Turn Back Time (The Full Circle Series Book 1) Annette Anders (shoe dog free ebook TXT) 📖

“My suggestion is to wait until morning before making any decisions,” Julia said. “Maybe there’ll be news by then, and if not, we can’t do anything but wait. We definitely can’t force our way behind the police lines at the catacombs,” she looked at Naomi, “and play Rambo.”

“Well, I thought more Charlie’s Angels. Can’t you see us? Styled hair, designer dresses, hidden shoulder holsters?” Naomi pretended to pull a gun, then stopped. “How do you know I went there earlier?”

Julia tapped the side of her nose, “Call it a hunch.”

Kai snorted, “I hope you’re not traveling with weapons.”

Naomi wiggled both eyebrows, “A woman is born with weapons.”

Kai choked on his last mouthful of beer, and Julia said, “Okay, I have to go and check on a few emails. Bye, Kai. Girls, I’ll see you upstairs.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Stella and Naomi giggled.

“Kai, how ’bout we’ll be in touch in the morning? I told David the same thing.” Stella shot Naomi a loaded look and pressed her lips together. She didn’t want to hear her opinion.

“Naomi has my phone number. Text me in the morning, but I’m warning you. I never reply before nine o’clock. I like to go jogging before I talk to anyone.” He got up and reached for his motorcycle helmet sitting next to the chair.

“See you tomorrow, Kai. Thank you for helping us,” Stella said.

“I haven’t done anything.”

“Oh, yes, you have. Who knows where we’d be without you and your buddies,” Naomi said, and gave him a quick hug.

CHAPTER 27

Stella—July 2018

“S

tella, Naomi, wake up!” Julia called from the small kitchen table without taking her eyes off her laptop.

“Why are you yelling?” Naomi asked. “What time is it?”

“I’m not yelling. I’m making sure you hear me. Alexander texted to let me know there’s a press conference at eight. It’s quarter past seven now.”

Naomi jumped out of bed and hurried to the bathroom. “I’ll leave the door ajar so I can hear what you’re saying, but no peeking.”

“Where did you get the coffee? Did you go to the breakfast room?” Stella asked as she crawled out of her bed. She stuck her nose in the air and follow the smell of java.

Julia pointed behind her. “There’s a pod machine over there. We never looked in the cabinets yesterday, but it’s equipped with mugs, utensils, even plates and glasses.”

Stella called, “Naomi, hurry up in there.”

“And where did you get the pastries?” Naomi came out of the bathroom and went straight to the kitchenette, where she eyed the assortment of brioches, madeleines, turnovers, and croissants in a bowl next to the coffee machine and rubbed her hands together. “Ooh…”

“Those are from the bakery down the street. I was up an hour ago. Since all European cities have bakeries around every corner, I didn’t have to go far. Help yourselves. I also bought milk for the coffee and some orange juice.”

“I like this setup,” Naomi said. “I think the three of us should stay in this room instead of paying for separate rooms.”

“Works for me,” Julia said.

“Yes, let’s stay in this room. We’ll let the hotel know when we go out later,” Stella said as she came out of the bathroom. She narrowed her eyes at Naomi. “What are you wearing?”

“A T-shirt,” Naomi reached for something at the bottom of the bowl.

“Isn’t that one of Revan’s shirts?”

“It might be,” Naomi shrugged and pulled at the fabric reaching her thighs.

“You’re poking the dragon, and you know it.”

“I don’t think he’s missed it,” Naomi replied with a wide grin.

“I don’t know what the story behind the T-shirt is, but that’s a nice Harley on it.” Julia said before sipping some coffee, then taking a bite of her chocolate croissant.

“Let’s just say Revan loves two things. His camera and his Harley. And nobody’s allowed to touch them,” Stella explained with a side look at Naomi, who shrugged.

“I see… So, do you want to hear about the press conference?”

“Yes!” Stella and Naomi answered together.

“Okay, sit down.” Julia pointed to the other chairs at the table. “It’s on French television, and I don’t know if they’ll have a translator there. I assume there’ll also be individual interviews afterward, so we should try and catch one of those.”

“I’ve been wondering why they do press conferences...and why isn’t there more on social media?” Stella asked.

“The authorities seem to keep a lid on it, and the newspapers can only print whatever statements they release. As for social media, there might be something, but we’re better off not reading unfounded stories,” Julia said.

Five minutes before eight, Stella, Naomi and Julia lined up on the sofa in front of the wall-mounted TV, their eyes glued to the screen showing one woman and three men seated behind a rectangular table. The camera moved from face to face and lingered a little longer on the woman. She tried to smile, but her tired eyes betrayed her exhaustion.

A forest of microphones and recording equipment on tripods was set up in front of the four people.

Stella couldn’t understand one word of what was being said by a still-invisible moderator. “Too bad there aren’t any subtitles. Maybe we can at least learn their names. We’ve seen the cop before,” Stella said.

“I could try and translate, but if they talk very fast, it’ll get hectic,” Naomi said. “I have a feeling the reporters can’t wait to fire off their questions as soon as they get the green light.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll catch a summary later,” Julia said. “Oh, they’re starting with the introductions.”

First was the already-familiar policeman. His name plate said, “Charles Rousseau, Commissaire.”

Next came a man who was introduced as Louis Pelletier, Inspecteur Générale, Police Judicaire.

The woman’s name plate read, “Dr. Claudine Bisset, Inspection Générale des Carrières (IGC).”

Last was Manuel Savoy from the French Ministry of the Interior.

After introductions, Louis Pelletier spoke for a while. “My head is spinning just trying to follow any of what he’s saying. I’ll have to wait until they give interviews later,” Stella said.

Naomi muted the