Fatale

7

After the eviction of Baron Jules the cocktail party at Lorque’s house soon came to an end. Back in her studio apartment, after making herself a cup of tea and taking a bath, Aimée stood in front of the bathroom sink and, looking at her reflection in the mirror, spoke to herself:

“Well, it’s the same as ever, isn’t it? It seems slow, but actually it is quite fast. Sex always comes up first. Then money questions. And then, last, come the old crimes. You have seen other towns, my sweet, and you’ll see others, knock on wood.” She tapped her head. In the mirror, poorly illuminated by the fluorescent lighting built into the bathroom cabinet, her white reflection likewise tapped its head without smiling. “Come on, my sweet,” she repeated, “the crimes come last, and you have to be patient.”

She drank her tea and went to bed and slept soundly.