Evan and Elle - By Rhys Bowen Page 0,83

moment another police car pulled up and Glynis Davies jumped out. “What on earth’s happening?” she asked.

“It looks as if we’ve just nabbed our suspect,” Watkins said. “Thanks to Constable Evans.”

The other car door opened and Janine Laroque got out. She stood there with a look of horror on her face as two policemen led the handcuffed prisoner past her to the squad car. The man spotted her and unleashed a torrent of abuse.

Suddenly Evan realized the truth. This man was the “monster” she had had to run away from—the rich, handsome man she had married and who had made her life hell. It made sense after all.

Chapter 24

Later that evening Evan sat in Bronwen’s warm kitchen as Janine busied herself at the stove, preparing them what she called “a simple meal.” After a long soak in Mrs. Williams’s tub he felt almost human again, although his hair had been singed and he had some impressive bruises.

“This must be like a huge weight lifted from you, Janine,” Bronwen said. “How awful to have lived in such fear.”

Janine nodded. “It was unbearable, mademoiselle. As soon as I marry zis handsome, charming man I find out ’e ees a monster. A bad man. A crazy man. I nevair know where ’is money come from, and ’e nevair tell me, but I know it ees somesing bad. He tell me if I leave ’im, I die. When I became Yvette Bouchard I sink I am finally safe. ’E will nevair find me now. But ’e did find me. I am stupid and vain, no? I let zem take my picture and put eet in zee paper.”

“And your husband was here, scouting out the territory in preparation for the drug shipments,” Evan said. “Pure bad luck that he saw your picture and came to see you.”

“But I nevair see ’im, monsieur. Ozzerwise I would ’ave told you. Believe me, if I suspected zat Gaston ’ad found me again, I would ’ave come straight to you.”

“So you never saw him,” Evan said. “He must have sneaked into your living quarters to surprise you alone—but Jean Bouchard was up there. Who knows what they said to each other—but if Jean said he was Yvette’s husband, and Gaston thought you were using the name Yvette . . .”

“Zat would have been enough to make Gaston fly into a rage. He was crazy wiz jealousy.”

“Well, it’s all over now,” Bronwen said. “You’re finally free.”

“Not exactly free,” Evan said. “She still has charges to face—impersonating another person to collect the insurance; trying to destroy evidence. Those are serious offenses. But I suspect the jury will be lenient when they hear what you’ve already gone through.”

“Eet does not worry me anymore,” Janine said. “Now zee police ’ave Gaston, I am safe. Maybe I’ll open a new restaurant someday.”

“Why not rebuild here?” Bronwen said. “Who knows, the locals might eventually develop a taste for good food.”

A few days later Evan was sitting at his desk, working on an application for detective training, when Sergeant Watkins came in.

“Hello, boyo, hard at work are we, then?” he asked as Evan shoved the application form hastily under the incident book. “What are you looking so guilty about—fiddling the travel expenses?”

“No, nothing like that, Sarge. I leave that to you.”

Watkins chuckled. “So it’s back to business as usual after all the excitement, is it?”

“It seems that way,” Evan said. “What brings you up here?”

“Just thought I’d stop by and say hello,” he said, “and thank you for what you did. It seems you might be in for a citation—catching that Gaston bloke single-handed.”

“I didn’t do it single-handed,” Evan said. “And I couldn’t have done it without young Bryn. And even then I let the bastard walk away . . .”

Watkins put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t think they’re not grateful. Your catching that Gaston bloke was the big break we needed. Apparently the rest of the gang didn’t put too much faith in his silence. It seems they’ve given up on the idea of coming into local ports, at least for the time being.”

“They’ll show up again, somewhere else,” Evan said.

“Yes, but it won’t be on our turf, will it?” Watkins beamed. “And it looks as though Gaston will be returned to France to face prior charges there. Between us we’ve got enough on him to put him away for life.”

“Janine will be pleased,” Evan said.

“Is she still staying with your schoolteacher friend?”

“No, she’s gone,” Evan said. “She posted bail and she’s left to