‘Jean-Louis, this is all hearsay, a figment of that girl’s imagination no magistrate or judge would accept. We gave you a suspect-’
‘As you tried to give us Brother Matthieu, Prèfet? That girl’s comet’s tail ended with a moonstone over which fell a rain of pearls.’
‘Pearls?’
‘Tears, then, for that is what they represented in the Renaissance. The assembled. Your cagoulards.’
Louis gave them a moment, and then, like the judge he had become, said sadly, ‘Which of you ordered them to kill her, Bishop? Was the choice drawn by lots as when a new Pope is elected?’
‘By lots,’ said Rivaille condescendingly. ‘And in the old way, as during the Babylonian Captivity.’
‘The Second Babylon,’ acknowledged the Sûreté with a curt nod. ‘You drew the white slip, Bishop. That girl had even foreseen this. A single pearl was pinned next to your leaden Goat, and on the right hand.’
‘I did not kill her.’
‘Of course you didn’t. Your kind never do, not when you have cowards like these at your beck and call. They wore black, not white, those assassins you sent. They swiftly entered via the Jésus’ Room and we know the rest, Bishop. Xavier, coming back from a night of poaching rabbits on the Îie de la Barthelasse, found the door to the Palais open and let Nino loose. He knew what was to happen, didn’t you, boy?’
‘I knew,’ taunted Xavier.
‘And may God forgive you for what you did to Dédou,’ said Louis. ‘The Resistance won’t. I’ll make certain of it. Believe me, mon fin, La belle France will be well rid of you.’
The candles flickered, throwing soft shadows over the Hooded Ones. And why did he have to emphasize his patriotism? wondered Kohler. A last taunt, was that it? Had he completely forgotten what awaited them?
Nino fidgeted. Unnoticed by the others, von Mahler had somehow moved much closer to his wife.
‘Last October,’ said Louis, ‘your little friend led you to Adrienne de Langlade’s body, to where these four and others had hidden it underwater. You took some of her hair, Xavier. You might never know if it would be needed but, just as in your hiding of the sickle and the martinet, it would give you such a hold over Bishop Rivaille. You rejoiced, I think, in your good fortune.’
‘What if I did?’ sang out the boy. ‘It means nothing now to you.’ YOU … YOU …
‘Keeping silent about a murder is punishable by a stiff sentence!’ shouted Louis.
‘One I’ll never see!’ SEE … SEE …
Frau von Mahler and Marie-Madeleine had somehow moved themselves a little away from the Colonel. What the hell was going on? wondered Kohler. Verdammt! How were they ever going to get out of this?
Louis wanted desperately to light that pipe of his, even to taking out his matchbox, only to acknowledge the mistake. ‘Of course, you’ll never see prison,’ he went on. ‘We’ve other plans. But let us finish with you so that we can taste the Châteauneuf-du-pape of this whole affair. Everything you do, Xavier, is done first to protect yourself and gain the upper hand, and secondly to keep the bishop content. Adrienne de Langlade’s hair was presented to Brother Matthieu as a parting gesture of contempt. You told that poor unfortunate he had best do as the bishop had instructed and put an end to himself.’
‘You raped Adrienne de Langlade,’ said Kohler. ‘She was as much of a threat to you early last June as she was to your Primo Soprano.’
‘I wasn’t the only one.’
‘I didn’t think you were, did you, Louis?’
‘Norman had a go at her twice,’ said the boy, ‘to prove himself capable of being a man.’
‘You little bastard!’ shrieked the cherub, BASTARD …BASTARD …
‘Enough!’ shrieked de Passe. ‘Take these two from Paris and dispose of them. The river, but first the garrotte and the knife.’
The Hooded Ones began to converge on them. Hastily Louis stuffed that precious pipe of his away.
Kohler …
‘Stop! Don’t any of you move!’ shrilled Frau von Mahler. ‘Let … let him finish.’
The Belgian FN was in her hands. De Passe was so taken aback, he frantically looked to Rivaille for help and was signalled caution.
She motioned to the cagoulards to retreat to their former positions. ‘Please continue, Inspector. Let us have the benefit of your analysis. Kurt, stay where you are.’
YOU ARE … YOU ARE …
‘Madame,’ said Louis, still standing some distance from her and therefore not able to get that gun from her, thought Kohler ruefully. ‘Madame, we know Bishop Rivaille, in a drunken rage, had Adrienne de Langlade brought to his room at the mill. We believe he did things to that girl, perhaps after first purging himself with the martinet for being so foolish as to think her “pure”, and that he forgot his vows and then blamed her for encouraging him.’
‘Alain, tell him it wasn’t so! She refused to name the father of her bastard, damn you! I … I repeatedly asked her.’
‘But she couldn’t! She didn’t know, Bishop, and no one, not one among those she was to join and call her friends and associates, would tell her because they didn’t want her with them. “She didn’t work out.” And for her “sins”, Bishop, you sentenced her to the accabussade. What happened, Maître Simondi? You’ve listened to all I’ve said and known it was the truth, yet have said so little.’
‘It was an accident. That infernal cage was far too heavy and awkward. The rope broke and we … we couldn’t raise her in time.’
No one moved. Frau von Mahler glanced apprehensively from one to another of them, and to the long lines of cagoulards who waited as before.
Far from sure of herself, did she really know where to go next? wondered Kohler sadly.
‘Ah bon,’ said Louis with that little toss of his head his partner had come to know so well. ‘But then, Maître, the four of you had a problem on your hands, one that Mireille de Sinéty refused to let you hide. Dedou wanted her to use the information to gain the maquis a small reprieve, but couldn’t be here to back her up. Instead, she had to face you all alone.’
‘She wouldn’t listen! She defied the Mother Church!’ seethed Rivaille.
‘No, Bishop, she defied the four of you, one of whom, I’m certain, deliberately detained the concierge until the deed was done.’
‘Messieurs,’ quavered Frau von Mahler, and there were tears she had yet to realize. ‘You robbed me and my family of a light when it was most needed. Did you not think of this?’ THIS … THIS …
‘Louis …’ began Kohler, only to see the Sûreté raise a cautionary hand.
‘Robbed?’ said Renaud, deeply puzzled.
They faced her, the four of them. They still didn’t know quite what to make of her. To a man, the Hooded Ones waited, the singers also.
Von Mahler started towards her, only to find himself held back by Marie-Madeleine.
‘Dio mio, do something, Alain,’ breathed Simondi. Renaud just stared at her as if he couldn’t yet comprehend her intentions. De Passe took a step toward her, saying, ‘Frau von …’
‘Don’t come near me!’ she shrilled. ‘I’m warning you!’
Rivaille hastily crossed himself and went down on his knees, his hands clasped in prayer.
‘Now give me the name of her assassin. Call it out to me, Préfet.’
Merde alors, she wouldn’t really use that gun, would she? demanded de Passe of himself. ‘Duverger … Vincent,’ he sang out.