‘Right, you two. Dry yourselves off, get dressed and go to the games room while I have a quick swim. Papa Jean-Claude will be here soon and then we’ll have a quick snack before we go home.’
Nanette had taken the twins up to the villa on Sunday afternoon for a swim. To her disappointment, there had been no sign of Jean-Claude. Anneka had told her, ‘Monsieur had to go out for an hour. He asks that you wait for his return.’
Lazily floating on her back after completing a couple of energetic lengths, Nanette found herself thinking about Mathieu’s revelations and the package currently concealed under her bed. Somehow she had to find the right moment to go inconspicuously to Pole Position and put it in the safe.
She heard the twins calling out ‘Bonjour, Papa Jean-Claude,’ and quickly swam to the steps and got out of the pool. Before she could pick up her towel, Jean-Claude appeared and took her in his arms.
‘I’ll make you all wet,’ Nanette protested weakly, before she surrendered herself to his embrace. Several minutes passed before Nanette sighed and drew away. ‘I think you’d better let me get dressed before the twins come demanding to be fed,’ she said regretfully, giving Jean-Claude one last lingering kiss.
It was early evening when Nanette left to take the twins back to the apartment. Olivia and Pierre had already kissed their grandfather goodbye and were waiting for Nanette out on the terrace when Jean-Claude said, ‘I’ve been thinking about the package. If you are determined to replace it – and I agree that would probably be for the best – I will come with you. I think tomorrow morning after the twins go to school, n’est pas? I will wait on the quay, while you go on board.’
Nanette hesitated before saying, ‘Perhaps Mathieu ought to come with me instead. The police have involved him officially, whereas you…’ Her voice trailed off.
‘Non. I’m coming with you.’
Nanette smiled, before kissing him gently. ‘OK. Thanks. Now, I’m going home to get the twins to bed and I think I might have an early night myself. I’ll see you in the morning.’
When Nanette did go to bed, soon after the twins, she slept fitfully. She’d been convinced she was so tired she would have no problems sleeping, but the hot midsummer night air was stifling. Even the ceiling fan silently whirring away above her head was failing to keep her cool. It wasn’t just the heat keeping her awake. Her mind was tossing and turning, too. All day Mathieu’s words ‘it isn’t over yet’ had been playing on her mind.
She knew Boris was still in jail, having been refused bail, and the latest rumour flying around Monaco was that Interpol had arrested his son. More arrests were expected to be made soon. Was that going to include Zac?
Mathieu had spent most of the day in the apartment on his computer after warning her and Jean-Claude that things were likely to come to a head soon and he intended to lie low for a few days.
Unable to sleep and sighing in frustration, Nanette got out of bed. Pulling on her dressing gown, she went through the silent apartment to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. A dim light was shining under the threshold of Mathieu’s door, everywhere else was in darkness. At least he was home tonight.
Returning to her room, she opened the curtains and pushed the balcony door open. The breeze from the harbour ruffled her hair but was too hot to bring any relief from the heat.
Glancing down at the harbour, Nanette was struck by a sudden idea as she looked at Pole Position gently moving on its mooring. The lights were on in the main saloon of the yacht – that had to mean only one thing: the crew, or at least Phil, the skipper, was still up.
Ten minutes – fifteen at the most – was all it would take to go down, put the package in the safe and return to the apartment. The quay was relatively empty of people, with only a few couples out, taking a romantic night-time stroll.
With luck, nobody would even notice her. She’d be able to tell Jean-Claude in the morning he needn’t worry about accompanying her to the yacht. The package was back where it should be. She and Jean-Claude could no longer be linked to the contents.
Quickly putting on a pair of jeans and a dark top, she slipped her feet into her docksiders, before pulling the box from under the bed and taking out the Vacances au Soleil papers as well as the package. If the luxury holiday business was a front for money laundering, as Mathieu had said, those papers, too, would be better back on board.
Picking up her keys, Nanette quietly left the apartment and went down the marble stairs rather than take the lift. As quiet as it was at this time of night, the sound of its movement did drift through to the apartment and she didn’t want to disturb Mathieu.
