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Leo’s smile was full of misery.
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I don’t completely believe you, but that’s beside the point. The point is that there are people out there who want to kidnap this delightful little girl and we saw some of them this evening. There are people after her and she needs someone to care for her.’ I swiped my hand through the air. ‘All of this god stuff doesn’t matter. Simone’s safety and happiness is the most important thing.’
Leo and Ms Kwan shared a look. ‘Impressive,’ Ms Kwan said softly.
‘He was worried you’d resign after this evening, like all the others did. And then Simone would be heartbroken,’ Leo said.
‘No way will I ever leave Simone as long as she needs me.’ Then I heard what he’d said. ‘Others? How many others?’
‘At least fifteen in the twelve months before you arrived,’ Leo said. ‘He’d just about given up when you came on part-time. When the others saw the weapons they were scared away. You’re the first to find out who he really is.’
‘Leo, do you think he’ll teach me? I’d really like to learn the martial arts.’
‘I dunno, Emma, it’s up to him. But I think it’s a good idea. The more of us who are trained, the better we can defend Simone. You should ask him.’
‘I did,’ I said. ‘He said no, definitely not, and never to ask again.’
Leo glanced sharply at Ms Kwan.
‘Leave it for now then,’ Ms Kwan said. ‘I will talk to him.’
‘Any questions?’ Leo said.
‘A million, but right now I think I’ll just wait and see. I’m not completely convinced, but I’m willing to stay on for Simone’s sake.’
‘Let’s go and tell him then,’ Leo said. ‘He’ll be delighted.’
Mr Chen was sitting on one of the sofas with some Chinese tea on a side table next to him. Simone was busily drawing pictures of the Eiffel Tower, her drawing equipment spread all over the floor.
‘Will you stay, Emma?’ Mr Chen said.
‘Yes, I will.’
‘Thank you. You’re very brave.’
I shook my head. ‘No. I’m completely crazy.’
He made a soft sound of amusement, then nodded towards Simone. ‘Simone’s bedtime now, please.’
I stopped in front of Mr Chen. He was dressed all in black as usual, a scruffy T-shirt and a pair of torn cotton pants. His feet were comfortably bare and his long hair had already come out of its tie.
He saw the way I was looking at him. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I’m not going to grow three heads any time soon.’
Ms Kwan sat in the armchair next to him and he poured her some tea. ‘Four heads, a hundred arms and a thousand eyes,’ she said.
‘Maybe only two heads,’ he said. ‘I keep forgetting. It’s been a very long time now.’
‘Two heads again soon, I am sure, Ah Wu.’
‘Not too soon,’ he said, and they laughed quietly together.
‘I am going to do some research on Xuan Wu the minute we’re back in Hong Kong,’ I said defiantly.
He seemed surprised, then grinned broadly. ‘Go right ahead.’ He crossed his arms over his chest and stretched his long legs in front of him. ‘Seventy-five per cent of what’s out there about me is wrong anyway.’ He gestured with his teacup towards Simone. ‘Bedtime, Simone.’
‘Come on, Simone,’ I said.
‘I don’t wanna go to bed. I wanna draw with Aunty Kwan.’
‘You have to go to bed now if you want us to take you to Tuileries tomorrow,’ Leo said from the dining room door.
Simone leapt up and grabbed my hand. ‘Hurry up, Emma.’
I could feel Mr Chen’s eyes on my back as I led Simone out. I turned. He was watching me, intently. When he saw me looking, he smiled and met my eyes. Something leapt inside me and I slapped it down, hard.
CHAPTER TEN (#ulink_2a6148cf-ca2a-5c62-a944-a22058f958d1)
We walked over the Pont Neuf towards Notre Dame. Simone still had boundless energy and skipped beside us.
The forecourt of the cathedral was packed with tourists from all over the world and there was a long queue curling out from the main entrance.
‘Do you want to go inside?’ I asked Simone. ‘There’s a lot of people waiting.’
‘Notre Dame’s boring,’ she said, and slowed to grab Leo’s hand. ‘Come on, Leo.’ She dragged him across the road towards some three-storey stone buildings around a gated forecourt. Wigged and gowned lawyers walked up and down the stairs. I checked my mini map of Paris: the Justice Building.
‘What are we doing here?’ I said, but they ignored me and I had to hurry to keep up with them.
We went around the corner to where a tiny, dingy chapel nestled under the walls of the office buildings. I checked my map again: Saint Chapelle.
The queue wasn’t as long as the one for Notre Dame. Simone stopped jiggling and stood quietly while we paid the entry fees.
Inside, it wasn’t very impressive. The ceiling was quite low, and there was only a small amount of stained glass.
‘The rose windows are nice,’ I said. ‘Do you want to take a photo?’
‘No,’ Simone said and pulled Leo to the back of the chapel. A curving set of very narrow stairs led upwards. As Simone dragged Leo up the stairs his broad shoulders brushed against the walls, adding to the sheen of many bodies that had been there before.
When we reached the upper chapel the beauty of the interior took my breath away. The ceiling towered above us, with narrow stained-glass windows between the even narrower stone buttresses. The windows extended from ceiling to floor in a glittering dazzle of colours. They were like insubstantial glowing curtains between the fragile stonework of the walls.
