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He looked around but met only disgust.

“So what did you do? Come on, Carl. Tell me.”

“I gave her what for.”

“You beat her.”

“My drunk and knocked-up wife? She was leaving me to go to the father. What did she think was going to happen? It was her fault.”

But something, besides the grotesque description, struck Gamache.

“Her father or ‘the’ father?” he asked. “What did she say? Who was she going to?”

“The father. Her father. What difference does it make? I took a bottle and went to my studio. Passed out. When I woke up next morning, she was gone. But she was alive when I left her.”

Tracey’s gaze shifted to something over Gamache’s shoulder. Gamache turned.

Homer Godin was standing at the door.

Staring.

“I’m sorry, patron,” said Agent Cloutier, coming through behind Godin. She was out of breath from running. “I was watching the coroner, and when I turned around, he was gone.”

“Don’t let him close to me,” said Tracey, backing away. “He’s crazy.”

“Homer.” Gamache held his hands out in front of him, as though approaching a wounded wild animal. Or an explosive.

It wasn’t that Gamache was afraid of him. Or afraid if Godin burst forward, they wouldn’t be able to stop him before he killed Tracey. They could and would. But …

But would that really matter? Maybe, if I step aside … If I was a little slow to react …

Gamache knew then what he was really afraid of. Himself.

How would I feel…?

With effort, he shoved those thoughts away. To be replaced by a certainty.

They might stop him now, but they couldn’t keep Homer Godin from Carl Tracey forever.

“You have your car here?” he asked Cameron while not taking his eyes off Godin, who wouldn’t take his eyes off Tracey.

“Oui.”

“Good. I’m placing him under arrest. I want you to take him in.”

“Yessir,” said Cameron with enthusiasm, and turned toward Tracey, who backed up further.

“Non,” said Chief Inspector Gamache. “Not him. Him.”

Even Tracey turned to Gamache with surprise.

The Chief Inspector was pointing at Homer.

“You mean Carl Tracey, sir,” said Cameron.

“No. I mean him.” He took a step closer to Vivienne’s father and said, “Homer Godin, I’m placing you under arrest.”

Godin’s eyes remained on Tracey, then slowly refocused on Gamache.