Merle: A French murder mystery (A Jacques Forêt Mystery Book 2) Read online

  “Ummm… Annoyed, I think. Inwardly, I was very annoyed, as I’d almost completed the work. Instead, I suggested that we swop tasks and that she take on the costings update and analysis in place of the work on the strategy. I made the suggestion in good faith, and I certainly had no intention of letting her waltz in and take full credit for all the work I’d already done. The following Monday, Madeleine came to my desk and, in front of the rest of the team, told me I needed help with my workload. That I should assign various items of work to Hélène and that I should consider attending a time-management course.” Aimée stood and moved to the door. “I know what she’s doing, Jacques, and I’m not playing her game, but that doesn’t stop me getting fed up or pissed off with the constant shifts in her moods and attitude.” Wrenching the door open, she swept out of the room and slammed it behind her.

  Jacques stared out of the window as he assimilated what he’d just heard. Someone else who uses lies and deception to achieve their own ends. He frowned as he wondered exactly what it was that Hélène was seeking to achieve other than to undermine a colleague. I wonder how long this has been going on.

  Snapping out of his thoughts, he collected his notebook and the few papers he had with him and returned to his desk. Digging out Hélène’s personal file, he leafed through the documents until he found her application for employment with Vaux. He copied the details of her last three previous employers into his notebook.

  ***

  A tall thin man in a dark green hoodie loped along the path by the river. It was a favourite haunt in July and August when he could watch the women playing tennis in their short dresses.

  He pulled the sleeve of his jacket across his face and sniffed. Squatting down behind a tree and, facing the river, he pulled out his phone and checked the time. He wouldn’t have to wait long. But he didn’t like waiting when there was nothing or no-one to watch. He looked around and then sent a text.

  Where R U

  Luciole

  A few moments later his phone buzzed as a response arrived.

  B there soon. Have got the money. Have got a job for you.

  The man let out a loud hollow laugh and turned his phone off. He’d be patient, he decided. But only for the next couple of minutes.

  ***

  Unable to sleep, Jacques quietly got out of bed and slipped out of the room and down the spiral staircase. In the kitchen, he poured himself a glass of water and sauntered through to the dining area to watch the dawn break over the valley and the mountains beyond. The sky was mostly grey and covered by blanket clouds, so he moved into the central space in the chalet and stood and looked at it in detail.

  Never noticed that before!

  He continued to survey the beams across the high ceiling and up in the roof space. The door to the master bedroom was closed as usual and he fleetingly wondered why Beth would not use the room. It was much larger than the one upstairs and more comfortable, with access to the covered patio at the back of the chalet. Maybe she’ll change her mind when she decides to move here permanently. He frowned. If she moves here…

  He went back to the dining room and, seeing his bag propped against the leg of the table, he realised that he had not looked at the footage from the new camera covering the smoking area. He quickly unpacked his laptop from his bag and logged in to the Vaux network.

  Most of the footage was of a blank screen with the odd car or person moving in and out of the underground car park. At one point, a lean man in a dark coloured hoodie loped just within view of the camera, looked towards the roller door on the entrance to the car park and then moved out of sight. An opportunist probably. There were a few short conversations of no particular note and then, after most of the staff had gone home, he found himself watching the screen with great interest. He stopped, rewound, got out his notebook and pressed play so that he could go through the whole scene in detail.

  surveillance camera footage

  Hélène lights her cigarette, pulls her coat around her, steps back and huddles into the concrete pillar that supports the metal grill above the entrance to the underground car park at the back of the building.

  19/10/2009 18.36.16

  The grey screen remains still with only the white of the time and date field in the bottom right corner ticking the seconds away.

  19/10/2009 18.37.15

  The roller door begins to rise on cue as the sensor inside picks up an entity. Bending low under the still rising door, Aimée steps out and comes into view.

  19/10/2009 18.38.01

  “Aimée! Sneaking out for a quick fag! I didn’t know you smoked.”

