Free Code Red Lipstick by Sarah Sky Page A

to the time stamp on the photo of the crime scene. That couldn’t be a coincidence.
    She pulled out Becky’s iPhone, masked her number and rang the mobile. It clicked straight on to voicemail, like Dad’s.
    â€œHi. I can’t take your call right now. Please leave a message. Hugs and kisses, Lara.”
    Jessica quickly hung up. That was spooky, hearing the voice of a dead person, speaking from beyond the grave. It was another piece of evidence that pointed to her dad’s innocence, which MI6 had ignored or hadn’t bothered to examine. If he’d killed Lara, why would he ring her even after her death? Margaret and Nathan would probably argue that he was giving himself an alibi. But what if he’d been trying to warn Lara before someone got to him too?
    She shivered. He’d managed to get away from whoever it was long enough to reach a phone and make a Code Red call. That was slightly reassuring. He was still alive two days after his disappearance. If only she had the number he’d used, she could trace it. But it had flashed up on her phone as PRIVATE NUMBER and she didn’t have the technology to try and decipher where he was calling from.
    She tossed her hair over her shoulders. She had to stay positive and focus on what she did have – evidence that Lara and her dad had been in regular contact and met their fates at about the same time on Saturday night. She also had important leads to follow up – the café where her dad made calls from and most importantly, AKSC.
    She flicked through the documents she’d printed off her dad’s computer. Her eyes rested on Sam Bishop’s photo. She had to think like her dad and figure out what steps he’d taken to find him. Paying AKSC a visit must be her top priority. She really needed that casting call. She’d have to harass Felicity until she came up with the goods.
    First she’d retrace her dad’s steps, starting with his stay in Paris: the Hôtel Relais Saint-Jacques. It was a risk. If the undercover agent tailed her and reported back to Nathan, she’d be packed off to London by the end of the day. But this could be the only chance to do some serious snooping before she started modelling. She had to give it a shot. She stuffed Sam’s picture into her bag, picked up her leather jacket and slipped out. Nobody gave her a second glance as she strode across the lobby and hailed a taxi outside. So far, so good. No one appeared to be shadowing her.
    Just to be extra careful, she paid the driver to go via some sightseeing routes in case she was shadowed. She leant out of the window to take a picture of the Arc de Triomphe, like any other tourist. If anyone did happen to be following, they wouldn’t sense anything out of the ordinary. She peered at a giant white advertising billboard as the taxi overtook a lorry. TEENOSITY was printed in large black letters, with AKSC and the date 25th Janvier below.
    Interesting. Allegra Knight’s new product launch was taking place this Saturday. The billboard didn’t feature any models or actresses or give any clues about what it was actually advertising. Felicity had said AKSC’s new product was hush-hush. She wasn’t exaggerating.
    Eventually, the taxi pulled up outside Hôtel Relais Saint-Jacques, a white building on rue de l’Abbé de l’Épée, near the heart of the Latin Quarter. Flower boxes were dotted along the window sills and the doors were flung open invitingly. She paid the driver and looked up and down the street. She couldn’t see anyone watching her. She pushed her shoulders back, raised her chin and walked inside. Confidence was the key to success, she’d learnt from previous jobs. If she faltered and looked like she didn’t belong in the hotel, she’d be pounced on by security and thrown out within seconds.
    The young brunette woman with bright scarlet lips behind the desk was her best bet. The name badge