Sonata (Butcher and Violinist 2)

I spoke to the table in garbled French, “Excuse me. I have to take this phone call.”

Jean-Pierre’s aunts smiled and then nodded. His other cousins continued their conversation. However, Jean-Pierre and Rafael rose from the table and followed me.

I continued several feet away from the noise and pulled out my phone.

Jean-Pierre walked over to me. “Who is it? You look worried.”

I checked the screen. “The number is hidden.”

“I expected that.” Jean-Pierre got to my side. “Answer and put it on speaker.”

I did. “Hello?”

Shalimar’s voice came over. “Eden, are you alone?”

I glanced at Jean-Pierre.

He nodded.

I cleared my throat. “Yes, I’m alone.”

Fear dotted her words. “Where are you?”

I knew Jean-Pierre didn’t like people to know about his place in Nice, so I lied. “I’m in Paris. Where are you, Shalimar? What’s wrong?”

“I’m in Paris too. And everything is wrong. I shouldn’t do this, but I have to.”

Shocked, I stuttered, “W-what? You’re in Paris. Why?”

“Long, tragic story. One I can tell you later. Do you think you can get away from Jean-Pierre? You’re still with him, right?”

“Yes. . .I’m still with him. . .and yeah I can get away from him.”

What the hell is going on?

“Today?” she asked.

I bit my lip. We were in Nice. I’d just told her I was in Paris. Jean-Pierre nodded at me to tell her yes. Did he intend for me to meet with Shalimar, or someone else? There’d been a reason she didn’t want him listening in on this phone call. What if the information that she had to give me dealt with him? What if he knew about it?

Or am I just being paranoid? Who wouldn’t in this situation?

“No.” I shook my head. “I can’t meet with you today.”

Rafael frowned.

Jean-Pierre kept a neutral expression, but I could tell he was pissed.

“I figured that,” Shalimar said. “Let’s meet tomorrow afternoon. Tell Jean-Pierre it’s a nail appointment. We’ll meet at a nail salon. Get a pen and paper really quick. I can meet you at the address, but it has to be fast.”

Rafael pulled out his phone and motioned at it to me.

“Go ahead, Shalimar. I’ve got it.”

She spouted out an address. I read it back to her from Raphael’s phone.

When I finished, she spoke with tension. “Eden?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t tell Jean-Pierre, and definitely not Rafael.”

Rafael rolled his eyes.

“Why not?” I asked.

“You know why not. Celina told me that you know everything.”

I sighed. “So you’ve talked to my aunt?”

“Unfortunately. Thanks for that by the way. Celina may never forgive me.”

I raised the phone closer to my mouth. “Why are you in France?”

“I’ll tell you when I see you tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Because someone could be listening.”

Jean-Pierre raised his eyebrows.

“I’ll see you 2pm tomorrow,” she said. “It will be really quick. I have to give you something.”

“What?”

“I’m not telling you on the phone. I probably shouldn’t have even said that. In fact, let’s get off the line now. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“But Shalimar—”

She hung up.

Fuck.

I turned my phone off.

Rafael seethed with anger. “Why the hell didn’t you tell her you could meet with her today?”

“Because it would take me a while to get up there—”

Jean-Pierre interrupted. “You weren’t going to meet with her.”

“I was.”

“You won’t.” He turned to Rafael. “Trace the number. If you can, get Shalimar tonight. If not, meet her at the address tomorrow.”

Rafael grinned and then did a dramatic salute. “That’s the best order I’ve received this decade.”

Rafael left us there.

Jean-Pierre turned my way.

I leaned my head to the side. “I’m not going to meet with her tomorrow?”

“No, you’re not.”

I swallowed. “That’s not your decision to make.”

“Really?” He crossed his arms. “I’ve been told that it is my decision.”

“I understand that there are other elements at play—”

“You have no idea of the monsters that we’re dealing with. I don’t want you near any of this. I said I would do my best to shield it from you, and that’s what I’m doing.”

Of course he had a point. And of course, he knew exactly what the hell he was talking about. But I didn’t want to be out of the loop when it came to Shalimar and my aunt.

He closed the distance between us. “I can’t let you go to Shalimar, but I’ll bring her to you. Whatever she has to say and give you, she’ll do it here. And you both will have your privacy.”

“Will we?”

“You will. I promise you that.”

“But you’ll talk to her first?”

He stirred a little. “I won’t, but Rafael will.”

“And he’ll be nice?”

He smiled. “You’re worrying about Rafael hurting Shalimar? It’s more of the other way around. I would go with him, if not for our trip—”

I shook my head. “Then, let’s go. I want to be there.”

“In Paris?”

“Yes. I’m on edge. I’ve loved meeting your family and seeing your hometown, but I need to know what’s going on with my aunt and her. This is crazy. Shalimar being in Paris is no coincidence. I’m sure my aunt is here or around, and I want to talk to Aunt Celina, before she tries to do something that brings more violence.”