‘Emerald,’ said the former nun, ignoring Louis’s question about lies. ‘This stone was worn because possessing it allowed one to foresee the future. Its mounting has no backing, and the stone was held up to the light. If clear, as this one is, the seeker immediately saw the truth.’
‘The signs of the zodiac, then,’ said Louis gently.
The girl looked at him for a moment before taking up the order book to show him the glyphs that were used to denote each house. ‘The House of the Fishes is represented by the alchemist’s sign for projection, a capital H, but with out-bowed sides,’ she said. And then, still holding his gaze with her own, ‘Pisces, the twelfth house, is sometimes thought of as the house of one’s own undoing. Though Mireille disputed this, she did agree scandal and imprisonment could sometimes dodge those who were born under its sign.’
‘Is Genèvieve Ravier the Pisces?’ asked Louis.
She gave a slight nod and said quietly, ‘Christiane Bissert is the Gemini. The two are often linked because … because in life, their lives are almost as one.’
‘You spoke with Mireille de Sinéty on the night before the murder.’
‘Inspector, Mireille was very afraid. She knew that Bishop Rivaille and Maître Simondi suspected she was about to confront them but swore they couldn’t possibly know how damning that confrontation would be.’
‘Then Dédou was arrested and they soon learned everything, through no fault of the boy’s,’ said Louis. ‘Most break under torture, mademoiselle. Dedou was not alone in this and shouldn’t be condemned.’
‘Merci,’ she said softly, but was so pale and afraid herself. ‘You see, Dedou was my brother and though I know it was God’s will, I’ll miss him terribly. And, yes, in their eyes, especially in those of the bishop, I stand condemned for leaving the Order and for speaking out, but I’ll go with you and will confront them as Mireille must have done.’
Very quickly she showed him the rest of the signs. ‘The House of the Goat rightly claims the bishop, that of the Scorpion, César Simondi.’
‘And Albert Renaud?’ he asked.
‘The Ram — a bloodstone with blood-red flecks among the dark green. His family outwardly loved and secretly hated the de Sinétys six hundred years ago and Mireille was well aware of this but took it in her stride as she took everything else.’
‘And Madame Simondi?’
‘A Cancer. For her, Mireille used the cat’s-eye which was said to be without equal in bringing success in gambling and in all other games of chance.’
‘Could Xavier have killed your friend on orders from her?’
‘Xavier …’
‘Mademoiselle, I regret having to ask, but time is of the essence and we still have much to do.’
‘I … I really don’t know. I wish I did, but …’
‘What about Christiane Bissert?’ asked Louis anxiously.
‘Genèvieve was to have been replaced, Inspector. Christiane felt this deeply. “Those two,” Mireille said, “are the ones I fear the most among the singers because they see me taking away everything they have.”’
Then it was true what Simondi had said of Genèvieve. ‘Was she also afraid of Xavier? Mademoiselle, again I must ask you to set aside feelings I know must be of despair.’
Faintly she smiled through her tears, then said bitterly, ‘You’re wondering why, if she was so worried about him, did she ask Xavier to contact my brother. It’s really quite simple, Inspector, and has as much to do with six hundred years ago as it has to today. Only Xavier can avoid the controls like no one else. Only he could have gone to warn Dédou that morning and not be seen by the préfet’s men. I knew it; Mireille knew it, and so did he. When Xavier arrived well before dawn we both saw it as a sign, a supreme test, if you like, of the triumph of good over evil. God wouldn’t let Xavier betray my brother. Dédou had to be contacted. What else could she have done?’
So silent had the room become, thought Kohler, not even Nino stirred.
‘Xavier is a Leo, and you can see that Mireille has used a sardonyx cameo to represent him. The deep flesh red of its stone is seen through the falsity of the white surplice — the coating that covers its surface. The sins of the flesh, are you wondering? The father of Adrienne’s unborn child? Then, yes, Dédou told Mireille what happened last June, and yes she was very upset about it, but couldn’t let on.’
‘Could she have changed the position of any of these things when told that Dedou wouldn’t be coming?’ asked St-Cyr.
‘It’s … it’s possible but … Oh, I can’t remember the arrangement. I can’t! Madame, I can’t!’
Distraught, she turned to Frau von Mahler who still refused to look up or to acknowledge anything.
‘Mademoiselle, please try,’ urged Louis.
‘I am!’
‘Then tell me why there is nothing here to indicate either Frau von Mahler or the Colonel.’
But was there? wondered Kohler, not liking the thought and bending over to take Nino into his lap.
‘Gentlemen,’ said von Mahler, ‘Mireille was neither afraid of myself nor of my wife. She had no reason to be.’
‘Kurt, tell them about the picnic at the mill last October — the “party”. Tell them that you were there with Mireille and that, when she asked to leave, you thought it best to … to escort her home.’
‘I went to the office afterwards, Ingrid. I swear it.’
‘You stayed with her. You talked — I know you did because she told me of this. You were “very kind and understanding”, she said. Understanding, Kurt.’
Nom de Jésus-Christ! swore Kohler silently. Now all the dirty linen comes out.
‘The girl was definitely a virgin, madame,’ said the Sûreté brusquely. ‘Colonel, a little about this “party”, please. We gather things got out of hand.’
They’d find out everything. ‘Only later, after Mireille and I had left. She saw it coming, as I did, and didn’t want to hang around. She tried repeatedly to convince Adrienne to leave with us but the girl refused.’
‘Adrienne was a Virgo, Inspector,’ said Marie-Madeleine softly. ‘She had, unfortunately, both a willingness to admire and to submit to those in power. Bishop Rivaille worshipped the girl and thought her hair matched exactly that of Mary’s in his ring. He had great plans for her, but as you can see by this enseigne next to his, the devil is allergic to Holy Water. The aspergillum in the friar’s hand sprinkles its water over the lead button of the Goat upon which a martinet also falls as the Archer aims his arrow.’
‘Ah bon,’ said Louis. ‘One thing remains and then we must hurry. Madame?’
Composed at last, Frau von Mahler faced them. They would expect nothing less and suddenly she had to let Kurt know that she would no longer hide this matter or any other.
‘I saw someone, and heard things. I was terrified I would be too late. I left the dinner table well before the others but even so was some distance from the Palais. The streets were unfamiliar. I …’
‘At about what time would you have reached the Palais?’ asked Louis gently.
‘Nine forty-five, I think. Their car had just arrived. Bishop Rivaille was asking Simondi if the door to the Palais was locked and did he have his key. “It’s unlocked,” he said. “She must be here already and has left it open for us.”’
Madame Simondi would have been able to get into the Palais with no problem, thought Kohler.
Von Mahler took his wife’s hand in his and asked, ‘What then?’
She gazed steadily at him, no longer afraid of what he’d see and, still doing so, said, ‘I waited. I didn’t really know the layout of that place. It’s so huge and frighteningly empty, Kurt. So cold and cruel, but I thought I must surely hear the judges’ steps and I did.’