Dog Will Have His Day Read Online Free PDF Page B

witness, if one should be needed.’
    ‘That’s easy. You just have to ask permission to leave for Paquelin to make you stay. But what’s this all about?’
    ‘It’s just a little something, unusual, perplexing and very interesting. I think Paquelin will chuck me out before he’s realised its importance. He doesn’t understand about muddle.’
    Lanquetot picked up the phone.
    ‘Commissaire? Yes I know, you’re very busy. It’s just that I’ve got with me this oddball, who insists he wants to see you in person . . . No, I think it might be wise to see him . . . He has a few tabs on us . . . That, er, tricky business . . . Yes, in the cells . . . He mentioned it. Perhaps he’s looking for nits to pick, perhaps he’s just boasting, but I’d prefer you made an estimate yourself. It should be all right, he hasn’t even got his ID on him. Right, I’ll bring him up.’
    Lanquetot picked up Kehlweiler’s papers and stuffed them in his pocket.
    ‘Here we go. I’ll push and shove you a bit, into the office, to give it a bit of realism.’
    ‘Be my guest.’
    Lanquetot threw rather than ushered Kehlweiler into the commissaire’s office. Louis grimaced, the realism had hurt his leg.
    ‘Here he is, sir. No ID. He changes his name every couple of minutes. Granville, Gravilliers. I’ll leave him to you, shall I?’
    ‘Where do you think you’re going, Lanquetot?’ asked the commissaire. He had a hoarse voice, very bright eyes, a thin and quite handsome face with that detestable mouth which Louis well remembered. Louis had started on his sandwich again, and was dropping crumbs on the floor.
    ‘I’m going to get a coffee, sir, with your permission. I’m exhausted.’
    ‘You’ll stay right where you are, Lanquetot.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    Commissaire Paquelin examined Kehlweiler, without asking him to sit down. Louis put Bufo on the empty chair. The commissaire observed the scene without a word. He wasn’t stupid, Commissaire Paquelin, he wasn’t going to explode just because of a toad on a chair.
    ‘So, my friend, you’ve come to stir up a little shit in our offices.’
    ‘Could be.’
    ‘Last name, first name, nationality, occupation.’
    ‘Granville, Louis, French, none.’
    ‘None what?’
    ‘Occupation, I don’t have a job any more.’
    ‘So what’s your game?’
    ‘I’m not playing games. I just came here because it’s the principal police station in our district, that’s all.’
    ‘And . . .?’
    ‘I’ll allow you to judge. It’s about a small object that’s bothering me. I thought the correct thing would be to tell you about it. No need to look for any other motives.’
    ‘I’ll look for motives where I please. Why didn’t you leave this object with one of my staff?’
    ‘They wouldn’t have taken it seriously.’
    ‘What is it?’
    Louis put his sandwich down on the commissaire’s desk and slowly searched his pockets. He brought out the scrap of newspaper, which he carefully unfolded under the policeman’s nose.
    ‘Careful,’ he warned. ‘It stinks.’
    Paquelin leaned gingerly over the object.
    ‘What’s this bit of filth?’
    ‘Just what I asked myself when I found it.’
    ‘Do you pick up every piece of rubbish you see and take it to the police station?’
    ‘I’m just doing my civic duty, Paquelin.’
    ‘Monsieur le commissaire to you, as you well know. Your provocative behaviour is contemptible and pathetic to see. So what is this rubbish?’
    ‘You can see as well as I can. It’s a bone.’
    Paquelin leaned over the object more closely. The little thing was gnawed, corroded, pieced with dozens of pinpricks, and slightly brown in colour. He’d seen bones before, but no, this fellow must be having him on.
    ‘That isn’t a bone. What are you after?’
    ‘I’m serious, monsieur le commissaire. I think it is a bone, and a human bone, what’s more. I agree that it’s hard to make out and not very big, but I thought to myself, that is a