Once on the quay alongside Pole Position, Nanette was surprised to find that although the ‘No Entry’ sign was in place, the gangway to the yacht was lowered, so she simply unhooked the chain with its ‘Private’ sign and walked on board, before hooking it back in place. The door to the main cabin was closed and, as she opened it, Phil glanced up from the table where he was working on some papers.
‘Hi. I just need to put these in Zac’s safe,’ Nanette said confidently, as she walked past him towards the master bedroom, willing him not to stop her.
Phil looked as though he was about to say something and then simply shrugged his shoulders and returned to his paperwork.
Nanette didn’t bother to throw the light switch in the bedroom – there was enough light from the passageway for her to see her way across. In the bathroom, she pushed the door to as she switched on the mirror lights before kneeling down and moving the towels and lifting the under-sink shelf out.
Once again she concentrated on remembering the twists and turns between the numbers and breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled the safe door open. She was doing what she should have done originally – putting the package in the safe.
Another minute and she’d be on her way back to the apartment. Her actions froze as her gaze took in the empty shelf where the gun had been: there was only one person in the world who could have removed it.
The door behind her creaked. Slowly, she raised her head. A cold shiver ran through her as she saw the man reflected in the illuminated bathroom mirror.
Nanette watched, rigid with fear, as Zac Ewart casually flipped off the safety catch before levelling the gun at her and asking, ‘Why, oh why, did you have to meddle, Nanette?’
Night-time sounds of the crew moving about up on deck punctuated the silence as Zac regarded Nanette intently, the gun steady in his hand.
‘What are you doing here?’ Nanette forced the question out, her gaze firmly on the gun.
‘Only five drivers were going to trust their tyres enough to line up on the grid. As none of them are anywhere near me in the championship, I decided I could boycott the race too, without it affecting my title chances,’ Zac said. ‘So, as I had some urgent business to sort out here, and my usual private jet was on standby, I decided to come home.’
‘Do you intend on using that, or shall I put it in the safe too?’ Nanette asked quietly, indicating the gun.
Zac looked at the gun as if he’d forgotten he was holding it, and shrugged. ‘Might as well.’ As he leant forward and handed it to her, he said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s not loaded.’
Wordlessly, Nanette took the gun from him and put it in the safe.
‘Why didn’t you put the package in the safe the other day?’
Nanette swallowed hard. ‘Couldn’t remember the correct twists and turns between the numbers,’ she said finally, hoping he’d believe her.
‘Oh, and now you can. Came back to you in a flash, did it? Incidentally, I’ll have the Vacances au Soleil papers if that’s what’s in the envelope. They don’t need to go in the safe.’
Silently, Nanette handed the envelope up to him. ‘You lied to me, didn’t you, Zac, when you told me there was nothing illegal about the package?’
Zac shrugged. ‘Did you open it?’
Nanette flushed but didn’t answer.
Zac’s eyes narrowed. ‘You did. I trust you didn’t go as far as using any of the contents? Or even showing them to anyone else?’
‘Why would I show bottles of shampoo to anyone?’ Nanette said, as innocently as she could. Nothing would induce her to tell Zac that Jean-Claude had been with her when she opened the parcel – or that Mathieu had also seen the contents and told her what they contained.
‘Good. Well, go on, put it in the safe.’ He watched as she carefully did as she was told and closed the door. ‘Don’t forget to leave everything tidy, will you?’ he said, looking at the shelf and the towels on the floor, before turning on his heels and leaving Nanette alone in the bathroom.
Shakily, she carefully slotted the shelf back in position before reaching for the towels. Only a few more minutes and she’d be off the yacht and on her way home.
Nanette steadied herself against the cupboard as the yacht rocked unexpectedly on her mooring. That wasn’t right. Boats didn’t rock like that on their harbour moorings. Suddenly she registered the muted vibration of the boat’s engines. Pole Position was underway. Terror flooded her body as bile rose in her throat and she realised the truth.
Leaving the towels on the floor and slamming the bathroom door behind her, she ran to the nearest porthole in the master bedroom. Monaco town lights were fading into indistinguishable specks along the shoreline. The walls that guarded the entrance of the harbour were disappearing from view as the yacht made for the open sea.
