The French Girl Read Online Free PDF

She opened her wallet and took out a card. The detective glanced at it and nodded.  “May I speak to you for a moment in private?” she asked.
    The detective turned to the policeman at the door and gestured towards me with his head.  “Make sure this one stays put,” he said as he and Mrs. Galloway stepped outside.
    “Etoile,” Mrs. Galloway said when they returned, “You are going to have to come with me now.”
    “I will stay here with Anais.”
    Mrs. Galloway looked at Detective Brody and shook her head.
    “Anais needs to go with the policemen for a little while.  You will come with me.”
    “Then I will go with them. I will go with the policemen too. I want to stay with Anais.”
    Mrs. Galloway produced a white handkerchief with a rose on the corner of it and dabbed at her sweaty forehead. “I know this is very hard for you to understand, but you cannot be with Anais right now.  I have spoken to your neighbor, Mrs. Lavasseur, and she has agreed to let you stay with her for a few days.”
    “Mrs. Lavasseur?  But I do not…I cannot…”
    “Let’s go gather some of your things together. Show me to your bedroom,” she said putting a sweaty hand on my back.
    The policemen started to leave.
    “Please,” I said turning to her.  “Please!  Do not make me go anywhere. I want to stay with Anais."
    “I’m afraid that is not possible,” the county woman said more firmly.
    “But why not?” I said.  “Why not?  She is old enough to take care of me.  Please, Madame.  S’il vous plait! . Please!”
    “Your sister needs to go with the policemen and talk to them down at the station right now.  And by the law, she is not old enough to care for you…”
    The detective came out of the kitchen with his hand under Anais’ arm.
    I ran towards her, but the other policeman grabbed me.
    “Anais! Anais!” I yelled, struggling to get free but his grip was too strong.
    Anais picked her chin up and looked straight ahead, just the way Maman did and walked out.
    “Come now, let’s get some of your things. Where is your room?”
    I pointed towards Anais’ bedroom.  Mrs. Galloway handed me a small blue bag and watched as I pushed aside her stack of Teen Beat magazines with “Set your hair like Farrah’s!” on the cover along with a picture of a shirtless Greg Brady.  I rummaged through Anais’ dressers, taking several of her sweaters as well as her key chain with her initials engraved on it that Papa had once given her and slipped it into my pocket.
    “Excuse me,” one of the policemen said to Mrs. Galloway, “they need to speak to you again for just a moment.”
    I waited until she left the room before slipping across the hall to Maman’s room and opening the door. The pillow was still dented from Maman’s head.  Two empty bottles stood side by side on the table next to her bed. I opened up her dresser drawer and rummaged through her blouses.  I just wanted to touch something that had been against her skin.  I felt something hard.  Glancing back at the door, I pulled out a thin, black box that had been tucked beneath the blouses and opened it.  Inside was a necklace with a big ruby stone at the center and diamonds all around.  Hearing nearby voices, I quickly shoved it back in the drawer.  The bottle of bright red nail polish that Maman always wore was sitting on top of the dresser.  I slipped it into my pocket.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
    Maman’s funeral was held on a Wednesday.  I stayed out of school until then. Several times a day, Mrs. Lavasseur brought me trays of food, most of which I returned uneaten.  Each time she came in, I asked about Anais and each time, she said, “ Je ne sais pas .  I do not know,” but I did not believe her. The television played loudly all day long.  I listened to the drama unfold on Days of Our Lives and General Hospital .  When Frankie came home from school, he would jump up and down on his bed in his room next door to the sounds of