Chapter 22 Chapter Twenty Two

Teresa led them back to the apartment, away from the door, away from the French windows, into the center of the dimly lit room. "There was an internal investigation," she said, her voice low and angry, "you know, Armand, they thought it was hacking. Whichever kid finds this file probably doesn't even know what it is. That's it. " "If some kid found it by accident, why didn't they find him?" asked Gamash. "Leave that to the investigators," she said, her voice softer. Garmash looked at the two people in front of him.Aged men and women with wrinkled skin and dry faces.

But so is he. That's why he warned Beauvoir not to pursue it any further, why he didn't take the matter privately to one of his hundreds of agents.Any of them would happily dig deeper. But what secrets will they discover? No, it would be best for him to do it himself, with the help of these two men he trusted.But the Brunels have another quality that stands out.They are closer to the end than the beginning.So does he.The end of their careers, the end of their lives.If they're missing one of them now, they've lived it to the fullest. Garmash wouldn't leave the matter to a young detective.He will not lose another person because of this, as long as he has a choice.

“I’ve been waiting for the report of the internal investigation,” he said. “I’ve read it, I’ve spent two months researching it, and I’ve been thinking about it.” Superintendent Brunel thought carefully, and finally asked such a question, although she really didn't want to hear the answer. "So what conclusion did you come to?" "There are problems with the investigation, and it may even be deliberate. In fact, it is almost certainly deliberate. There are people inside the police department who are trying to cover up the truth." There is no need to install anything more.This is what he believes deeply.

"Why do you think that?" Jerome asked. "Because it's almost impossible for a hacker to find this video file. Even if it's a hacker, the investigators should have found him. That's what they do. There's a whole department that's just on cybercrime, and they can find him." Neither Teresa nor Jerome spoke.Jerome then turned to his wife. "What do you think?" he asked. Her eyes turned from her husband to her guest. "You think someone inside the police department is hiding the truth. What do you think the truth is?" "It was an internal leak," Garmash said. "Someone inside the police department leaked the video, and it was intentional."

Having said that, he also realized that there was nothing he said that she didn't already know, or suspect. "But why?" she asked.Obviously, she has been asking herself this question. "I think the 'why' depends on the 'who,'" Gamash replied, staring at her. "That's no surprise to you, is it?" Teresa Brunel hesitated for a moment, then shook her head, "I've read the report, as have all the other superintendents. I don't know what they think, but my conclusion is the same as yours. It's not necessarily an internal operation ’” she looked at him remindingly, “but for some strange reason the investigation went nowhere. Four officers were killed and the family was betrayed. I thought the investigation would be very thorough. I thought they would go to great lengths .That’s exactly what they said. However, no matter how high-sounding the statement, the conclusion is shockingly weak. The video was stolen by an unknown hacker.”

She shook her head, took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and then said: "There is a problem here, Armand." He nodded, looked at the two people, "There is a big problem." Superintendent Brunel sat down, motioned to the other two for chairs, and they sat down too.She paused, seeming to have made up her mind, "Who do you think did it?" Gamache met her wise and bright eyes, "You know who I'm thinking of." "I know, but I need you to say it." "Inspector Sylvain Frankel." Outside, they heard children screaming as they chased each other, laughing along the way.

"It's fun," said Jerome Brunel, rubbing his hands while he was thinking about a difficult jigsaw puzzle. "Jerome!" cried his wife. "Aren't you listening? The head of the Quebec Police Department has probably done something not only illegal but brutal. Officers were attacked, dead and wounded." wounded. And their families were betrayed. For their own benefit." Teresa turned to Garmash, "If it's Frankel, what is he doing for?" "I don't know. But he's been trying to get rid of me for years. Maybe he's thinking it's the last blow."

"But that video doesn't make you ugly, Armand," Jerome said. "On the contrary, you look heroic." "What hurts you, Jerome?" Garmash looked at the man opposite him with kind eyes. "Wrongly blamed, or wrongly praised? Especially when there is so much pain and nothing worth it." In the case of praise?" "But it's not your fault," Jerome said, looking directly at him. "Thank you." Garmash tilted his head, "But this is not my happiest moment." Jerome nodded.The spotlight is a strange thing, it makes people run away, hide in the shadows of being unnoticed, avoid the approving gaze of the public because it hurts so much.

Gamache didn't run.But both Jerome and Teresa knew he could barely take it anymore and had almost handed over his search warrant and retirement report.But even so, no one would blame him.Just as no one would blame him for the deaths of those young agents.No one but Garmash himself. But he didn't retire, didn't retreat, the inspector survived. Jerome suspected that was why.Inspector Garmash needs to do one more thing.His final duty, whether for a living or dead officer. find the truth. Detective Isabelle Lacoste wiped her face with her hand and looked at her watch. 7:35 p.m.

The Inspector had called earlier with an odd-looking request that was actually a suggestion.It meant extra work, but she had already sent another agent to search.Now, five of them are poring over the documents in the archives of the Montreal newspaper Le Presse. It's progressing a lot faster, but it's still very difficult because I don't know when, or what year, or even an approximate time period, that review was published.And Inspector Garmash has just made the job more difficult. "Look at this!" cried one of the junior detectives, turning to Lacoste. "I think I've found it."

"Oh, thank God," another agent whispered. The other three agents crowded around the microfilm. "Can you zoom in?" Lacoste asked.The agent clicked a button, and the screen jumped closer and clearer. The title in boldface is "Extremely Touching Exhibition", and what follows immediately below is not a comment, but a humorous joke, and the repeated words are "touching", "action" and "physiological function". Although the agents were exhausted, they couldn't help laughing while reading. Although the writing is childish and immature, it is still very funny.It's like seeing someone slip and fall on a banana peel, nothing subtle but hilarious. Lacoste did not smile. Unlike other agents, she saw the consequences of the review.What cannot be seen in this newspaper is a corpse lying in the garden in late spring. What started as a joke ended with murder. Lacoste photocopied this review, making sure the date on it is clear.She then thanked the agents and drove back to San Song Township.She was convinced that what was in the car was a certificate of conviction.