‘Beautiful evening for a trip round the bay, don’t you think?’
Nanette spun round to see Zac watching her lazily from the large king-sized bed.
‘Turn the yacht around and let me off,’ Nanette demanded.
Zac shook his head. ‘Sorry, I can’t do that. We have to talk.’
Nanette glared at him. ‘If I’m not there to take the twins to school tomorrow morning, Mathieu will be worried.’
Zac shrugged. ‘I spoke to him a few minutes ago. I told him you were spending the night on board with me.’
Nanette flushed angrily at the implication behind his words. ‘If you don’t turn around immediately, the first thing I shall do when I get back is go to the authorities and have you charged with kidnapping,’ Nanette threatened.
‘They’d just think you were a spurned lover – after all, you were happy enough to come aboard before. Besides, you did come aboard of your own free will. Phil will attest to that.’
Disconsolate and fighting back tears, Nanette stared at him. It seemed a long time ago that she had thought she loved this man. ‘How long do you intend to keep me on board?’
Before Zac could answer, there was a discreet knock on the cabin door.
‘The saloon is ready, sir,’ the head stewardess said.
Zac turned to Nanette. ‘You told me recently we needed a serious talk, so, shall we be civilised and do it over a meal?’
‘Answer my question. How long?’
Zac sighed before saying slowly, ‘As long as necessary. Now, shall we eat? I haven’t eaten properly for hours.’
‘I’m not hungry,’ Nanette said.
‘Suit yourself. You can talk to me while I eat.’ Zac swung himself off the bed and walked to the saloon.
Two places were laid on the mahogany dining-table – crystal glasses, silver cutlery and candles in gold candelabra gave a gentle glow to the cabin. Champagne nestled in a silver ice bucket, while a CD of guitar music was playing softly in the background.
‘Just like the old days again when we were together,’ Zac said.
‘Hardly,’ Nanette snapped.
Zac poured a glass of champagne and offered it to her. When Nanette shook her head and turned away, he raised the glass in a mock salute before taking a long drink and then topping up the glass.
‘Vanessa is due back soon, isn’t she? Thought any more about working with me on Vacances au Soleil? We could be a good team again. I’ll even make you a director if you want. I’m hoping Mathieu is going to join the company too, in the near future.’ He moved across to the table and helped himself to a portion of smoked salmon.
Nanette, about to protest that Mathieu definitely wouldn’t be joining him and that she knew Vacances au Soleil was a front for a money-laundering operation, stopped. Zac didn’t yet know the part Mathieu was about to play in his downfall.
‘The answer is still no, Zac. I won’t work for you again.’ She paused. ‘Besides, I’m not entirely convinced you’re not lying to me when you say it’s a legal business.’
Zac regarded her steadily.
‘You lied to me – to everyone – three years ago, about the accident, didn’t you? So what’s to stop you lying to me again?’ she said, watching his face for a reaction to her words. ‘I wasn’t driving that night, was I, Zac? What I don’t understand is why you lied? Why you ruined my life?’
In the silence that followed her words, Zac impassively forked some smoked salmon into his mouth.
Nanette felt her temper rising. How could he be so indifferent to what she was saying, to her feelings? He didn’t care. Had he ever really cared?
‘I remember driving to the restaurant,’ Nanette continued softly. ‘I remember the friends who were there. We all had a lovely meal and the champagne flowed. As it was my birthday, I drove us there and you promised to drive us home, so half a glass of champagne was all you drank.’
Nanette took a deep breath. ‘I also remember coming out of the restaurant and finding it was raining – hard. The kind of wet weather you are renowned to like for pushing your car to the limit. I remember you getting into the driver’s seat when we left the restaurant, a happy smile on your face. And yet, after the accident, you deliberately made it look as though I’d been driving when I was over the limit. When all the time it was you who lost control of the car when it aquaplaned.’ Nanette held her breath, waiting for his reaction.
Zac sighed before finally looking her in the eye. ‘Couldn’t you just see the headlines in the Nice Matin – “Formula 1 Ace charged with dangerous driving”? So, when the pompiers arrived and assumed you were the driver as it was your car, I decided not to enlighten them.’
