Death at the Clos du Lac

CHAPTER SEVEN

‘We have all reasonable grounds for taking this over as a murder enquiry.’ Rocco was in Massin’s office, having driven straight to Amiens from Berlay. Also present were his deputy, Commissaire Perronnet, tall, aloof and keeping his own counsel as usual, but ready to support Massin, and Captain Canet of the uniformed branch. Slightly flushed of face and stocky, with a well-developed stomach, Canet was genial enough and inclined to favour action rather than talk. Massin had listened to what Rocco had reported, before calling in the other two in for a council of war and despatching a clean-up team to the Paulus cottage, including Dr Rizzotti.

‘You’re probably right, Inspector,’ Massin agreed smoothly. ‘But I’ve already had instructions from Paris.’ He gestured at the telephone on his desk. ‘Commandant Levignier is in charge of the investigation regarding all matters related to the Clos du Lac — including the subsequent death of the security guard. If required we are here in a support role only.’

‘That’s just my point,’ Rocco argued carefully. ‘The murder of Paulus took place outside the sanitarium. It’s a civilian matter, which places it within our jurisdiction.’

Massin said nothing, but looked at the other two officers for their opinions. Perronnet wagged his head from side to side, signalling indecision. Canet nodded and patted his stomach subconsciously. ‘I agree with Rocco, sir. The second murder might be connected with the sanitarium, but it did happen outside. We have to have some autonomy, surely.’

‘That may be true, Captain. But we don’t know where the shooting took place. We have only a brief examination of the scene at the Paulus residence to go on, although,’ he tipped his head towards Rocco, ‘I’m not suggesting you’re wrong, Inspector.’ He chewed his lip.

‘We should not ignore the question of jurisdiction,’ Perronnet conceded reasonably, drawing a startled look from the other three. He was not well known for voicing any opinion in contradiction to Massin. ‘What I mean is,’ he hurried on, ‘what if other deaths were to occur — although God forbid that they do, of course — involving people related to this place but unconnected with the first murder? Where do we draw the line? And we are bringing the body of Paulus back here, are we not?’

Rocco sighed inwardly at the convoluted argument and wondered whether Perronnet wasn’t merely playing an even field, trying to remain uncommitted in what could become a prolonged argument. But he decided not to let the opportunity offered go by.

‘I agree,’ he said. ‘We could end up being expected to clear up the mess with none of the authority to investigate the cause.’

Massin nodded slowly. ‘I can see I’m outnumbered.’ He chewed on his lip in thought, then tapped his desk with the tips of his fingers. ‘Very well. I will go back to the Ministry and let you know what their response is. But don’t be surprised if they lock us out. This Clos du Lac is clearly a government facility, so we should not expect them to allow access too easily.’

‘I’d like to know what kind of facility,’ said Rocco. ‘Drugged patients, armed security, and the presence of three Ministry men within hours of a death?’

‘Yes, well, if you’ll excuse the untimely reference, don’t dive deeper than you can swim, Inspector,’ Massin warned. ‘They may not be your favourite people, but they carry a lot more influence and weight than anyone in this room. Push too hard and you might find yourself assigned to some hellhole of an island in the Pacific.’

Outside in the corridor, Rocco nodded at Canet. ‘Thanks for the support.’

Canet smiled. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll expect you to return the favour one day. Frankly, I like to see the Ministry noses put out of joint now and then; there are some, like Levignier, who treat the uniformed branch like second-class citizens most of the time. Be good to win a point back now and then.’

Rocco headed for his desk to clear some paperwork. On the way, he spotted the muscular outline of Detective René Desmoulins coming down the corridor. He was one of the best investigators in the region, and Rocco trusted him implicitly.

‘You busy?’ he asked.

Desmoulins smiled shyly, smoothing his thin moustache. For something he was so aware of, it never seemed to progress much beyond a heavy fuzz, but Rocco admired his determination. ‘Nothing I can’t drop. Why?’

‘I want you to find out everything you can on an André Paulus, former or serving naval cop. Try the records office in Brest.’ He ran through the little that he knew from nurse Dion. ‘Did he leave the navy, if so, were there any problems — the usual background stuff?’

Desmoulins nodded, committing the details to memory. ‘Will do.’

Rocco left him to it and went to his desk. It wasn’t long before he got a call from Massin.

‘You’ve been given authority to investigate the Paulus death,’ the senior officer told him. ‘But that’s all. Anything inside the facility is strictly off-limits.’

