74. Back Where We Started.

“She must have heard me say your name,” said Abe. All three of them had been kicked out by an increasingly irritated Marie and now stood in an empty street as the evening air began to chill.

"You said you wanted a Coulise!” Cece insisted. “That woman is a Coulise!” 

"I said I wanted Allie!” Ava’s voice cracked as she tried to fight back tears. She had been so close. At least...it had felt close. It had felt real.

"Wait,” Abe said with such urgency Ava thought Cece’s loan sharks might have caught up with them. But he just held up a piece of paper and looked at the street sign nearby. “Is this Rue le Norte?”

The sign he was staring at confirmed it was. "So?” Cece asked, irritated.

He turned back to the building. “Number 13?” Sure enough, there was a brass ‘13’ on the brick wall.

"Again -- so?”

He held out the paper, but Ava already recognized it: the card she’d found in the carnations, back at the strange little house. On it was written ‘13 Rue le Norte, 75016, Paris, France.’

“This is the address we came here to find.” 

73. In Her Eyes.

“Stop looking at me!” Ava couldn’t contain her fury, or the burning threatening to rise in her throat. Why did Cece think this decrepit old thing could possibly be--

"Excuse me,” Marie cut in firmly, “If you will not show some respect, I must ask you to leave.”

Ava’s voice shook with anger as she spoke. “Fine by us!” She turned to Abe, fully intending to show Marie just how disrespectful she could be--but he avoided her look. 

"Listen, Ava, if she’s a Coulise...” 

“I’ve never seen this woman before in my life!” She clenched her teeth, determined to stay at least a little bit calm. “My family is not a big one, Abe. I would know if I was related to her.” She turned to storm out, trying with all her might to stop the tears from forming--she had really hoped, she had really been stupid enough to think that this might actually--

"Ava.” The old woman’s voice rang out clear and strong across the room, nothing like her mutterings from before.

Marie gasped. Ava turned back and finally looked at the Madam -- really looked. There was something familiar in those eyes.

“How do you know my name?”

72. Through A Glass, Dimly.

Ava hated old folks’ homes. This one was nicer than most, to be sure, but it still had that horrible smell. Like drying milk and old honey.

Cece led them into a room with a startling view of the the Eiffel Tower. A wide-eyed elderly woman lay tucked in bed, and a nurse introduced herself as Marie. “You know Madam?” she asked, looking rather thrilled. She glanced back at her patient, who stared at her new visitors with huge, curious eyes, and muttered something in French.

Ava was not amused. She glared at Cece; she would have screamed if they'd been anywhere else. “You think this is funny?” she snarled with muffled fury. “Where--the hell--is--Allie!?”

"I don’t know if her name is Allie, mademoiselle," Cece replied with complete calm, "but this is Madam Coulise.” She patted the old woman’s hand affectionately.

"Do you know her?” Marie asked with a trace of suspicion in her voice.

"Of course not!” snapped Ava. “Cece, you told me--” 

"I told you I knew a Coulise! I do! We don’t know her first name, but she calls herself Madam Coulise. This is she.” The old woman's eyes were glued to Ava like some kind of star-struck kindergartener. “She seems to like you,” Cece added with a sly grin. 

71. Older & Older.

 “C’est ma faute,” Madam Coulise repeated in tearful whispers as Marie prepared her for bed. The setting sun’s light danced through the curtains, teasing a wilting bouquet of flowers that needed to be changed. Marie made a mental note to take them on her way out.

Madam smiled through her tears. No one knew exactly how many years old this particular patient might be, but from her hunched, frail form Marie guessed she was in her seventies--at least. She had been found wandering the streets about two years ago, muttering and apologizing as always for her nameless crimes.

Just as Marie coaxed the sweet woman under her covers, someone knocked briskly at the door. Madam’s eyes widened in fright.

But it was a familiar face. “Bonjour, Marie!” A smiling face topped with curly red hair peered in through the doorway. 

"Cece! I didn’t realize you were scheduled today," Marie replied in French.

Cece smiled and glanced at Madam, who seemed less anxious now that she recognized her visitor. “No, I’m not scheduled, darling. But I have someone here who would very much like to meet our favorite patient.”

70. Curb Stopped.

“I saved you from some seriously terrifying loan sharks!” Ava snapped right back, cursing under her breath. “And you’re welcome, by the way!”

Cece stood up and wiped her mouth. “I’m welcome?” she gasped. “I had everything under control!”

Ava snorted. “Yeah, it sure looked like that when Arnault’s henchman shot you.”

Cece shook her head in frustration. “No one shot me, you idiot!”

“Not this time,” said Ava in exasperation. “Because I saved you! Now come on, will you?”

“But how do you know--” Cece knelt forward and threw up again. She couldn’t shake this horrible nausea.

“It must be from using the watch,” said Abe consolingly. “Since you’re not a Coulise. It will...wear off.” He turned to Ava. “Are you sure we lost them?”

“For the last time, yes,” she said. “Besides, we can use the watch again if we have to.” Cece’s hand flew to her mouth. No, she mentally insisted, we really cannot.