Page 39 of The Secret Librarian
Avery breathed deeply, but after a moment of just standing together, Camille turned to her. ‘Why were you looking for me last night, Avery? To tell me about the PVDE?’
‘That, and I was coming to tell you that ...’ Avery shook her head, as if she didn’t want to tell Camille. She looked torn. ‘I was coming to tell you that I thought I saw James.’
‘You’re certain?’ Camille asked, grabbing hold of her arm. ‘Where was he? Tell me where you saw him?’
‘He walked past the restaurant last night. I’m guessing he’d just returned from—’
‘France. He must have just returned from France.’ She paced a few steps away then came straight back. ‘You’re certain it was him you saw? You couldn’t have made a mistake?’
Avery shook her head. ‘I didn’t make a mistake. It was him.’
Camille took Avery’s hand in hers and pressed their palms together, looking out at the water as tears burned in her eyes. She’d waited so long to hold someone accountable, and she might finally have her chance.
‘Will you turn him in to the authorities? How does this even work?’ Avery asked. ‘You have to tell me what happens next.’
‘No,’ Camille replied. ‘I’m going to take care of it myself.’
‘Meaning?’ Avery asked.
‘That I’m the only person in Lisbon who cares about what he’s done, and I intend on making him pay.’
Avery pulled her hand away. ‘ Meaning? ’
‘Meaning that I’ve been waiting for this day since the moment my husband was murdered beside me to hold someone accountable, and no one is going to stop me.’ Not even you, Avery. Even you couldn’t stop me.
‘What if I told you that I was in love with him?’
Camille’s heart skipped a beat, but it didn’t matter what Avery said, she already knew what she had to do. ‘Are you?’
‘I think I’m in love with the man I thought he was,’ Avery said, and Camille saw the shine of tears in her eyes. ‘I still can’t bear to think of him being hurt, even though I know that’s terribly naive of me.’
‘I understand that, truly I do, more than you can imagine.’ Camille gripped her hand again, more tightly this time. ‘But you said you’d help me, and I need your help tonight.’
Avery looked more uncertain than Camille had ever seen her look, but she didn’t pull away.
‘What would you need me to do?’
‘I’d need you to come out with me, to the hotel.’
‘To draw James out?’ Avery asked, her voice small. ‘You want to use me as bait?’
‘If I’m wrong about him, then he can prove himself to me tonight.’ But Camille knew she wasn’t wrong. The information Kiefer had given her was good – James was the man she was searching for.
‘But if you’re right?’
They were both silent. Camille chose not to fill in the blank.
‘Just tell me you’ll think about it. I’ll be at the Hotel Avenida tonight, at one of the back tables,’ Camille said. ‘If you want to join me, meet me there at six.’
Avery started to walk away, but after a few steps she turned and gave Camille a look she couldn’t decipher, that she very much hoped meant Avery was thinking about it.
‘Avery, it’s me. Whatever doubts you have, whoever you think is trying to deceive you, it’s not me. You have to believe that.’
Avery slowly nodded, and Camille watched her walk off, but Avery was only a few feet away when she stopped and turned back around.
‘What happens if the PVDE raid your shop again?’
‘They won’t find anything,’ Camille said. ‘They can turn the place over again and again, but there’s nothing to find.’
‘Promise?’
Camille placed her hand on her heart. ‘I promise, Avery. I’m being more careful than I’ve ever been before, and there is nothing left for them to find.’
All they’ll find are memories. There is nothing there they can arrest me for, unless they’ve discovered that I’m not the Portuguese widow I’ve been pretending to be.
‘You came.’
Camille had never been so relieved to see someone before.
‘Of course I came,’ Avery said. ‘Besides, I don’t think even the PVDE could arrest me just for having a drink, could they?’
Camille gave her a hug and she listened to Avery’s big sigh, which she hoped was one of relief that they were together.
‘Has there been any sign of him?’ Avery asked.
‘No, but your friend William is here. He’s heading our way now, and I think I’ll leave you so that I can watch from a better vantage point, to see if James arrives. If he’s here, you’ll be the one to draw him out.’
William arrived at their table then, a bottle of champagne in one hand, and glasses in the other.
‘Avery,’ he said. ‘What a pleasant surprise.’
‘It’s lovely to see you, too, William,’ she said, finding that she was happy to see him. He was at least a nice distraction from everything else.
‘If you’ll both excuse me, I have to go and powder my nose,’ Camille said. ‘I’ll see you soon.’
She went to pick up her handbag, but Avery’s hand reached out.
‘You can leave that here if you want me to look after it.’
Camille quickly grabbed hold of her bag and pulled it closer, sliding it over her shoulder and keeping it snug to her body.
‘What on earth do you have in there?’ Avery asked as she let it go.
‘Just what I usually have,’ Camille said, patting it innocently and praying that William’s attention wasn’t drawn to what she might be carrying. ‘I’ll be back soon.’
As she walked, she slipped her hand inside and let it rest on the cool metal of the pistol, and even though she’d expected to be nervous, the strangest sense of calm settled over her as she crossed the room to search for her target.