The 7th Woman (17 page)

ARMELLE had just finished the autopsy. It would take her some time to relax her mind and body. As usual, she had worked with meticulous detail, leaning over the body, reducing it to a complex and fascinating object of her expertise. Her job was to find a cause of death, and it was the very reason she championed life. Of course, the lives of those who arrived here had been abruptly interrupted by a crime or an accident. It was up to her to explain why and how. Up to her to uncover death's mysteries. And there were the families. Her sense of moral duty required her to give them her special attention. The living who ended up here probably never imagined one day setting foot in the
Institut
; they were disoriented by the place, shattered by the loss of their loved ones. So they turned to her, hoping for explanations and support. She listened, and to calm the rage and pain, she weighed every word she said so they could begin grieving under the best possible conditions.

Many sordid stories inhabited her memory; she wasn't able to wave a magic wand and make them disappear. They were all part of her. Could anyone imagine that dissecting Captain Ader's body was just another autopsy? She had met the woman on several occasions when she had attended autopsies like all the other detectives in the
brigade criminelle
. Vilars was good at remembering faces and had a precise image of her in her mind. Amélie Ader loved her job. She still had that freshness and energy that came with youth, despite the dire realities of her work. Now she was nothing more than a lifeless body mutilated by a killer and an autopsy. The medical examiner's job required a rare strength of character; she had to have the energy to defy death every day.

She made a quick stop in her office before going to see the Ader family. First, she had to contact Sirsky. Of course his superiors and Magistrate Becker would tell him exactly what happened during the autopsy, but she wanted to talk to him personally. That, too, was her duty; the specific nature of the situation required it. The chief inspector answered her call immediately.

“I'm finished,” she said. “Your team is on its way back.”

“Thank you, Armelle. I know that it couldn't have been easy for you.”

He always had that same sensitivity. His reactions never ceased to surprise her.

“I'll manage,” she said, not wanting to say any more about it. “I wanted to warn you. I found some interesting elements.”

“Like what?”

“Overall, the scenario was the same. We are dealing with the same murderer. There is one major difference, however. Amélie Ader was not pregnant. The breasts sewn onto her thorax were those of the previous victim, Isabelle Saulière. The tests will prove that without a doubt. Now, to the heart of the matter. I used a UV light. You know that many biological substances become fluorescent in certain light. Then I did it again using luminol, which is a chemical that highlights even the tiniest biological trace. Well, our man licked the victim's breasts. He left saliva on them and, therefore, DNA. We are testing it now.”

“Well, well, he finally made a mistake.”

“Except that you have to wait twenty-four hours to have the first results. Professor Queneau is doing the best he can, but he cannot do the test any faster.”

“That's too long, I fear. We need to be faster than that if we want to prevent a sixth victim.”

“I have more. I found the imprint of a shoe on the victim's skull. He fractured the right parietal bone and part of the frontal. He used his full weight, because the footprint is perfectly identifiable. Above all, I removed a substance that was most probably left there by the shoe. I'm going to analyze it. I'll call you back as quickly as possible to tell you what it is.”

“What do you think it is?”

“A plant perhaps. Give me some time to look at it under a microscope. I have just gotten my botanical specialist up. He's on his way.”

“Good job, Armelle.”

“Forensics is an art, Nico, not an exact science. I don't repair people or save them. I observe them to explain how they died. I find clues. That's my job. I'll be happy if I can provide a report that helps your investigation.”

Armelle Vilars hung up. She took a deep breath and entered the room reserved for families. Amélie Ader's loved ones were waiting. They wanted explanations and worried about whether or not she suffered. From experience, she knew that she should hide nothing from the people who wanted to know everything about the death; she would tell them the tiniest, most horrible details if that is what they wanted. She had been trained to control her emotions.

E
IGHT A.M. A MAP of Paris was spread on Nico's worktable. Red thumbtacks marked the victims' addresses and circled the Île de la Cité, where the Quai des Orfèvres ran. The list of places that had the Triflex surgical gloves and the paper used by the criminal hung on an office wall. The crossovers were highlighted in yellow. There were several of them, including hospitals, labs, medical offices and veterinary clinics.

“The two companies supply Saint Antoine Hospital,” Magistrate Becker said.

“In effect,” Nico said. “But where does that lead us?”

ERWAN Kellec was a renowned botanical specialist with advanced knowledge in phanerogams. Seed plants—whether they were ginkgoes, conifers or flowering plants—had no secrets from him. He worked in the
Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
, the National Natural History Museum on Rue Buffon, and helped the medical examiner with identification when needed. As soon as Armelle pulled him out of his bed and explained the situation he had gone straight to work. He loved the feeling of adventure and excitement and had rushed in to examine the small amounts of plant matter that Professor Vilars had collected.

“And so?” Nico asked with some impatience.

“Catchfly,” Armelle said into the phone. “That's one of its common names, otherwise known as red campion.”

“Sorry, this is beyond my realm of expertise,” Nico said.

