Ten Days Before

I rang Vincent at 11.52, parked outside Josiane's building, the brown envelope on the passenger seat.

I hadn't meant to ring him. I had meant to drive to Heusy, lay the two sheets on the oilcloth and wait. I already had the ignition on. I looked at the initials and realised I wasn't ready to hear my father answer me. Not yet. First I needed to know who the woman he had registered was. Not her name. Her.

Vincent picked up on the first ring.

“Mrs Mathy.”