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'Your friend；' the Inspector said； picking at the raw cuticle of his thumb； 'is a murderer； Monsieur Fox。 It is as simple as that。 The evidence is overwhelming。'
'I can't believe that。'
'Believe what you like to believe； that's your prerogative。 We have all the evidence we need to convict Phillipe Laborteaux of murder in the first degree。 It was a cold…blooded killing and he will be punished to the full extent of the law。 This is my promise。'
'What evidence do you have against him？'
'Monsieur Fox； I am not beholden to you。 What evidence we have is our business。 Suffice it to say that no other person was seen in the house during the time that the accused claims he was at some fictional patisserie； and as access to the room in which the deceased was found is only possible by the stairs …'
'What about a window？'
'A plain wall： three flights up。 Maybe an acrobat： an acrobat might do it。'
'And the state of the body？'
The Inspector made a face。 Disgust。
'Horrible。 Skin and muscle stripped from the bone。 All the spine exposed。 Blood； much blood。'
'Phillipe is seventy。'
'So？'
'An old man would not be capable …'
'In other respects；' the Inspector interrupted； 'he seems to have been quite capable； oui？ The lover； yes？ The passionate lover： he was capable of that。'
'And what motive would you claim he had？'
His mouth scalloped； his eyes rolled and he tapped his chest。
'Le coeur humain；' he said； as if despairing of reason in affairs of the heart。 'Le coeur humain； quel mystère； n'est…ce pas？' and exhaling the stench of his ulcer at Lewis； he proffered the open door。
'Merci； Monsieur Fox。 I understand your confusion； oui？ But you are wasting your time。 A crime is a crime。 It is real； not like your paintings。'
He saw the surprise on Lewis's face。
'Oh； I am not so uncivilized as not to know your reputation； Monsieur Fox。 But I ask you； make your fictions as best you can； that is your genius； oui？ Mine； to investigate the truth。'
Lewis couldn't bear the weasel's cant any longer。
'Truth？' he snapped back at the Inspector。 'You wouldn't know the truth if you tripped over it。'
The weasel looked as though he'd been slapped with a wet fish。
It was precious little satisfaction； but it made Lewis feel better for at least five minutes。
The house on the Rue des Martyrs was not in good condition； and Lewis could smell the damp as he climbed to the little room on the third floor。 Doors opened as he passed； and inquiring whispers ushered him up the stairs； but nobody tried to stop him。 The room where the atrocity had happened was locked。 Frustrated； but not knowing how or why it would help Phillipe's case to see the interior of the room； he made his way back down the stairs and into the bitter air。
Catherine was back at the Quai de Bourbon。 As soon as Lewis saw her he knew there was something new to hear。 Her grey hair was loosed from the bun she favoured wearing； and hung unbraided at her shoulders。 Her face was a sickly yellow…grey by the lamplight。 She shivered； even in the clogged air of the centrally…heated apartment。
'What's wrong？' he asked。
'I went to Phillipe's apartment。'
'So did I。 It was locked。'
'I have the key： Phillipe's spare key。 I just wanted to pick up a few clothes for him。'
Lewis nodded。
'And？'
'Somebody else was there。'
'Police？'
'No。'
'Who？'
'I couldn't see。 I don't know exactly。 He was dressed in a big coat； scarf over his face。 Hat。 Gloves。' She paused。 Then； 'he had a razor； Lewis。'
'A razor？'
'An open razor； like a barber。'
Something jangled in the back of Lewis Fox's mind。
An open razor； a man dressed so well he couldn't be recognized。
'I was terrified。'
'Did he hurt you？' She shook her head。 'I screamed and he ran away。' 'Didn't say anything to you？' 'No。'
'Maybe a friend of Phillipe's？' 'I know Phillipe's friends。' 'Then of the girl。 A brother。' 'Perhaps。 But …''What？'
'There was something odd about him。 He smelt of perfume； stank of it； and he walked with such mincing little steps； even though he was huge。'
