The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau (21 page)

G
ORSKI PARKED IN
R
UE DES
T
ROIS
R
OIS
. The florist greeted him as cheerfully as ever. The weighty scent of flowers reminded him of the church. Perhaps it was the funeral that had made him come here. His own father's funeral had attracted only a handful of people. Ribéry had attended and sat discreetly at the back of the chapel. A few of his father's cronies from the Restaurant de la Cloche had scattered themselves among the pews behind Gorski and his mother. None of M. Gorski's customers had come.

Gorski bought a little bouquet of lilies. Mme Beck tried to refuse his money, but he insisted.

‘I took a little soup up earlier,' she said.

‘I'm very grateful,' said Gorski.

He took the stairs up to the apartment. He knocked lightly on the door, before pushing it open. It was never locked. His mother was asleep in her armchair. She looked very peaceful and Gorski thought about leaving without disturbing her. He found a vase in the old darkwood sideboard and went into the kitchen to arrange the flowers. When he returned his mother was awake.

‘Hello, Georges, I wasn't expecting you.' She smiled weakly at him.

‘I didn't mean to wake you,' he said.

‘I was just resting my eyes.'

‘I brought you some flowers.'

‘So I see. You should be buying flowers for your wife, not for me,' she said. ‘But thank you. They're beautiful.'

She struggled out of her chair and hobbled into the kitchen. She did not like to be helped. Gorski sat down at the table. He always sat in the same place. Mme Gorski returned some minutes later with a tray. Gorski poured out the tea. They sat in silence for a few minutes. It was very quiet in the little apartment.

Mme Gorski asked about Clémence.

‘She's good,' said Gorski. ‘Doing well at school.'

‘And your wife?'

Mme Gorski never referred to Céline by name.

‘Good,' said Gorski. ‘Busy with the shop.'

Céline rarely visited and when she did she made little effort to conceal her disdain for the little apartment, with its old-fashioned furnishings and decor. Gorski always felt ashamed of her behaviour. M. Gorski's chair was still in its place between them. Gorski could see the old man sitting there, his pipes arranged on the little side-table, newspaper draped over the arm of the chair.

‘You remember the murder of the young girl in the woods?'

He was not sure what made him say it. He never spoke to his mother about his work.

‘Of course,' she said. ‘What was her name?'

‘Juliette Hurel.'

‘Yes,' she said. ‘I remember it well.' She kept her eyes fixed on the window.

‘We finally got the guy that did it,' he said.

Mme Gorski nodded almost imperceptibly. ‘Your father would have been pleased,' she said.

Gorski swallowed hard and nodded. There was a bitter taste in the back of his throat. He let his breath out slowly. Then he got up and carried the tea things back to the kitchen.

‘I'd better go,' he said.

He kissed his mother on the cheek. She gripped his hand for a moment.

‘Bring Clémence round some time. I'd like to see her.'

‘Yes, I will,' said Gorski. ‘Soon.'

He had no desire to return to the police station. Gorski imagined how a cop like Lambert would celebrate the resolution of a twenty-year-old case, surrounded by admiring colleagues. Probably they would take over an entire bar and carouse into the night, a few favoured journalists hanging on the detective's every word. Lambert would not be troubled by a bad conscience about a tramp who had been quite content to spend his final years with a roof over his head.

Instead, Gorski took refuge in Le Pot. The bar was busy with post-work drinkers, unconsciously observing the unwritten law which dictated that workers stood at the counter while clerical and professional men occupied the tables. Gorski took what was becoming his usual seat and gestured to the proprietor that he would take a beer. The former teacher was at his place beneath the high window, a glass of white wine on the table in front of him. At the table in the corner were three youths, around twenty years old. They were fresh-faced, bourgeois boys clearly revelling in the rebelliousness of drinking in such a dive. Yves brought his beer. Gorski did not know if he knew he was a cop. If he did, he gave no sign of doing so. Bar owners did not welcome the patronage of policemen. The presence of a cop made the other customers uneasy, no matter how law-abiding they were. Gorski downed his beer in a couple of swallows and signalled to the proprietor to bring another.

