Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 7, 2025
"Undoubtedly most necessary," said M. Formery gravely. "See to it, inspector. You can take her away." The inspector called in a couple of policemen, and with their aid he and Bonavent raised the sleeping woman, a man at each corner of the mattress, and bore her from the room. "And now to reconstruct," said M. Formery; and he folded his arms and plunged into profound reflection.
"Gone, sir, gone!" said Bonavent patiently. "But you're mad.... Mad!" cried Guerchard. "No, I'm not mad," said Bonavent. "Gone! But who let her go?" cried Guerchard. "The men at the door," said Bonavent. "The men at the door," said Guerchard, in a tone of stupefaction. "But she had to have my permit ... my permit on my card! Send the fools up to me!"
"You're quite sure that an examination, a more thorough examination, of her room, is unnecessary?" "Yes, I think so," said Guerchard. "I have just looked at it myself." The door opened, and in came Bonavent, one of the detectives who had come earlier from the Prefecture. In his hand he carried a scrap of cloth.
Then he cried sharply, "Bonavent! Bonavent!" Bonavent opened the door, and stood in the doorway. "You sent off Victoire in the prison-van, I suppose," said Guerchard. "Oh, a long while ago, sir," said Bonavent. "The van had been waiting at the door since half-past nine." "Since half-past nine? ... But I told them I shouldn't want it till a quarter to eleven.
"There's a photograph in it," said Bonavent. "It may come in useful when we circulate her description; for I suppose we shall try to get hold of Victoire." Guerchard took the photograph from the prayer-book and looked at it: "It looks about ten years old," he said. "It's a good deal faded for reproduction. Hullo! What have we here?"
Charolais opened the door, and the two detectives went out of the room with the slinking air of whipped dogs. They went down the stairs in silence, slowly, reflectively; and Charolais let them out of the front door. As they went down the steps Dieusy said: "What a howler! Guerchard risks getting the sack for this!" "I told you so," said Bonavent. "A duke's a duke."
"Oh, no, I'm used to M. Formery to all the examining magistrates in Paris, and in most of the big provincial towns. They do not really hamper me; and often I get an idea from them; for some of them are men of real intelligence." "And others are not: I understand," said the Duke. The door opened and Bonavent, the detective, came in. "The housekeeper's awake, M. Guerchard," he said.
Guerchard looked at him, his brow knitted in a faint, pondering frown. Then the door opened, and Bonavent came in: "I've been through Victoire's room," he said, "and all I could find that might be of any use is this a prayer-book. It was on her dressing-table just as she left it. The inspector hadn't touched it." "What about it?" said Guerchard, taking the prayer-book.
Go upstairs to the servants' quarters and search Victoire's room again. That fool of an inspector may have missed something, just as he missed Victoire herself. Get on! Be smart!" Bonavent went off briskly. Guerchard paced up and down the room, scowling. "Really, I'm beginning to agree with you, M. Guerchard, that this Lupin is a remarkable man," said the Duke.
On the landing the detectives paused, and looked at one another, hesitating. "Which way did he go?" said Bonavent. "We were on his very heels." "I don't know; but we've jolly well stopped his getting into his own house; and that's the main thing," said Dieusy triumphantly. "But are you sure it was him?" said Bonavent, stepping into the anteroom.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking