Page 5 of Nothing Left

But as she rounded the corner, she saw something that made her hesitate in surprise.

The bearded man himself was at her apartment door. He was bent down and seemed to be pushing an envelope underneath it.

What on earth was he doing?

Juliette tried to mask her curiosity with a friendly smile.

"Good morning again," she said, speeding up her walk as she approached.

The effect was electrifying. The man jumped to his feet, clutching the envelope, turning in her direction. Embarrassment and then wry humor at the situation flitted over his pleasant face, which was now blushing slightly. Now she had to try to hide her own amusement, biting her lip firmly because snorting with laughter would not be polite.

"Well, I didn't expect you back," he admitted, this time speaking in an accent that Juliette identified as from the south of England. She couldn't be more specific than that; she didn't have a good enough ear. "I was just leaving a note under your door to say sorry for the inconvenience of hogging the elevator. And here you are, so I can apologize in person."

"There's no need," Juliette said. His demeanor was charming. There was a shyness and humility about him that was at odds with his good-looking face, and eyes that she saw were a bright golden hazel. "I brought you these as a welcome gift."

"Croissants!" He took the bag from her, and an expression of bliss crossed his face as he opened it. "There is nothing finer than a real French croissant. Thank you. You shouldn't have." He looked up at her. "And I'm being very rude. I haven't even introduced myself or asked your name. I'm Anthony Abbott, known to most as Tony."

"Juliette Hart," she said.

"And do you live in Paris permanently?" he asked.

"Not permanently, but for the immediate future," she said. "I'm in law enforcement and based here with my team."

"Oh?" His expression lit up with genuine interest. "Now that's fascinating. You must have a totally different view of this country from most other British and Americans."

Juliette nodded, smiling. "Yes, we work throughout Europe, and we get to see the not-so-nice side of society. As well as dealing with some fantastic and hard-working police."

Briefly, she thought of Lucien, who she'd met in the course of work. They had been lovers, a happy couple for a short while until Lucien had been transferred to Marseilles. He had made the move, and it had soon become clear to both of them that the relationship would be unworkable. Just a few sad weeks ago, they'd called it off. She had to admit her life outside of work had felt impossibly lonely since then.

She had taken this breakup much harder than she’d thought she would. And the loneliness had driven her inward, making her hide away from the world and keep to herself in the evenings, which Juliette had realized wasn’t helpful at all, but it seemed that she’d been unable to do anything but lick her wounds and regroup for a while.

It was strange how for years when working for the Manhattan FBI office, she'd submerged herself in her work and hadn't had much of a life outside of it. But since arriving in Paris and connecting with Lucien, she felt she'd become a different person. More outgoing, more sociable, keen to explore all of Paris's sights and experiences when work was over. Now, she realized she missed the adventurous person that she'd become. And she missed Lucien every day.

At any rate, now seemed the right time to reach out and meet a new potential friend.

"What do you do?" she asked Tony.

"I'm a university professor, actually," he said, in a modest voice, confirming to Juliette that her impression of him had been right. "And after working in Portugal for two years, I was offered this posting as the head of the English Studies department at the University of Paris, or the Sorbonne as it's known."

Juliette's eyebrows raised. "Really? That sounds like a dream role for an English professor.”

“It is. I jumped at the chance. The university chancellor and I had met before, at a conference earlier in the year in Greece. So, we had a remote interview, and I accepted his offer immediately,” he said.

“How long have you been here?"

"Only a few days," Tony admitted. "I'm still getting used to the city, but I'm starting to fall in love with it."

Juliette smiled. She knew that feeling well. Paris had a way of capturing one's heart.

"Well, if you ever need any recommendations or advice on where to go or what to do, feel free to ask," Juliette said. "I've been here for a while now, so I know the city pretty well. And I love going out and about."

"Thank you, Juliette," Tony replied, his smile warm. "I will take you up on that offer."

"Have you traveled elsewhere in France in the past?" she asked, thinking of his command of the language.

"Yes, a few times," he said. "But only for academic conferences. They have taken me to Nice, and to Lyon, and to Bordeaux. Each trip was memorable. But until now, I've never managed to get to Paris. Time has always been against me. I dreamed of coming here as a tourist, but it's actually even more exciting to be here as a local."

"It does make a difference to feel like a local," Juliette said.

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