“
Silene dioica
is the scientific name. It's in the
Caryophyllaceae
family. Dioica means that it has male and female flowers on separate plants. The female flowers have no stamens, but the males have ten. Male plants are most common in gardens. They have limp stems with a ramification on the top, and the leaves are broad, oval and pointed. Flowering occurs from May to September. The pink petals are divided. This plant species is considered relatively rare in the region.”

THEY would soon discover his identity. It was still a close match, but he was feeling the noose tightening. He couldn't deny their skill and know-how, even if he had left them a few clues. All they had to do was bring together all the elements they had in hand, analyze them and compare the information, and the truth would come out. He had hesitated in choosing the best strategy. He would have preferred killing
her
. What a pleasure it would have been to see the horror and death in her eyes. He would have savored the irony of all of them standing around her cold body spread out on a table, with masked faces leaning over her, gloved hands holding rib shears and opening her thorax. Perhaps he could have done this himself, carrying out the movements that she had done a thousand times—the gestures that she so often said she wished she didn't have to do. He would have loved making her suffer. She deserved it. That woman he wanted but never managed to possess. He was undoubtedly not good enough for her. They had never seen the superior creature that he really was, the all-powerful man that he was. But he had to focus on his goal: Nico Sirsky. Armelle would be saved. He had another mission. And God would help him carry it out. He was God.

AS the day began in the capital, the investigators continued their work in the field. They targeted all Triflex users who also ordered 80-gram Copa Plus A4 white paper. They questioned friends of the victims about the people they knew and searched through their personal things for some overlooked piece of evidence. Nico gathered all the information together, hoping that a serious lead would spring from all this commotion.

TEN a.m. Nico stood in front of the lists pinned to his office wall. Becker was next to him. There had to be a solution. Maybe it was there in front of them, and they just hadn't seen it. Was it too obvious? The phone rang for the nth time. Nico grabbed it.

“It's Armelle here. There's something that caught my attention. You know, I'm very familiar with those red campions. Several years ago, I had a garden planted at the medical examiner's complex. The windows of my office look out onto it. Gardening relaxes me at home, and believe me, looking at that garden at work does me a lot of good. It is a beautiful enclosed plot with a fountain and is open to all the personnel. It was important to me that city services put in several specimens of that very plant, because it has really beautiful flowers. To make a long story short, I was just out there. You understand, our discovery gave me the idea to go visit my plants, and, well, it's stupid, but …”

“What's stupid, Armelle?” Nico asked, his voice tense.

“Well, my red campions, my favorite flowers in the garden, um, they were trampled. Can you imagine that? It's incredible.”

“Yes, it is incredible.”

“And, well, you can't find those plants just anywhere.”

“What are you trying to say, Armelle?”

“I don't know. When I saw those very plants ruined, it sent a shiver up my spine.”

“What is your conclusion?”

“What if I compare samples?”

“Those we found on Captain Ader's body with the red campions in your garden?”

“That's right.”

Nico was speechless and thinking quickly.

“Nico,” Armelle said, sounding worried.

“I'll be right there. I need to get some air.”

ELEVEN a.m. The car was there, parked along the sidewalk, a few yards from the double doors that led to the private alley. Inside, two uniformed officers were on watch, out of the cold. From time to time, one of them left the vehicle, paced up and down the street and then typed in the gate code allowing access to the houses. He glanced about, making sure that nothing out of the ordinary was happening and returned to the car. Easy. He already had a plan to outsmart them. They couldn't do anything to stop him; he was invincible. He would get through the blockade and sweep down on his next victim: the seventh woman.

NICO and Alexandre stared at the trampled garden in the medical examiner's complex. It couldn't be a coincidence. Clearly someone had wanted to crush Professor Vilars' flowers.

“Kellec is sure about it. The samples collected from the victim come from this spot,” Armelle confirmed.

“And you use Triflex gloves in the autopsy room, don't you?” Nico asked.

Armelle nodded.

“In addition, the paper you have delivered here is the same as what the killer used to write his message,” Magistrate Becker continued.

“Do you know whose signature this is?” Nico asked, holding out a close-up picture.

The coroner's eyes widened. Alarmed, she swallowed hard.

“It's mine!”

“That incomprehensible scribbling?” Nico asked.

“It's the signature I use for everyday documents and internal memos. I have a more legible one for correspondence that leaves the institute.”

“My God. We need to take a closer look at your employees.”

“My employees?”

“That's right, Armelle. You haven't noticed anything unusual lately? Any problems with a colleague?”

She knit her brow, taken aback. She felt anxiety grow inside her. Nico felt it, too, and put a hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure her.

TANYA had had enough of being locked up inside; the kids needed to get some fresh air, and her mother was getting on her nerves with all that fretting over Nico and Dimitri. Her husband's usual color was returning little by little, but he was having trouble moving on; it was as though he had been run over by a semi. In short, she felt like grabbing her husband and mother and giving them a good shake, but she knew it would be better to just take a walk and get some air. The question was how to get by the policemen guarding the building. She decided not to say anything and to just leave, letting the television cover the sound of her exit. She could always send the concierge to talk to the police when she climbed out the ground-floor window. She could manage that. A short walk, and nobody would know she was gone. At worst, she'd have to get Nico to forgive her. He wouldn't hold it against her. He adored her. And he owed her one for introducing him to Caroline.

