Page 110 of A Better Man

“Goddamn,” said Cloutier, with disgust and, Lacoste thought, a touch of triumph.

“What’re they saying to each other?” Lacoste asked.

“I’ve just gotten in. Haven’t gotten to their messages yet.”

Just then Lacoste’s phone vibrated, and she read the email.

It was from an agent back at headquarters, reporting on the phone messages into and out of the Tracey home for the past few weeks. There weren’t many. They’d all be checked, but what Lacoste scanned down to were the ones for that Saturday.

None had come in, and just two numbers were called from the house that day. One of them repeatedly.

“Is either of these Pauline Vachon’s number?”

“Non. But it is a Cowansville exchange,” said Cloutier. “I can look it up. That other one is to her father. That’s Homer’s number.”

Lacoste nodded. And realized Cloutier must know it well.

While Cloutier looked up the second number, Lacoste called Beauvoir.

“Oui, allô.”

“The phone records from the Tracey place have come in,” she said, without preamble. “It shows the call to Vivienne’s father, like he said, on Saturday morning. But someone in that house called another number, repeatedly, early Saturday evening. Most of the calls lasted only seconds.”

“Where to?”

“A local number. Agent Cloutier’s checking now.”

Beauvoir stayed on the line and could hear the clicking of computer keys. Then silence. Before he heard Agent Cloutier’s voice.

“The number belongs to a Gerald Bertrand.”

Jean-Guy put his hand over the phone and relayed the information to Gamache.

“The lover?” Beauvoir said.

“Could be,” said Gamache.

“We’ll find out,” said Lacoste, rising with the help of her cane.

After hanging up, Beauvoir returned to the coroner.

“Have you done a DNA test on the fetus?”

“I have. The results will be in with the rest of the tests, later today.”

“About the medication that was found in her duffel bag—”

“Mifegymiso. Yes.”

“It’s an abortion pill, right?”

“Yes.”

“Does that mean she was trying to end her pregnancy?”

“It’s unclear. It’s only legal in Canada up to ten weeks, and she was further along than that. I’ll test for both in her blood, but I can tell you there were no signs of an imminent miscarriage.”

“Meaning what?”