheerfully painted café one block away amid a row of second-hand art book stores. They ordered coffee and bowls of bubbling tartiflette and to Elsie’s surprise she discovered that she possessed quite a hunger. As they ate and drank, Torin explained the situation in full, both from the police standpoint and Woody’s version of events. It transpired that Woody had travelled to the Left Bank to a bar he had visited when Hellfinger toured the French capital in 1988, remembering the wild night he had spent there with his bandmates in their last summer before their friendship soured. In its Eighties heyday, the bar had been the venue of choice for the hip set in Paris but now, unbeknownst to Woody, it had deteriorated into a seedy den of dodgy characters and questionable trade.
‘From
what I can work out, Woody was just unlucky with his timing. The French drugs squad have been carrying out surveillance on the place for the past two years and last night was to be their big raid. They arrested pretty much everyone in the club, hence the considerable time they spent interviewing overnight and this morning. Woody said he had just arrived when the police burst in and all hell broke loose.’
‘Do you think the police believe him?’ Elsie asked.
‘I think they’re maybe beginning to,’ Torin replied, ‘but he’s not out of danger yet. He was very agitated when they brought him in and then spent the best part of three hours denouncing everything in France. This did nothing to endear himself to them, as you can imagine.’
Daisy groaned. ‘Idiot! I don’t even play the anti-French card when I’m arguing with André. Some things are sacrosanct to the French – their national pride is one of them.’
‘So, what’s the plan?’ Olly asked.
‘I’ll argue for a case of mistaken identity,’ Torin replied. ‘They have very little evidence to suggest otherwise, so it’ll come down to how determined they are to hold a grudge against him.’
Olly looked at Daisy and Elsie. ‘Then should we wait? I mean I’m sure all of us are willing, but if we can’t be of any practical use then perhaps we should consider catching up on our sleep back at the hotel before the journey home tomorrow? I don’t know how long I can leave the minibus where I’ve parked it – the restrictions are a bit contradictory around here. We don’t need to be slapped with a parking fine on top of everything else.’
Torin shrugged. ‘I see no reason for you all to stay. It could well be a couple more hours before I can even get back in to restart negotiations.’
Daisy agreed. ‘Amen to that. I’m so tired I can hardly think straight. I want a shower and then bed. You look tired too, Els.’
Despite her weariness, Elsie was reluctant to leave until she knew for sure whether Woody would be travelling back with them tomorrow or not. She had meant what she’d said to The Sundaes over breakfast: Woody was part of the team and she wasn’t ready to abandon him when he needed her support.
‘I think I should stay,’ she said.
Olly shook his head. ‘You heard what Torin said, there’s no need.’
Elsie put her hand on his arm. ‘To be honest, I don’t think I’d rest much if I went back to the hotel now. I put this trip together: it’s up to me to make sure everyone comes home safely.’
‘Then I’m staying,’ Olly stated resolutely. Elsie could see the dark circles forming beneath his eyes as he fought against his weariness.
‘Ol, you have a long drive back for us tomorrow. You need to make sure you’re fully rested.’ She kissed his cheek. ‘I’ll just stay until I know what’s going on, then I’ll catch the Metro back.’
Still unsure, he frowned at her. ‘Promise?’
‘I promise.’
He cast a cursory glance at Torin, then back at Elsie. ‘Text me when you know anything, OK?’
She smiled at his concern. ‘Of course I will.’
At the door of the café, Olly grabbed her hand and walked her a little way from Daisy and Torin. ‘I don’t like leaving you with him. He’s a wind-up merchant and you don’t need any more stress.’
‘Seriously, I can handle Torin Stewart,’ she assured him. ‘I just want to make sure Woody’s all right.’
‘Fine.’
‘Thank you for worrying about me. It’s nice.’
His eyes lit up. ‘It is?’
She nodded. ‘Yes.’
‘I want to make you feel cared for all the time,’ he whispered, gently pulling her close to him. ‘And I know we’re taking it slowly and you’ve had things you wanted to deal with, but I just want you to know that you only have to say the word and … I’ll be there.’
His words sent tingles over her skin. ‘You will?’
He bent his head and planted a long, slow kiss on her cheek, his lips so close to hers that she almost forgot to breathe. ‘Like a shot.’
As he and Daisy said goodbye and walked away, Elsie took a deep breath and turned back towards Torin.
‘Fancy another coffee while we’re waiting?’ he asked, his smile annoyingly exultant. ‘Not that I think it’s a patch on Sundae & Cher’s, of course.’
Irritation building within her, Elsie faced him. ‘Let’s just get one thing perfectly clear. I’m here because I care about Woody, and no other reason.’
Taken aback, he raised one eyebrow. ‘So is that a yes to coffee or not?’