If Gorski felt any satisfaction at the resolution of the Juliette Hurel case, it was of a melancholy kind. Had he been more competent, the case would have been resolved the first time round. He had been face to face with the guilty party and suspected nothing. And now, even if it were possible to bring charges against Manfred Baumann, it would do nothing for Gorski's reputation. In any case, the authorities would not consent to granting a posthumous pardon to Malou, and Baumann's confession would never be deemed admissible. Any lawyer worth his salt would see to that. And what would be gained by prosecuting Baumann?
He was not a murderer in any meaningful sense. In the eyes of the law he was responsible for the death of Juliette Hurel, but he had not set out to kill her. In some ways, he had suffered the consequences of his actions as much as anyone.

Thus the conclusion of the case must remain a private matter. Gorski could not even go home to Céline and tell her that he had finally solved the murder that had blighted the early years of their marriage. Since the conviction of Malou he had kept his thoughts about the matter to himself. Céline had found his fixation with the case distasteful and the knowledge that he had conspired in the conviction of an innocent man shamed him. It was better all round to keep up the pretence that the case was closed.

The only remaining question was whether Baumann's confession had any bearing on the case of Adèle Bedeau. The bank manager was, undeniably, a peculiar character. He had lied about his involvement in the waitress's disappearance and, as Gorski now knew, he had committed a murder on at least one occasion. Nobody Gorski had spoken to had anything positive to say about him. On paper, Baumann was a compelling suspect. Certainly the newspapers would have little trouble persuading their readers of his guilt. Yet Gorski was unconvinced. He did not place much importance on the fact that he had lied. Gorski had learned long ago that for even the most blameless people lying to the police was a reflex. As a cop, one's default position must be to believe nothing one was told. What mattered was not the bare fact that someone had lied, but their motivation for doing so. In the case of Manfred Baumann it was not yet clear whether he was lying because he had something sinister to hide or because he simply did not wish to become involved in a police investigation. Given what Gorski now knew of his history, the latter was possible, even understandable. On the other hand, perhaps he had been too quick to be taken in by Baumann's story. He had, after all, had twenty years to concoct his version of events. Perhaps it had not happened the way Baumann described it at all. Perhaps he had followed Juliette Hurel into the woods and done her to death to
satisfy some murderous urge. Perhaps the whole story of the days they had spent together was nothing more than the inventions of a psychotic. By Baumann's own admission, his teenage self had displayed remarkable composure in covering his tracks and then, in the days and weeks that followed, betrayed no sign of what he done. Still, had Baumann wished to exonerate himself, he could simply have left out the unflattering details of how he had acted in the aftermath of the killing. The fact was that his story had the ring of truth to it. In any case, there was little Gorski could do to verify it one way or another.

Gorski ordered a third beer. The obese hairdresser came in. He walked to the bar, his thick legs splayed apart, and ordered a white wine. He had clearly had a couple already. He turned and surveyed the bar and spotted Gorski, who avoided his gaze.

‘Inspector, how pleasant to see you in our humble establishment.'

Gorksi looked up and acknowledged Lemerre with a curt smile. The former schoolteacher had looked up from his paper. Gorski found the hairdresser quite repellent. He waddled over to his table and spoke in a conspiratorial tone.

‘Tell me, Inspector, how's the case coming along?'

‘I'm sorry,' said Gorski, ‘I can't discuss it.'

Lemerre leaned in closer. He smelled strongly of sweat.

‘Come on, Inspector, I heard you gave Baumann the third degree.'

Gorski fixed him with a steely gaze.

Lemerre gave him a theatrical wink and tapped the side of his nose.

‘So Baumann's for the high jump, eh?'