  Aimée turns, a startled look on her face, full on to camera. “I don’t.”

  19/10/2009 18.38.15

  “We’ve not had much of a chance to talk recently. Let’s catch up and chat. Yes?”

  “I’m meeting someone.” Aimée turns to leave.

  19/10/2009 18.38.28

  “Anyone I know?”

  Aimée steps back and gives Hélène a disdainful look.

  19/10/2009 18.38.35

  “Boyfriend? Is it Nicolas? I did know you were seeing each, you know. Not Nicolas? Shame.”

  Aimée stands her ground and folds her arms, her face impassive.

  19/10/2009 18.38.54

  “Dumped you, has he, Aimée? So sad, you deserve to be—”

  “It’s 18.38, Hélène.” Aimée shows her watch to Hélène after glancing at it herself.

  19/10/2009 18.39.13

  “This is not the office. This is my time. And you know what, Hélène, as Madeleine said to me all those months ago, when I first got here, I don’t have to put up with all the shit that you dish out. And I’m not going to. Alright?”

  19/10/2009 18.39.25

  Aimée turns to go but Hélène moves into view and grabs her by the arm.

  “What does that mean?”

  19/10/2009 18.39.37

  “Exactly what it says.” Aimée’s face is angry.

  “You’re lying! Madeleine would never have said that about me.”

  19/10/2009 18.39.51

  Aimée looks at her colleague. “You really do believe that, don’t you?” Looking at her arm. “Take your filthy paw off my sleeve.” Aimée glowers.

  19/10/2009 18.40.03

  Hélène releases her grip.

  “I know you’re lying.”

  19/10/2009 18.40.12

  “Then you’re a complete fool, because I can quote the exact time and day when that was said to me.”

  19/10/2009 18.40.26

  “I can be so precise because it was the moment that I lost all respect for Madeleine as a person and a manager. I was so appalled at her ‘advice’ as she called it, that I noted down her words in my diary immediately after that meeting.

  19/10/2009 18.40.44

  “And everything I’ve seen and been subjected to since then has not made me change my opinion of either of you one jot. I know what you are doing.”

  19/10/2009 18.41.00

  Hélène stubs out her cigarette.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Aimée. I know you’re having problems keeping up with the work and I’m just offering to give you a chance—”

  19/10/2009 18.41.16

  “Hah! You! Offering me a chance? To what, Hélène? To fall into yet another one of your little traps? You’re even more delusional than I gave you credit for.”

  19/10/2009 18.41.28

  Aimée makes to leave.

  “Wait.”

  19/10/2009 18.41.34

  “Now what?”

  Hélène moves further into view and lights another cigarette. She tosses the spent match into the sand in the circular ash-can.

  19/10/2009 18.41.52

  “I’m trying to help you, Aimée.” She moves forward and further into view, puts her arm across her colleague’s shoulder and smiles.

  19/10/2009 18.42.08

  “I know you’ve missed your milestone on the plan for completion of the Communicati
ons Strategy and that this will come out at the board meeting on Tuesday.”

  19/10/2009 18.42.29

  Aimée shrugs the arm away. “Do you, now?” Aimée crosses her arms and nods. “And how did you reach that conclusion?”

  19/10/2009 18.42.43

  Hélène puts her head on one side, a wide smile crosses her face. “It’s not difficult, Aimée. All the files are on the F drive in the relevant folders. You don’t have exclusive access, you know.”

  19/10/2009 18.42.59

  Aimée, face impassive, stares at her colleague and remains silent.

  “Of course, I had to let Madeleine know that you were about to let the whole team down. She has our reputation as top notch managers who always deliver on time and on budget to consider.”

  19/10/2009 18.43.36

  “Yes, of course you did! Like I said, I don’t have to put up with the shit that you dish out. I know it was you who changed the letter to Nicolas Durand and then tried to pin it on me. Aimée pauses.

