Thibault's only bout of band standing. Bold claims, Corbeix thought. Bias? But overall tame by Thibault's normal standards. There was obviously much worse to come.
As Thibault sat down, Barielle smiled. 'Yes, well. I think your aims in this case Monsieur Thibault have already been made clear to anyone reading the newspapers. In future, I would ask you to address your aims to me first before telling the world — not the other way around.'
Thibault was red-faced, but just nodded with a slight shrug. Couldn't quite wrap his tongue around an apology.
Corbeix smiled in turn. Perhaps Barielle wouldn't be such a walkover.
The first part of the second instruction hearing was taken up with Serge Roudele: confirmation of his name, the dates he worked in the Limoges garage, and then the reading of his statement about the coin.
Duclos was present because later he would be asked to testify. He looked uneasy as he listened to Roudele's account. And so he should, thought Corbeix: the main physical evidence that could convict him. Duclos would have already known about the coin from the trial papers, but not all the details. Corbeix felt a twinge of pleasure at Duclos' discomfort. Duclos probably thinking of the many times he'd opened the boot in those seven months without seeing the coin. Or wondering why, oh why couldn't he have had a flat tyre?
Thibault waited for Barielle to finish his questioning, and then requested the right to confront; but with only three questions. Barielle nodded, and posed them: 'Did you steal the coin in question?'
'Well, yes. I took it, at least.'
'Would you consider this an act of theft?'
'Yes… I suppose I would.' Slight fluster. Uncomfortable.
'And was there a reward offered for coming forward with information about the coin?'
'Yes, there was.' Roudele was defensive. 'But not excessive in comparison to its normal value.'
Thibault made no concluding remarks and Roudele was dismissed. But the points were in the file, and Corbeix was sure that Thibault would make much of them later: try and discredit Roudele. Corbeix summarized with the statements from the coin shop owner, reading out key segments of his statements — then passed it to Barielle and the greffier to note.
Duclos' testimony predictably stuck to his original account given in 1963: travelling through Taragnon, calling in at a restaurant, a quick stop-off at a garage, then on to Juan-le-Pins.
When Duclos had finished, Barielle asked: 'Did you at any time meet a young boy travelling through Taragnon?'
'No, I didn't.'
'Did you at any time have a young boy in your car. Either in the passenger seat or in the boot?'
'No.'
'How long did you spend in the restaurant in total?'
'An hour, an hour and a quarter…'
Barielle continued with a series of straightforward, mechanical questions, eleven in all, making short notes between each one. He would ask the same questions from a dozen more angles before the instruction was over. Each time sharpening the angle or confronting with conflicting testimony from witnesses. The main skill of an effective examining magistrate digging for the truth. But Corbeix could hardly imagine Barielle commenting that according to the voice on tape of a boy long since dead, a different account had been proposed: 'What do you say to that, Monsieur Duclos?'
A reminder to Corbeix, listening to Duclos' account, that his claim at the last instruction of PLR just providing background and texture, was in part inaccurate: the case hinged on the physical evidence of the coin, but Eyran Capel's PLR transcripts provided the complete picture of what really happened that day.
All the details Duclos was now carefully omitting.
Jean-Paul Thibault had purposely coasted through the first instruction hearings. First of all he liked to listen, tune himself to the mood of the proceedings: the sensitivities and nuances of the prosecutions and the examining magistrate, their strengths and vulnerabilities. Where to hit and where to avoid. When he knew where he would have most impact — then he would start striking out.
But there was another strong reason for him biding his time: research and background. Uncovering the most vulnerable areas of witnesses. The day after receiving the main file, he'd assigned two of his best researchers to get information on Roudele, Fornier and Malliene in France, Lambourne and the Capels in England, and Marinella Calvan in America.
Day by day the threads of information filtered in. Unfortunately, there was nothing on Roudele. No past convictions for theft; the coin possibly an isolated incident. He'd decide later if he would press the point.
But with Dominic Fornier, they'd struck gold. Enough threads to weave a blanket. A shroud to hopefully smother Fornier, nail him in grand style at the next instruction.
'How did we fare?' Dominic tapped a pencil on his desk. Papers and files, telephones ringing, interruptions. The normal morning. Dominic had hardly been able to pay any of it strong attention. He'd phoned Corbeix' office twenty minutes before to learn that he was still not back: still in instruction. On the second call he was put through to Corbeix.
'We're probably ahead after the second as well. Thibault tackled Roudele over the theft of the coin, but nothing serious. And Duclos gave the same lame, ridiculous account of his movements that day as when you first took his statement back in 1963.'
'I suppose we didn't expect any less.'
'Suppose not.' Corbeix was thoughtful. Voicing the ease with which they'd sailed through the first two hearings reminded him of the onslaught he feared was coming. He'd already warned Fornier about the 'confront' notice posted against him and Malliene for the next hearing. Dominic had joked: 'So either Thibault is booking his ringside ticket and will just sit it out — or we'd better warn Malliene what he's in for.' Corbeix too had laughed, but nervously. They both knew who Thibault was gunning for.
'Can I talk? Is your line secure?'
Duclos' heart sank. It was Jaumard. Thibault was due out of court soon. He'd hoped it might be him: news of how his assault on Fornier and Corbeix had gone.
'Yes, it's fine. You can talk. No bugs.' Betina downstairs, gendarme at the front door. The phone was probably the only secure place. Thibault had made a big issue of it at the bail hearing. Emphasized that because his client was under house arrest, by necessity many of their conversations would be by phone. A secure line was therefore essential. Any line-tapping would breach client lawyer confidentiality, and he would immediately call for a mistrial. Barielle agreed: no line-tapping. Duclos suddenly pinched himself. Perhaps he should have said, 'No, it's not safe.' The last person he wanted to hear from right now was Jaumard. But yet another part of him was morbidly curious. 'Still, you shouldn't be phoning me here. What do you want?'