Lewis put his arm around her。
'Whoever it was； you scared them off。 You just mustn't go back there。 If we have to fetch clothes for Phillipe； I'll gladly go。'
'Thank you。 I feel a fool： he may have just stumbled in。 e to look at the murder…chamber。 People do that； don't they？ Out of some morbid fascination。 。 。'
'Tomorrow I'll speak to the Weasel。'
'Weasel？'
'Inspector Marais。 Have him search the place。'
'Did you see Phillipe？'
'Yes。'
'Is he well？'
Lewis said nothing for a long moment。
'He wants to die； Catherine。 He's given up fighting already； before he goes to trial。'
'But he didn't do anything。'
'We can't prove that。'
'You're always boasting about your ancestors。 Your blessed Dupin。 You prove it。 。 。'
'Where do I start？'
'Speak to some of his friends； Lewis。 Please。 Maybe the woman had enemies。'
Jacques Solal stared at Lewis through his round…bellied spectacles； his irises huge and distorted through the glass。 He was the worse for too much cognac。
'She hadn't got any enemies；' he said； 'not her。 Oh maybe a few women jealous of her beauty。 。 。'
Lewis toyed with the wrapped cubes of sugar that had e with his coffee。 Solal was as uninformative as he was drunk； but unlikely as it seemed Catherine had described the runt across the table as Phillipe's closest friend。
'Do you think Phillipe murdered her？'
Solal pursed his lips。
'Who knows？'
'What's your instinct？'
'Ah； he was my friend。 If I knew who had killed her I would say so。'
It seemed to be the truth。 Maybe the little man was simply drowning his sorrows in cognac。
'He was a gentlemen；' Solal said； his eyes drifting towards the street。 Through the steamed glass of the Brasserie window brave Parisians were struggling through the fury of another blizzard； vainly attempting to keep their dignity and their posture in the teeth of a gale。
'A gentleman；' he said again。
'And the girl？'
'She was beautiful； and he was in love with her。 She had other admirers； of course。 A woman like her …'
'Jealous admirers？'
'Who knows？'
Again： who knows？ The inquiry hung on the air like a shrug。 Who knows？ Who knows？ Lewis began to understand the Inspector's passion for truth。 For the first time in ten years perhaps a goal appeared in his life； an ambition to shoot this indifferent 'who knows？' out of the air。 To discover what had happened in that room on the Rue des Martyrs。 Not an approximation； not a fictionalized account； but the truth； the absolute； unquestionable truth。
'Do you remember if there were any particular men who fancied her？' he asked。
Solal grinned。 He only had two teeth in his lower jaw。
'Oh yes。 There was one。'
'Who？'
'I never knew his name。 A big man： I saw him outside the house three or four times。 Though to smell him you'd have thought …'
He made an unmistakable face that implied he thought the man was homosexual。 The arched eyebrows and the pursed lips made him look doubly ridiculous behind the thick spectacles。
'He smelt？'
'Oh yes。'
'Of what？'
'Perfume； Lewis。 Perfume。'
Somewhere in Paris there was a man who had known the girl Phillipe loved。 Jealous rage had overe him。 In a fit of uncontrollable anger he had broken into Phillipe's apartment and slaughtered the girl。 It was as clear as that。
Somewhere in Paris。
'Another cognac？'
Solal shook his head。
'Already I'm sick；' he said。
Lewis called the waiter across； and as he did so his eye alighted on a cluster of newspaper clippings pinned behind the bar。
Solal followed his gaze。
'Phillipe： he liked the pictures；' he said。
Lewis stood up。
'He came here； sometimes； to see them。'
The cuttings were old； stained and fading。 Some were presumably of purely local interest。 Accounts of a fireball seen in a nearby street。 Another about a boy of two burned to death in his cot。 One concerned an escaped puma； one； an unpublished manuscript by Rimbaud； a third （acpanied by a photograph） detailed casualties in a plane crash at Orleans airport。 But there were other cuttings too； some far older than others。 Atrocities； bizarre murders； ritual rapes； an