Spilt Wine

41. Horrors

David's mouth had been closed when Philippe taped it. His mumble was nearly unintelligible to his own ears, but Catherine seemed to understand what he was saying. Maybe she's sensing my meaning through the vowel patterns. He wasn't able to force out anything even remotely approximating a consonant.

He was able to understand her more easily, her mouth had been taped open, so she had the use of a few consonants, "Ayyy hink aahmm affortheeng."

As sobs shook her body, David sat watching, unable to help, unable to comfort her but with his mumbles. He hummed soothing thoughts hoping to ease her with the sound of his voice.

She looked down in horror as her water broke, then her sobs turned to abdominal convulsions. Tears streamed down her face as the contractions increased in frequency and intensity.

He stared across the room, unable to do anything but mumble as he watched her agony increase. God... Hasn't she been through enough already? He looked down at the tapes around his wrists to see what progress he had made in his struggle to get free. Done nothing but bloody them from torn skin.

David's bladder let go as he watched the baby slowly emerge and slide off the chair to the floor then lie shaking at Catherine's feet. It made a few cries, then it gradually stilled.

Catherine leaned forward and watched helplessly as the baby's movements decreased then stopped. She was unable to do anything but mumble, "Mnoo, mnoo Oh mny Hod! Mnooo."

David looked up to Catherine's face and cried with her. After a long while, she shook her head and closed her eyes, then slumped forward.

He watched her. I wish I could do something. Hold her head, rub it. Seeing her breathing gradually slow, her body relax, he felt his own tensions also begin easing toward sleep.

They were both awakened by the activity outside, the loud, assertive voices. They heard the sound of doors crashed open, then heavy boots in the hall. Then another pair of boots and another. There was a sharp crash close by, and they watched the frame splinter as the door was smashed open. The muzzle of a gun appeared, followed instantly by a helmeted head, its face behind a plexi visor.

They relaxed as they watched the body-armoured gendarme follow his head into the room and bark out orders over his shoulder.

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Three hours later David sat quietly on Catherine's bed, holding her hand and stroking it, when a nurse came in and asked if she felt strong enough to see Lieutenant Grattien.

Grattien sat in silence with them for a long while as they looked at each other blankly. Then Catherine said, "The baby's gone. They said there's no apparent other damage, besides the heavy bruises."

The three sat quietly again, looking at each other.

"Two of our brigade are dead, one seriously wounded, still in the operating room," Grattien said finally. "This is a very sad day for all of us." They were again quiet for a long while.

Grattien again cut the silence. "Our brigade in Saint-Jean-de-Losne was contacted to investigate a collision on the canal near Aiserey. A passing péniche had pulled your barge off the bank as it approached and there was no way to keep from hitting it."

Grattien continued slowly. "By the time the skipper was able to stop, he was nearly at the Aiserey lock, so he headed in to moor and report the incident. The lock keeper from the next lock, Pontangey I think it is, pedalled down to your barge to check for injuries and found it unlocked and abandoned."

"Great," David said. "I had simply placed the line around the cleat, one turn, hoping that might happen. I had seen a péniche coming down in the next lock." Catherine squeezed his hand.

"One of the gendarmes sent to investigate had been at the barge on that Sunday when you..." Grattien looked at Catherine and paused.

"When we found Murielle," she completed for him. "You don't need to tiptoe around, I can handle anything — after all this."

"He contacted our office. I had arrived only ten minutes before from dropping you off. I drove back to the canal and went directly to l'éclusier. He didn't see you leave, you were gone when he stepped out to prepare the lock for a péniche coming down from Longecourt, and was back inside when he heard the collision.

"L'éclusier at the next lock had seen your barge stop and moor to the bourne. He told me it was an unusual place to stop to wait for a downbound barge. But he dismissed it, saying things are getting stranger with the new boat rental companies and all the inexperienced boaters." Grattien shook his head.

"He had seen a dark yellow or dirty gold car by the barge, an old Peugeot, he thought, but it was gone when the collision happened."

"So, how did you trace us to the tank farm up in the Hautes Côtes?" Catherine asked.

"We didn't."

She tilted her head. "So, how did you find us, then?"

"Our investigations on the group in Marseille and through Grotkopf's files led us to a new warehouse up there. Three of our gendarmes were sent to investigate. Two were shot dead immediately. The third was seriously wounded while calling the brigade for backup. We added the events together."

"How is he?" David asked.

"I spoke with the doctors before I came here. Abdominal wounds, a lot of blood loss, but nothing critical they hope. They think she should fully recover. It was the backup squad, sent in response to her call, that found you."

"And Philippe?"

"No trace."

Again a long silence.

"Not too safe out there for us at the moment," Catherine said in a low voice.

"We have authorisation to add more guards, and we're looking at moving you to a safer location."

After another pause, Grattien continued, "We have a psychiatrist and a psychologist on their way to interview you. We need a better picture of Philippe's mental profile, his possible motivations. He has just killed your baby and two gendarmes. Most likely he killed his wife, his brother-in-law and his father. Probably your husband and your maid, possibly l'éclusier and his wife at Aiserey —"

"And his wife?"

"Yes, both are missing. And from what you told the gendarmes on your way here, he was about to kill you. He is obviously not stable — I didn't think you would mind their visit."

"I think we can both..." Catherine paused to look for David's agreement, then continued, "We can both add a lot on this."

"This is so ironic." David pointed to the name on the information sheet which was sitting on the overbed table. "Centre hospitalier Philippe-le-Bon. Here we are in Philippe-the-Good Hospital, looking for ways to stop a maniacal Philippe-the-Evil."