Page 70 of The Grey Wolf
“You sent a gift and wrote a note for Annie and Jean-Guy. Youdescribed how your wife’s sister, Charlene, has Down, and that you can’t imagine life without her.”
“Yes, so?”
“So, I trust you.”
“Because my sister-in-law also has Down syndrome? I’m not saying you’re wrong to trust me, but that reasoning seems pretty flimsy, Armand, even for you.”
Gamache gave a small grunt of amusement. “I trust you because of that kindness to my daughter and Jean-Guy. You could not be that empathetic and be party to a mass murder that would include children.”
“Mass murder?” His voice had risen, then suddenly dropped to a hoarse whisper. “What do you know, Armand? You have to tell me.”
He took a breath, then took the leap. He told the assistant commissioner of the RCMP everything. There was no going back now. When he finished, there was a long, long silence.
“I think you’re wrong. It must be the toxic spills.” Despite his denial, he’d become very still. The way a hunted animal became when it senses a predator. “Doesn’t that seem much more likely? I mean, really, Armand. Why poison Montréal’s drinking water?”
There was a plea now, in his voice. He was begging Gamache to agree with him.
“Let me ask you a question,” said Armand. “What happens if the drinking water is poisoned? Not the deaths, I know about those, but the political fallout.”
“What happened when the FLQ kidnapped and killed a politician, and set off bombs in Montréal back in 1970?”
He was referring, of course, to the October Crisis. It was a rhetorical question since both knew the answer. But still, he said it.
“The Prime Minister invoked the War Measures Act.”
“Oui.And this PM would too. Would have to.”
“Civil liberties would be suspended,” said Gamache. “The Charter of Rights and Freedoms frozen. Québec, all of Canada, would become a police state.”
“The federal government would have unlimited power.”
“Unbridled power,” said Gamache. “Acoup de grâcefollowed by acoup d’état.”
“Are you really saying”—Lavigne lowered his voice—“that the PM is behind this? I’m not a huge fan, but even I stop at thinking he’s a tyrant willing to kill thousands to make himself dictator.”
When Gamache just stared at him, he shook his head and grinned.
“Sorry, that was naïve. Just look at world leaders today. Insanity rules. Would this PM do it? I don’t know. Maybe. But still, I can’t believe it. I think you’re wrong.”
Lavigne reached into his pocket and brought out a small bottle of extra-strength aspirin. “You’ve given me a headache.” He tipped it toward Armand, who shook his head and watched his companion down two.
“I hope to God I’m wrong, but you might want to keep that bottle close. David, you’ve run the scenarios. How easy would it be to poison our drinking water?”
“It’s one of our top concerns. It wouldn’t be easy, but it could be done. My God, Armand, if you’re right—” His eyes widened. “Montréal? That would mean—”
“Oui.”
The shock was wearing off. Lavigne’s mind was engaging.
“We can’t issue a warning to the population,” he said, ticking through the options. “Certainly not until we’re sure. And if it’s true, a civil warning would also warn whoever is behind this. They’d either move up their plans or put them on hold and go to ground.”
He looked at Gamache, who nodded but remained quiet.
“Our only hope is to catch them. Rip it out, root and branch. Jesus, Armand, how deep are the roots? How high up does it go?”
Now it was Armand’s turn to lean across the table. “That’s what you need to find out.”
“And you?”