It mattered little what Gorski did or did not say. Lemerre was no different from the majority of individuals. People loved nothing more than a murder on their doorstep, preferably a bloody and vicious murder. The idea that something dramatic had happened in their midst lent a passing thrill to their lives. It fuelled conversation in bars like this for weeks.

‘I can't comment. If you don't mind…'

Lemerre nodded meaningfully, as if by failing to deny his assertion, Gorski had favoured him with a choice morsel of inside information. He moved back to the bar. Gorski imagined how he would later regale anyone in the vicinity about how he had it on good authority that Manfred Baumann was soon to be done for the murder of Adèle Bedeau.

Now that Lemerre had blown his cover it would have been prudent to leave the bar at this point. He was no longer an anonymous drinker. He was a cop, around whom other drinkers must watch what they said. The conversation at the counter had become more subdued. It was not politic for Gorski to be seen getting quietly sozzled on his own. But he had no desire to go and sit around the dinner table with Céline. He should have telephoned to say he would not be home. Céline liked him to call if he was going to be late. But the beer had made him bloody-minded. He ordered another, a large one this time, like the ones the men at the bar were drinking. Did Gorski detect a change in Yves' demeanour towards him? Did he avoid making eye contact as he placed it on the table in front of him? It was probably his imagination.

The large glass felt pleasingly weighty in Gorski's hand. He took a healthy slug. Céline could go hang. Let her sit and seethe over her paltry, ruined dinner. They had nothing in common. They had never had anything in common. She resented him and he resented her.

Lemerre did not stay long. After he left, the conversation at the bar picked up a little. Perhaps it had been on account of the hairdresser's presence, rather than Gorski's, that it had subsided. Still, the men at the bar also finished their drinks and drifted away. The three youths at the corner table remained absorbed in earnest conversation. They had not paid any attention to Lemerre's exchange with Gorski and appeared no more self-conscious than before. Clearly they were from well-off families, the sort of young men who were brought up to believe that
they could achieve whatever they wanted to in life. Gathering in this least salubrious of Saint-Louis's bars was probably an act of revolt against the fathers who expected them to follow them into the family business or profession. They had long hair and wore heavy corduroy trousers. They held their cigarettes between their thumb and index finger and narrowed their eyes as they inhaled. One of them blew smoke rings, which made a slow ascent towards the now darkened window above them. They were discussing a writer Gorski had never heard of, listening earnestly to each other's opinions. No doubt they dreamt of defying their fathers and running off to Paris to write poetry or play jazz. Gorski empathised with them. Had he not become a cop simply to defy the expectations of his father, to assert some control over his life? Yet, he reflected, was it not the case that he would have been better suited to a life pottering around a pawnshop, in a brown store coat with a pencil behind his ear.

The youths became progressively drunker. Yves seemed unperturbed and continued to serve them round after round. What concern was it of his if they wanted to spend their fathers' money getting smashed? Gorski too began to feel the effects of the alcohol. The beer made him bloated and he switched to wine. Later on, two men in suits, their ties loosened around their necks, came in and sat at the table next to Gorski's. They were in town on business and clearly out for a night on the tiles. They engaged Gorski in conversation.

‘Where do you go for a bit of fun around here?' one of them asked.

Gorski shrugged. He was having trouble focussing. Yves observed the little scene from behind the counter.

The other man asked Gorski what line of business he was in and he told them.

‘A cop?' said the man. ‘Sorry, I…'

Gorski looked at them. They leaned back on their chairs and then returned to their own conversation. One of the youths got up and staggered towards the WC. He leant on the back of a
chair, which toppled over under his weight. The boy collapsed on the floor, to the cheers of his companions. Yves came out from behind the counter and unhurriedly hauled the youth to his feet. The boy grinned stupidly at him. Yves planted him back on his chair.

‘Time to go, boys,' he said matter-of-factly. The youths paid and piled out of the bar. They could be heard singing in the street.

Later, when Gorski returned home, he staggered upstairs without seeing the note Céline had left on the kitchen table and fell asleep without noticing that she was not in the bed.