‘Yes, I think we should have another coffee to avoid the awful stuff at the police station, but only because I value the welfare of my stomach.’
The green stare narrowed. ‘Fine.’ He walked to place an order at the bar as Elsie returned to their table, fuming quietly. After the experience of comforting Cher following Jake’s blatant infidelity, she hadn’t considered what she would say to Torin the next time she saw him, but the very sight of him this morning had confirmed to her just how angry she still was.
He returned and opened his briefcase, slapping the bulging personal organiser Elsie had found so amusing before him on the table with a thud. ‘I wish I knew what your problem is with me,’ he blurted suddenly.
‘My problem? My problem is that I never know where I am with you! One minute you’re cocky as hell, the next you’re trying to be my friend.’
‘Excuse me?’
Aware that she had already said too much, Elsie folded her arms. ‘Forget it. We’re here to help Woody – it doesn’t matter what we think of each other.’
‘No, Elsie, I am here to help Woody because that is my job. And to suggest that how much we like or dislike each other might have a bearing on that fact is to call my professional integrity into question. I won’t stand for that, from you or anyone else.’
Elsie snorted. This was rich coming from him, considering the ease with which he had withheld the truth about Jake’s philandering. ‘Well, all I can say is that it’s a good job Woody is your client and not your friend.’
‘Deux cafés.’ A waiter served coffee and beat a hasty retreat.
‘All right, I give up! What have I done?’
Elsie placed a sugar lump in her coffee and stirred it, wishing her anger would dissipate as quickly. ‘I don’t want to fight, Torin. I just want to get Woody out and go home.’
‘Tell me.’
Raising her head, Elsie fixed him with a stare. ‘Jake Long.’
‘What about him?’
‘He’s been cheating on Cher. She caught him in the act, last week. She was devastated, Torin! I had to go to her house in the middle of the night and hold her while she sobbed her heart out over him.’
‘That’s terrible, but how is that my fault?’
‘I asked you about him! I asked you to tell me if you knew he was cheating and you assured me he wasn’t. I trusted you to tell me the truth and when I needed to hear it most, you lied to protect your boss.’
He opened his hands. ‘I had no idea …’
‘Oh, of course you did! That kind of behaviour is always the talk of offices – you must have known it was still going on.’
‘I can’t believe you think me capable of lying to you.’ She noticed him fiddling with the spoon in his coffee cup saucer.
‘Why not? You’ve lied to me before.’ Was he lying to her now?
She could see the sting of injustice in his stare, but the words were out now and she knew she would have to back them up.
‘When? When did I lie to you?’
Closing her eyes to shut his face from view, she lowered her voice. ‘When you said you weren’t at the Carnival this year. You were there: I saw you. And you saw me, too.’
He was silent for a long time. Elsie opened her eyes and stared at the rich darkness of her coffee, contrasting against the stark whiteness of the coffee cup, the bright yellow of the café walls around them and the pristine white cloth that covered the table.
‘Fine, I lied. I saw
you with Olly. And I didn’t want to intrude,’ he said, finally. ‘When you mentioned it, I panicked. What was I supposed to say?’
‘The truth?’
‘Yes, well, not all of us can be perfect like you. I mistakenly thought it would better to deny it. Clearly, that was wrong.’
‘That makes no sense,’ she said slowly.
‘Nothing much makes sense to me where you’re concerned.’ His eyes met hers. ‘But I honestly didn’t know Jake was cheating on Cher.’
‘Maybe you panicked then, too? You must have heard rumours about him?’
‘I didn’t think it was my place to speculate. Yes, he’s always had a bit of a reputation but I respect the guy and I didn’t want to suggest he might be playing around without any evidence. Also, he’s my boss. He seemed genuinely interested in Cher, so I didn’t think he’d be looking elsewhere. But I can tell you don’t believe me, so really what’s the point in trying to convince you?’
The conversation felt like they were navigating a narrow path around a dangerous cliff and Elsie was scared one wrong word could send her plummeting. She changed tack. ‘Realistically, what can you do for Woody?’
‘I’m going to do all I can to ensure he is on the ferry with you all tomorrow.’
Her anger under control, Elsie nodded and drank her coffee. ‘We should get back.’
‘We should.’
As soon as they entered the police station, Torin switched into lawyer mode, striding through the doors and gaining entry to the interview rooms immediately. Elsie resumed her vigil in the uncomfortable waiting area, settling down with her book. But her mind was distracted from the pages lying open in her lap, straying instead to the exchange with Torin and her growing disquiet at his being here. Had he really answered her accusations about Jake and Cher? Or admitted he knew more than he’d revealed? And what about his admission that he lied about the Carnival? What was that supposed to mean?
When I Fall in Love Page 32