Christmas in Paris (A Master Chefs Series Standalone Novel) Read Free Page A

the Bataclan proved almost impossible
and he had to content himself with parking his car a few blocks away and
walking the rest.  But as he tried to get closer still, he came to a barricade
and the police held him back.
    “My
wife might be in there,” he shouted.  Then he noticed the heavy artillery. 
This was even more serious than he’d imagined, and there was no telling when
it’d be safe enough to get closer. 
    He
grabbed the arm of a passer-by, but he was shrugged off as the young woman
scurried away.  He tried again with a young man who told him to check with the
nearby hospital; a photo of Taryn could help with the search.
    Reluctantly,
he turned and headed back.  He tried to stop more people on the street and show
them pictures of Taryn on his phone, but most of them just ran past him, eager
to get away, eager to get home.  The few that bothered to stop and look at the
picture simply shook their heads in sorrow before telling him a few other
places he could look into and wishing him good luck in his search.
    Feeling
increasingly discouraged, he headed back to his car.  The streets had a ghostly
feel to them, and the sense seemed to intensify with every passing minute.  His
gut reflected the mood.
    In
the distance, shots rang out, startling him, and sending the people around him
into a panic.  They ran off as a flow of people came from the direction of the
shots.  Chaos reigned as people ran for their lives.  Errol followed the flow
without even realizing where he was going.  Only after a few blocks away did
the rush of people slow down as many entered their homes.
    “Estelle, entre tout de suite ,” a man called from an upstairs window.  “Inside,
right now.”
    Wanting
to scream in fear and frustration, Errol stopped as the remains of the crowd
dispersed.  In the chaos, he’d run past his car.
    “Damn
it,” he muttered.  If he’d returned to Paris just a day earlier, he would have
been with Taryn.  Either he would have kept her safely inside, or he would be
out there, wherever she was, with her, holding and protecting her.
    He
raked his fingers through his hair for the hundredth time, certain he’d go bald
if he didn’t stop, but his frustration over Taryn’s sudden disappearance gnawed
at him and turned him inside out.  The fear was almost paralyzing. 
    His
phone rang.  “Taryn,” he shouted into the phone, desperate to hear her voice.
    “Hey,
bro,” Bobby’s familiar voice said with sickening happiness.  “Sorry to
disappoint you.  It’s just your brother-in-law.”
    “Hey,”
Errol said simply.  He wanted to sound just as cheery and chipper as Taryn’s
little brother, but simply couldn’t.
    “I’ve
been trying to get a hold of Taryn.  She asked me to come to Paris for the
holidays, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it.  Things have been crazy
here in New York.  But you know what it’s like, right… running a restaurant? 
Every other minute you have to make a decision.  I’ve got a good staff at Sam’s,
but I swear, they can’t make it through the day without asking me about
something or other.  I’d really love to be there when this baby pops, but…
well.  Is she with you?”
    “No.”
    The
line was silent for a long tense moment.
    “Errol? 
What’s going on?”
    “Things
aren’t good here.”
    “Oh,
yeah, there’s been a lot of talk on the news about a bomb threat or something
in Paris, but…  you guys… I mean, Taryn and Mom are all right, aren’t they?”
    “It’s
more than just a threat, Bobby.
    “But…”
    “Your
mother’s safe at my place.”
    “And
Taryn?”
    “I
don’t know,” Errol finally admitted, his throat constricting with fear and pain. 
He fought the tears that crept to his eyes.  He was going to break down… he
could just feel it.
    “Please,
tell me you’re kidding.  Errol…  Man, come on. Tell me this is a sick joke.”
    “You
know me better than that,” he growled.  “I wouldn’t kid about