Cruelest Month

‘The problem is telling one from another,’ Myrna whispered, straining to keep an eye on the grocer. ‘People with equanimity are unbelievably brave. They absorb the pain, feel it fully, and let it go. And you know what?’

‘What?’ Gamache whispered.

‘They look exactly like people who don’t care at all, who are indifferent. Cool, calm and collected. We revere it. But who’s brave, and who’s the near enemy?’

Gamache leaned back in his seat, warmed by the fire. The enemy, he knew then, was near.

Agents Lacoste and Lemieux had left for the day and Inspector Beauvoir was alone in the Incident Room. Except for Nichol. She was hunched over her computer, her pasty face looking like something dead.

The clock said six. Time to go. He picked up his leather coat and opened the door. Then closed it quickly.

‘Holy shit.’

‘What?’ Nichol wandered over. Beauvoir stepped back and invited her to open the door. She looked at him with suspicion then quickly did so.

A blast of ice-cold rain hit her, and something else. As she leaped further back she noticed something bouncing. Hail. Fucking hail? The door was banging now in the wind and as she reached to shut it she noticed snow swirling in the light as well.

Fucking snow?

Rain, hail and snow? Where’re the frogs?

Just then a phone rang. It was the tinny tune of a cell phone. A familiar tune, but not one Beauvoir could place. It certainly wasn’t his. He looked at Nichol who finally had some blood in her face. She looked made up by a vindictive mortician, great red splotches on her cheeks and forehead. The rest remained waxy.

‘I believe your phone is ringing.’

‘Not mine. Lacoste must have left hers.’

‘It’s yours.’ Beauvoir stepped toward her. He had a pretty good idea who would be on the other end of the line. ‘Answer it.’

‘It’s a wrong number.’

‘If you won’t I will.’ He advanced on her and she backed up.

‘No. I’ll get it.’ She opened it slowly, obviously hoping the ringing would stop before she had to hit the button. But the phone kept ringing. Beauvoir advanced. Nichol jumped back but wasn’t quick enough. In a flash Beauvoir had grabbed the phone.

‘Bonjour?’ he said.

The line was dead.

The bistro was nearly empty. The fire crackled softly in the grate, sending amber and crimson light spilling into the room. It was warm and comfortable, and quiet, except for the occasional thud as the storm produced a particularly violent blast.

Beauvoir brought a book from his satchel.

‘Wonderful,’ said Gamache, reaching for the yearbook. He leaned back in his chair, put on his glasses, reached for his red wine and disappeared. Beauvoir didn’t think he ever saw the chief as happy as when he had a book in his hands.

Beauvoir took a slice of crisp baguette, smeared it thickly with pate and ate. Outside the wind howled. Inside all was calm and relaxed.

A few minutes later the door opened and Jeanne Chauvet blew in, her hair and a look of shock plastered to her face. Gamache rose from his seat and bowed to her slightly. She chose a table well away from them.

‘What do you want to bet Nichol chased her out of the B. & B. and into the storm? Only she could scare a woman who raises the dead for a living.’

Their starters arrived. Gabri put a lobster bisque in front of Gamache and a French onion soup before Beauvoir.

The two men ate and continued their conversation. This was Beauvoir’s favorite part of any investigation. Putting his head together with the Chief Inspector. Tossing around thoughts, ideas. Nothing formal, no notes taken. Just thinking out loud. With food and drink.

‘What struck you?’ asked Gamache, tapping the yearbook. His soup was smooth with a rich taste of lobster and lightly flavored with cognac.

‘I thought her grad photo caption might be significant.’

‘That Tanguay prison remark. Yes, I caught that too.’

Gamache turned once more to the grad photos, this time looking at Hazel. She’d obviously just been to the beauty shop before the picture. Her hair was puffy, her eyes black with too much liner and bulging. Her inscription read, Hazel enjoyed sports and the drama club. She never got mad.

She never got mad, thought Gamache and wondered whether that was an example of equanimity or indifference. Who never got mad?

He turned to the Drama Society page. And there was Hazel, smiling, her arm round a heavily made-up actress. Underneath the picture was written, Madeleine Gagnon as Rosalind in As You Like It. A description of the school play, a singular success, was written by its producer. Hazel Lang.

‘Wonder how Madeleine had time for it all. Sports, school play,’ said Beauvoir. ‘She was even a cheerleader.’ He flipped through the book until he found the page. ‘Here, see? There she is.’