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Back The Guardian of Lies Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. CHAPTER ONE
  4. CHAPTER TWO
  5. CHAPTER THREE
  6. CHAPTER FOUR
  7. CHAPTER FIVE
  8. CHAPTER SIX
  9. CHAPTER SEVEN
  10. CHAPTER EIGHT
  11. CHAPTER NINE
  12. CHAPTER TEN
  13. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  14. CHAPTER TWELVE
  15. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  16. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  18. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  20. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  21. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  22. CHAPTER TWENTY
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  32. CHAPTER THIRTY
  33. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  42. CHAPTER FORTY
  43. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  52. Acknowledgements
  53. ‘The Survivors’ Ad
  54. ‘The Betrayal’ Ad
  55. ‘The Liberation’ Ad
  56. Copyright

I lingered over my pastis. An hour later when I was ready, I stood, tossed a few coins on the table and proceeded to circle around the outer wall of the amphitheatre until I was satisfied no one was on my tail. When I came to the opening of an insignificant little street with a stone urn at its entrance and a metal grille over the first window, I knew I was on the right track. The street was in deep shade and shutters were closed. No eyes to see what they shouldn’t see, no tongues to tell what they shouldn’t tell.

Halfway down on the right-hand side stood a wide drain-pipe, black and rusty. Its upper part had been hacked off, so that it ended at waist height, capped off with a metal lid. As I passed it, I lifted the lid – it needed a good yank – and dropped the brown envelope containing the negative inside the pipe. I caught a glimpse of a cylinder within.

Lid back on, I was off down the street. It had taken precisely five seconds.

*

I was tempted to stay. To watch. To see who came. But I was certain that I would wait in vain. Nobody would come while I was anywhere near the DLD and it was a spot well chosen, because I didn’t stand a chance of watching over the small street without being observed myself.

I walked in circles through the streets of Arles, switching back on myself, at times darting off at odd angles, or taking back alleyways that led me past waste bins and under strings of washing. When I was sure that no one was following me, absolutely hand-on-Bible certain, I picked up my pace and swung back to the Place du Forum. From there I dodged through the little crowd of tourists that always hung around the cafés with their yellow awnings and turned the corner, down towards the river.

No mist today. Except the mist of deceit.

I found the street with no problem. And the house. The one where the green and white Chevrolet had parked on a patch of dirt and I’d watched my brother under cover of darkness. André claimed he had persuaded the MGB agent that he was more use to them alive than dead.

More use to them how? What did you agree to do, André?

And how come I got a gun in my face each time I entered your room unannounced? But not Gilles Bertin. How come you didn’t pull the trigger instead of riding off in his car? Tell me, André.