Page 5 of The Grey Wolf
To meet.
To steady himself now, he took a bite of the soft, still-warm pastry, oozing dark chocolate. As a further balm, he looked across the patio to the Rivière Bella Bella, its fresh mountain water rushing by, catching the sun and gleaming golden. It was calming. Meditative.
His heart slowed and his shoulders dropped.
Was it a mistake to answer that call?
Why hadn’t he turned off the phone after the first ring? Why hadn’t he moved the phone into the study and shut the doors between it and them?
He knew why. Because he always had intended to answer. Because he had to know.
Because knowledge really was power. Where some cops thought of their guns as their weapon, Chief Inspector Gamache knew the only real weapon, and protection, was knowledge.
And yet, and yet…
And yet he’d stopped short of getting all the information. He’d run away. Refused to meet. Refused to find out what the person wanted. He’d hung up not because he was angry, but because he was afraid.
Just then, his phone rang again.
CHAPTER3
At the first ring, Reine-Marie’s hand jerked and the blue-and-white plate she was holding fell, shattering on the fieldstone terrace.
Then her own phone began ringing too. She looked at Armand, and Armand looked at her.
Was it possible, he thought, his mind racing. Had the caller, infuriated by his response, decided to change tactics and go after Reine-Marie?
He half expected all their phones to start ringing. A cacophony, a scream. An attack.
He had to stop this. He had to answer.
As he swiped accept, he stood up and walked to the grassy verge of the river. Reine-Marie’s phone stopped ringing. She too had answered.
“What do you want?” he demanded.
“Chief Inspector Gamache?”
“Oui.”
“This is the alarm company. A sensor has gone off at your home in Montréal. Would you like me to send a car?”
Armand felt a wave of relief, and a slight hysteria bubble up. “Un instant, s’il vous plaît.” He turned to Reine-Marie. “The alarm?”
“Oui.” She too was relieved. “It’s the front door?” she said into her phone. “It’s faulty. This has happened before.”
“Have the motion sensors been activated?” Armand asked, returning to his call.
“Non.Nothing. No one actually entered your home. It appears to be another false alarm. I’m guessing you’re not there.”
“No. Don’t bother sending a car. I’ll have someone drop by and check.”
“If you’re sure, Chief Inspector.”
“I am,merci.”
“I’ll turn off the alarm,” said the young man. “But you really should have it fixed.”
“Are you kidding me?” the familiar voice said. “Again?”
