All the Devils Are Here (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #16) - Louise Penny Page 0,78
speed, breaking into a run as his mind raced ahead of him.
Had he actually been lured away? Was he meant to chase one man while another broke in?
He was running across streets as cars slammed on brakes.
At his building he took the stairs two at a time, yanking himself up with the handrail.
The door to their apartment was closed. And still locked. But …
Hands trembling, he unlocked it and ran to Honoré’s room, then checked on Annie.
Both were asleep. Both snoring lightly.
Returning to the front door, he double locked it. Then, leaning against it, he slid down, landing on the floor, his knees to his chin and his head in his hands.
What could have happened to his family?
He got up and walked unsteadily into the living room. The chase had not been totally futile. He’d found out one thing.
The man had turned at the top of the wall on purpose. So that Jean-Guy could get a good look at him.
It was the guard Loiselle.
Jean-Guy’s bloody hand reached for the phone. The Chief was right. Some things were solved by walking. And some by running.
Armand put down the phone and turned to Claude.
“Did you assign an agent to guard Annie?”
“I asked Irena to do it. Why?”
“Because,” snapped Armand, “there’s no one there, except, as it turns out, a security guard working for GHS. They’re watching the apartment.”
“Armand?” said Reine-Marie, standing up.
“They’re all right. No thanks to you,” he said to Dussault. “Jean-Guy chased him away.”
Claude Dussault picked up his phone and made a call. A moment later he hung up. “An agent has been assigned, but his shift won’t start until midnight. I’m sorry. I didn’t make it clear to Fontaine that this was a priority. A flic is on his way now.”
Armand continued to stare at the Prefect, who colored under the unrelenting glare.
“Désolé,” Dussault repeated.
Gamache was far from convinced this man was désolé. He was also concerned that any gendarme Dussault sent would be there not to guard, but to watch. And maybe do more, if it came to that.
The Dussaults were on their feet, understanding that the evening was over. But as Claude bent to pick up the box, Armand stopped him.
“I’d like to keep this for a day.”
The two men locked eyes. Over the box. Over the barricade. And the Prefect, knowing he was in a difficult position after his failure earlier, conceded. But he wasn’t surrendering completely.
“I’ll just take this then.” He picked up the laptop.
Had they actually been at the barricades, Armand had the impression Dussault would have pulled the trigger.
And he’d have shot back.
CHAPTER 25
What was that about?” Monique asked as they got in their car.
“The Horowitz case,” said Claude, tossing the laptop into the back seat.
“I know that, but there was tension. More than tension. Is something wrong?”
“Non.” But her husband was distracted. Enough to actually get lost for a moment in the narrow streets of the Marais. “I’ll drop you at home. I need to speak with Irena.”
“At this hour? It’s almost eleven. Claude, what’s going on?”
“Nothing. I need to get her the laptop, now that we have the password. I’ll be home before midnight.”
He dropped her at the door to their building and made sure she got in safely, then drove off.
Monique walked up the stairs slowly. Thinking. Her husband’s scent, even more rank than she remembered it, clung to her clothing.
Beauvoir opened the door.
Once in, Reine-Marie hugged Jean-Guy.
“You all right?” Armand asked, noticing the scrapes on Jean-Guy’s hand.
“A bit shaken, to be honest. It really is different when it’s your own family.” His eyes were wide. “Thank you for coming.”
“Annie?” asked Armand.
“Asleep. So’s Honoré.”
Despite the reassurance, Reine-Marie and Armand walked to the bedrooms, peered in, then returned to the living room.
“We brought this.” Reine-Marie held up the pastry box. “I’ll make some tea.”
They followed her into the small kitchen and put out the tea things.
“What happened,” Armand asked.
Jean-Guy described it, then said, “I’ll tell you, Armand, that guy barely touched the wall as he went over. That’s no ordinary guard. And I’m pretty sure he wanted me to recognize him.”
“Bit of psychological warfare,” said Armand.
“But the good news is, his orders were to follow me, not to do any harm to Annie or Honoré. There’s something else. He works for SecurForte.”
“The same company that has the contract with the George V,” said Gamache. “Who almost certainly doctored the tapes.”
“It gets worse. SecurForte is owned by GHS.”
Armand paused for a beat, taking that in. “How do you know?”