Page 55 of The Last Library of Paris

‘He can’t see you from here,’ Lara said. ‘Unless he walks to the door. But he might have seen you come in.’

She sat down opposite me. ‘I’m worried he’s still spying on us.’

‘He thinks I fancy him,’ I said with a sigh. ‘Because he keeps seeing me around his department.’

‘Do you fancy him?’ Lara said, her lip curling. ‘His hair’s a bit odd, but I suppose …’

‘No, I don’t fancy him,’ I said firmly. ‘He works with Edith, that’s all. So I keep seeing him. And I don’t trust him, because of him being around the shop, so I’m keeping an eye on him. And he’s taken that to mean that I’ve got my eye on him in another way.’

Lara laughed then she frowned.

‘He works with Edith? In the same department?’

‘Pretty much. Processing documents. Organising identity papers. That sort of thing.’

Lara looked alarmed. ‘Do you think he knows what we’ve been doing with the visas?’

‘We’ve not done anything yet,’ I pointed out.

‘You haven’t,’ she said, her face taking on that worried look again. ‘But he was sniffing around Bea and me when we were helping with the Portuguese visas.’

‘That was what worried me initially,’ I admitted. I took a mouthful of the drink she’d put in front of me and shuddered because it was so strong.

‘I thought you needed a double measure,’ Lara said unapologetically.

Recovering my composure, I went on: ‘I think that perhaps he’s working with the PVDE.’

‘Everyone knew what Alves was doing in Bordeaux,’ Lara pointed out. ‘It makes sense that they’d have wanted to keep an eye on him when he came back to Lisbon. And the PVDE use Lisbon residents as spies all the time.’

‘You’re right. I’m almost certain Parrish was watching the bookshop, and he wouldn’t have done that of his own volition.’

‘What do we know for sure?’ asked Lara, sitting next to me. I looked at her, impressed. She’d really taken on board every aspect of her training.

‘I know Parrish wears an expensive watch, and good shoes,’ I said, touching my forefinger to my thumb to count the evidence.

‘How expensive?’

‘Too expensive for someone doing his job,’ I said. ‘But we do have a lot of people working at the embassy who come from well-to-do families. Perhaps he has family money.’

Lara looked unconvinced but she nodded.

‘Can you find out about his background?’

‘I can.’

‘What else?’

‘We’ve both seen him up near the bookshop.’ I touched my next finger. ‘But I’m fairly sure he lives in another part of the city – I’ve seen him going home in the other direction. And you said you’ve seen him with the woman from the docks.’

‘Maria,’ said Lara, nodding.

‘And we know Maria took back-handers to get people on boats.’

‘Right,’ Lara said. She looked thoughtful. ‘Maria wears nice clothes, too. And she’s generous when she’s here. Always buying drinks for people. Showing off.’

‘Interesting,’ I said. ‘Parrish definitely isn’t trustworthy and the last thing we want is for him to make the link between us and Edith and all the visas we’re hopefully going to process.’

‘I wonder …’ said Lara thoughtfully.