The Honest Folk of Guadeloupe by Timothy Williams Read Free Book Online

irritable teacher calling for order. “The
préfet
told the
procureur
yesterday in no uncertain terms that he wants results. Which can only mean one thing.”
    “Political interference.”
    “Precisely, Monsieur Lafitte.” Anne Marie nodded grimly. “Andwhen you get politicians interfering into an enquiry, nobody’s backside is safe.”
    Lafitte grinned sideways at the
gendarme
. “How do you fancy Wallis and Futuna?”
    “No South Pacific, Monsieur Lafitte,” Anne Marie said. “Don’t count on retiring to some tropical paradise.”
    “Guadeloupe’s a tropical paradise.”
    “Not for the Vaton girl. And not for us.”
    “Gwada—pa ni pwoblèm.”
    “No.” Anne Marie shook her head vehemently. “There are a lot of problems in Guadeloupe.”
    Again Parise coughed and lowered his hands onto the creased trousers of his uniform.
    “Until we have the murderer behind bars, the three of us’ll be seeing a lot of one another.” She gave a taut smile. “I know the
gendarmerie
in Saint-François is taking this seriously.” She looked at Parise before turning her glance to include Lafitte. “You know the snares of the press, and so both police forces will observe complete silence when in contact with the outside world. By the outside world, I mean the written and spoken press. In particular RFO.”
    Parise nodded.
    “Let the
gendarmerie
get on with their enquiry—Saint-François’s their territory, but I’ll also need all the expertise of the SRPJ.” This time a brief nod toward Lafitte. “Collaboration’s the keyword,
messieurs
. However”—she held up her hand and tapped her chest—“it’s me who’s in charge of this enquiry.”
    They looked at her in silence.
    “Our respective standpoints don’t always coincide and it’s only normal we shouldn’t always see eye to eye. But our ultimate goal—yours, gentlemen, and mine—is a common goal. Therefore we collaborate.” She paused. “Do I make myself clear? For now, all other enquiries go onto the back burner.”
    “Including the Dugain dossier,
madame le juge
?” Lafitte grinned.
    She said, “The
procureur
’s under pressure from the local assemblies. And the local assemblies are under pressure from the
préfet
.”
    “And the
préfet
no doubt is under pressure from Paris.”
    “Nobody wants embarrassing questions in the United Nations about French colonialism. Even if things’ve changed these last tenyears and with decentralization, France prefers to let the two local assemblies get on with their business.” She paused. “Whoever calls the tune, it’s us who must dance.”
    “The polka?”
    “
Zouk
—hot, fast and sweaty. A relentless Caribbean rhythm.” She smiled. “I’ll need to be kept posted. I’d like you to report here at seven thirty in the morning. In person, on a daily basis.” Again Anne Marie paused. “Capitaine Parise will be working out of Saint-François—the
procureur
’s no objection to my entrusting this enquiry to the
gendarmerie
.” She looked at Parise. “But I repeat I am coordinating and it’s back to me here in Pointe-à-Pitre that you’ll report.”
    Parise nodded.
    “I’ll be needing all the support of both the
gendarmerie
and the SRPJ so we’ll be seeing a lot of each other—perhaps too much. I trust we can put aside professional rivalries, petty animosities and everything else to get this murder cleared up before it goes cold on us. For everybody’s sake.”
    Again Parise and Lafitte nodded. Two schoolboys, Anne Marie thought, wincing inwardly.
    “I’ll be standing in on the autopsy.” She lowered her voice. “Not something I relish, but I’ve informed the
procureur
. Perhaps you could accompany me, Monsieur Lafitte.”
    “A pleasure,
madame
.”
    Anne Marie wondered if she detected sarcasm in his voice.
    “Capitaine Parise, please get this photograph distributed and a search put out for Richard. Richard works in a bank, but it might also be a good idea to put pressure on your