Forty

By the time the ambulance and police vehicle arrived, Dinal had folded like a wet copy of Le Figaro, taking Rocco another step nearer to completing the case. All he had to do now was keep the would-be killer safe until he got to court.

‘Sounds like the cavalry,’ said Claude, cocking his head towards the sound of sirens approaching along the road from Amiens. ‘Whatever old Paulais said it must have lit a fire underneath them.’

The ambulance arrived first, pulling to a stop above them on the roadside and disgorging two medics who surveyed the scene in surprise. It was followed by three more vehicles and the slamming of doors and running feet.

Rocco and Claude looked up and saw Desmoulins and Rizzotti, then Captain Canet with two of his officers, followed by Commissaire Massin.

‘Looks like a works outing,’ Rocco murmured dryly.

Desmoulins slid to a stop beside him and surveyed the scene which now included the nicely burning Citroën. ‘What the hell happened?’

‘I got bumped off the road,’ Rocco said. ‘What are the others doing here?’ He was worried that Massin might be carrying orders from the Ministry to curtail his investigation and, at this stage, particularly with what had just occurred, it was the last thing he needed.

‘Sorry,’ Desmoulins said softly, watching as Massin descended the bank in a controlled slide. ‘He overheard the call when it came in and insisted on coming. I asked the doc to come in case he was needed.’

‘Good call,’ Claude muttered, nodding at Rocco. ‘He’s being all brave and manly but I reckon he needs checking over.’

Massin arrived, straightened his uniform, and stared in turn at Dinal, who’d gone very quiet, then Claude, then Rocco. ‘I take it this man pushed you off the road, Lamotte shot him and you’re otherwise fit for duty, Inspector. Correct?’

‘In a nutshell,’ Rocco agreed.

‘Is that petrol I smell?’ Massin leaned forward towards Rocco and sniffed. ‘And … whisky?’

‘The voyou on the ground was going to make it look like Rocco was pissed and had gone off the road and died in the wreck,’ Claude said quickly. ‘When he saw Rocco was still alive and kicking, he poured petrol into the car and was going to set it alight with Rocco inside. I know he was unarmed, but I had no choice.’ He gestured with the shotgun.

Massin looked at him and nodded slowly. ‘Yes, I thought so. Good work, Lamotte. Excellent. Pleased you didn’t blow his head off, though.’

‘Eh?’ Claude looked puzzled by the compliment, then pleased. ‘No problem. Sir.’

Massin watched as the medics dealt with Dinal and got him onto a stretcher. Captain Canet’s two uniformed officers stood in close attendance with handcuffs ready. Canet turned and stared at Rocco and his car with a look of consternation.

‘You get in the wars, don’t you? I don’t think you’ll be driving that old bus again.’

‘No,’ Rocco agreed. ‘I’ll need to borrow one from the pool.’

‘Help yourself. There’s a spare unmarked with a radio. Get the keys from the duty desk.’

Massin butted in. ‘Now that we’ve established you’re alive and well, Inspector, do you have enough to close this case to everyone’s satisfaction?’

‘I have.’

‘Good. Care to share it with us – in brief?’

Rocco made a rapid summary of his suspicions, the evidence he had so far, especially with Dinal’s agreement to confirm Serban’s involvement and of the major part played by Maître Vauquelin.

‘In that case, you’d better let Rizzotti look you over then get on with bringing these people in as quickly as possible.’ He paused. ‘I trust whatever evidence you have will hold up?’

‘It will. There might be some fallout going after Vauquelin and Serban. What about jurisdiction?’

‘Your letter of authority from the Ministry will cover that. But if you let me know where you’re going, I’ll deal with the local stations.’ He smiled thinly. ‘Let me know just before you go in, to avoid any potential leaks. I’m sure Contrôleur Général Ceyton will add his weight to it if needed. He’ll understand perfectly the need for the correct procedure to be followed, now we have adequate reasons to do so. Good luck.’

With that he turned and climbed the slope back to his car, leaving the others looking bemused.

‘Did he just give you the go-ahead to break some heads?’ said Claude.

‘I think he did.’ Rocco looked down as Rizzotti lifted his arms away from his side and began patting him down. ‘What are you doing?’

‘I’m seeing where you hurt most,’ Rizzotti explained. ‘You might have some bruised ribs. I take it you won’t be coming into the office or going to anything like a hospital for a proper check-up anytime soon?’

‘Absolutely, Doc. Can you make it quick, though? I’ve got work to do.’

‘All in good time.’ Rizzotti felt around his neck and shoulders, then checked his legs ‘God, you stink, man. How the hell you got out of that thing in one piece is a miracle.’ He gestured at the burning car, which was now sending a black plume of rubber-stoked smoke into the air.

‘Are you done?’

Rizzotti smiled. ‘All done. But I would advise bed rest for a few days. I know you won’t take any notice but professional duty means I have to say it.’

Rocco turned to Desmoulins and Claude. ‘Right. Time to finish this. I want you two to get to Ivry and locate Yuri Serban and his driver, Peretz. Serban first, though. Watch him and track him if he moves, but don’t let him see you.’

‘Got it,’ said Desmoulins. ‘Where will you be, in case we need to contact you?’

‘I’ll meet up with Caspar and we’ll go and see Vauquelin.’ He explained what Caspar had said: that Vauquelin was the one to go after. The lawyer was the weakest link because he had no loyalty to anyone other than himself and would be petrified at the idea of ending up in prison where revenge would be swift and painful. ‘Once we get him secured and ready to talk, we can go after Serban. If we don’t, he’ll probably skip town and disappear.’ He took a deep breath, relieved that there seemed to be nothing seriously wrong beyond bad bruising and a few cuts, and flexed his shoulders. ‘First, though, I need a lift to the station.’