Miranda gave a regretful head shake. “Only a little bit. Seulement un petit peu. Nous sommes américains.”
“Ah. Americans. Quel dommage.” Too bad for him, or too bad for us? He touched the radio transmitter on his shoulder and spoke rapidly into it. I could make out almost nothing of what he said, except for French-sounding versions of homicide and crucifixion. Amid the hissing, crackling reply, I heard “Crucifixion?” He touched the transmitter again and repeated it. “Oui, crucifixion.” The same question came over his receiver again. This time he practically smashed the transmit button. “Oui! Crucifixion, crucifixion, cru-ci-FIX-ion!” This time his meaning got through; I heard the dispatcher’s “Merde! Mon Dieu!”—“Shit! My God!”—and then, after a pause, what sounded like the English words “day cart.” This response seemed to satisfy the officer. He grunted by way of a sign-off and then led Miranda and me to another of the café tables, some distance from the glowering Frenchman whose morning we’d ruined, and motioned for us to sit. He posted one of the officers beside the French pedestrian and posted another, the vomiter, near our table. The queasy young man had regained his composure by now, but his face remained ashen, and the muscle at the corner of his right eye was pulsing as if it were hooked to an electrode.
It wasn’t long before a forensic team—equipped with white biohazard suits, cameras, and evidence kits—arrived and entered the chapel. Not far behind them came a plainclothes officer, whom I took to be a detective. He looked to be about my age; his wavy black hair was going to gray, as were his bushy, tufted eyebrows. His brown eyes were deeply recessed beneath a prominent brow ridge. His complexion was the slightly sallow olive tone of Mediterranean peoples, and under his eyes were deep lines and dark circles, almost blue-black. His shirt cuffs and collar were frayed, his black pants had faded to a dull charcoal, and his shoes were badly scuffed.
The detective and the uniformed sergeant conferred in low tones beside the chapel door; at one point the detective paused and leaned backward, peering around the sergeant to study Miranda and me, then straightened and continued the murmured conversation. After several minutes of this, he and the officer entered the chapel.
The detective spoke briefly with the disgruntled civilian who’d gotten roped into the drama, then allowed the man to leave. Casting a final baleful glance in our direction, the man ducked under the crime-scene tape and vanished.
“Good morning,” said the detective, nodding first at Miranda, then at me. “You two found the body, yes? I need to ask you some questions.” His English was crisp and fluent, with a hint of a British accent. “My name is Inspector René Descartes.” He took out a notepad and flipped it open, then uncapped a pen and began to write.
“Like the philosopher?” asked Miranda. “The Descartes who said, ‘I think, therefore I am’?”
“Yes, that one. We are related—by blood, or by wishful thinking. ‘I think I am a relative, therefore I am a relative.’” Miranda managed a slight, strained smile before he continued. “Tell me what happened. But first, your names, and spell them, please.” We did; his eyebrows lifted slightly when Miranda said “Lovelady,” but he didn’t comment. “You’re both Americans?” We nodded. “Are you traveling together?”
“Yes,” said Miranda, at the very moment that I said, “No.” The pen hovered above the notepad. Descartes looked up, his gaze lighting first on Miranda, then swiveling to me, before returning to Miranda again. She flushed slightly. “We’re working together,” she explained.
“But she got here before I did,” I added.
“I see,” he said in a neutral tone. “Mr….” He checked his notepad. “Mr. Brockton, would you please wait here? Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable.” Sure, I thought. Comfortable—no problem. Stefan’s dead, and this guy’s bound to consider us suspects. Very comfortable. “Mademoiselle Lovelady, would you come with me, please?”
He led her to a table in the farthest corner of the courtyard, offering her a chair before taking one himself. He drew his chair close to hers, possibly so they could speak more privately but more likely so she would feel off balance, unsettled by the intrusion into her personal space—a favorite interrogation technique, I knew, of homicide investigators.
He interviewed Miranda for what seemed an eternity—more than an hour, in any case, for I’m sure I heard a bell toll eleven, and later counted twelve. It tolls for thee, Stefan, I thought. Finally he brought Miranda back and motioned for me to follow him. Miranda’s eyes were wet and red rimmed. I offered her my handkerchief, but she shook her head and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. I gave her shoulder a quick squeeze, then followed the inspector to the distant corner.