When the deputy had finished reading the letter, he announced, ‘I’m not convinced it’s a crime.’ I was convinced it wasn’t a crime, but I didn’t want to block any possible angle of investigation. The boss rose to his feet. ‘I don’t make promises lightly,’ he said grandly. ‘But if you will send me an email with all the information you have, all your efforts so far, and where you would like us to help you, I will promise you to open all possible avenues of exploration.’ And as he flourished his cigar towards me and I tried not to cough, I had the feeling that my case was as good as solved. The full resources of the secret policeman’s department would be thrown into finding the writer of the letter and the cause of death of her son, Maurice. My important friends would be vindicated and the secret policeman’s intellectual satisfaction and vanity would be assuaged.

The chief indicated that the meeting was over and I mumbled my delighted thanks. While I tried to scoop up the letter, the bottle, the packaging in which I had wrapped the bottle, my briefcase and my notebook, after attempting to shake hands with him and the deputy, he swiftly turned to some papers on his desk. Clutching my belongings I was escorted firmly from the room by the deputy. I could not help regretting that I was not leaving in a dignified and sophisticated manner as I repacked the bottle and rearranged the contents of my briefcase in the corridor, with the door to his office safely closed.

From: Karen Liebreich

To: X

Subject: Letter in a bottle

Dear M. X,

Thank you very much for offering to help track down this mysterious lady, especially given how busy you must be. I would be really grateful for any doors you could open or advice, etc. Herewith the details you requested from me:

A The facts

The concrete facts are sparse:

1. The son was called Maurice.

2. He was thirteen years old when he died.

3. He was her first son.

4. He died one summer evening, ‘à l’aurore de l’été’.

5. Evian bottle, paper, ink, ribbon, two locks of hair.

6. She has a close friend called Christine, to whom she intends to show the letter.

Other clues are less concrete, maybe just metaphors?

1. ‘sans prévenir, il s’est dérobé à la vie dans un trop plein de désirs, un trop vif de vivance.’ A drug overdose? Driving his bike too recklessly?

2. ‘Il a voyagé longtemps entre deux eaux, entre deux lumières, pour tenter d’éteindre infatigable-ment le repos de ses deus bras tendus.’ Did he drown? Did he float in the sea? In a coma?

3. ‘ce terrible moment où tu me glissais entre les doigts . . .’ So she was present at his death?

4. ‘Mon fils a regagné le port, près d’un rivage lointain, tout près du soleil levant.’ Symbolic or actual?

B My progress