T
HE FOLLOWING DAY
M
ANFRED ROSE
at the usual time. He showered, set the coffee on the hob and dressed before sitting down to breakfast. He felt calm. He harboured no bitterness towards Gorski. If anything, it had been a relief to unburden himself. Gorski had made little or no comment as he related his story. He had betrayed no sign of judging him. Still, he was an officer of the law and it was his role to set in motion the mechanisms that the state had evolved to deal with such events. And, naturally, Gorski would use his confession to pin the business with Adèle on him as well. Manfred could hardly blame him. Would he not draw the same conclusions if he were in Gorski's shoes? But none of that mattered much anymore.

He left the building, as he always did, at 8.15. Despite the events at the Petite Camargue, Manfred still found himself hoping to bump into Alice. Of course, he would not blame her if she were to walk straight past him. On reflection, it was better that he did not see her. He would never see her again. The thought made him sad. Instead of turning right and walking along the Rue de Mulhouse towards the bank he turned left and doubled back behind the building. Some Arabs were already loitering outside the Social Security office. He walked past the play park towards the railway station. It was a crisp, sunny morning. There were a few people around, but nobody gave him a second glance.
Why should they? There was nothing remarkable about him and he had always kept himself to himself.

They would not miss him in the bank today. It would be assumed that he was taking care of his grandfather's affairs. It was quite normal to take a period of leave following a bereavement. Mlle Givskov would relish being left in charge. The Restaurant de la Cloche was another matter. As it was market day, Marie would reserve his table in the corner for 12.30. His non-appearance would certainly be noted. Marie would pass comment on the matter to Pasteur, who would reply with his customary shrug. Next Thursday his table would not be reserved for him and someone else would take his place, most likely ignorant of the fact that they were sitting at Manfred Baumann's table. The following week, his absence would not even be mentioned.

The station was busy with commuters. Some read newspapers. Others kept their eyes on the platform or occasionally glanced at the departure board. Nobody spoke. As Manfred arrived on platform three a train pulled in. It was for Mulhouse. Several people boarded in an unhurried fashion. The carriages were not crowded. Manfred watched the train slowly pull out, then walked to the far end of the platform where there were fewer people. He was not familiar with the train schedule at this time of day, but another train was sure to arrive presently. It did not matter to Manfred where it was going. He had chosen platform three out of habit, since this was the platform from which trains for Strasbourg departed. It would be a simple matter to step off the platform. It was, after all, an action he had carried out hundreds of time. Today would be no different.

The sun was already warm. Perhaps Manfred should have waited in the shadow of the awning or checked when the next train would arrive, but that had not been part of his plan. In any case he did not want to draw attention to himself by walking back along the platform. He took out his handkerchief and wiped a few beads of sweat from his forehead. He had always disliked standing or sitting in direct sunlight. Years ago he had
formed the opinion, rightly or not, that it contributed to the onset of his headaches.

A train approached the platform opposite. Manfred felt a tingling in his stomach. Nobody got off at Saint-Louis. When the train pulled out, the platform was empty, as if a magician had pulled his cloth from a birdcage. Manfred watched the heavy steel wheels of the train slowly pick up speed as the train drew away from the station. It was stupid not to have checked the timetable. Perhaps there would not be another train along for half an hour or more. He would begin to look conspicuous. But the fact that there was still a handful of people waiting suggested that a train would be along soon. Manfred's gaze followed the tracks beyond the station to the outskirts of the town. In the distance a factory chimney belched grey smoke into the sky. He had been waiting for some ten minutes. Mlle Givskov would be arriving at the bank.

Finally a train pulled into view. It appeared to be travelling exceptionally slowly. Manfred took a few steps back along the platform. He felt light-headed, perhaps on account of the sun. He had no idea if Gorski had any men watching him or whether they would make any attempt to intervene. It did not matter greatly. Manfred stepped up to the edge of the platform. He closed his eyes for a few moments, then felt a disturbance of air in front of his face as the train pulled in and came to a halt. Manfred opened his eyes, feeling as if he had been asleep for a moment. Then, without looking round, he opened the door and stepped onto the train. He did not hear anyone call his name or feel a hand on his shoulder.

