The Hotel Riviera(55)

I laughed, imagining myself for an instant in the Blakelys village pub, but I shook my head. “Can’t do it,” I said, “I’ve got to stay here and take care of business.”

“Why can’t you?” Jack said. I turned to look at him. “Work can’t start on the hotel until you get the insurance check,” he added, “and besides, you need a break.”

“What about Patrick?”

“I’ll check on Patrick. I’ll call you to let you know as soon as I find out anything. Besides, I’m gonna be busy for the next few weeks, back and forth to the States, working on the boat.”

I glanced at them, my good friend and my lover, torn between the two. Then, “Of course, you’ll come,” Miss N said firmly. And so I went to Blakelys.





Chapter 54




Evgenia

Evgenia Solis was at the wheel of the squat army-green Hummer, driving east on the A8 to Menton. Jeb Falcon, his bulk crammed into the expensive low-roofed vehicle, was in the passenger seat next to her. She put her foot down and swerved past a lumbering eighteen-wheeler that was going too slow for her, swerving back in front of it, causing Falcon to grip the edges of his seat and curse.

“Coward,” she said, throwing him an icy glance from her sunglassed eyes.

“For chrissake, Evgenia,” he said, sweating profusely as she whizzed past the traffic, “what’s the f*ckin’ hurry, anyways?”

“Better safe than dead’s your motto, eh, Falcon,” she said, laughing. “Don’t you know you’re gonna end up dead one of these days? Pity it didn’t happen in the fire at the Hotel Riviera. You botched that up, all right, didn’t you?”

He was silent, staring at the road ahead. It was all Patrick’s fault…He hadn’t taken care of his part of the deal, he hadn’t even shown up—and anyhow Lola was nowhere around, even though he’d scouted the place and knew she should have been home alone that afternoon.

He hated Evgenia Solis with every fiber of his being. He wished he’d never met her, never become her f*ckin’ bodyguard. The woman was a disaster in the making. Already she’d changed his life around. Goddammit, he’d been making good money from Laurent Solis. Why had he succumbed to her bribery, anyway? He’d caught her with Patrick in Menton, and she’d offered him more money than he could refuse. He was a double-spy now, working for Solis and for Evgenia, and hating them both.

As if reading his thoughts, Evgenia said, “You’re a whore, Falcon, always available for the right kind of money. That’s why you’re here now, with me. That’s why you can’t go to my husband and tell him what you know, because if you do, both you and I are as good as dead. We’re in this together, Falcon. Better not forget that.”

“Fuck you,” Falcon said, and heard her sigh.

“You’re a man with a very limited vocabulary, y’know that,” Evgenia said, exiting the autoroute at Menton. She took the familiar road up into the hills and parked outside a modest villa. She climbed out and without looking at Falcon said, “Pick me up at three. And don’t be late.”

Falcon glared at her. He hesitated just for a second, then he called her name. She looked impatiently over her shoulder. “What?”

“There’s something you should know,” he said.

Something in the way he said it stopped her in her tracks. “What?” she asked again, only this time she walked back to the car. Falcon got out of the passenger seat, walked around and climbed into the driver’s seat.

“About the boyfriend,” he said. “He’s doing pretty well at the casino in San Remo. He wins some, he loses some. And it’s all your money, Evgenia.”

She stared at him, silenced for a minute. Then, “Liar,” she said.

Falcon shrugged. “So why don’t you ask him?”

Evgenia looked at her feet, uncertain. “If you are lying, I’ll kill you myself,” she said in a tone of quiet menace.

Falcon grinned. He had the upper hand again in this battle of wits and violence. “Oh, no you won’t, Evgenia,” he said. “You need me. Who else are you gonna get to burn down hotels and to lie to your husband for you and to help you carry out the rest of your plans? Only me, little Evgenia, that’s who. And only if you pay me enough. Remember that, why don’t you.” He slammed the door and put the Hummer in gear. “See you at three,” he said, swinging the car around and driving back down the hill.

“And Patrick,” she yelled after him. “I’ve got Patrick for all the rest. I don’t need you anymore.” But Falcon did not hear her.

Patrick stuck his head out of the front door. “What’s happening?” he said. “What’s all the shouting about?”

Evgenia shrugged as she stalked past him into the tiny villa, her heels ringing on the terra-cotta-tiled floors. She stopped and glanced around her; a look of distaste crossed her face. “I hate this place,” she said. “I’ve had it with sneaking around. I can’t take this any longer. It’s time to get on with things.”

Patrick sighed. It was going to be one of those Evgenia days. “Let’s go to bed, chérie,” he said, taking her by the hand and leading her toward the only bedroom.

“Did you hear about the fire?” Evgenia asked.