Page 111 of Under Her Protection

"On the banquette. In her handbag. She left it. She has gone alone on purpose.”

"Right."

"Leo."

"How long has she been out of the building?”

"Forty-six minutes."

“She has gone to Lara Kossek?”

“I think so,” Avery sighed. “I’m sorry, Leo.”

“Kossek is at rue Bichat. I have been working on finding her location and I have it now.”

“Contact Dominique. She will get things moving. I am with the prosecutor. And Avery… this is not your fault. Vivienne slipped you on purpose.”

She hung up.

She turned. Leo’s heart was beating rapidly. She knew she had to get to Vivienne, she had to get to her now.

21

The text had come to Vivienne's private channel.

_The rue Bichat. Number 22. Above the wine bar. Tonight. Before nine. Alone. _

Vivienne had read it on the chaise in her dressing room with her tea on the small table at her elbow.

She had not replied.

She had drunk the tea. She knew she was going to go. This thing with Lara had to end.

Vivienne dressed for it.

She dressed in the black Helmut Lang dress and the long camel coat over it and the black leather Versace flats she had not worn since October, because she might need shoes she could walk in, and she put her hair up as she did for Maison Noire, and she did not, in front of the bureau mirror to do her make up, recognize the woman she was looking at.

She did not allow herself the mirror past the first glance.

Number 22, rue Bichat. Above a wine bar named Le Verre Volé, which had a queue out of its front door of Saturday-evening drinkers, none of whom looked at her.

She pressed the bell.

The door buzzed.

She went up.

Three flights of staircase that smelt of paint not quite dry. A door on the third floor on the left. The door opened before her hand reached it.

Lara Kossek.

She was in a silk blouse the colour of champagne and a black skirt with her dark blonde hair down.

Lara’s beautiful hair in perfect waves. Vivienne remembered it exactly and could remember how it smelt.

"Vivienne."

"Lara."