The train remained in the station, as it always did, for a minute or two. Manfred's heart was racing. His brow was prickled with sweat. The other passengers buried their heads in books and newspapers. A man in his fifties stared blankly out of the window, registering nothing that passed before his gaze. Probably he had been making the same journey every day for years. Manfred expected Gorski to board the carriage at any moment and escort
him onto the platform. The train seemed to remain stationary for longer than usual. Perhaps the driver had received a radio message informing him that there was a fugitive on board. But the police did not come and, at last, the guard sounded his whistle and the train jolted and eased out of the station. As it cleared, first, the platform and then Saint-Louis, Manfred felt exhilarated. He sat completely still as if any movement would alert his fellow passengers to his presence. They were oblivious to the momentous events to which they bore witness.

The train picked up speed and Manfred watched farm buildings and scrubby fields flash by. And, quite suddenly, he was a fugitive from justice. He had, it appeared, evaded the clutches of the police. It was quite thrilling. All he needed to do when he reached Strasbourg was to change trains. Trains departed Strasbourg for destinations all over France, indeed, for all over Europe. Even if Gorski were to discover Manfred's absence in the next hour or so, no one appeared to have recognised him as he boarded the train. He would be in the clear.

Of course, there was the matter of money. Manfred had in his wallet sufficient identification to make a large withdrawal from his savings account. But it would not be difficult for the police to trace the time and location of any withdrawals he made. Perhaps a freeze would be placed on his assets. The thing to do was to close his account to cash before he changed trains in Strasbourg. There was a branch of Société Générale on Rue Moll, not ten minute's walk from the station. He could go there, take care of his business and be back at the station in half an hour. It was an additional risk, but preferable to giving away his whereabouts at a later date. Then he would board the next train out of Strasbourg. It did not matter where the train was heading; in fact, the more arbitrary the destination the better. He must not choose where he was going. He must leave it to chance. In any case, whatever his destination, he would travel on from there. At some point he could buy new clothes and get a haircut. Perhaps he would grow a beard. It was all quite simple. If a dimwit like
Adèle Bedeau could disappear without a trace, surely he could do the same? Thousands of people disappeared every year. He had once read a magazine article about it. Within a few weeks he would be forgotten or presumed dead. As far as the state was concerned he would cease to exist.

Contrary to his usual practice, Manfred had not bought a ticket before boarding the train. Although it was possible to buy a ticket from the conductor, Manfred always imagined that doing so would lead to trouble of some kind. Perhaps the conductor's machine would be out of order or it would be suspected that he was attempting to travel without a ticket. In any case, conductors often seemed disgruntled by having to issue tickets on the train and made no attempt to disguise the fact. Today, however, there was no alternative.

Manfred waited nervously for the appearance of the official. Perhaps he would have received a message to keep an eye out for a man answering Manfred's description. A train conductor was, after all, in a minor way an agent of the state. The train pulled into Mulhouse. Manfred resisted the urge to get off. He must hold his nerve. The important thing was to put as much distance as possible between himself and Gorski.

The conductor appeared shortly after the train left Mulhouse. He was a young man, in his twenties. He wore his uniform in a slovenly manner and did not look like the type of person who was likely to carry out his duties with particular diligence. The other passengers in the carriage had all obtained their tickets before boarding and the conductor gave them no more than a cursory glance. He made rapid progress along the carriage. Manfred asked for a return to Strasbourg. There was no point advertising the fact that he had no intention of coming back. The conductor nodded and drew round the ticket machine that was slung on a thick leather strap over his shoulder. Manfred explained that he had been in a hurry and had not had time to buy a ticket at the station. The conductor did not appear in the least bit interested. He issued the ticket and counted out Manfred's change.

