Past Imperfect

before Lambourne intervened. But Christian's expression suddenly changed, settling slightly.

'…Theerre was… something… something from before… before we turned into the lane. A truck passed us.'

It took Marinella a second to catch up with the sudden leap. 'Did the driver see you?'

'I don't know… I'm not sure.'

'What did the truck look like? What did it say on the side?'

'It was grey, very long. It had MARSEILLE on the side… and the letters V-A-R… N.'

'Anything else? Can you see anything else?'

'No, just Marseille…. Marseille. I remember going there once with my father. We went to the harbour and watched the fish being landed… the fishermen with their nets…'

Marinella lost Christian at that moment. A day out in Marseille with his father. Bright coloured fishing boats. Bouillabaisse in a harbourside cafe. A pleasant, rambling story: happy memories again. She was happy of a break in mood from the clawing tension — but frustrated minutes later when, letting the story run its course, she wasn't able to get Christian back again to the lane. The thread had gone.

Quite a move. Christian had shifted to where he knew she would be keen for more information, jumped back a question — then deftly skipped to where he felt more comfortable. His influence over the direction of questions was stronger than she'd given him credit for.

Though twenty minutes later when she faxed the transcript to Dominic Fornier, as pleased as she was with the information gained, it struck her that between weaving around threatening chasms of panic and Christian shifting scenes to suit — it might be the only information they would get.

The transcript had arrived only minutes before and Dominic was scanning frantically down. A short hand- written note from Marinella Calvan was at the front: Breakthrough! You were right — it wasn't the poacher Machanaud. Or at least it doesn't sound like him. Hope it's helpful.

Dominic was eager to get to the part that revealed it wasn't Machanaud — but his attention was wavering. He could see Guidier standing by the door expectantly.

'It's just the report from St Etienne,' Guidier said. 'There's some urgency involved because they already have someone in custody. They've either got to file and charge him quickly or release him. They need the comparison report on car thefts back from us straightaway.'

'…The day your bike broke down. Did you meet someone lower down the river that day?'

'No… I didn't meet anyone there. I didn't cross the river there…'

Dominic looked up sharply. Only St Etienne, urgency and custody had registered. 'Yes, yes… I know. I'll deal with it. But I need ten minutes alone. Ten minutes!' Dominic made a pushing gesture with one hand. 'Shut the door behind you and make sure nobody else disturbs me. And no calls.'

Dominic looked straight back to the transcript, his mind screaming where? who? He hardly heard the click as Guidier shut the door, one finger tracing rapidly down the page… Christian walking down the road from where he left his bike — they'd been wrong, he hadn't cut across the fields — until a few lines later the words hit him like a hammer blow: Sports car. Green car. Slim, dark hair. Duclos! Duclos had picked up Christian before he even reached the village!

Dominic closed his eyes for a second. He'd always suspected, though now it struck him that it had never been more than that. He'd buried his suspicion, his doubt, in the instruction and trial process, in the witnesses who said they'd seen Duclos in the restaurant, in the general throng pushing towards Machanaud and away from Duclos. And the thirty years since had buried it still further. Amazing that any glimmer of doubt had survived, he thought sourly. Just enough to occupy his mind for a few minutes every decade. Pathetic. If he'd really believed, had been convinced of Duclos' guilt — then he wouldn't have been so shocked as he read the words, felt suddenly cold and desolate, his stomach sinking still further as he forced his eyes open again and read Christian's description of the car turning and heading back, the rough farm track and him pointing to where his bike was hidden among the long grass, Christian's growing panic as Duclos reached out and touched him…

Or was it his own guilt at staying silent suddenly hitting him? Machanaud's innocence and the long years he'd spent locked away. Until a moment ago that too had been no more than a nagging doubt.

V-A-R-N? Marseille-based truck? Nothing immediately sprung to mind. Dominic read the remaining page of the transcript, then went back, honing in on where Christian was with Duclos, re- reading individual lines for finer detail and small nuances. Then he went back to the beginning of the transcript and read it through for anything else he might have missed.

At length he looked up, rubbing his eyes. The elation that he had something that put Christian in Duclos' car, finally after all these years, rose slowly above the shock and emptiness, and he clung to that, forcing it home stronger, yes! Rapped one hand sharply against the desk, urging himself on. The possible start of a new case where before he had nothing. Something he could send a Prosecutor. He drew on that new energy over the next hours.

Immediately after dealing with the St Etienne enquiry, he tackled the mounting stack of papers from Lepoille at the corner of his desk — Manson, Hurkos, Joseph Chua, Geller, Berkowitz — sifting through the murky depths of murder cases involving psychics. Searching for the few key points that might entice a Prosecutor's interest. By late afternoon, he had finished his notes and put them into a five page covering letter to Henri Corbeix. After background of the original case and trial, much of the letter was exploratory, questioning. Seeking the best way forward, procedural process, what they should look for in the sessions remaining and requisite validation beyond Monique's confirmation and the credentials of Calvan and Lambourne. His reference notes to past cases involving psychics came at the end of the letter, and he attached the relevant files from Lepoille.

Despite the exploratory tone of the letter, it struck Dominic that his underlying aim had still shone through: convincing Corbeix that this most unlikely of cases stood some chance of successful prosecution.

THIRTY-THREE

Limoges, May 1985

Large eyes, full of passion, willing him on. Light hazel with grey flecks. The edges of the dream were less distinct, hazy, but the sensations burned through strongly. Alain Duclos was excited.

The boy was quite young, not yet twelve. It was the boy he'd been with on his last trip to Paris. He couldn't remember his name, only that he was a half Haitian, half French mulatto.

He could see the faint sheen of sweat on the boy's cream brown skin, but the main excitement of the dream was that it was all so tactile — he could feel the sweat, feel its warm moistness as he slid back and forth and the boy looked back at him. Feel the smooth contours of the boy's body, the lean plane of his back, one thumb sliding slowly up the ridge of his spine. Then spreading slowly, out and around the stomach as he leant forward, feeling the warmth of the body tight against him… moving the hands slowly up the boy's rib cage and onto his chest… until he felt… felt something… something was wrong! The chest was too developed, too soft and fleshy. He recoiled suddenly in horror. The boy had breasts!

The boy's smile turned slowly to a leer, and as Duclos looked closer through the haze of the dream, he could see that the hair was not dark and wavy but short and blonde. It was Betina. She'd tricked him!

She slowly pouted and blew him a kiss, but he felt suddenly repulsed. Sweat that smelt now like acid and roses, its stickiness against his skin, her attempt at a look of burning passion little more than leering stupidity… she made him sick. A sour bile rose in his stomach, a sense of utter disgust, and he mouthed 'You tricked me!' as he went to push her away.

But suddenly she was below him and holding tight, looking up with big liquid eyes staring straight through him, not saying anything but silently pleading: 'I want you… I want you. Give me a child!' Gripping tight with her arms and legs wrapped solidly around his back, pulling him closer into an embrace, her