Page 182 of The Grey Wolf
“Gone.”
“Do we know if Caron made it to the car?”
“She did. There’s blood by where it was parked.”
Gamache nodded, wiping his bloody hands on his slacks. “May I have your gun, please?”
It was said so mildly, so casually, Jean-Guy wasn’t sure he understood until he again saw Gamache’s hand out.
Beauvoir gave him the weapon, then watched in surprise as Gamache took it and in one easy movement placed it against the temple of the RCMP officer.
“Drop your weapon.”
“Sir?”
“Now.”
There was a pause before he released his handgun. Beauvoir grabbed it.
“Patron?” said Jean-Guy.
“Monsieur Gamache?” said Gauthier.
“Stay still.” Without taking his eyes off his prisoner, Gamache said to Beauvoir, “You have ties?”
“Oui.” He took them out, and at Gamache’s nod he reached for the right hand of the RCMP officer. The Mountie jerked it away.
“What the fuck? Are you insane? Are you on their side? Shit.”
“Cuff him to the pew.”
When the Mountie was secure, Gamache lowered the gun and searched the body of the killer. Nothing. He stood up and contemplated her. Then he looked at Gauthier.
“How did she find us?”
“She followed us. Isn’t that obvious? For God’s sake, Gamache. What’s got into you?”
“We weren’t followed,” said Beauvoir.
“Someone told her where we were going,” said Gamache. “I have Castonguay’s phone, so it wasn’t him. You were sending a message. I assumed it was to your family to warn them about the poison. Perhaps even to Commissioner Lavigne to update him.” Here Gamache paused and then continued. “But you were telling the shooter where we were headed.”
“That’s bullshit!”
“You were guarding the back door. How did she get by you?”
“It’s dark.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” murmured Beauvoir.
“Were both Caron and Dom Philippe supposed to die? And then your instructions were to kill the shooter? I imagine the satchel was an unpleasant surprise. Are you named in the papers?”
“You’re insane. I saved your life. She’d have killed you too.” He jabbed his free hand toward the dead woman.
Gamache held the man’s eyes until the officer blinked.
“Your orders were to keep me alive at least until I could warn the politicians about the attack. They’d then sound the alarm and, in doing that, start the panic. And the attack would happen anyway.” He turned to Beauvoir. “Why weren’t we hit? I was closer to the shooterthan Dom Philippe or Caron. If she’d wanted us dead, we would be.” He turned back to the Mountie. “You need us alive. But this also means the attack on the water is imminent. What do you know?” Pause. “Tell us!”
Gauthier appealed to Beauvoir. “This’s insane. You see that, right? I didn’t want to believe Diane when she told me Gamache was dangerous. Not listening to anyone. She said he’d get them all killed, and you did.” The Mountie turned back to Gamache. He’d worked himself into a rage. “You got my sister killed.”
