The Death of Corinne by R.T. Raichev Page B

in the past and suffered some kind of paralysis.’ Suddenly Jonson looked confused and very worried. ‘She has almost completely recovered – I don’t think her brain is at all affected – but she tends to lose her temper. Her face is an odd shape – her mouth is slightly twisted to one side.’
    Lady Grylls smiled and she clapped her hands. ‘A gorgon – in more ways than one! She bullies Corinne, doesn’t she? ‘
    ‘Really, Lady Grylls, I can’t possibly –’
    ‘You don’t think she imposes Nazi-style diktats on my god-daughter? Oh very well – you are being tiresome. Do go on with your story. Wait – let me give you another slice of cake. So. Did you rumble the scumbag who’d been feeding canards to the press?’
    ‘I did. It was one of the chambermaids. A girl from Normandy named Emilie,’ Jonson explained as he munched. ‘I discovered a photograph she’d taken of Mademoiselle Coreille hidden under another, larger, photograph, of some young heart-throb of an actor. The two photos were pinned inside Emilie’s locker.’
    ‘What does Corinne do in the photo?’ Lady Grylls leant back in her chair. ‘Details, please. I love details. Unless it’s a compromising photo – I don’t want to hear if it’s anything salacious!’
    ‘No, nothing like that . . . Well, Mademoiselle Coreille is sitting at her dressing table, putting on her make-up. The way the light falls on her head, it does make her look as though she has no hair. It is only a trick of the light. Her face is covered in make-up and she is admiring the effect.’
    His voice was softer now, Antonia noticed – gentler. She was struck by a thought: had Jonson fallen in love with Corinne Coreille? She must be – what? Twenty years older than him – still, these things did happen.
    ‘There is a ki –’ He broke off. ‘There is a kipper – um – on a plate on the dressing table.’
    He had flushed deep red. Had he been about to say something else? Antonia wondered.
    ‘A kipper! Goodness. Is Corinne fond of kippers?’ Lady Grylls exclaimed. ‘Are you sure? Must remember to order some for her breakfast . . . What else?’
    ‘A wig can be seen on a dummy’s head on the table beside her. Maître Maginot explained that Mademoiselle Coreille did not lose her hair, merely had it cropped very short for a while as part of some special treatment aimed at strengthening her scalp. Mademoiselle Coreille apparently has two wigs, both of them identical, which she uses in emergencies.’
    ‘Did that gel – the maid – make a clean breast of how she’d taken the photo, or did she put up a fight?’
    ‘Emilie denied taking the photograph at first, but I pointed out that actually her reflection could be seen in the photo – that it had been caught in the lower left corner of the mirror. I said she could be seen with the camera held up to her face.’ He grinned. ‘I bluffed – but it did the trick. Emilie broke down and admitted she had taken the picture through the bedroom door, which had been left ajar. Maître Maginot then dismissed her and that was where the matter rested. Maître Maginot didn’t carry out her threat to take the girl to court, no. She explained she did it out of consideration for Corinne. She felt that a court case would have brought a great deal of unwelcome, lurid and inaccurate publicity at a time Corinne Coreille was making a come-back.’
    Major Payne cleared his throat. ‘About this business of the death threats, Jonson. Your present commission. Have you any ideas as to who might have been sending them?’
    ‘There’s nothing conclusive but at this stage, sir, there is one person who seems to be – indicated. An American woman called Eleanor Merchant. It’s a very peculiar story –’
    ‘Her son committed suicide as he listened to a recording of a Corinne Coreille song?’
    He stared at Antonia. ‘Yes. How – how did you know about it?’
    ‘I told you they were terribly good!’ Lady Grylls