Murderous Endeavour

CHAPTER SIX

“And . . . done!” Diana said, pressing the BUY NOW button on the airline website.

It was a far cry from the waffling she’d done the day before. This time, there was no hesitation. No refunds or exchanges. Nothing short of an act of nature would get her to turn back now. She was finally doing this!

She was now the official owner of a one-way first-class ticket to Paris leaving the following evening from JFK. A seven-hour nonstop flight arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport early the next morning. The red-eye—but she didn’t think it was possible to be anymore awake.

She found an inn off the beaten path, though still with a view of the Eiffel Tower, of course. After booking a suite, she navigated over to the website for Versailles and found the page for the masked ball. The price for a VIP ticket, including a buffet dinner, was 183 euros. She did the mental math in her head. Two and a quarter hundred in dollars. Plus, she’d have to rent a baroque costume, shoes, and jewelry, something that could be done right at the palace, though it looked expensive for one night of fun.

But it was a small price to pay for fulfilling the dream of a lifetime. This would be an experience she’d never forget. She added the single ticket to her cart and checked out without a second’s thought, humming a little tune as she typed in her address.

I am really doing this. In twenty-four hours, I will have said goodbye to New York, goodbye to America . . . for a full year!A thrill passed through her as she entered her credit card digits.

With her tickets booked, she decided she’d finish her packing tomorrow. Most of her personal things were already in boxes, waiting to go into the POD that was being delivered tomorrow morning. Mick and Lily would help load stuff up, so she could say goodbye to them that afternoon. She had one small suitcase, deciding that anything she forgot, she could always purchase when she got there. Paris might have a little bit of a shopping district, or so she’d heard?

She giggled at the thought. Addict made great fragrances, but nothing beat honest-to-goodness actual French perfume. She couldn’t wait to go sample it all. And the food? And the culture? Soon, she’d be swimming in it!

She sat down in her comfortable chair, took a sip of wine, and rubbed her hands together. Nearly thirty years in business had told her one thing: never operate without a plan. Now was the time to come up with her itinerary. No, she wasn’t as ridiculous as her kids said she was. Disney had been fun, regardless of whatever they remembered. This plan would be easy, customizable, manageable . . . and would allow her to see all of the hundreds of things she couldn’t wait to see.

She spread out a map, her laptop, and a notebook in front of her. At the top, she wrote:

June 20: Arrival at Charles de Gaulle 8 AM

Then she wrote:

8:15 AM – Get Luggage

8:45 AM Take Cab to Inn

She did a little googling to find out how long it would take the cab to get her to the inn. Thirty-six minutes without traffic. Allowing a few minutes for traffic, she wrote in the next item on her agenda:

9:30 AM Check into Inn

10 AM Stop at Café de Flore for a pastry

The place was absolutely adorable, according to the website. And they had a mille-feuille which looked absolutely delectable. She wrote, Mille-feuille??? And circled it. Then:

11 AM Take cab to the Louvre . . .

She crossed that out. Maybe instead, she should go to the Picasso Museum first, since that was Stéphane’s favorite place. Or both? Two hours should be enough for both of them, if she just caught the major pieces of art. Then she could grab a late lunch at . . .