A Great Reckoning (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #12) - Louise Penny Page 0,67

it were the lights of Saint-Alphonse.

“One man’s hatred stands above the rest,” he said, turning away from the window. “That’s where I’d start to look. But then, I’m not very good at my job, am I?”

If he expected Commander Gamache to mollify him, he was disappointed. Gamache sat silent and eventually Professor Godbut nodded and left.

“There’s a piece of work,” said Lacoste.

“A piece of shit,” said Beauvoir, and beside him Gélinas gave a gruff laugh of agreement.

“But he might be right,” said Lacoste. “It’s not the first time today that’s been mentioned. The hatred in the town toward the academy.”

“But what’s the story?” asked Gélinas, sitting forward and turning to Gamache. “What happened? The dossier you gave me refers to it, but only in terms of the subsequent contracts, not what led up to it.”

“The town wanted this site for a recreation complex,” Gamache explained. “Leduc promised to help them get it if they helped him find a site for the academy on the outskirts of town. They were thrilled to have the Sûreté Academy, knowing what it could mean to their economy. The mayor trusted him completely. Three months later, the site of the new academy was announced.”

“The town’s site,” said Lacoste.

“The mayor and the townspeople had been lobbying and fund-raising for years to build a skating rink, a pool, an athletic center and community hall. It was more than a piece of land, more than a building. The people of Saint-Alphonse saw it as vital for their town’s future. Especially the children. The mayor was apoplectic. Almost put him in the hospital.”

There was silence in the room.

People had been murdered for far less.

“Could he have done this?” Lacoste asked.

The Commander thought for a moment. “I don’t know.”

Gélinas’s brows rose. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard a senior officer say, I don’t know.

“I think it’s possible,” mused Gamache. “But if the mayor was going to murder Leduc, I think it would’ve been a few years ago, when it first happened. I know him a little. I like him. He’s a decent man, doing his best.”

Gamache considered, then added, “But he does hold on to things. Lets them fester. Now, to be fair, it was a huge betrayal of his trust. It took a long time and a lot of effort to get him to agree to see me when I took over. Finally I convinced him to allow the community to share our facilities.”

“You were doing that?” asked Gélinas.

“Seemed only fair, and didn’t go nearly far enough to make amends. But it was a start. We were developing a program where the cadets would mentor and coach some of the children. And then this happened.”

“Could your approaching the mayor have reopened old wounds?” Paul Gélinas asked. “Unintentionally, of course.”

“It might have. On the one hand, the mayor is extremely upright, to the point of rigidity. A moralist. Almost fanatical in his defense of his town and his views of right and wrong.”

“He’d consider murder wrong, I’m assuming,” said Lacoste.

“True. On the other hand, he might see it as justice. Most killers manage to justify their actions. They don’t see what they’ve done as wrong.”

“The person getting what they deserve,” said Gélinas.

“Often, yes.”

“And in this case, Commander? Do you think the killer was after justice?”

Gamache looked at the photographs in front of them.

“Maybe.”

“But?” said Lacoste.

“You’ve interviewed the professors and the students,” said Gamache, and she nodded. “Each of the professors was a highly experienced Sûreté officer. All the students are being taught investigative skills.”

“You’re saying this is a school for murder,” said Gélinas. “You might be teaching them how to catch a criminal, but in a roundabout way you’re also teaching them how to be one, and not get caught.”

Gamache was nodding. “The professors in particular. They’d know what we’d be looking for.”

“And be able to stage a crime scene,” said Lacoste. “Make it look like something it’s not.”

“A single shot to the temple,” said Gamache. “Most murderers would at least try to make it look like suicide. Not a stretch. The narrative would be obvious. Serge Leduc knew I was closing in on him, and so he took his own life rather than go to prison.”

“And all the killer had to do was drop the gun on the correct side of the body,” said Lacoste.

“But he didn’t,” said Gélinas, looking at the photos. “Instead he does the opposite. Why?”

“He wants us to know it wasn’t suicide,” said Lacoste.

“But why?” asked Gélinas. “Why make sure we knew it