  19/10/2009 18.43.51

  “I know it was you who deliberately steered the client’s staff I’m working with in the wrong direction.” Aimée moves closer to Hélène.

  19/10/2009 18.44.03

  “I know it was you who consciously engineered the conversation that Édouard overheard.”

  19/10/2009 18.44.16

  “And way back in May, I know it was you who gave the costing analysis to someone that you knew did not have the expertise to complete the task.”

  19/10/2009 18.44.31

  “I know what you are doing, Hélène. I know.” Aimée face in full view smiles. “Just watch what happens next.” She turns and moves out of camera.

  19/10/2009 18.44.46

  Hélène comes into full view and shouts after Aimée. “Don’t walk away from me. Don’t you dare walk away from me. Aimée…” Breathing heavily, she looks out of view.

  19/10/2009 18.45.01

  Turning full face to the camera, she stabs her half-smoked cigarette into the sand. “Bitch!” She keys in the entrance code to activate the mechanism for the roller door.

  19/10/2009 18.45.14

  tuesday, october 20th

  “You’re up early today.” Beth, in her dressing gown, fresh from her morning shower, wrapped her arms around Jacques’ neck as she looked over his shoulder at the screen on his laptop.

  “You smell nice,” he said as he gently caressed her face with his left hand.

  “Some new conditioner I thought I’d try.” She planted a light kiss on his cheek.

  “Oh no, you don’t! I’m not finished with you yet.” He caught her wrist as she began to move away, pulled her round to face him and held her there. “There’s some coffee left in the pot if you want it or I can make you some fresh or…”

  “Nice idea.” She grinned and then glanced at the laptop. “Haven’t you got an important meeting today? And it doesn’t matter about the coffee.”

  “You’re right, and I do need to be fully prepared for the presentation to Alain and Édouard. What’s wrong with a whiteboard and a detailed discussion? My previous investigations never needed computer presentations.”

  Beth winked at him. “That’s a great set of slides you’ve got there!” She moved to the fridge to get some juice.

  “You should know; you put them together for me! What are you doing today?” His attention back on the screen he scrolled through the slides one last time.

  “This morning, I’m meeting with the couple who are getting married next month, so I can drop you off at Vaux if you want. Then I’m having lunch with Old Thierry and then—”

  “You’ve decided what you want to do about his offer?” The final slide checked, he closed down the programme and the laptop.

  Her mouth full of croissant, Beth nodded. Jacques waited for her to respond, but she just picked up her glass of juice, the remainder of her pastry, took another bite and went up to the bedroom to get dressed.

  He grinned as she gestured that she was eating. “Alright, keep eating and ignore me! I hope it goes well with Thierry,” he shouted after her. “And don’t bother about the lift, I’ll take the bike.” He disconnected the laptop from the mains and began to pack it into his bag.

  Édouard Vaux was a heavily-built man in comparison with his younger brother. Jacques guessed that these differences in colouring and build meant that each brother strongly favoured only one of their respective parents.

  “Are you saying that you have no leads at all?” Édouard pulled at the stiff cuffs of his pristine white shirt.

  “No, I’m saying that I have a number of suspects that I need to narrow down further.”

  “Either you have leads, suspects or not. Which is it?” His tone hardened.

  Jacques shifted in his chair. “I have suspects who have the means and the opportunity but as yet I can find no motive.”

  “No. The answer is no, then.”

  Jacques looked from Édouard to Alain but received no encouragement or support. He cleared his throat and acquiesced. “If that is your definition, then, no.”

  “You came highly recommended, Jacques. I expected far greater progress than this.” He sifted through the presentation notes he had in front of him and pushed them to one side. “Alain and I need to talk. Please leave us.”

  Jacques hesitated. Alain gave him the slightest of nods, and Jacques collected his notes and laptop and moved towards the door. As he left the room, Mademoiselle Lapointe took a split second to lift her head and smile and then continued with her note-taking.

