Wash This Blood Clean from My Hand

LVII

DANGLARD WAS TAKING NOTES QUICKLY, AS HE LISTENED TO HIS Québécois colleague.

‘Get it as fast as you can,’ he said. ‘Adamsberg has unravelled the judge’s career. Yes, and it all hangs together now, it looks pretty solid. All except the murder on the portage trail, which still doesn’t seem to fit. So don’t give up looking. No… Well, see what you can do. Sartonna’s message won’t cut any ice, it’s just a reconstitution. The prosecution would wipe the floor with it. Yes. Sure. He may still get away with it, so keep at it.’

Danglard exchanged a few more words with his interlocutor, then hung up. He had the sickening feeling everything would hang by a thread. It would stand or fall by very little. He only had a short time left and not much thread.