Page 14 of Shadow of Doubt

“Officer Leconte, before I was DGSI, I was a police officer. I had the same training that you do. So, I have no problem asking you—what’s your number one responsibility here?”

It had been so drilled into him that the young officer didn’t even need to think about his reply. “To protect and preserve the crime scene, madame.”

“Does that mean letting DGSE agents traipse through it?”

“No, madame.”

“Are you going to see to it that no further unauthorized persons are allowed in?”

“Yes, madame.”

“Good. Now, how many more are back in the kitchen with the body?”

“Two, but—”

Brunelle held up her hand. “No buts. I’ll deal with them. You see to your post. Is that understood?”

“Yes, madame,” Leconte replied.

Nodding at the young officer, she turned and headed back toward the rear of the apartment, where homicide detective Vincent Gibert was exceeding his authority by allowing two DGSE operatives direct access to the corpse.

She was a detail person and took in everything as she walked. She paid special attention to the framed photos on the walls of Jadot in different exotic locales. The ones of him mountain climbing were where he appeared happiest. He wore a broad smile that stretched from ear to ear. It was hard to believe that a man filled with so much vitality had just been discovered by his housekeeper dead on the kitchen floor.

She peeked briefly into each room she passed, developing a better feel for the victim and the scene. Arriving at the kitchen, she paused and registered it all in one chaotic snapshot—the partially open freezer door, the keys on the counter, the empty glass next to the bottle of bourbon, Jadot’s corpse, the gun lying on the floor next to him, and the three additional men gathered in the room.

Gibert, a sinewy cop in his mid-forties with a buzz cut and permanent bags under his eyes, was a senior inspector with the Brigrade Criminelle, also known as the BC or “la Crim.” His department was in chargeof homicides, kidnappings, bombings, and investigations of personalities “of mention,” which could be anyone from a politician to a celebrity actor. He stood chatting with two rough-looking guys whom she didn’t recognize.

They were in casual clothes—jeans, dark T-shirts, and boots. The men were about Gibert’s age, fit, and also sported short, military-style haircuts.

One of them was using his personal phone to take pictures of Jadot’s corpse, leaning down to get close-ups of the ice axe embedded in the dead man’s skull.

Sensing her presence, the man taking pictures turned and looked up.

“Have budgets gotten so tight that forensics specialists now use their own iPhones?” she asked.

“Agent Brunelle,” Gibert replied, trying to keep things cordial, “I thought I’d heard your voice. How are things at the DGSI?”

“Nice try, Vincent. I thought we had more respect for each other. Why is this crime scene crawling with DGSE operatives?”

“If one of your colleagues was murdered, wouldn’t you want to receive a call from me?”

“I would expect it. I would also expect you to preserve the crime scene until representatives from my agency had arrived. Under the Ministry of the Interior, the murder of a federal officer makes us the oversight authority.”

Gibert pursed his lips and shot her a look that clearly indicated he thought she was being unreasonable. “Contacting DGSE was a small professional courtesy.”

Brunelle didn’t want to argue. She knew she was right and, more important, so did Gibert. Jurisdiction over this case was not in question.

Shifting her attention to the casually dressed men, she asked, “Who are you two?”

Neither spoke.

“They’re old colleagues of mine,” Gibert answered for them. “We served in the army together. They’re with DGSE now.”

It was starting to make sense. Pointing at the men, she said, “But you’re not just DGSE, are you? You’re from Action Division.”

Action Division was the DGSE’s covert operations unit. They recruited from elite French military units and handled some of the nation’s most sensitive black ops—up to and including assassinations.

Again, neither man responded.

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