Flykiller

‘Then Olivier didn’t walk her to her death – is that what you’re saying?’

The Surete’s plate of soup was offered and accepted, Herr Kohler’s empty one set aside.

‘Not at all. What I am saying is that, by openly confiding that he suffered from night blindness, was Monsieur Olivier attempting to convince us that he couldn’t possibly have done it? Ten minutes, Hermann. They walk from light into darkness and Celine escapes when they reach the Hall. She goes to ground having realized it and he …’

‘Holds the doors shut while the other one – Edith – hunts her down and kills her.’

‘Why?’

‘Because she knew too much, had become a danger to them.’

Their sausage and sauerkraut arrived. More beer, more pastis and bread were called for, noted Ines, the two of them digging in as if at a last meal. Some cheese and even a few of the petits fours the ladies were enjoying were also requested. The noise of the dining room was seemingly everywhere, yet they ignored it totally.

‘Even if Olivier did send messages for Ines Charpentier to deliver to the FTP in Paris, Hermann – and I’m not suggesting he didn’t, given the opportunity, or denying that the girl would probably have willingly agreed to carry them – Lucie Trudel would not have been aware of them. Olivier’s no fool. After that first letter of his to Mademoiselle Charpentier, all others would have been enclosed in the envelopes from Madame Dupuis. He’d have insisted on it.’

Herr Kohler gestured with his fork, stabbing it towards his partner to emphasize the point, but what point? wondered Ines, still unable to take her eyes from their table.

‘Lucie could have opened one and read it, Louis, and if so, and if he’d learned of it, as he surely would have, Olivier would have gladly smothered her.’

‘I found no such letter in her room.’

‘Precisely! It had been removed because it had to be!’

‘And when she came downstairs to fetch a candle for that room of Noelle Olivier’s,’ muttered St-Cyr, ‘Edith Pascal realized Olivier had confided to me that he was the FTP’s district leader, and had called him a fool. The night blindness would cover him for the death of Mademoiselle Marie-Jacqueline Mailloux, Hermann – an unlighted Grande etablissement thermal, in a few minutes which were certainly not enough time for the blindness to clear. It would also suit with the death of Camille Lefebvre since how could one so afflicted readily escape into darkness as our Secretaire general fired at him?’

‘But Lucie would have gone from darkness outside into light,’ said Hermann, cutting off another piece of sausage and then heaping his fork also with sauerkraut.

‘But … but you’re forgetting that her killer would have had to step into darkness to escape.’

Herr Kohler took a pull at his beer and then put two sausages on his partner’s plate, some ham, too, thought Ines, and potatoes, gesturing that St-Cyr absolutely must eat.

‘Now what about the husbands, Louis? Each of them had a great deal to lose and Menetrel would certainly have put it to them in no uncertain terms that their girlfriends were informants.’

Good for Hermann.

‘Create the myth of a Resistance threat, Louis, by leaving that little V for Victory. Get the Garde to paint a few slogans, et cetera, and use it all not only to get rid of the traitors, for that is what the doctor would have thought of those girls, but to emphasize the need for increased security before that responsibility is taken from him.’

‘Find someone everyone knows about. A recluse,’ muttered Louis. ‘A cuckold, Hermann. One who must hate Petain with a passion.’

‘But do they suspect he’s of the FTP? Could they? If he does suspect it, the doctor would damned well make certain Vichy took care of its own. He’d not want Gessler knowing that the resident recluse had had his ear so close to the ground that he’d found out everything ahead of time and had made a mockery of the Government.’

‘But does Olivier have that ear, mon vieux? Bien sur, he implied he was well informed and couldn’t reveal his sources, but …’

‘Menetrel could damned well have left that little V for Victory, Louis, knowing Laval would be certain to have a look at the corpse and become convinced of the campaign of terror.’

The doctor would have too. Ah merde, it didn’t bear thinking about, but had they stepped into a power struggle, each side now desperately making its countermoves – the rats, the corpse; the corpse, the knife and then the identity card, and then … then the dress and sapphire beads, the love letters, too, not only to complete the costume and the legend of the unfaithful wife but to emphasize the guilty husband?

Except that Hebert, and presumably Menetrel, had not known the dress and necklace had been left in Celine Dupuis’s room. The love letters too … Had they been left, then, by Olivier or Edith Pascal?

‘Admit it, we need answers, Louis.’

A curt nod was given to indicate the occupants of a nearby table, Ines noted and again held her breath.