John Lescroart - Son of Holmes

The police headquarters building was a large neoclassic monstrosity in the center of town. Arched and pillared, it might have been made by a blind, one-armed Roman. It was the largest building in town, built sans doute on the theory that if might makes right, big makes beautiful. Tant pis.

I was ushered down the hall from the front desk to the room of one of the subordinates, a Monsieur Procunier. He was a short, heavy bald man with a large nose and a florid complexion. He sat behind his desk and bade me sit facing him.

“Nice of you to come,” he began sarcastically. “We’ve been by your house several times. Have you received that message? There have been some murders lately, you realize.”

I nodded. “My good man, Monsieur Magiot knows where he can find me, and no one said there was any urgency. Indeed, there couldn’t have been, or you’d have stationed someone at the house and brought me here as soon as I appeared. Now I’m here, voluntarily, to answer questions, I presume, and I have little use for sarcasm. Let’s get on with it.” I smiled. “By the way, will Monsieur Magiot be in?”

“He’s in now. He’s to see you when I’m through taking your report.”

“Fine. I’m at your disposal.”

He asked me the same questions they’d asked the previous Wednesday, adding only a reference or two to Chatelet’s death. Did I have any suspicions? Had anything out of the ordinary happened to me since Wednesday? I didn’t know what Fritz might have told them, so I mentioned the episode with the rock and left out yesterday’s shooting incident.

“You think it was a prank?” he asked.

“Without any doubt. I heard children’s voices.”

“Would you like a police escort?”

“Good God, no! Whatever for?”

“Protection.”

So it went. How well did I know the people at the gathering? What was the purpose of the meeting? Did I know that if more than three people met at any time, it could be construed as a subversive gathering and was forbidden?

“Thank you,” I said. “Is that all?”

He directed me to Magiot. Jacques was dealing with some of his men when I entered, and I stood quietly by the door while he finished talking with them. After they’d filed out, he reached out his hand.

“Jules,” he said. “Good to see you. It’s been quite a while. Nasty business, this, eh? I’m awfully sorry about Routier. He was a good friend of yours, I understand. Do sit down. Cigarette?”

He carried his age very well. Though he was not compelled to by regulations, he preferred to wear his uniform while on duty, and it was well tailored. His dark hair was in a military cut over a disciplined and impassive face. He sat gripping his pipe lightly with both hands over the bowl, his elbows resting on the desk.

I took the cigarette, and sat. “How are you, Jacques? Your man Procunier is quite a personality.”

He waved it off. “Oh, sorry about that. I’ve just been so busy lately I’d rather have him take the routine things. You made a statement?”

“Oui.”

“Good. To tell the truth, I was a little concerned about the circumstances of the death at your place. Several foreigners, that sort of thing. You know gatherings of that size are forbidden.”

“To drink beer?”

“I know, I know. In your case, it’s rather silly. But there are reasons, as I’m sure you’ll understand. There have been rumors that Routier was mixed up in some international matters. Would you know anything about that?”

“Nothing whatever. We’d been friends for a long time, and he never mentioned anything to me. Also, Jacques, between us, he didn’t really seem the type, did he?”

He smiled condescendingly. “Yes. Well, I thought I’d ask.” He shifted in his chair and, looking down into the bowl of his pipe, said rather softly, “We think we know who did it.”

“Really,” I said. “Who?”

“How well do you know this Auguste Lupa? That was the first time he’d been to your house, wasn’t it?”

“Not exactly. He’d been there that morning. As to how well I know him—hardly at all. I only met him last Tuesday, and he seemed a nice enough chap. He’s really an excellent chef, you know.”

“So I’ve heard. That’s one of the reasons we find it strange he was there. He should be working at night. We’ve gone by La Couronne several times and have failed to find him. Why wouldn’t he be there during working hours?”

“I don’t know,” I replied. “It does seem suspicious.”

“Suspicious, ha! Damned suspicious, I’d say.”

“But, Jacques, you haven’t been able to get in touch with me either in all that time, and there’s nothing suspicious about me, is there?”

“I hate to bring it up, Jules, but you don’t work like your common man. Your hours are your own to order.”

I smiled to myself. Probably my wealth would gall him forever. “So you suspect Lupa?”

“Look at the facts,” he said. “Lupa’s the only new man at the party. He’s a foreigner, from Belgrade or somewhere—”

“He’s an American citizen,” I interrupted.

“All right, America. Doesn’t change the fact. Then, Routier’s sitting in Lupa’s seat and even drinking from his glass when he keels over. Lupa hadn’t even taken a sip from that glass. In the confusion of Lavoie’s glass breaking, Lupa dumps cyanide into the glass and arranges it so that Routier goes back to his seat. We don’t know exactly how he did that, but it seems reasonable. We’ve also got some problems with motive, though this international angle might come into play there. Then Lupa can’t be found when we want him, he refuses to cooperate at all, and”—here he paused for effect—“we went to see Vernet, the owner of La Couronne, and got Lupa’s papers, and they’re forged. Cleverly, but definitely. We’re going to pick him up tonight.”

I sighed. “Well, that’s certainly a relief, Jacques. I’m glad you’ve found him. It does look rather bad for him. Forged, you say?”

“Without doubt.”

“What about your inspector? Him, too?”

