D A Novel (George Right) - By George Right Page 0,82

but after all, formally, we don't even have a legally defined crime. There is only a series of accidents–and a hypothesis which would seem even more fantastic to my superiors than to you."

"Don't bother, I understood. Well, I can take care of myself."

"But remember that the danger threatens not only you."

"If you cannot protect us, at least refrain from condescending to tell me what to do. Besides, as you say, these are only hypotheses in which I don't much believe. But if this unknown avenger, be it de Montreux or anybody else, intrudes in my house, I will shoot him."

"In any case, you should warn all inhabitants of the house about the danger."

"So that they all run away? Superstitious rumors are one thing and a real threat of murder is absolutely another one. No, they are frightened enough even without that."

"In that case, monsieur Dubois, I must warn them myself."

"Inspector, you have no formal grounds to consider these deaths criminal. Thus, you have no right to alarm my people, thus causing ..."

At this moment came a knock at the door. It was Leroi.

"I beg your pardon for interrupting you, monsieur," he said, "but the matter is that the servants... they are preparing to depart."

"What, all of them?" the businessman shouted angrily. "Try to dissuade them!"

"It's impossible, monsieur, I tried. They want to leave the estate immediately, before the night. So will you allow me to settle with them?"

"And what if not?"

"They say, monsieur, that they will leave now and will return for their money later."

"Damn! You see, inspector, your efforts aren't required any more. All right, Leroi, settle with these superstitious idiots and then go to the village and hire somebody for couple of days until new permanent servants can be found."

"Yes, monsieur. But I am afraid that nobody in the village will agree to work in this house, even for a threefold payment."

"I need servants, not your guesses! Go!"

"You see, monsieur Dubois," the inspector said when the majordomo left the room, "all circumstances favor your departure."

"Like hell! If someone wants to expel me from this house, he won't achieve it!" the businessman rose from his chair, letting the others know that conversation was ended.

Jeannette met him in tears.

"Jacques!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. "Let's leave this damned place! Let's leave right now!"

"One of my enemies would like it very much. And that's why we remain here. Don't be afraid of anything. While you are with me, nothing may threaten you," for greater persuasiveness he showed Jeannette the loaded pistol, which probably frightened her even more.

It happened that not all the servants left the house: unexpectedly from somewhere Marie appeared. However, Dubois's satisfaction with this fact almost instantly disappeared: the maid's usual cheerfulness was gone, and she probably could only increase the despondency of her mistress now. Then Leroi returned–as he had expected, with nothing: no villager would agree to work in de Montreux's house or even approach it after sunset. For the night, Dubois ordered everyone to lock their doors, and he himself, contrary to his normal practice, remained in Jeannette's bedroom till morning.

That night in the forest the wolf howled again.

In the morning, having left Jeannette in the care of her maid and having strictly ordered the majordomo to keep watch over both of them, Dubois went to the village and bought several of the strongest padlocks and bolts; then, having employed a temporary worker for an absolutely unreasonable fee, he came back to the estate. Together with Leroi, they went all over house, replacing locks and nailing up doors. Dubois even tapped walls in search of secret passages–a week ago even a thought about something similar would have seemed to him absolute paranoia. Eventually the house began to resemble a fortress not only from outside, but also from within; the locked and boarded up doors gave it a completely dismal and uninhabited look. The worker received his payment and went away with obvious relief; his appearance said: "No locks will save you from de Montreux's curse!"

Whether it was caused by natural irritation because things were developing so unsuccessfully or the gloomy atmosphere of the house and the events which had happened in it, Dubois for the first time felt really uncomfortable in his house and all day stayed in Jeannette's company. He managed to brighten up and, perhaps even more importantly, to amuse his concubine so that she stopped asking to leave the house and behaved as though she believed that after the arrival