A horseshoe of benches had been set up in the centre of the chapel to allow visitors a good view of the stained glass. Simone released Leo’s hand, sat herself on one of the benches and spent ten minutes silently staring at the windows.
A group of young tourists walked past us and Leo watched them carefully. I caught his attention and raised my eyebrows. He shook his head slightly.
Simone hopped off the bench and dragged us down the stairs again.
‘We have to be back at Ms Kwan’s soon,’ I said. ‘Anywhere else you want to go before we leave for London?’
‘Do I have time to go to Boulevard Haussmann and buy some stuff?’ Simone said. ‘I like the shops there.’
‘Sure,’ I said, stretching my feet.
‘Sore?’ Leo said.
‘No,’ I said. ‘Completely killing me.’
He bent to talk quietly to me. ‘Me too.’ He straightened. ‘Not finished yet. Boulevard Haussmann. Okay, I’ll call the driver.’
Simone pointed to the entrance to the Metro station. ‘I wanna take the train. Why can’t we take the train?’
‘Don’t be silly,’ I said. ‘It’s a long way down to the station and a long way up again. It’s much easier to take the van, and we can get to the shops faster.’
‘Okay,’ Simone said. ‘Hurry up, Leo. Can we go to the Eiffel Tower one more time before we leave?’
I sagged. ‘Simone, you’ve been there three times already.’
She grinned up at me. ‘But I like it.’
Leo pulled out his phone. ‘You don’t say.’
After a last lunch with Ms Kwan, we went out into the narrow leafy street where our van waited.
‘I had fun with Aunty Kwan,’ Simone said. ‘She’s my favourite.’
Leo opened the door of the van for us. Simone raced back to Ms Kwan for one last hug and kissed her on the cheek.
‘Look after your father for me,’ Ms Kwan said.
‘Come and visit us in Hong Kong,’ Simone said.
Ms Kwan nodded, smiling.
Leo took Simone and buckled her into the van.
I approached Ms Kwan and spoke softly. ‘I hope it’s all true, Ms Kwan.’
‘Don’t worry, dear Emma,’ she said, smiling gently. ‘Bring him back to me in about eight months; his energy will not last longer than ten. But it is best if I come to him.’ She took my hands and clasped them, and again I felt the warm sensation of comfort. ‘Look after our little Simone. She is very precious.’
‘Don’t worry, I will.’
I looked down at my hands where she held them. I wanted to tell her how much it meant to meet her, what it felt like to talk to her, how special she was. I wanted to thank her. But I couldn’t find the words. I looked up at her in desperation, to find her smiling at me.
‘It’s all right,’ she said, ‘I understand.’
I climbed into the van and sat next to Simone.
Mr Chen came out of the house, stood in front of Ms Kwan, and smiled down at her.
‘Let me know if you see any more of them,’ she said.
‘I will. Go back to your garden, Lady.’
‘I certainly will. All of this is much too elaborate for me.’
She raised her arms and sighed theatrically. ‘Ah, the sacrifices I make for you, Ah Wu.’
He stayed perfectly still, watching her. Then he fell to one knee before her and held his hands clasped in front of his chest in the Chinese salute.
Leo gasped.
Ms Kwan stamped her foot. ‘Ah Wu! If you ever do that to me again I will not speak to you for a hundred years.’
He rose and saluted her again.
Her voice trembled as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. ‘You are a silly old man.’
‘I know. I will see you in eight months.’ He climbed into the van and closed the door. ‘Let’s go.’
I glanced back through the rear window of the van as we pulled away. She was gone.
It was a short hop from Paris to the UK. A driver with a stretch limousine waited for us at Gatwick.
Leo and I sat facing the rear, and Mr Chen and Simone sat across from us, facing the driver. It was a crush with Mr Chen’s long legs and Leo’s huge mass and I understood why Mr Chen usually ordered a van.
Simone slept in the car, but Mr Chen seemed full of energy. He looked ten years younger after seeing Ms Kwan, nearly the same age as me. Whatever it was that she’d done to him, it had worked.
‘Leo, do you think you will be all right without me tomorrow?’ he said. ‘If you and Emma take Simone to the Science Museum?’
‘Should be okay, Mr Chen. There’ll be plenty of people around everywhere we go,’ Leo said.
‘They only come after you when there aren’t people around?’ I said.
Both Leo and Mr Chen nodded.
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Good.’
They stared at me.
‘Why good?’ Leo said.
‘Because if we always make sure there are plenty of people around, Simone will be safe,’ I said. ‘Obvious.’
Leo and Mr Chen shared a look.
‘Where are you planning to go, Mr Chen?’ I went on. Leo dug me in the ribs and I yelped. I rounded on him. ‘What?’
‘You ask too many questions,’ Leo said.
‘The hell I do. You’re always keeping me in the dark. I need to know what’s going on.’ I gestured towards Simone, who was sleeping on Mr Chen’s lap. ‘For example, now I know that she’s safer with more people around, I can make sure we’re always in busy places.’