“We think so. He’s got no alibi. We figure Chatelet—that was his name—was on to something. He questioned Lupa, and Lupa panicked. With his size, he could have strangled him easily, and probably did. He hadn’t reported back to us yet, but his itinerary that morning had him seeing Lupa after the funeral, then the others, and none of the others saw him. He must have seen Lupa first, and been killed before he could see anyone else.”

“But couldn’t it have happened that when Chatelet saw that Lupa’d missed the funeral, he changed his plans and took off on a new tack? In that case he might have run into someone else altogether.”

“Yes, that’s true. But why would he change his plans? Did anything strange happen at the funeral? Anything to make you suspicious?”

“No,” I said truthfully.

“Well, then.”

“Just a thought,” I muttered.

“You just let us handle this, Jules. It’s what we do best.”

I got up to go. “Well, good luck, Jacques. I hope you get him. And thank you.”

He shook my hand warmly. “It’s a pleasure to set the mind of an old friend at ease. Don’t worry about a thing. We’ll have everything straightened out and back to normal in no time.”

I walked out into the cool evening. If that was what they did best . . . I smiled grimly to myself. So no one else had seen Chatelet, which of course meant that Henri had lied to the police. Understandable, but certainly neither wise nor wily. I decided to go to Lupa’s, to warn him. He wouldn’t be any good at all from inside a jail trying to convince a man like Magiot of his innocence. Magiot thought I was supercilious. I shuddered to imagine what he’d think of Lupa.

It wouldn’t do to go directly to La Couronne from the police station, so I walked to my car and drove several blocks back toward my house, checking to see that I wasn’t being tailed. I wasn’t. I parked and began walking, then, back in the direction of Anna’s shop. I knew it was a bit risky entering that way, but it would be better than just dropping in, especially if the police had already arrived.

The walk took me nearly a quarter of an hour, and it was completely dark when I arrived. The door was locked, as I might have expected if I’d been thinking of details, such as Anna lying wounded at Tania’s house, but it presented no problem. Once inside, I crossed to the back door, behind the screen, and opened it. The smell of the flowers rising to meet me was once again overpowering but pleasant as I picked my way back to the tunnel entrance. I remembered roughly where Lupa had reached to turn off the alarm and, after fumbling along the darkened wall for a short while, got it and clicked it to what I hoped was off. The walk was becoming nearly familiar, and I covered the distance to Lupa’s room in less than five minutes. Magiot had said that they were picking up Lupa tonight, and it was now night. There wasn’t much time to waste.

I stood at the curtains and listened to see if Lupa had guests. There was a faint glow around one edge of the curtain, so at least one of the room’s lights was on. I heard no sound, so I quietly pulled the curtain open and stepped in. My training had not entirely deserted me, and I could still move quietly and effectively if I had to. Lupa sat at his desk, absorbed in some reading. He turned a page, and I cleared my throat.

Normally, a man surprised in that manner will start. Lupa didn’t move a muscle. Without the merest glance at me, he closed the book and stared ahead of him. Finally, he turned his head to see me.

“How did you get in here?” he snapped.

“Spontaneous generation.”

“How long have you been here?”

“Under a minute. Now relax. It was necessary. You’re in a lot of trouble, and we’ve got to move right away.”

“So the tunnel’s been unguarded for ten minutes . . . pfui .” He reached for the button on his desk and activated the alarm again.

“You can check all that later,” I said. “Get Charles in here, and Vernet as soon as he can be reached. I’ve just come from the police, and you’re to be arrested tonight for Marcel’s murder.”

He glared at me. “The fools!”

“I couldn’t agree more, but that doesn’t matter much at this point. We’ve got to get you out of here and covered before the police arrive.”

“The fools!” he repeated.

“Yes,” I said. “It seems that they’ve checked your papers and discovered the forgeries, and that Henri has denied seeing Chatelet, and naturally they assume, then, that you killed him before he could have seen anyone else. Now, does Charles know about the tunnel?”

“Yes. So does Vernet.”

“Anyone else?”

“Besides you, Anna, Watkins, and myself? No. Not that I know of.”

“All right. Let’s get you out that way then. Call in your men.”

“No,” he said. “No, I’m not leaving here. Simply impossible. I’m a marked man, and I’ve decided to stick it out here, and I will do so. I’ll call the others.”

“But how—”

He cut me off by ignoring me and calling out into the kitchen. Charles appeared shortly, clad in an apron and chef’s cap, smiling. He was surprised to see me, but nodded courteously.

Lupa began talking. “Close the front door immediately and go fetch Monsieur Vernet. We are closed for business tonight due to the loss of our chef. I beg your pardon, Charles, but it does have nothing to do with you. After you’ve gotten Vernet here, continue on out to Monsieur Giraud’s house—you remember where it is? Good. Talk to his chef, a Fritz Benet, and tell him to stop whatever he is doing and come along here as quickly as possible. Tell him Monsieur Giraud is in trouble, and we need him. Bring him through the back way. Try to do all this in under an hour, and start now.” Charles already had stripped himself of accoutrements and stood ready to go. Lupa turned to me. “You have a car, n’est-çe pas ? Bien. Give the keys to Charles. You can drive, can’t you? Use the car. Speed is everything. Va-t-en! Go!”