When Manfred examined his ticket he saw that the conductor had made it out from Mulhouse rather than Saint-Louis. Normally, Manfred would have drawn the conductor's attention to the error, but in the current circumstances it seemed a trifle. If questioned, Manfred need only say that he had put the ticket in his wallet without looking at it. In any case, the mistake had been the conductor's rather than his.

Countryside and towns sped past the window. Manfred was sitting, as he always did, with his back to the engine. He preferred to watch the scenery recede into the distance than loom up ahead. It gave him a sense of leaving places behind. He thought of the Restaurant de la Cloche, where Marie and Dominique would now be setting out the tables for lunch. One or two locals would be lingering over their morning coffee, a copy of
L'Alsace
spread on the table in front of them. The bank would now be open as normal. Carolyn would be going through his diary cancelling his appointments. Perhaps she would have thought of calling his apartment to find out when he intended to return to work. But Manfred was sure she would not do so. She was too timid for such an intrusion. He thought of his apartment. After his rent lapsed, his possessions would be cleared out and it would be rented to another occupant. It was a matter of some sadness to imagine his books and clothes being packed into boxes and most likely given away, but in the scheme of things it was a small sacrifice to make. It was part of the process of becoming a nonperson, of ceasing, to all intents and purposes, to exist.

The train was now twenty minutes from Strasbourg. Manfred began to feel anxious. Gorski must surely by now have discovered his absence. He had stated quite clearly that they would speak in the morning. Manfred pictured him pulling up outside his apartment in his dark blue Peugeot, dropping a cigarette to the pavement as he approached the building. Probably he would have brought another man, the young
gendarme
who had escorted him to the police station perhaps, in case Manfred made trouble. How long would he remain at the door before he
became suspicious? Would he kick it in or merely make his way to the bank in the expectation of finding Manfred there? In any case, he must by now be aware that Manfred had made a break for it and would be roundly cursing himself. Manfred, for his part, felt somewhat ashamed of how he was behaving. Gorski had treated him with a degree of civility he in no way deserved and he had repaid him by fleeing in this cowardly manner. It was quite dishonourable.

The train had slowed and was pulling through the industrial suburbs of the southern flank of Strasbourg. Manfred turned his thoughts to the business of closing his account. The matter was fraught with difficulties. Manfred knew the procedure as well as anyone. Were a customer in his own branch to request such a large withdrawal, Manfred would expect the teller to summon him to supervise the transaction. And under such circumstances, Manfred would certainly enquire as to whether the client was no longer satisfied with the bank's services. Of course, no client was obliged to discuss the motives for their financial dealings, but the closure to cash of such a large account would, at the very least, raise eyebrows. Then Manfred remembered that he had on one or two occasions met the manager of the branch on Rue Moll. He would be sure to remember him and would think it strange, outlandish even, that Manfred wished to close his account and had come to another branch in order to do so. No, the whole enterprise was out of the question. Manfred took his wallet from the inside pocket of his jacket to confirm what he already knew: he had enough cash to cover his expenses for no more than a day or two. His exhilaration of an hour before was waning. The idea that he could evade Gorski's clutches and disappear without a trace was implausible enough, but without money it was unthinkable. What was he supposed to do? Turn to a life of crime, find some menial job in the black economy? He was hardly cut out for such things. Still, he had, without intending it, embarked on a course and he had no alternative but to follow it to its conclusion.

The train pulled into the station. Manfred was careful to conceal himself among the mass of passengers as he disembarked. Nobody checked his erroneous ticket as he left the platform. The concourse was busy. Clusters of travellers stood gazing up at the departure board, briefcases and bags at their feet. Commuters criss-crossed his path. Indecipherable announcements echoed from the tannoy. There did not appear to be any out-of-the-ordinary activity on the platform, nevertheless Manfred expected at any moment to be wrestled to the ground by a team of men, tipped off to his presence by Gorski. He would not resist. He had no desire to resist. In a way it would be a relief.