Adrian Magson - Death on the Pont Noir

He gave a final withering look at Massin, then turned and walked away down the corridor, back rigid, his gun held down by his side. When he reached the office he’d been using, he stepped inside and closed the door.

Rocco started along the corridor after him, but Massin stopped him.

‘Wait,’ he said. ‘I will do this-’

The gunshot was shockingly loud, sending a tremor through the glass panels in the office doors. A pigeon clattered away from the window sill in Massin’s office, and someone shouted in the distance. Booted feet began pounding up the stairs towards them.

Rocco breathed deeply and looked at Massin. ‘So he gets away with it. What’ll it be — a military funeral with full honours?’

Massin shook his head and waved back two officers who appeared at the far end of the corridor with drawn weapons. ‘He gets away with nothing,’ he said quietly. ‘Nor will any of the others involved in this business, including the criminal, Delarue. I will personally see to that.’

There was something in Massin’s tone that Rocco hadn’t heard before, and he wondered what had taken place here between the two officers before he, Desmoulins and Rizzotti had arrived.

He would probably never know. He watched as Rizzotti, accompanied by Desmoulins, walked past and opened the door to Saint-Cloud’s office. After a few seconds, Desmoulins came out again and shook his head.

Rocco decided to make his escape for a while. He said to Massin, ‘Do you need me for anything? Only I could really do with a strong coffee and cognac.’

‘Of course. You deserve it.’ Massin gestured at the radio loudspeaker chattering away quietly in his office and said, ‘I understand the man Calloway is talking.’

‘Yes. I think he knows a lot more than he’s saying. He’ll try to barter his way out of trouble.’

‘That might prove useful. At least you managed to bring one of them back alive,’ Massin ghosted a smile, ‘which is somehow reassuring.’ He turned to go, then said, ‘When you come back, perhaps you could step in to my office and collect your badge and gun. You’ll be needing them.’