Page 59 of Promise Me Never

“Hi, Henri. Thanks for calling me back.”

“How can I help you?”

“Did you get fired because of me?”

He sighed. “Not your fault. I shouldn’t have said anything to you. Please don’t say anything to your husband.”

“You tried to warn me about something. Do you think we could meet somewhere and talk?”

“Look, I don’t want to get involved. Bennett Bryson is this town’s golden boy. And I don’t need him finding out that I’m badmouthing him.”

“It’s just—” Savannah hesitated. “I know you were good friends with Poppy. If you’re suspicious that her death wasn’t an accident, I’d like to know why.”

“She was thinking of leaving him. She found out something about him and she wanted me to help her make sense of it. We made plans to get together when they got back from the Hamptons. But she didn’t live to make it. That bastard killed her.”

“You don’t believe Poppy fell from the boat?”

He scoffed. “No fucking way. I know that son of a bitch killed her. But if you tell him I said that I’ll deny it.”

“Why—”

“I have to go. Please don’t call me again. If I were you, I’d get as far away from him as possible.”

Savannah put the phone down with a shaking hand. Why was Henri so convinced that Poppy’s death hadn’t been accidental? And why wouldn’t he pursue it with the authorities if he was so convinced? It was probably just a case of petty jealousy. Felicia had said the two men didn’t get along.

She needed to talk to Isabel and find out more. Reluctantly, she picked up her phone, went to Isabel’s contact, and typed:

S: Can we meet?

Her text tone pinged immediately.

I: I’ve been waiting for your text.

| Fifty-Six |

Bennett

Bennett was worried. Savannah hadn’t answered when he called her this morning, and when he checked the house cameras, he saw that the Range Rover was gone. Was she meeting Henri? He debated calling Felicia to see if she knew anything but then thought better of it. Ever since he’d seen Savannah calling Henri, Bennett had been distracted. It had taken everything in him to focus last night at his book talk. At one point, the interpreter had looked at him like he was daft when Bennett had spaced out and failed to answer after a few minutes. Tonight was his last night in Munich, and then he had a stop in Rome before finally going home.

He opened his laptop and went to his current work in progress, trying to concentrate, but inspiration eluded him. Maybe he should cut the tour short. Marion and his editor wouldn’t be happy about it, but if Savannah kept digging and found out the truth, that would hurt him a hell of a lot more than losing some foreign sales.

| Fifty-Seven |

Savannah

They met at the same restaurant, and this time Isabel was already there when Savannah arrived. She took a seat across from her and put her tote bag down on the floor.

“I called Henri. He said Poppy was ready to leave Bennett. But he asked me not to call him anymore. He’s afraid of Bennett finding out he’s talking about him.”

“He’s married to an attorney, which makes him especially paranoid,” Isabel said.

“This is difficult for me. I don’t know what to believe.”

Isabel nodded. “I understand. It’s hard for me too. I’ve been friends with Bennett for as long as I can remember.”

“I drove to Brooklyn. Met Devon’s father.”

“When?”