The Paris Librarian Read Free Page A

delivering secrets to a Resistance cell in 1944 and two Gestapo officers showed up. She pretended to seduce one and used his own dagger to kill him.”
    â€œThat so?”
    â€œYeah, well.” Merlyn rolled her eyes. “It’s on the Internet, so I assume it’s true.”
    â€œSo what happened to the other officer?”
    â€œNo idea. I suppose the Resistance fighters killed him but you’d have to ask Miki, she knows all the gory details.”
    â€œI will. So where is this dagger and stash of papers?” Hugo had a pretty good idea, and he made a mental note to call Paul Rogers.
    â€œNo clue.” She grinned. “Like I said, I’m just tagging along so I can see you.”
    â€œI’m glad you did.” Hugo hesitated. “You said Miki was your partner. I wasn’t sure if you meant in business or . . .”
    Merlyn waved a hand. “It’s complicated. We’re good friends but . . . It’s complicated, but mostly in a good way.”
    â€œYeah, well, watch out for Tom. He likes complicated, and he especially likes innocent-seeming pretty girls from England.”
    â€œYou know I can look out for myself,” she said with a wink. “And don’t call me innocent.”
    â€œI said innocent- seeming . And I know you can look out for yourself, just look out for Miki, too.”
    Merlyn chuckled. “That girl can handle herself, don’t worry. Last night Tom came on a little strong and she shut him down lickety-split.”
    â€œThat’s good to know. So who is she writing this article for?”
    â€œFreelance. She thinks it might even be a book. As well as the mysterious dagger, she’s convinced there is a bunch of Severin’s stuff that’s never been seen before and that puts some people in a bad light. Politicians who are now dead, and a few old movie stars, but still. Those people have families and estates to worry about, which means it’ll be controversial.”
    â€œ. . . And therefore will sell.”
    â€œPrecisely,” Merlyn said. “Assuming all that stuff exists and she can get her hands on it.”
    â€œSome grand conspiracy to hide the truth, eh?” Hugo said.
    â€œYeah, well, don’t be sarcastic with her,” Merlyn chided. “She’ll stab you with her pen.”
    â€œMaybe I can help. I’m headed to the American Library tomorrow to look at some books they’re selling. I’ll ask my contact there; he’d know the whereabouts and extent of the collection.”
    â€œBut will he tell you if there’s secret stuff? Miki’s made several calls, had important people pull all kind of strings, and the best she’s got is, basically, ‘Come have a look, we’ll let you see what we’ll let you see.’”
    Hugo spread his hands. “I can ask. Isabelle Severin is still alive, and living here in Paris. You guys should try to talk to her.”
    Merlyn raised a delicate eyebrow. “Bloody hell, Hugo, what a great idea, she’d never have thought of that. You don’t have a high opinion of journalists, do you?”
    â€œAh, you tried already. Sorry.”
    â€œMiki can’t even get close to her. Apparently she doesn’t like a lot of attention and her former personal assistant was a little, shall we say, tight-lipped. You know anyone close to her?”
    â€œShe and I don’t move in the same circles,” Hugo said. “Although my boss claims to know her a little. I can ask him, but no promises.”
    They sat quietly for a minute, watching the morning activity of the café, then Merlyn said, “We may be going to a party tonight, you wanna chaperone us?”
    Hugo’s mind flashed to the last party he went to with Merlyn, an underground, highly secretive BDSM event where he’d found an important clue in the case he was working on.
    â€œWhat kind of party?” he asked