David King - Death in the City of Light - The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied Paris

18 “Sorry, but Petiot” Ibid.

19 Rougemont detected AN, 334, AP 65, 3380–3384.

20 “Monsieur de Rougemont is” Bertin, Les assassins hors-série , 215.

21 “If we had asked” Maeder, The Unspeakable Crimes , 238.

22 Petiot’s Resistance credentials In 2010, when the CIA declassified thousands of documents from the secretive American semi-private espionage group known as the Pond, the media widely reported that Petiot had in fact been one of its informers. This was a suggestion first made by the organization’s leader, John V. Grombach, and it is not impossible. The problem is that, even with the new documents thus far released, there is still no verifiable evidence of his work as an informer. The new files contain “no reference to Petiot,” except for a short, two- or three-sentence “summary of a report about conviction.” E-mail to author from Mark Stout, author of a forthcoming book on the Pond.

23 “Organized Resistance has never” Dewavrin to Marcel Jullian, Le Mystère Petiot (Paris: Edition No. 1, 1980), 153. See also Dupin’s theory that Fly-Tox was the name the British used for an individual and Petiot merely adopted it, AN, 334 AP, 65, 3352.

24 “I refuse to tell you” … “Obviously” Bertin, Les assassins hors-série , 217.

25 doubtful Reuters, for example, March 27, 1946.

26 “Monsieur Ibarne” Maeder, The Unspeakable Crimes , 240; PC, 232; L’Aurore describes Petiot as showing extreme anger at this witness, March 27, 1946.

27 “On the contrary” PC, 232.

CHAPTER 32. THE HAIRDRESSER, THE MAKEUP ARTIST, AND THE ADVENTURESS

1 “neither of business nor politics” PC, 235.

2 “The journeys begin and end at rue Le Sueur” Nézondet told his view also in his interrogation, March 22, 1944, APP, Série J, affaire Petiot, carton n° III, and in his memoir, René Nézondet, Petiot “le Possédé” (Paris: Express, 1950), 71.

3 “No, I concluded” … “None” PC 236–237.

4 “The longer this trial goes” Ibid.

5 hat trimmed with otter fur Le Pays , March 29, 1946.

6 a strong Slavic accent Jean Galtier-Boissière, Mon journal dans la drôle de paix (Paris: La Jeune Parque, 1947), 207–208.

7 “the circumstances of my friends” AN 334, AP 65, 4566.

8 delightful AN, 4570–4571.

9 “Of course, Mr. President” AN 334, AP 65, 4571.

10 “They were not only anti-Nazi” Ibid.

11 “as their God” Ibid.

12 “I understand now” AN 334, AP 65, 4575.

13 “injections, nightclubs, drugs” AN 334, AP 65, 4576.

14 “hunted as a harmful beast” AN 334, AP 65, 4577.

15 “stay put” Ibid.

16 “an adventuress … who lies” AN 334, AP 65, 4592.

17 “many difficulties” AN 334, AP 65, 4608.

18 “came to us to give tips” AN 334, AP 65, 4355–4356.

19 Insults and insinuations AN 334, AP 65, 4609–4610.

20 “offended the very legitimate sensitivities” AN 334, AP 65, 4611.

21 “saluted by a number of German” AN 334, AP 65, 4614.

22 “Since you do not appear to remember” AN 334, AP 65, 4615.

23 The judge ordered Request for Dossier No. 16582, March 28, 1944, APP, Série J, affaire Petiot, carton n° III.

24 “I have not looked at your hands” … “Pétain?” AN 334, AP 65, 4623–4624.

25 “Was she tortured” Galtier-Boissière, Mon journal , 211.

26 “these equally plausible” Ibid.

CHAPTER 33. WALKOUT

1 “We respected Yvan” … “To give information” PC, 247–249.

2 “Germans, notorious collaborators” Fernand Lavie in a letter of November 30, 1944, APP, Série J, affaire Petiot, carton n° IV.

3 “My mother never intended to leave” … “Yet she must know” PC, 249–251.

4 “How many witnesses” Thomas Maeder, The Unspeakable Crimes of Dr. Petiot (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1980), 251. Emphasis added. Many other important witnesses were not found, not least of which was Georges Redouté, who had left town. Report, March 12, 1946, APP, Série J, affaire Petiot, carton n° III.

5 “Maître, if you manage” PC, 251.

6 “How do you explain this find?” Claude Bertin, Les assassins hors-série: Gilles de Rais, Petiot , vol. 10 of Les grands procès de l’histoire de France (Paris: Éditions de Saint-Clair, 1967), 245.

7 “The moment has not come” … “Do not speak” PC, 252–254.

8 “Very sympathetically” John V. Grombach, The Great Liquidator (New York: Zebra Books, 1980), 268–269.

9 “Why were you released” … “To insinuate” PC, 255.

10 “Me? An agent” Bertin, Les assassins hors-série , 248.

11 “you lawyers of the alleged victims” Grombach, The Great Liquidator , 356–357.

12 this chaotic session The New York Times correspondent calls it a “screaming contest.” New York Times , March 31, 1946.

CHAPTER 34. NAUFRAGEUR

1 “a veritable fire-box of political intrigue” Claude Bertin, Les assassins hors-série: Gilles de Rais, Petiot , vol. 10 of Les grands procès de l’histoire de France (Paris: Éditions de Saint-Clair, 1967), 255.

2 “true nest of tuberculosis” Ibid, 256.

3 “Petiot was a Frenchman” PC, 256.

4 “kill everyone” France-Soir , April 2, 1946.

5 “You spent five months with him” … “Whatever the outcome” PC, 257–258; Bertin, Les assassins hors-série , 258–259.

6 “without any question a real Resistant” John V. Grombach, The Great Liquidator (New York: Zebra Books, 1980), 364.

7 stylish Paris-Matin , April 2, 1946.

8 “I do not care” PC, 258.

9 “We’re making a flop” Petiot repeated this several times when the size of the audience fell. Claude Barret, L’affaire Petiot (Paris: Gallimard, 1958), 145.

10 EVERYBODY SLEEPS AT THE PETIOT TRIAL L’Aurore , April 3, 1946.

11 “Nazi faun that haunts” … “I do not insist” PC, 260–261.

12 “he did not know” This was Petiot’s statement on March 20, 1946, as noted on page 256.

13 “Ah!” she said Leser, April 2, 1946, APP, Série J, affaire Petiot, carton n° III.

14 “uniting them in death” Grombach, The Great Liquidator , 367.

15 “I have the good fortune” AN 334, AP 65, 4432.

16 “Cruel men set lanterns” AN 334, AP 65, 4474.

17 The members of the French Resistance … “wrap himself” AN 334, AP 65, 4471.

18 “very curious” … “I do not know if Petiot” AN 334, AP 65, 4470–4474.

19 “condemn him to death” AN 334, AP 65, 4475.

20 “the records of the Cour d’assises de la Seine” AN 334, AP 65, 4006, and Dupin’s handwritten version, AN 334, AP 65, 4086.

21 “Yes, to find as many cadavers” AN 334, AP 65, 4007.

22 “remarkably intelligent” AN 334, AP 65, 3306.

23 “I will show you” AN 334, AP 65, 3341.

24 Petiot made a show Paris-Matin , April 4, 1946.