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Paris, FranceThe crisp air had a bite from the easterly wind that swept the first fallen leaves from the ground and whirled them in the air as Martin and Sebastian hurried along the Rue de Richelieu toward the Bibliothèque Nationale, the national library of France. They had taken the earliest Eurostar, just two-and-a-half hours from London, arriving in time for coffee and pain au chocolat before heading out into the bustling city.
Sebastian’s silver-topped cane clicked rhythmically on the flagstones as they passed the thriving local shops. He didn’t need it for leaning on; the man was fit as a fiddle, but Martin suspected the cane held some hidden weapon or other unusual feature that made it indispensable on such a journey.
Although he usually preferred to stay away from so many peop
