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“Good suggestion,” Jean-Guy whispered as he passed Ruth on his way out the door.

“Good luck, numbnuts.”

CHAPTER 5

It was still well before opening time, but there were already lights on at the attractive bistro on the main street of Knowlton.

The back door was unlocked, and they could see a man in a white apron with his back to them.

“Monsieur Peter—?” began Armand as he opened the door.

The man jerked so violently a tray of butter tarts flew into the air and landed, splat.

“Oh.” Armand lunged forward and managed to catch one. “Désolé. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“And what normally happens when you sneak up on someone who believes they’re alone?” snapped the harried chef.

It was a fair question.

“We’re closed.”

As Peter Takacs studied the two in front of him, his bright blue eyes went from anger, to annoyance, to …

“I know you. You’ve been here before? No, that’s not it.” And then he had it. His eyes widened. “You’re Chief Inspector Gamache. I’d heard you live around here. In Three Pines, right? By that great bistro. What’s it called?”

“The bistro,” said Isabelle.

“Oui. That’s it.”

As he spoke, the chef knelt and began cleaning up the mess.

“Here.” Armand offered him the surviving butter tart.

Takacs took it and gently lowered it to the counter.

“Let me help.” Armand indicated the mess, half expecting the chef to decline. But he did not. Instead, he handed the head of homicide a wet cloth.

“We need to find a place called Lost Nation. Do you know it?”

Monsieur Takacs paused. “I do.” His voice was no longer defensive. “It’s around here somewhere.”

“Can you find it?”

“Me?” The chef stood up and dropped the broken pastry into a composting bin. “Au revoir. Merci.”

For a moment, Gamache thought he was saying “goodbye and thank you” to him, but quickly realized the chef was talking to the pastry.

“Why’re you asking about Lost Nation? No one goes there anymore. Why would they? It’s a ghost town.”

“Please,” said Gamache. “Can you take us?”

“I’m about to open…” But sensing the urgency, he called his partner, Normand, to open, while Armand quickly washed his hands. Then the chef took off his apron.

CHAPTER 6

“Do you see the name of that road?” Jean-Guy asked as he drove by it.

“Chemin Tuer,” said Isabelle.