Page 132 of The Grey Wolf
Armand stared at the forest, trying to make out the trees, and willed the nun to answer.
“She’s shaking her head. She either doesn’t know or won’t say. She looks terrified, as though I’m about to hurt her.”
“Tell her we know about Grande Chartreuse.”
“What do we know,patron?”
“Nothing, but I bet she does.”
Armand heard Isabelle say, “Grande Chartreuse.” Her voice was echoey. Gamache could not figure out where they might be in the Vatican. The Sistine Chapel perhaps?
“Nothing.”
“Damn.” He paused. “Can you sing?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Sing. Do you know ‘Let It Be’?”
“Are you all right?”
“Please, just answer the question.”
“Yes.”
“Bon.Now, I want you to sing the chorus, but replace the words ‘let it be’ with ‘letterB.’”
Lacoste’s brow furrowed. Was the Chief losing his mind? Still, she lowered the phone and sang.
Beauvoir was trying to get through, but the Chief’s line was busy. Busy.
So he called Annie.
“Jean-Guy—”
“Get me your father, fast.”
Annie was already up and partly dressed. Throwing on a dressing gown, she ran around the house looking for her father.
“What is it?” asked Daniel, coming out of his bedroom.
“I need to find Dad.”
“He’s outside by the car.”
Annie ran down the stairs and out the door in her slippers, holding the phone in front of her. “Dad! Jean-Guy needs to speak to you. It’s urgent.”
Armand heard a flushing sound twenty seconds into Lacoste singing “Letter B.”
Probably not the Sistine Chapel.
“She looks like I slapped her,” said Isabelle.
So shocked was Sister Irene by the song that she’d put out her hand for balance and ended up flushing the urinal.
“What does the song mean?” asked Lacoste.
“It means she knows far more than she’s saying. Hold on.” Armand spoke into the phone Annie gave him. “What is it?”
