A Better Man
- Автор: Пенни Луиза
- Серия: Chief Inspector Gamache #15
- Год: 2019
- Язык: английский
- Год: St. Martin's Publishing Group
- ISBN: 9781466873711
- Жанр: Другие детективы
Электронная книга - «A Better Man». Краткое содержание книги:
It's Gamache's first day back as head of the homicide department, a job he temporarily shares with his previous second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Floodwaters are rising across the province. In the middle of the turmoil, a father approaches Gamache, pleading for help in finding his daughter.
As crisis piles upon crisis, Gamache tries to hold off the encroaching chaos, and realizes the search for Vivienne Godin should be abandoned. But with a daughter of his own, he finds himself developing a profound, and perhaps unwise, empathy for her distraught father.
Increasingly hounded by the question, how would you feel..., he resumes the search.
As the rivers rise, and the social media onslaught against Gamache becomes crueler, a body is discovered. And in the tumult, mistakes are made.
In the next novel in this constantly surprising series that deepens and darkens as it evolves (The New York Times Book Review), Gamache must face a horrific possibility, and a burning question.
What would you do if your child's killer walked free?
“She might’ve forgotten they were there,” said Lacoste. “And unless you knew they were planning a murder, you wouldn’t guess from those posts. On the surface, they could be about anything.”
“Oui,” said Gamache. “And that could be a problem.”
“One thing I don’t understand,” said Beauvoir, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the table, “is how Tracey managed to send those messages if he doesn’t have internet at home.”
“You can log into an account from anywhere,” said Cloutier. “He must’ve been in town and used someone else’s device or an internet café. I’ll see if I can track down where they originated.”
Beauvoir paused to study the posts again.
Stuff’s in the bag. Everything’s ready. Will be done tonight. I promise.
“I don’t want to blow this,” said Beauvoir. “It needs to stick.”
Lacoste was nodding. “It will.”
“On another issue, I’d like to release Monsieur Godin,” said Gamache.
“But,” said Cloutier, “won’t he—”
“Try to kill Tracey?” said Gamache. “Maybe. But I’m hoping we can convince him that an arrest is imminent. That putting Tracey through a trial and then in prison is far worse than killing him.”
“Would you?” Cloutier asked. “Be convinced?”
Gamache stared at her. She turned beet red and stammered an apology.
“I’m sorry, sir, it’s just that I know you have a daughter about Vivienne’s age, and I thought—”
“Don’t presume, Agent Cloutier,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically hard. Showing Lacoste and Beauvoir, who knew him well, that while Cloutier’s comment was inappropriate, she had indeed hit a nerve.
While they studied him, Gamache studied Agent Cloutier.
He realized that something about her made him wary. And he knew Jean-Guy felt the same way.
While it was obvious that his love for his own daughter had created an emotional frisson about this case, it was equally obvious that Lysette Cloutier cared very deeply for Homer Godin. Perhaps too deeply.
But did that matter?
And was it even true? Could her protectiveness toward him not be the natural instincts of a close friend?
That was one of the problems with being a homicide cop. Interpreting innocent, even admirable, acts as somehow suspicious. Once that started happening, it was hard to change the perception.
“I’d like you to come with me,” he said to Cloutier. “You might be able to help calm Monsieur Godin. Talk sense into him.”
“I’ll try,” she said. “Merci.”
She seemed to think it was a peace offering, never dreaming this courteous senior officer might have other motives for asking her along.
“Is this all right with you?” Gamache asked Beauvoir.
“Can we talk?” Beauvoir jerked his head toward the window at the far end of the room, away from the others.
Gamache followed him, and despite himself he felt, if not annoyed, then perplexed, and he realized with some amusement that he’d asked Beauvoir out of consideration, not expecting he might actually disagree.
As they walked to the window, Beauvoir heard the Chief’s footsteps. Familiar yet foreign. He was used to hearing them in front of him. Leading. Not behind, following.
This was not getting any easier, he realized. He’d certainly disagreed with Gamache in the past, sometimes arguing quite forcefully. But he’d always understood that the final word would be Gamache’s. As would the responsibility.
But now it was his. He was in charge. The decisions, and responsibility, were his.
He turned and faced his mentor and father-in-law.
“Cloutier’s right. Homer Godin’s gonna try to kill Tracey. You know that. I think you’re making a mistake.”
He watched Gamache closely. And saw him nod.
“Would you rather we didn’t release Monsieur Godin?”
Jean-Guy relaxed and realized Armand Gamache would not make this difficult. “I’d like to understand your reasoning.”
Gamache considered Beauvoir for a moment. His protégé, now his boss.
He remembered the first time he’d seen the younger man. They met at the outpost where Agent Beauvoir had been assigned straight out of the academy. He’d been placed, by the station commander, in the basement evidence locker because none of the other agents liked working with the arrogant, cocky, disgruntled new guy.
Agent Beauvoir was composing his letter of resignation, in which he’d tell them, yet again, what he really thought of them, when the famed head of homicide for the Sûreté showed up to investigate a murder.
The station commander had assigned this difficult young agent to help the Chief Inspector, in hopes that he’d run afoul of either Gamache or the killer, and one or the other would rid them of the problem that was Jean-Guy Beauvoir.
Gamache had stared through the bars at the caged young man. Beauvoir had stared back.
And they’d recognized each other.
From lifetimes past. From battlegrounds past.
And on the spot, to the shock of everyone except himself, Chief Inspector Gamache had hired the unruly young agent. The human refuse no one else wanted. Eventually promoting him, several years later, to be his second-in-command.
And now this would be their final investigation together. As Jean-Guy broke free and Armand let him go.
It would be, if Gamache had anything to do with it, a successful end to a courageous career.
But they weren’t over the finish line yet.
“Why would you even consider letting Monsieur Godin go,” Beauvoir was saying, “before we’ve arrested Tracey? Knowing what he planned to do. Unless—”
Beauvoir stopped. Almost in time.
“Unless?” asked Gamache, and once again Jean-Guy could feel the natural authority of the man. It radiated off him. “You think I want him to kill Tracey?”
“Non, not at all. It’s just … honestly?” said Jean-Guy. “Between us? I can understand how Homer feels. And obviously you do, too. If we couldn’t convict Tracey, if he walked free, I’d be tempted to just step aside and let him do it.”
Gamache tilted his head and stared at his son-in-law.
“Don’t tell me that you wouldn’t be tempted, too,” said Beauvoir.
“Tempted, maybe. I honestly don’t know what I’d do, Jean-Guy. But I hope to God not that.”
“So why do you want to let him go now?”
“I’m worried that holding him any longer will just make things worse. My reason for detaining him was to give him a cooling-off period. When he couldn’t do anything. But if it lasts much longer, instead of cooling off, his anger will heat up. I agree that letting him go is a risk, but so’s keeping him in jail. Besides, it’s just not right.”
Beauvoir thought about it, glancing out the window at the Bella Bella and the sandbags lining the river. At the ones still standing and the ones fallen down.
So close to tragedy. It didn’t really take much to tip the balance.
“Okay. Let him out. I’ll have an agent watch his place and follow him if he leaves.”
“You won’t have to. I was thinking of inviting Monsieur Godin to stay with us. His things are already here. And that way I can keep an eye on him. Besides, he shouldn’t be alone.”
“Is that smart?”
“Probably not,” said Gamache with a small laugh. “Is it my first choice? Non. But sometimes you have to do something stupid.”
Beauvoir laughed. “I never thought I’d hear you say that. Sounds more like something I’d say.”
“Guess you’re rubbing off on me, patron.” Gamache smiled, then it faded. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
“He’s not your brother,” said Jean-Guy.