The Beast Within - Emile Zola [91]
But as the three of them were leaving the room, Monsieur Denizet decided that there was one more thing he needed to know. Even though he had been specifically instructed to proceed no further without prior agreement, he felt he must clarify a crucial issue raised in the letter which seemed to invalidate his own theory of the murder.
‘Please wait a moment,’ he said to Jacques. ‘I have one further question I would like to ask you.’
Outside in the corridor, the Roubauds stopped. The doors on to the street were open, but they could not bring themselves to leave. Something held them back; they needed to know what was happening inside the magistrate’s office and they found it physically impossible to walk away until they had learned from Jacques what other question he was being asked. They walked frantically up and down the corridor until their legs ached. Eventually they came and sat down on the bench where they had waited so long already. They sat in silence, feeling sick with worry.
When Jacques reappeared, Roubaud stood up stiffly.
‘We thought we would wait for you,’ he said. ‘We can go back to the station together. What did he ask you?’
Jacques looked away, embarrassed, as if he were trying to avoid Séverine’s eyes, which were fixed on him.
‘He’s not sure about it any more,’ he said at last. ‘He’s floundering. He just asked me if there weren’t two people involved. When I was questioned at Le Havre, I mentioned a black shape holding down the victim’s legs, and he asked me about that. He seems to think it was just the travelling rug. Anyway he sent for the rug, and I had to tell him whether that was what I saw. I told him that it could have been.’
The Roubauds were shaking. The law was after them; one word from Jacques and they were done for. There was no doubt he knew they had done it, and sooner or later he would talk. They left the law courts in silence, Séverine walking between the two men. When they were in the street, Roubaud said, ‘By the way, my friend, Madame Roubaud has to spend a day in Paris on business. I’d appreciate it if you could help her find her way around; she may need someone to accompany her.’
V
At eleven fifteen, spot on time, the signalman at the Pont de l’Europe sounded the regulation two blasts on his horn to announce the arrival of the express from Le Havre as it emerged from the Batignolles tunnel. It came clattering over the turntables and ran into the station with a short toot on its whistle, a squealing of brakes, smoke pouring from its chimney and dripping wet from the teeming rain that had been falling steadily since it had left Rouen.
Even before the porters had unlatched the carriage doors, one of them swung open, and Séverine jumped out on to the platform without waiting for the train to stop. She had been sitting at the rear of the train, and in order to get to the engine she had to dash down the platform through the sudden invasion of passengers who were climbing out of the carriages laden with parcels and surrounded by children. Jacques stood on the footplate waiting to take the engine back to the sheds, while Pecqueux cleaned the brasswork with a rag.
‘I’ll see you in the Rue Cardinet at three o’clock,’ she said, standing on tiptoe. ‘Is that all right? I need to speak to your boss. I have a message for him from my husband.’
Such was the scheme devised by Roubaud. Séverine was to convey his thanks to the Batignolles shed foreman for a favour he had done him. This would allow her to spend time in the company of Jacques and would give her a chance to strengthen their acquaintance and exercise her charm on him.
Jacques, black with coal dust, soaked to the skin and utterly exhausted after battling against wind and rain, stared at her blankly and made no answer. He had been unable to refuse Roubaud as the train was leaving Le Havre, but the thought of finding himself alone with Séverine disturbed him, because