Page 69 of Miss Wolcott’s Ghost

A minute or so after leaving them, Gamache had texted Jean-Guy. “Don’t interview him yet. Let him stew.” But this statement needed to be pursued. “You know who it is?”

“Don’t you?”

“Don’t fuck with me. Who is it?”

“Her name’s Jeanette. She works, worked, at Réunion. One of their senior investigators.”

“Investigating what?”

“Genealogy, what else. Tracking down family members.”

“Why was she killed?”

Now Comeau fell silent, turning his head to watch the landscape change from urban, to suburban, to rich farmland.

“I don’t know.” His words formed a fog on the glass.

Beauvoir’s mind was working. Jeanette. Jeanette. Wait a minute.

“Jeanette Bouchard?” The “artist” who’d visited Clara? “She works at Réunion?”

“Oui. Didn’t you know? Isn’t that why you were there?”

Once outside the Réunion building, Armand paused.

He felt the need to feel sunshine on his face. And to take deep breaths of fresh air.

Several people stared at him, but none approached. It was clear by his whole demeanor that this was not the time for pleasantries.

Once he’d regained his composure, he headed back into the building, but first he called Lacoste. She needed to be warned. “Jean-Guy’s on his way down. And he’s bringing Gaston Comeau with him.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You heard. Comeau.”

Isabelle didn’t know what to say to that.

“Do not interview him until I arrive. I should be there in a couple of hours.”

“Oui, patron.” There was a moment’s silence. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.” But his voice was strained. He sounded rattled.

She thanked him for the heads-up. Then, like the Chief, she searched out the sun. She got up and went for a walk. Over the stone bridge. Past the front gardens and gardeners. Past Reine-Marie walking Henri, Fred, and Gracie.

Past Ruth on the bench with Rosa. Past the three immense pines.

And slowly, slowly, with each step through the bright, fresh spring day as friends and acquaintances waved, Isabelle Lacoste returned to herself.

Then her footsteps took her to the bistro, where Clara, Myrna, Reine-Marie, and Ruth joined her a few minutes later.

All is solved by being with friends. And café au lait, and the pyramid of biscotti Olivier had brought over.

And he’s bringing Gaston Comeau with him.

“Of course it was the Storstad’s fault,” Clara was saying. “The first mate admitted he changed course, away from the shore and right into the Empress.”

“Well, he didn’t say ‘into the Empress,’” said Myrna, who’d also read the reports from the inquiry.