Cruelest Month

All day people had visited the shop, most wanting a small purchase and a lot of information, which Odile was happy to supply, after being prodded. Wouldn’t do to appear too anxious. Or pleased.

‘You were there, dear?’

‘It must have been horrible.’

‘Poor Monsieur Béliveau. He was quite in love with her. And his wife barely two years gone.’

‘Was she really scared to death?’

That was the one memory Odile didn’t want to revisit. Madeleine frozen in a scream, as though she’d seen something so horrible it had turned her to stone, like the whatever it was from those myths, the head with the snakes. It had never seemed that scary to Odile, whose monsters took human shape.

Yes, Madeleine had been scared to death and it served her right for all the terror she’d visited upon Odile in the last few months. But now the terror was gone, like a storm blown over.

A storm. Odile smiled and thanked her muse for coming through again.

Though winds blow stout, a hurricale, What’s that,

what’s that to you and me.

It was past five and time to lock up. A good day’s work.

Chief Inspector Gamache called Agent Lemieux, still at the B. & B.

‘She’s not back yet, Chief. But Gabri is.’

‘Pass the phone to him, please.’

After a pause the familiar voice came on. ‘Salut, patron.’

‘Salut, Gabri. Did Madame Chauvet arrive by car?’

‘No, no she just materialized. Of course she arrived by car. How else does anyone get here?’

‘Is her car still there?’

‘Ah, good question.’ Gamache could hear Gabri carrying the phone out the door and presumably onto the veranda. ‘Oui, c’est ici. A little green Echo.’

‘So she couldn’t have gone far,’ said Gamache.

‘Do you want me to open the door to her room? I can pretend I’m cleaning. I have the key with me now,’ Gamache heard tinkling as the key was lifted from its peg, ‘and I’m walking down the corridor.’

‘Could you give it to Agent Lemieux, please? He should be the one to open the door.’

‘Fine.’ Gamache could feel Gabri’s annoyance. A moment later Lemieux spoke.

‘I’ve unlocked the door, Chief.’ There was an agonizing pause while Agent Lemieux stepped into the room and put on the light. ‘Nothing. Room’s empty. So’s the bathroom. Want me to search the drawers?’

‘No, that’s going too far. I just wanted to make sure she wasn’t there.’

‘Dead? I wondered too, but she isn’t.’

Gamache asked to speak to Gabri again.

‘Patron, we might need rooms for tomorrow night.’

‘For how long?’

‘Until the case is over.’

‘Suppose you don’t solve it? Will you stay forever?’

Gamache remembered the elegant inviting bedrooms with their soft pillows and crisp linens and beds so high they needed little step stools to reach. The bedside tables with books and magazines and water. The lovely bathrooms with old tiling and new plumbing.

‘If you made eggs Florentine every morning, I would,’ Gamache said.

‘You’re an unreasonable man,’ said Gabri, ‘but I like you. And don’t worry about rooms, we have plenty.’

‘Even over the Easter break? You’re not full?’

‘Full? No one knows about us, and I hope to keep it that way,’ snorted Gabri.

Gamache hung up after asking Gabri to call when Jeanne Chauvet returned and telling Lemieux to go home for the night. Looking out the window at the other cars whizzing along the autoroute into Montreal, Gamache wondered.

Where was the psychic?

He always secretly hoped a voice would whisper some answers, though he didn’t know what he’d do if he started hearing voices.

He gave it a moment and when no voice answered, he picked up the phone and made another call.

‘Bonjour, Superintendent. Still at work?’

‘Just leaving. What’ve you got, Armand?’

‘This was murder.’

‘Now, is that a feeling you’re getting or is there an actual fact in the case?’

Gamache smiled. His old friend knew him well and like Beauvoir had a certain distrust of Gamache’s ‘feelings’.

‘Actually, my spirit guide told me.’

There was a pause on the other end then Gamache laughed.

‘That’s a joke, Michel. Une blague. This time there’s an actual fact. Ephedra.’

‘As I remember I told you about the ephedra.’

‘True, but there was no ephedra in her bedroom or bathroom or anywhere reasonable she might have put it. All the evidence says this was a woman who didn’t feel she needed to lose weight. Had no eating disorder that would lead her to use a known dangerous drug. No obsession with weight and diets. No books or magazines on the subject. Nothing.’

‘You think someone gave her the ephedra.’

‘I do. I’m taking this on as a murder investigation.’

‘I agree. I’m sorry to have taken you away from your holiday, though. Will you get back in time to see Daniel before he goes?’

‘No, he’s on his way to the airport now.’

‘Armand, I’m sorry.’

‘Not your fault,’ said Gamache, though Brébeuf, who knew him so well, could hear the regret. ‘Give my love to Catherine.’

‘I will.’