me?’
‘Because you can help us. And help Antoine. You don’t need me to tell you how much trouble he’s in.’
Annette stared at him, as if considering what to do, then she suddenly closed the door. For a moment Seurat thought that would be it. But the door opened again, and she stood there, looking angry. ‘I suppose you’d better come in,’ she said.
Annette had obviously been packing. Two suitcases lay open on the floor and a smaller Vuitton bag was on the bed.
‘Going already?’ asked Seurat. ‘You’ve only just arrived.’
Annette shrugged. ‘That was the plan,’ she said.
‘Mind if I sit down?’ said Seurat, taking one of the two armchairs. ‘Whether you go and where you go is going to be up to you, Annette. If you help me you at least may be able to go wherever you like. Don’t cooperate and you’ll be seeing the inside of a French prison before long.’
‘The Germans may have something to say about that.’
Seurat shook his head. ‘I don’t think so. They’ll accept a European arrest warrant, and there’s more than enough evidence behind it. You have aided and abetted your husband, a man who’s facing charges on everything from illegal arms dealing to kidnapping.’
‘What do you want me to do? You know I would never betray Antoine,’ she said defiantly, gesturing to emphasise the point. Seurat noticed that nowadays she limited herself to two rings – but both looked a good deal more valuable than in the days of the market stall.
‘I’m not asking you to betray him; I’m asking you to help him. And you can do that by helping me.’
She looked at him sardonically. ‘That sounds unlikely. How does it work?’
‘He listens to you, Annette. You know he does. He thinks all the rest of us are fools and you and he are the only clever ones.’
Annette grimaced. ‘I’m not sure he’d include me, not these days. He’d tell you I’m always whining. Anyway, I don’t see how I can help you. I don’t know the details of Antoine’s business. I never have. He’s an old-fashioned Frenchman that way.’
Seurat eyed her sceptically but she returned his look with a stare of her own, as if daring him not to believe her. He was confident she knew more than she was letting on, but her true value lay in her influence over Milraud, not in any information she might have about his activities. He said, ‘I believe you. But a judge might not – you’re in this up to your neck, as I’m sure you know. But if you cooperate – and more importantly if you get Antoine to cooperate – there’s still a chance you can lead a normal life again.’
It was her turn to look sceptical, so he went on: ‘I mean it. I’m not saying Antoine won’t have to serve time in prison, he will – and you may too – but perhaps for less time than otherwise. To be quite clear, what I’m saying is that Antoine can help himself by cooperating and you can help him and yourself by persuading him. Life in prison won’t be pleasant, but I can’t imagine life on the run is much fun either.’
‘It’s had its moments.’
‘Where do you call home these days?’
She shrugged. He said, ‘Come on, Annette, we’re already checking with the airlines for passengers called Pliska. I’ll know all your recent movements soon enough.’
She hesitated, then said sourly, ‘Caracas. We have a flat there.’
‘Good God. I don’t imagine that’s the safest place for a woman left on her own a lot of the time, as I imagine you are.’
‘Venezuela’s a very beautiful country,’ she replied defensively.
‘I should think it needs to be – to compensate for all the other disadvantages.’
Annette laughed out loud. A good sign, thought Seurat; he had always been able to make her laugh in the past. He went on, ‘The good news is that you won’t be going back there for a while. The bad news is that it could be a long, long while. That’s up to you.’
‘So what do you want me to do?’
‘Encourage Antoine to
‘Because you can help us. And help Antoine. You don’t need me to tell you how much trouble he’s in.’
Annette stared at him, as if considering what to do, then she suddenly closed the door. For a moment Seurat thought that would be it. But the door opened again, and she stood there, looking angry. ‘I suppose you’d better come in,’ she said.
Annette had obviously been packing. Two suitcases lay open on the floor and a smaller Vuitton bag was on the bed.
‘Going already?’ asked Seurat. ‘You’ve only just arrived.’
Annette shrugged. ‘That was the plan,’ she said.
‘Mind if I sit down?’ said Seurat, taking one of the two armchairs. ‘Whether you go and where you go is going to be up to you, Annette. If you help me you at least may be able to go wherever you like. Don’t cooperate and you’ll be seeing the inside of a French prison before long.’
‘The Germans may have something to say about that.’
Seurat shook his head. ‘I don’t think so. They’ll accept a European arrest warrant, and there’s more than enough evidence behind it. You have aided and abetted your husband, a man who’s facing charges on everything from illegal arms dealing to kidnapping.’
‘What do you want me to do? You know I would never betray Antoine,’ she said defiantly, gesturing to emphasise the point. Seurat noticed that nowadays she limited herself to two rings – but both looked a good deal more valuable than in the days of the market stall.
‘I’m not asking you to betray him; I’m asking you to help him. And you can do that by helping me.’
She looked at him sardonically. ‘That sounds unlikely. How does it work?’
‘He listens to you, Annette. You know he does. He thinks all the rest of us are fools and you and he are the only clever ones.’
Annette grimaced. ‘I’m not sure he’d include me, not these days. He’d tell you I’m always whining. Anyway, I don’t see how I can help you. I don’t know the details of Antoine’s business. I never have. He’s an old-fashioned Frenchman that way.’
Seurat eyed her sceptically but she returned his look with a stare of her own, as if daring him not to believe her. He was confident she knew more than she was letting on, but her true value lay in her influence over Milraud, not in any information she might have about his activities. He said, ‘I believe you. But a judge might not – you’re in this up to your neck, as I’m sure you know. But if you cooperate – and more importantly if you get Antoine to cooperate – there’s still a chance you can lead a normal life again.’
It was her turn to look sceptical, so he went on: ‘I mean it. I’m not saying Antoine won’t have to serve time in prison, he will – and you may too – but perhaps for less time than otherwise. To be quite clear, what I’m saying is that Antoine can help himself by cooperating and you can help him and yourself by persuading him. Life in prison won’t be pleasant, but I can’t imagine life on the run is much fun either.’
‘It’s had its moments.’
‘Where do you call home these days?’
She shrugged. He said, ‘Come on, Annette, we’re already checking with the airlines for passengers called Pliska. I’ll know all your recent movements soon enough.’
She hesitated, then said sourly, ‘Caracas. We have a flat there.’
‘Good God. I don’t imagine that’s the safest place for a woman left on her own a lot of the time, as I imagine you are.’
‘Venezuela’s a very beautiful country,’ she replied defensively.
‘I should think it needs to be – to compensate for all the other disadvantages.’
Annette laughed out loud. A good sign, thought Seurat; he had always been able to make her laugh in the past. He went on, ‘The good news is that you won’t be going back there for a while. The bad news is that it could be a long, long while. That’s up to you.’
‘So what do you want me to do?’
‘Encourage Antoine to
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