The French Code Read Online Free Page A

starting to annoy me,’ Max mumbled to Linden.
    Tetu spun round to her, his left eye twitching. ‘Do you want to work on zis case?’
    â€˜Yes,’ Max answered. ‘I am a very good spy and your government wants me on this mission. Maybe because you’re not …’
    â€˜Ah, Max? Maybe Commandant Tetu has more he needs to show us.’ Linden’s voice calmed Max down. She crossed her arms and held the stare of the twitching-eyed Tetu. He leant forward, only slightly, his creaseless uniform remaining obediently rigid.
    â€˜You will be quiet until you are invited to speak.’ He stared at her long enough for an uncomfortable silence to wedge itself between them. ‘Ze video.’
    Steinberger pressed play . The security camera footage was taken from up high and looked down on a faintly lit corridor dotted by exit lights. There were ancient statues in polished glass cabinets down the middle and crumbled stone carvings displayed on the walls. An older man came into view, before he tripped and fell to the ground.
    Whole seconds went by where nothing happened, until he picked himself up and hurried through a lit doorway. A few minutes passed and two dark figures dressed in security uniforms entered the corridor. They waited beside the doorway before rushing into the room, emerging a short time later dragging two slumped bodies. One of the figures stopped, rearranged his sagging human cargo to free one hand and wavedat the camera before disappearing around a corner. The image of the empty corridor stared back at them.
    Tetu slammed his pointer against Harrison’s desk, making Max jump.
    â€˜Ooever zese arrogant and dangerous people are, zey must be caught.’
    Max frowned. ‘Do you have footage of what happened next?’
    â€˜If zere was more footage,’ Tetu snarled, ‘I would ’ave shown you more footage.’ He softened his voice. ‘We are not sure ’ow zey did it, but it seems zis camera was ze only one in zis part of ze Musée zat was working. All ze others were immobilised, tampered wiz, dead.’
    Max shrunk at the last word. ‘Oh.’
    â€˜Zere are very few people ’oo know how to disable ze complex security of ze Musée. Zose people are being investigated now, but zo far …’ Tetu’s twitching began anew. ‘We ’ave nozing.’
    â€˜So one of the figures being dragged away is Monsieur Marceau, but who is the other man?’ Linden asked.
    â€˜Zir Reginald Strangways, a very rich man ’oo ’az been generously donating to ze museum and sponsoring Monsieur Marceau’s work for years. Zephone records show zat ze last call Monsieur Marceau made was to Monsieur Strangways.’
    â€˜So is he missing too?’ Toby asked.
    â€˜No. We found him dumped and unconscious in a gutter not far from ze Musée. ’E ’ad received a severe blow to ze ’ead and cannot remember anyzing.’
    â€˜And let me guess, the two men doing all the dragging aren’t really security guards,’ Max suggested.
    â€˜No. Zey are impozters.’ Tetu’s voice slumped. ‘Nozing like zis ’as ever ’appened to ze Musée before. As one of ze world’s most secure repositories of ancient and modern art and artefacts, we cannot let news of zis get out. Our reputation as guardians of ze world’s treasures would be lost. And Monsieur Marceau is a world leader in his field. It is imperative zat we find him wizout delay.’
    â€˜Was anything stolen?’ Toby asked.
    â€˜We are interviewing all staff from ze department and cross-checking all inventories to make sure everyzing can be accounted for.’ His voice softened. ‘I have been told zat some antiquities possess great power and, outside ze secure walls of ze Musée, zey could cause unzinkable havoc.’
    â€˜Havoc?’ Max asked. ‘From an old vase or stone sculpture?’
    â€˜Zis is what I am