Page 38 of The Chalet Girl

‘Oh Arjun doesn’t do ski school, he doesn’t like snow.’

‘He lives in Kristalldorf and he doesn’t like snow?’

Cassie gave a look as if to sayI know.

‘I have to take him home after school, but maybe tomorrow morning, after drop-off?’ Cassie said with a dazzling smile.

‘That would be wonderful,’ Emme beamed.

Chapter Twenty-Six

At the departures gate at Geneva airport, Lysander Steinherr looked at his watch. It would be 5am in New York, but the man whose name he scrolled to in his phone always slept with one eye open, and he answered with just one ring and a gruff:

‘Who’s talkin?’

‘Rico! It’s Zand Steinherr here…’

‘Hey, Mister Steinherr, how you doin’?’

Rico was an Italian American from Hell’s Kitchen who was the most reliable man in town when it came to getting the dirt on a dodgy politician, finding out who was schtupping who they shouldn’t be, or getting secret paperwork pertaining tounlawful developments at City Hall. Rico had found unscrupulous ways to help Lysander Steinherr win big cases over the years, and Lysander always managed to find legitimate ways to use that information.

Lysander didn’t beat around the bush.

‘I’m calling from Geneva airport with a sensitive favour…’

‘All favours are sensitive with me,’ Rico reassured him.

‘Great– well can you do a deep dive into Kiki Bouffon Steinherr? She’s, er…’ Lysander looked around at the people sitting at the departures gate.

‘I know who she is,’ Rico said steadfastly.

‘There has to be something from her past. Her employment history is documented, no gaps, but I’m particularly interested in what she did before she was twenty-one.’ Lysander had already looked into Kiki’s employment when his father married her, and her stories about Monte Carlo, Vegas and Atlantic City had all tallied. ‘I know you’ll do great.’

‘I’m already looking into it, boss.’

‘Great. Usual rate, usual fee. But if you can find something watertight that gets my dad out of alimony, then I’ll double it.’

‘Thank you sir, I’ll get on the case.’

‘Thanks Rico.’

‘No problem, have a great flight.’

Lysander ended the call, turned his phone onto airplane mode and walked up to the gate, Swiss and American passports in hand. He knew that by the time he was back at his desk in Midtown Manhattan there would be a manila envelope furnished with salaciousness. No woman could have fought off that many hard-ballers without having an interesting story along the way.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

As Emme weaved back through the high street she lingered on what Lexy had said that morning. This place was contradictory and bizarre. Some elements of Kristalldorf were state-of-the-art: the facial recognition entry Lexy had now set her up with, swipe cards for the ski lift, adverts she was walking past that looked like they might be holograms. While others were antiquated. The Omega clock at the main train station might be studded with diamonds, but it was analogue. The horse and cart waiting to ferry guests on the cobbled stones outside the Grand Hotel Sommar on the square.

This place is endlessly confusing.

Emme thought of Cassie and already sensed she would be a handy ally in navigating Kristalldorf; how she would be able to ask her questions she couldn’t ask her boss.

As Emme walked past the train station she noticed the Steinherrhof hotel beyond it, and idly looked through the windows, not expecting to see Tiago behind the desk, but pleased that she had. He looked up, smiled and waved.

‘Hi!’ Emme waved back, miming a question as to whether she should go in and say hello.

‘Of course!’ Tiago mouthed, nodding, so she walked in under the heavy old-oak frontage, through swish glass doors that glided apart with ease.