Page 12 (2/2)

"No I want you to come with me"

Watched by the others, the two ht up to Gamache There was a pause, as the three men stared at each other

Then the plainclothes officer stepped back and saluted Astonished, the young cop beside hie man in the parka and scarf and toque, with the Ger beard, the thoughtful brown eyes, and the scar

Blanching, he stepped back and saluted as well

"Chef," he said

Chief Inspector Gamache saluted back and waved them to drop the formalities These men weren’t even members of his force He ith the Sûreté du Québec and they ith the local Quebec City police Indeed, he recognized the plainclothes officer from crime conferences they’d both attended

"I didn’t know you were visiting Québec, sir," said the senior officer, obviously perplexed Why was the head of ho just outside a crilois, isn’t it? I’ave curt nods Everyone knew

"I’ some personal research in the library What’s happened?"

"A body was found thisby a telephone repairman In the basement"

"Homicide?"

"Definitely An effort had beenfor a broken cable he found the body"

Gainal courthouse and jail, hundreds of years before Prisoners had been executed, hanged from theabove the front door It was a place that knew violent death and the people who committed it, on either side of the la there’d been another<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>