‘Yes, I do. It was Sandra. I don’t know her second name. She was an okay artist, but she lacked passion, and was far too meek and nervous. You cannot progress your work unless you’re prepared to take risks and be adventurous.’
‘Do you know why she left?’ Kate repeated Adam’s question.
‘I heard she was homesick. Some girlfriends stayed with her in Paris for a while. One of them was very attractive. Pierre liked her.’ Again, the bitter tone was in her voice.
‘They had a relationship?’ Kate pressed.
‘I can’t be sure, but meek, miserable Sandra didn’t like her friend getting attention from Pierre.’ She smiled. ‘Pierre had given the wallflower a lot of notice before her girlfriends arrived. As I said, he liked people who were different.’
‘Any idea of the girlfriend’s name, the attractive one?’ Adam wasn’t letting go.
Again Delphine shrugged her shoulders. ‘It was a long time ago. I can’t be sure, but it might have been Alice.’
‘And you can’t remember either of their surnames?’ Kate enquired.
‘I’m afraid not. But you should be able to get Sandra’s details from Jacques. She would have been registered at the college.’
‘I don’t remember seeing any statement from a Sandra in the case files. Did you see one, Kate?’
‘When we arrived,’ Kate ignored his question, ‘you said something about this room not being as nice as Julien’s office, that what you see is what you get. What did you mean by that?’
‘Julien Chéry is similar to Pierre. He is an extremely talented man, but he can be different things to different people. I’m sure he didn’t tell you we are lovers – or, at least, we are right now …’ Adam and Kate kept their silence. ‘It is difficult to get a position here at the college. It has a history and a reputation that elevate it. Julien helped me get this placement. I have appreciation for his talent, even if, like Pierre, he has many downsides.’
SANDRA
WHEN I REACH the outskirts of the city, I pull into the car park of a large hardware store only a few kilometres from home. The girl at the cash register doesn’t blink as she scans the two large bolts I intend putting on the inside of the studio door. When I get back into the car, I lock the doors again. I spent the entire time I was in the store looking over my shoulders, making sure no one was following me.
Driving home, I decide to contact Alice. Karen isn’t trustworthy with information, and rightly or wrongly, Lori has already freaked me out. I need to talk to someone other than Edgar. Alice was so solid in Paris when that thing happened to Pierre. Looking back, I know I did love him. Alice understood how I felt. Karen dismissed it as little more than an infatuation I’d grow out of, and Lori had looked as if she wanted to be the one in love with him.
None of us mentioned him once we got back to Dublin. It was like it had happened to someone else. I know why Lori wanted to avoid the subject: she had helped me forge the application papers. There was no way I could have landed a place at the Beaux-Arts de Paris otherwise. Neither of us thought we would get away with it. I think Lori felt sorry for me, not having had a university education. Lucky for me she was working in the student office at Trinity. She can be full of surprises, and that’s another reason why I need to keep her out of the picture.
Later I call Alice on my mobile. I’m still out of breath, having put the bolts on the studio door and hammered the windows permanently shut, using masonry nails from the garage.
‘It’s me, Sandra.’
‘You sound out of breath.’
‘I am.’
‘Is something wrong?’
‘Something is very wrong …’ I feel better hearing myself say it ‘… but I can’t talk over the phone.’
‘Why not?’
‘I can’t. I need to talk to you face to face.’
‘Where are you?’
‘At the studio.’
‘Are you alone?’
‘Yes – can you come over?’
She doesn’t answer for what seems like an eternity.
‘Alice, are you still there?’
‘I’m still here.’ Another silence. ‘I’m trying to work out a couple of things.’
‘Why? What’s there to think about? I need to talk to you. What’s complicated about it?’
‘Nothing, I guess.’ She sounds cagey.
Maybe I’ve made the wrong decision. I can’t trust her if she’s not on my side. ‘Look, if you don’t want to come over, don’t.’
I’m about to hang up when she says, ‘Sandra, calm down. You know I’ll come over. I’ve always been there for you.’
I let out a sigh of relief. At last I’ll be able to tell someone about the madness that’s been going on, but something strikes me before I hang up. ‘Alice …’
‘What?’
‘Don’t tell anyone you’re coming. Make sure you’re alone.’