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“Daniel’s happy in his job here in Paris, at the bank? He plans to stay?”
“Oui. He even got a promotion.”
“Yes, I know.”
“How do you know that?”
“I have dealings with the bank. I believe Daniel’s in the venture capital department now.”
“Yes. Did you—”
“Get him the promotion? No. But he and I get together every now and then, when I’m in Paris. We talk. He’s a good man.”
“Yes, I know.” It seemed curious to Armand that Stephen felt the need to tell him that. As though he didn’t know his own son.
And the next thing Stephen said went beyond curious. “Speak to Daniel. Make it up with him.”
The words shocked Armand and he turned to Stephen. “Pardon?”
“Daniel. You need to make peace.”
“But we have. Years ago. Everything’s okay between us.”
The sharp blue eyes turned on Armand. “Are you so sure?”
“What do you know, Stephen?”
“I know what you know, that old wounds run deep. They can fester. You see it in others, but miss it in your own son.”
Armand felt a spike of anger, but recognized it for what it was. Pain. And below that, fear. He’d mended the wounds with his oldest child. Years ago. He was sure of it. Hadn’t he? “What’re you saying?”
“Why do you think Daniel moved to Paris?”
“For the same reason Jean-Guy and Annie moved here. They got great job offers.”
“And everything’s been fine between you since?”
“With a few bumps, but yes.”
“I’m glad.”
But Stephen looked neither glad nor convinced. Before Armand could pursue it further, Stephen asked, “So that’s your son. How about your daughter and Jean-Guy? Are they settling into their new lives in Paris all right?”
“Yes. A transition, of course. Annie’s on maternity leave from her law firm, and Jean-Guy’s adjusting to life in the private sector. Been a bit of a challenge.”
“Not surprised. Since he’s no longer your second-in-command at the Sûreté, he can’t arrest people anymore,” Stephen, who knew Jean-Guy Beauvoir well, said with a smile. “That can’t have been easy.”
“He did try to arrest a colleague who cut into the lunch line, but he learns quickly. No damage done. Thankfully, he told her his name is Stephen Horowitz.”
Stephen laughed.
To say going from being Chief Inspector Beauvoir in the Sûreté du Québec to running a department in a multinational engineering firm in Paris was an adjustment would have been a vast understatement.
Having to do it without a gun was even more difficult.
“Daniel and Roslyn being here has helped a lot.” As Armand spoke, he examined his godfather, to see his reaction to those words.
As a senior officer in the Sûreté du Québec, and Jean-Guy’s boss for many years, Gamache was used to reading faces.
