As I hurried back to the house, I wondered how often André stood there with his rifle at the ready.

*

That night when Léon came to the farm, I didn’t tell him. I intended to, I wanted to, but the words hooked themselves to the roof of my mouth and wouldn’t leave. When he walked into the barn in the darkness, I stepped into the circle of his arms and felt the aches and pains and the dull shame of my earlier mistake vanish. He was still breathing hard from his run and I could feel the damp fabric of his shirt and smell the weariness of his day on him.

‘Bad day?’ I asked.

‘Still ploughing my way down the names on my list for interview. The thrill of being a gendarme knows no bounds.’

With my thumb I soothed a crease from between his brows and drew him over to our seat of hay bales where I poured him wine and fed him cheese and olives until finally a stillness returned to him.

‘I’ve been trying to track Maurice Piquet,’ he said.

‘Any success?’

‘I found one of the demonstrators in Serriac who remembers a man who answers to his description. He has good reason to remember him.’

‘Why? What happened?’

‘The man who sounds like he might be Piquet wrenched the docker’s wooden protest placard from his hands and slammed it into his face. Broke his nose.’

‘Merde! Why did he do that?’

‘The docker claims it was unprovoked. Just a desire for violence. But the point is that if I can find him, I can lock him up for assault.’ Slowly he brushed a fingertip along my scar. ‘You would be safer with one of them off the streets until we have proof that he is involved in the murder of Mickey.’

An image of a striped cat lying dead at my feet flashed through my mind. ‘We would all be safer.’ I wrapped both my palms around his hand to keep it safe. ‘I worry about you. Asking so many questions.’

He smiled and scooped me closer to him. ‘It’s my job, Eloïse. But it’s not yours. So I want you to stop. Remain on the farm but don’t go out on your own. You’re safe here.’

‘I am a sitting duck here, Léon. Both André and I. We might as well have a “come and get me” sign on the door.’

He knew me too well. He didn’t let that pass.

‘What happened?’

‘You should check the hospitals in the area. To see if Piquet has registered with any.’

He cupped the back of my head in the palm of his hand, preventing me from turning away. ‘What happened?’ he asked again.

I closed my eyes. He leaned forward and softly kissed each eyelid.

‘What happened?’ he asked for the third time.