Page 82 of Miss Wolcott’s Ghost

“Because Gaston Comeau isn’t an investigator. He’s a janitor.”

CHAPTER 30

As soon as Armand left Réunion, he made a call.

“Madame Bouchard?”

“Oui?”

“My name is Armand Gamache, I’m—”

“What’s happened?” The woman’s voice immediately rose an octave. She obviously knew who he was.

“Non, non,” he said, in his most soothing voice. “Nothing. I’m just looking into something and thought your daughter might help.”

“Jeanette?”

“Yes. We’d like to speak with her, get her take on some events. Do you know where she is?”

“No. I haven’t heard from her in a while.”

“Can you remember the last time?”

“I can look it up on my phone.” There was a pause. “Here it is. Her last message is almost a month old. Twenty-first of May.”

The same time as her last communication with Réunion.

“Does she say where she is?”

“No, just that she’s enjoying herself and might be out of touch for a while.” There remained a degree of anxiety in her voice.

“Did she tell you anything about her latest assignment?”

“No. She never talks about her work. What’s this about?”

“How about the people she works for? Does she talk about them?”

“No. I did ask, but she says it’s all confidential.”

“Did she ever mention a place called Three Pines?”

There was a pause. “No, no, I don’t think so.”

“Is she happy in her work?”

“Now that’s a strange question, why wouldn’t she be? Really, Monsieur Gamache, what’s this about? You need to ask Jeanette these questions.”

“And I will, as soon as we can connect with her. Can you give me Jeanette’s personal contact information?”

She hesitated, then gave it to him. It was, he saw, the same as he already had.

“You’ll let me know when you speak to her?” she said. There was anxiety in her voice. But then, Armand knew that parents lived in a near-perpetual state of worry about their children, no matter their age.

“I promise. And please let me know when she gets in touch.”

As soon as he got off the call, he tried Jeanette’s number again. The voicemail was full. Then he wrote a text and an email, asking her to contact him.

Then he texted Isabelle and Jean-Guy, bringing them up to speed on events at Réunion, including that Gaston Comeau was not an investigator after all.