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Both men stared at each other Then Ga himself back comfortably in his chair

Gamache looked steadily at Francoeur ‘I’m sorry, Superintendent That wasn’t called for’

Francoeur nodded as a knight ht with any of you You’ve all read the papers, seen the television reports And it’ll only get worse, I know As I said before, they’re lies, but I don’t expect you to believe me or trust me Not after what I did in the Arnot case I crossed the Rubicon There’s no going back’

‘Then what do you expect, Chief Inspector?’ Superintendent Paget asked

‘I’d like you to acceptup did so now All chairs tipped forward, souished contents onto the table Now all eyes were on Gaun to subside, to sink into the earth So remarkable was about to disappear Arnized he’d becoend, had become a hero both inside and outside the Sûreté

But sometimes heroes fall

And they itnesses to that now

‘Why should we?’ asked Francoeur All eyes swung to the Superintendent ‘Wouldn’t that let you off the hook? It’s what you want, isn’t it? You want to run away just as you did froet difficult that’s what you do’

‘That’s not true,’ said Brébeuf

‘You believe one of us is responsible for planting those stories in the paper, don’t you?’ Francoeur said, coned, leader of the group

‘I do’

‘Voilà See what he thinks of us?’

‘Not all, only one’ Gamache stared back at Francoeur

‘How dare you--’

‘That’s the second time you’ve asked me that and I’m tired of it I dare because someone has to’ He looked around the room ‘The Arnot case isn’t over, you all know that So his work Not quite to theI know it’