  As Jacques made his way back to his desk, he mentally kicked himself for not taking a stronger line with the older brother. Slumping down in his chair, he wondered why Alain hadn’t given him the support he had expected whenever Édouard questioned or demeaned his contentions and current suppositions. But then it was Édouard, through his assistant, that had proved particularly illusive and difficult in agreeing to a time to be interviewed. They both have means and opportunity, he reminded himself. Running his hands through his hair, he resolved to move them both to the top of his list of possible suspects.

  But why? Why would one or both of them seek to destroy their own company? What do they gain by doing that?

  As he took his place at his desk in the almost empty operations area he noticed a pile of post and began to sift through it. The last envelope had a typed label on it and his instinct told him that this was the only piece of post that he really needed to open.

  Inside was a single sheet of paper with a very clear message.

  YOU JUST DON’T LISTEN, DO YOU?

  NEXT TIME IT WON’T BE A WARNING.

  Jacques looked around but, of the few people in the room, all were working. Staring at computer screens, on the telephone or engrossed in clerical work of some sort. He carefully replaced the sheet of paper in the envelope and put it into the same pocket in his bag as the first one. On hearing Alain’s voice as he left the board room, Jacques made his decision. Collecting his coat and bag, he cleared his desk and followed the others out on to the landing and down the stairs. Jacques finally caught up with his boss on the street outside.

  Twenty minutes later, in the quiet confines of Alain’s office, Jacques waited whilst Alain stared at the two threatening letters on his desk. “Can you check for finger prints?”

  “No. I’m no longer on the force. If you want to pay a small fortune to the appropriate laboratory, then yes, we can get these letters checked. But I would guess that whoever has done this has been careful and will probably have left no trace or at least not enough for us to narrow down the list of suspects. Even if we can get any trace of fingerprints from them, because this is an internal matter, there’s no guarantee that we can match them with anyone on the police database. Something else to which I no longer have access. We would also have to finger print everyone in both companies to see who matches any traces on those notes. Are you sure you want to waste resources on doing that?”

  Alain shook his head and slumped d
own in his chair. “Tell me what you think this means?”

  “That someone is feeling uncomfortable by my constantly asking questions. I need to keep up the pressure and to do that I need you to convince your brother that my approach is the right one.” Jacques sat back in his chair and watched his boss. Alain stared at his desk and said nothing.

  “I also need you to convince your brother that, both he and Mademoiselle Lapointe are also under consideration and that, like you, they cannot be excluded from my investigation. You need to impress upon him that I must question him. You might want to tell him that I won’t be restricting my questions to the current investigation. I will be asking him about the difficulties between the personnel in his team and the open intimidation that exists between them.”

  Alain did not respond immediately and his face showed no indication of his reaction or what it might be. He passed the letters across to Jacques and picked up his phone.

  “I’ll talk to Mademoiselle Lapointe. If anyone can persuade him, it will be her.”

  The late afternoon sun provided the final remnants of warmth as it descended behind the high peaks to the far west of the village. Along with the deepening chill and growing dusk came the delighted squeals of Pierre Mancelle as he let his red bicycle freewheel down the slope past Beth’s chalet, arms and legs out-stretched. As he reached the point where Delacroix’s vehicle had crashed he grabbed his handle bars, braked hard and let out a loud scrunching noise as he then faked his own accident. Spread-eagled on the damp grass, he breathed his imaginary last breath and then immediately jumped up and transmogrified into Gendarme Clergue. Right hand outstretched in the shape of a gun and supported at the wrist by his left hand he put his pretend cattle out their distress. The recoil on the police pistol he believed he was holding was accompanied by the appropriate vocal sound effect. Satisfied he’d done a good job he replaced his trusty weapon in its holster. On his bike once more, the whole mini drama began again as he set off along the bottom road into the village, up the steep track to the top road and left towards the fork with the road that crossed the col to Rieutort.