SHE was pretty and full of charm, a good catch for his father. It was about time. He hoped it would work out. Furthermore, she would make a perfect stepmother. She had helped him finish his math homework and was now correcting his French composition. Clearly, she didn't have trouble with any subjects, and she knew how to teach. He already liked listening to her and enjoyed her voice. She was nothing like his always-nervous mother. He was getting attached to this reassuring female presence. He would have loved it if Sylvie were like that.

ARMELLE cleared her throat.

“Um. Yes, Eric Fiori has seemed a little tense lately. I've had words with him several times.”

“Where is he?” Nico asked.

“He went home.”

“When?”

Armelle thought for an instant.

“After I discovered the trace of red campion on the victim's scull.”

“What state of mind was he in?”

“It's hard to say. I was busy working at the time. But in the past few days he has been kind of aggressive.”

“Where does he live?” Becker asked.

“Let's go in, and I'll find his address.”

“How long has he worked here?” Becker added.

“Four years.”

“Never any problems?” Nico continued.

“On occasion he has been forward with me, but each time I've put him in his place. He's not the easiest member of the team, but he's a good pathologist. Here's where he lives.”

“Can we see his office?”

“Of course. Follow me.”

“First, I have to make a phone call,” Nico said.

He called Deputy Chief Rost and asked him to stake out Eric Fiori's home.

IT hadn't been hard to convince the concierge. Tanya walked away from her home with an intoxicating feeling of freedom. The police in charge of her safety hadn't noticed anything. She was already imagining how angry her brother would be if he discovered that she had gone out without police protection. With a little luck, he wouldn't know, and nobody would get in trouble. Her family thought she was closed up in her office, and she had insisted that she not be bothered. She had drawings to finish for her architecture firm. It was true, but her heart was not in her work. Breathing in the exhaust fumes and other odors of the capital was exactly what she needed. She stopped at a stall in front of a shop and admired the magnificent fruit. She couldn't resist and did some shopping for lunch. She regretted having to go back before anyone noticed her absence. She caught the eye of a man who was staring at her, shamelessly devouring her with his eyes. It happened all the time to her. She tried not to give him any attention and continued on her way. Imperceptibly, she started walking faster and was even sorry about her escapade—until someone ran into her. Some oranges rolled onto the sidewalk. He bent over and picked them up. It was the same man, the one who had been staring at her, and he insisted.

ERIC Fiori's office was a perfect example of cleanliness and order. Not a single piece of paper was out of place; there wasn't a pen without a cap. Nico began searching, opening the drawers one by one. He face went serious, and he held out a cardboard box to show Becker.

“Contact lenses,” Nico said.

Alexandre Becker read what was on the box. “Contact lenses +4.00 for hyperopia,” he said.

“I'll take a few notes written by Dr. Fiori so that Marc Walberg can compare the handwriting,” Nico said. “I don't see anything else of interest here.”

“I have something of interest,” Becker said.

“What's that?”

“It was Eric Fiori who told me about your health concerns.”

“Fiori? But I barely know this guy, and I never told him anything about it.”

“He knew though. He knew that you had a stomachache and that you had had an endoscopy at Saint Antoine Hospital.”

“But I didn't tell anyone. He couldn't have known.”

“Somebody must have known.”

“There were only three people, and they are family members. Alexis Perrin made the appointment for me, and then there were my sister and my mother. That's all.”

“But someone told him.”

“It is totally impossible!”

Nico grabbed his cell phone and called Tanya's number. His brother-in-law answered.

“Hey, does the name Eric Fiori mean anything to you?”

“Nothing at all.”

“
Dr.
Fiori, perhaps?”

“No, nothing.”

“Can you put Tanya on?”

“I'll go get her, she's in her office. She's catching up on her work. You have to admit that things have been a little disorganized recently. Here, wait a minute. Tanya? Tanya? That's strange. She's not answering.”

“She can't be far.”

“Wait a second. Tanya? Damn it, she's gone.”

“I don't see her anywhere,” said Anya. “Where is she?”

“Nico?” Alexis said in a worried voice. “She's gone.”

“What the hell is going on? She didn't just take off, did she?”

“She was stir crazy,” Alexis said. “You know your sister. She always has to do exactly what she wants.”

“I'm hanging up. I'm going to contact the policemen in front of your building.”

THE impression of being undressed by his eyes sent a shiver up her spine, like the feel of his breath on her neck. He handed her the oranges and smiled at her. She didn't like his expression. He was a handsome man, but she found everything about him repulsive. She was in a hurry to get home.

SHE was so close to him. The time had come to complete his work. After, it didn't really matter what happened to him, because he would have won. Nico Sirsky would never forget him. In a way, he would have succeeded in his quest for immortality. He had twenty-four hours in front of him, and he was going to spend them with her.

NICO gave them an earful they would remember for a long time. Until Tanya came around the corner and joined them. The two police officers looked chastened. She apologized to her brother, explaining that the two uniforms had done nothing wrong.