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“You fucker.” Loiselle started forward again.

“All right,” said Dussault, like a grandfather calming a child who’d had too many sweets. “More important things now.”

He went back to reading. Armand watched Dussault closely. Putting his hand in his pocket, he felt the gun there.

But it wasn’t time yet. Almost. Almost. But not quite.

Instead, he brought out his handkerchief and pressed it to his head.

“Did you find the Arbour woman?” Girard asked.

“She was hiding in the museum,” reported Loiselle, bringing himself under control. “I took care of her.”

“And the others?”

“In the subbasement.”

“How many?”

“Three bodies. So far. The commander’s there overseeing the wet work.”

Three, thought Gamache. Arbour. Two others. Who’d escaped? Lenoir? De la Granger?

Pinot?

“They were unarmed,” Gamache said, glaring at Loiselle. “Hiding. No threat to you. Is it just a game to you? Hide-and-seek? Is that it? Like Daniel here used to play? Right here in this apartment. Remember, Daniel?”

Daniel, in a daze, nodded. Not sure why his father shot him such an intense look.

“When you have children of your own, young man,” Gamache said to Loiselle, his voice now uncommonly mild, “and they play hide-and-seek with you. Remember this day. Remember what you did.”

“Ah, you’re back,” said Claude Dussault. “Good.”

Their eyes shifted to the door.

Alain Pinot walked in. A little rumpled, but not as dead as he might have been.

Seeing his father’s expression, Daniel said, “Dad, what’s happening? Who is this?”

“Go on,” said Dussault. “Tell him.”

Gamache was staring at Pinot, glaring at him. “This’s the piece of merde who betrayed Stephen.”

“You know, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard you swear, Armand,” said Dussault. Then he turned to Pinot. “You better hope he’s never in a position to get at you. I doubt you’d survive.”

“Alain Pinot owns Agence France-Presse, Daniel,” said Armand. “He’s on the board of GHS Engineering. He’s behind all this.”

“Well, I had some help,” said Pinot. “Including from Stephen himself.”

“He came to you with his suspicions,” said Gamache.

“He did.”

“He trusted you,” said Armand. “And you betrayed him. Ordered him and Plessner killed.”

“No. I handed those decisions over to my security company.” He nodded to Girard. “I had nothing to do with it.”

“He’s the one Stephen approached?” asked Daniel. “To buy his seat on the board?”