‘That was quick,’ Rocco said. ‘Has Rizzotti had a look at Paulus’s body yet?’

‘He has. I have him with me. Come to my office and he can tell you himself.’

Rocco climbed the stairs and found Canet and Perronnet were there, too. Rizzotti grinned when he saw Rocco.

‘You’re still dragging them in for me to play with, I see,’ he said, referring to Rocco’s talent for finding corpses. He was a pale individual with thinning hair and wire spectacles, and seemed completely at home when poring over bodies or evidence that needed his opinions.

‘Your report, please, Doctor,’ Massin said softly.

‘Of course. Well, it’s very simple. The deceased was shot with two nine-millimetre rounds to the upper chest.’ Rizzotti looked at their faces. ‘Anyone want the full medical details? No? Well, that’s it. Whoever did it was very clever, however. Neither round exited the body, yet I found nothing solid to have impeded them.’

‘Meaning?’ Massin urged him.

‘Meaning that whoever killed him used reduced-charge cartridges to restrict the range.’ He nodded at Rocco. ‘As I learnt from Inspector Rocco, it’s a method used by professional assassins for close-quarter kills. The lack of blood at the scene would appear to confirm some care was taken in the execution,’ he winced at the unintended pun, ‘although it’s probable the shooting occurred outside the premises. But wherever it happened, there are clear signs of powder burns around the entry wounds, to the clothing and the flesh, suggesting that the killer was standing close to the deceased when shooting him. As near as I can estimate, death occurred during the night, sometime between midnight and 6 a.m.’

‘If he was killed elsewhere,’ said Canet, ‘why not leave him? Why would they bother dumping him back at the house?’

‘Now that,’ Rizzotti gave an expansive shrug, ‘science — even my limited version of it — cannot tell you. Perhaps where he was killed was inconvenient for the killer. But that’s up to Inspector Rocco to find out.’ He smiled at Rocco as he handed over the baton.

‘There has been a suggestion,’ said Massin, waving his thanks to Rizzotti, ‘that the killing might be a simple case of jealousy. He was rumoured to be involved with the nurse, Dion. Levignier has suggested that might be an avenue worth pursuing.’

Rocco nearly laughed. ‘Levignier said that? He can’t be serious.’

‘You don’t think it’s an explanation worth exploring?’

‘Only if Dion was also involved with a jealous hitman. Rizzotti’s right — this has the hallmarks of a professional kill. A jealous lover wouldn’t take all the personal effects the way it was done here. Neither would they bother hauling the body back to the house. And Paulus disappeared in the middle of his shift; it’s too much of a coincidence that it just happened while a murder was taking place at the Clos. He either left his post under his own steam or was forced. Then shot.’

‘I heard another suggestion,’ Perronnet put in. ‘That Paulus might have been involved in the first killing in some way. He may have been paid to leave the building in order to leave the way clear, but for some reason became surplus to requirements. It’s a possibility.’

‘Where did that one come from?’ asked Rocco.

‘I forget. One of Levignier’s team, I believe. It was a passing remark.’

Rocco wasn’t surprised. It was a reasonable assumption, but all too easy — and far too quick. He sensed an attempt to sidetrack them. Somebody in the Ministry had seen the potential problem in denying access to a normal murder investigation, and was tossing these suggestions out as a concession, a meagre bone to a dog.

‘I need access to Inès Dion,’ he said. ‘She’s a material witness to what happened.’

‘That has already been agreed. But the director, Drucker, will be there at all times. And you should take another officer with you. I suggest Gardienne Poulon, to avoid any unfounded accusations of pressure.’ Massin’s voice hardened. ‘Make no mistakes, Inspector, and remember what I said: you have been given reasonable access, but do not abuse that permission. You should also not forget that you have other cases to investigate, such as a shooting not far from Poissons. The report is on your desk, I believe.’

‘I’ll behave myself,’ Rocco replied. ‘Scout’s honour.’

He turned and left before Massin could make a comeback. He’d never been in the scouts and doubted they’d have accepted him. But Massin wouldn’t know that.

He scooped up the report marked urgent from his desk and scanned it on the way around the building, finally locating Alix Poulon in the basement, knee-deep in paperwork. She looked glad of a diversion and dropped what she was doing immediately.

‘What are we doing, exactly?’ she asked, as they walked out to Rocco’s car.

‘First we’re going to sort out two troublesome brothers who’ve been shooting at each other. Then we’re going hunting.’