Woman King

CHAPTER 37

My name was being uttered in harsh tones in a room nearby. I struggled to regain consciousness, my head still fuzzy from all the painkillers. I looked down to find my boiled wool slippers, the pair from home. William must have brought them for me. Sliding my feet into their comforting softness, I set off toward the voices.

My body felt awkward as I tried to move without putting pressure on my wounded thigh. It was a slow process; even my uninjured leg was stiff from lack of activity. I nearly screamed in triumph after I reached the foot of the stairs without falling or knocking anything over. From the top of the staircase, I could hear the voices clearly.

“There is no evidence at the blast site, nothing to tie us to the bombing.” Gabriel said. “The police will learn nothing from the crime scene.”

“If you’re right, then Nikola will feel empowered to strike again,” William said. “He has zero risk of being linked to the bombing. And if you’re wrong, and we left something behind, a trace of clothing, a drop of blood, then it would be wise for us to leave town immediately.”

“We don’t know that it was Nikola,” Gabriel said, exasperation in his voice. “Aidan never had a chance to tell me about his investigation. We have no idea what he uncovered.”

“Even worse,” Josef said, inserting himself into the discussion. “Our enemies have no idea what we have, but whatever it is they fear we know, they were willing to incinerate all of us to keep it from being revealed.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Gabriel said. “We don’t conduct criminal investigations at the Council. Whatever information Aidan found would only have come to me.”

“All the more reason for us to leave town,” William said. “Do you have access to a private jet? We’ll be more difficult to locate if we stay out of public terminals.”

I’d been slowly descending the stairs even as I eavesdropped on their conversation. By the time William asked about a private plane, I was standing in the doorway of his living room.

“So I gather we’re all going to Paris then,” I said, catching the three men by surprise.

“Olivia,” Gabriel said, jumping up to greet me. “Ça va? Are you OK? Je me suis inquiété de ton santé.”

“I’m OK,” I answered, reaching out to touch Gabriel’s face. His handsome lines had temporarily given way to dozens of small cuts. A small bandage crossed over one of his eyebrows, and a faint bruise clung to the side of his jaw. “How are you?”

“This?” he said, touching his face. “It is nothing, it will heal. It’s you I’m worried about, and your friend Lily, her arm.”

“Where is Lily,” I asked, directing my question to Josef.

“She left a few hours ago at daybreak,” he said. “She said she wanted to see her family. I expect you will hear from her when she is feeling better.”

When had Lily ever left without saying goodbye? She was no doubt horrified that I had nearly gotten her killed, thanks to my escapades. I hung my head for a moment, trying to absorb the magnitude of what had happened.

“I blame myself for all of this,” I blurted out. “Aidan’s death…if I hadn’t pressed him, pressed you about the robbery, none of this would have happened. Where is Elsa? I have to apologize.”

“Elsa’s gone,” Gabriel said. “I assume she jumped back into another time to escape all of this. If she were here, she would have shown up by now.”

“I think she and Aidan were in love,” I said, my voice very low. It was difficult to find the air to speak. My chest felt tight. “She told me they were going to Scotland. I thought maybe they would be married there.”

“Olivia,” Gabriel said sternly. “You must not blame yourself. Aidan was my deputy. I asked him to investigate; he acted on my orders. I have always regarded Nikola and Zoran as buffoons. That was my mistake. I was a fool to be so cavalier and now I have lost one of my greatest friends as punishment for my stupidity, and I put you in harm’s way. Please forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive,” I said, feeling too drained to say anything more.

I hobbled over to a chair and gently lowered myself into the seat. William came over and sat on the edge.

“I do have a question,” I said, addressing the three men in the room. “Was this about Aidan, or will Nikola try again? Are we in danger?”

“At this point, we don’t really know,” William said, placing his hand on mine. “We need a safe place where we can investigate and to decide what to do next.”

“Then I was right,” I said. “We need to go to Paris. It’s easy to disappear there. And besides, my mother is expecting me. If Nikola does find out, he’ll think I left to be with her.”

“We have a small office in Paris,” Gabriel said. “It will not look suspicious if I move my team there for a week or so. We have plenty of issues overseas to justify the trip.”

“How much time do you need to arrange for our transportation?” William asked.

“Not long, a few hours at the most. I will be back in touch shortly. In the meantime, keep Olivia in your sight at all times. She must not be left alone.”

William and Josef both nodded and I got the distinct impression that the conversation had started much the same way before I had entered the room.