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“Do you mind if I take Ruth and Stephen home? Then I’ll come back.”

Armand looked over at them. Both looked worn, drained. He nodded. “Good idea. I’ll speak with them tomorrow.”

Beauvoir had had a word with Annie, and then joined Gamache and Dr. Harris in the foyer. “I was just outside. The agents assigned to protect Professor Robinson followed them here and stayed in the car. They didn’t see anyone approach or leave the Inn.”

“Professor Robinson?” Gamache asked.

“In the library with Chancellor Roberge.”

“Bon.” Gamache drew them further aside and turned to the coroner. “Tell us what you found.”

“Barring any surprises during the autopsy, I can tell you that death was due to blunt force trauma. I’d say one catastrophic blow to the back of her head, driving skull shards into her brain. It looks like death was immediate. There wasn’t much bleeding. Two more blows were struck after she’d fallen, pushing her face deeper into the snow. I’m assuming you haven’t found the weapon.”

“Not yet,” Beauvoir confirmed. “Any ideas?”

“I’d look for a log,” said the coroner. “There were traces of bark and dirt on the tuque, and the shape of the wound corresponds to firewood.”

She made a wedge with her hands.

“Oh,” said Gamache. It came out as a sort of grunt.

He was afraid of that.

“What?” asked Dr. Harris.

But Jean-Guy knew. He’d immediately thought the same thing. Both men looked through the living room and past the French doors.

“There was a bonfire,” said Gamache. “I think our murder weapon’s gone up in smoke.”

“Time of death?” Beauvoir asked the coroner.

“In this cold, it’s hard to say, but I’d guess an hour and a half, two hours.”

They checked the time. It was three minutes after two in the morning.

“So around midnight?” asked Beauvoir.

“Roughly, yes. Armand, the woman who was so upset, that was Abigail Robinson, wasn’t it? She’s the professor who was shot at yesterday. I saw her in the news.”

“Yes. The dead woman was her best friend.”

“Tough few days for her.”

Gamache considered the coroner for a moment. “Sharon, how would doctors feel about mandatory euthanasia? And terminating all pregnancies with defects?”

“You mean the things Professor Robinson’s promoting?”

Dr. Harris considered. This surprised Gamache. He’d expected an immediate condemnation.

“ ‘Appalled’ is the word. But then many were initially appalled with physician-assisted suicide. But once it became law, we got used to it. We can even see the virtue in it, to ease suffering.”

They were walking toward the front door as they spoke.

“It’s the mandatory aspect that’s troubling,” she said. “To say the least. It seems inconceivable that any government would allow what she’s suggesting.”

“We’ve seen a lot of the inconceivable lately. Merci,” he said, shaking her hand.

“I won’t wish you happy new year,” she said.