‘It was very convenient for you then, that I lost my memory for so long, wasn’t it? Couldn’t speak up and set the story straight.’
Zac didn’t reply.
‘Is that why you didn’t come near me again? Why you had me airlifted back to the UK? You were afraid that I would suddenly broadcast to the world that it wasn’t me behind the wheel that night. It was a famous racing driver who had taken the coward’s way out!’
‘I did pull you out of the wreckage before it burst into flames. I deserve some credit for that, don’t I?’ Zac asked quietly.
‘I saw the headlines calling you a hero for saving my life, and I owe you my thanks for that.’ Nanette glared at him. ‘But what you did afterwards was despicable, Zac. I was vilified and ostracised by my friends, sent away like I was contagious. I was labelled a drunken driver, charged with dangerous driving and lost my licence. The world thought I’d nearly killed you, when in fact it was you who nearly killed me.’
‘The media would have crucified me, Nanette. I was at a critical point of my career – just changing teams – I didn’t need the wrong sort of publicity. You, on the other hand’ – he shrugged before giving her a sardonic smile – ‘who was going to really care whether you lost your licence? You were just my girlfriend, no one special in the eyes of the world.’
As he stared her down, defying her to argue with him, Nanette knew that any lingering love she had once felt for Zac Ewart had just been bludgeoned to death by his callous words.
‘Tomorrow I am going to start clearing my name,’ she said defiantly.
‘Why bother after all this time? Besides, who are people going to believe: a world-famous racing driver or a one-time office girl?’ Zac hesitated before adding quietly, ‘I did try once, Nanette, to set the record straight, but by then the police had done their paperwork and it was too late.’
‘If you had any decency left, you’d come with me and make them acknowledge the truth.’ Nanette gazed reflectively at Zac. Life on the race track was a serious business, not to be taken lightly, but away from the circuit, Zac had always had this cavalier attitude to life. It had been one of the things she’d found difficult to accept about him. Jean-Claude, she knew, would never have deserted her in her hour of need. That Jean-Claude would always be there for her, she didn’t doubt for a single second.
‘Nanette, what are you thinking? You’re miles away. I remember you getting that dreamy look when we were together. Are you thinking about us?’
Nanette shook her head. ‘Oh no, Zac. I’m not taking a trip down memory lane with you. I’m thinking about my future and you are staying firmly in the past.’
‘Have you met someone else?’
‘Yes,’ Nanette said simply. ‘Someone very special. Someone who truly loves me.’
Nanette didn’t understand the pained look that crossed Zac’s face, but she did realise that he clearly hadn’t been expecting that answer from her.
There was a short silence, before he said slowly, ‘I hope things work out for you.’ He drained his glass of champagne before continuing quietly, ‘My life changed after the accident too. The last three years have been difficult for me. There are different things at stake these days – that’s why I can’t suddenly announce I was responsible for the accident.’
‘Things like your business deals with that criminal Boris Takyanov? You know, Zac,’ Nanette said thoughtfully, ‘I never had you down as a common criminal. How did that happen?’
Zac was silent for several seconds before saying, ‘I stupidly got myself involved in something I shouldn’t have. The next thing I knew, Takyanov made me an offer I couldn’t refuse – didn’t dare refuse,’ he added quietly. ‘Now I’m in too deep for him to let me go.’
‘He’s blackmailing you? Oh Zac, what a mess,’ Nanette said sadly. ‘Well, I can’t see him doing much in the way of business from Monaco jail,’ she added.
Zac spun round from the table where he was helping himself to yet more champagne. ‘Takyanov’s been arrested?’
‘Hadn’t you heard? Along with several of his so-called business associates. And his son in Brazil too.’
Zac pushed past her and opened the cabin door. ‘Phil, turn around and take us back to harbour now,’ he shouted.
Nanette heard the skipper’s answering ‘Will do’, felt Pole Position change course and closed her eyes as her body relaxed. This nightmare would soon be over.
Unexpectedly, Zac grabbed her hand. ‘I need some air. Come on, let’s go out on deck and watch the lights.’
As Zac pulled her towards the yacht’s bow, Nanette was struck by an irrational fear. Could he possibly be planning to push her overboard and claim it was an accident?