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His father gave him a nod of approval, and Daniel felt something stir.

What he saw now wasn’t the man who’d made his mother cry. It wasn’t even the fellow in the kitchen helping prepare meals, or playing with the grandkids in the garden, or sitting by the fire reading.

What Daniel saw was a senior investigator, with a clear mind and a quiet, but complete, authority.

This was, Daniel thought, someone he could get behind. He had no beef with Chief Inspector Gamache.

It was Dad he had the problem with.

“Could Stephen have been going for a hostile takeover of GHS itself?” asked Annie.

“No,” said Daniel. His answer unequivocal. “Even selling everything he owned, he’d never be able to raise enough. And a company that guarded would notice. He’d never get away with it. But if it looks like Stephen was involved in the venture capital, should I tell Commander Fontaine that? It might be important.”

“I suspect she already knows,” said Armand.

“But how? I didn’t tell her.”

“Commander Fontaine would know,” said Jean-Guy, “because she might be involved.”

“What?” demanded Daniel and Annie.

Séverine Arbour raised her hands. “Wait. Are you saying you think the Préfecture de Paris was responsible for the murder of Alexander Plessner?”

“Not the entire Préfecture,” said Jean-Guy. “But a select few, yes. It’s possible.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“What makes you think they might be involved?” Annie asked.

“When your mother and father found Plessner’s body in Stephen’s apartment,” said Jean-Guy, “they interrupted someone.”

“Yes, I know.”

“What you don’t know is that what alerted them was a scent. Still hanging in the air. A man’s cologne.”

“It’s a very unusual scent,” said Reine-Marie. “Claude Dussault, the Prefect of Police, wears it.”

“Ohhhh,” Annie moaned. “That can’t be good.”

“And you suspect this Fontaine woman just because she’s his second-in-command?” asked Madame Arbour. “Does that mean every time this guy screws up, I’m also to blame? Just because I’m his number two?” She’d waved toward Beauvoir, who glared at her.

“It’s more than that,” said Reine-Marie. “We had the Dussaults over for dinner last night. Dr. Dussault told me that the cologne was a gift from his second-in-command, after they’d been to a conference together in Germany. According to Claude’s wife, Irena Fontaine bought some for herself, too.”

“So it could’ve been either of them in Stephen’s apartment,” said Daniel.

“Yes,” said Gamache.

“Or neither,” Madame Arbour pointed out.

“True,” admitted Gamache.

“Or both,” said Jean-Guy.

Daniel had gotten to his feet and was standing beside his father, examining the list of companies Stephen had, through Plessner, invested in.

Armand watched him for a moment, knowing he’d have to drop another bombshell.

“There’s something else. When we were at your place, for the interview with Commander Fontaine, she wanted to talk privately.”