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By Root 517 0

events were brewing. Why would Inspector Girac, famous in his own country as a detective and investigator, need to visit me? Only a case of the highest national interest, requiring he use every available resource, would force the Inspector to seek the skills of an outsider. But why me, a foreigner, instead of another member of the Sûreté? The answer had to be that Monsieur Girac harbored suspicions about his comrades. As you well know, Watson, police organizations are normally a tightly knit group. Such apprehensions can only be the result of national turmoil. While I do not regularly follow French politics, I am not blind to news of the world. It was therefore quite apparent to me that Girac’s visit concerned the notorious Dreyfus spy case.”

I nodded, immediately recognizing the truth in what Holmes said. The infamous crime had rocked France, unleashing long simmering hatreds. After Dreyfus’s conviction for treason, powerful factions in the Army and Church had unleashed blistering verbal attacks on the Jewish population of France. The virulent race baiting had turned brother against brother, friend against friend. The whole country trembled on the brink of revolution. Once Holmes explained his reasoning, the inexplicable became transparent. “But, you mentioned a trip, Holmes?”

Holmes turned and his piercing eyes stared at the French police official. “Monsieur Girac’s note demanded privacy, Watson. He wanted to meet at night, in secret. Not normal conduct for a member of the Sûreté. Besides, though his mission involved the Dreyfus Affair, that matter had already been settled in military court. The officer was pronounced guilty and sentenced.

“He has been sent to Devil’s Island to serve the rest of his life in hard labor. Despite some doubts to the validity of the charges, the case is closed.”

Holmes paused dramatically. The theater had lost a great thespian when my friend chose to become a detective. “Whatever aspect of the case Monsieur Girac wants me to investigate, it is definitely not a minor matter. Since the government refuses to conduct further investigations into the Dreyfus Case, the Inspector’s business must concern possible repercussions from the affair. Since he does not trust his colleagues among the Sûreté, it seems logical he requires our assistance in their stead. Such investigations are best conducted at the scene of the crime. Girac comes from Paris, so I assume we are to travel there to pursue our case.”

Girac, his features pale, nodded. “I need for you to return with me to Paris immediately, Mr Holmes. I dare not trust any of my assistants. No one knows who has been corrupted by this scandal. Treason walks at the highest levels of the government and the military. Disaster approaches and only with your help can I prevent it from happening.”

“Pray tell,” said Holmes, raising his pipe to his lips, “what is the nature of the catastrophe?”

“Assassination,” whispered Girac, his tone low, as if afraid of being overheard. “I have from reliable sources that a group of Jewish anarchists have hired Jacques Huret, the Boulevard Assassin, to murder the new President of the Republic in retaliation for Dreyfus’s imprisonment. I am resolved not to let that event take place.”

“With the assassination of President Sadi Carnot just months ago,” said Holmes, thoughtfully, “a second murder could quite possibly plunge France into civil war. I find it difficult to believe a group of Jewish intellectuals would embark on such a risky venture. Are you sure that they are the ones who hired Huret?”

“Who else has a motive?” declared Girac. He waved a hand in the air, dismissing Holmes’s doubts. “The villains behind the crime are unimportant at present. What matters is the deed itself. In the past five years, Huret has been responsible for the deaths of nearly a dozen men. The few clues we’ve found indicate that he’s a man of wealth and breeding. We don’t know why such a man would be a killer, as he certainly doesn’t need money.”

“Perhaps,” I said, choosing my words carefully, “he kills to prove his mental superiority over