She hung up and clicked over and for a moment all she heard, loud enough so that Gamache, Beauvoir and even Professor Rosenblatt, sitting at the next desk, heard …

A shriek.

Gamache’s face went white and his eyes widened, as the ungodly noise filled the Incident Room.

“Chief?”

They heard the young voice, straining to be heard over the scream.

“Is that you?” Cohen yelled.

“Where are you?” Lacoste shouted.

“I can’t hear you. I have Fleming.”

“Take him back,” yelled Lacoste. “We have the plans. Take him back.”

All they heard now was the shriek. And then it descended into a growl.

Some rough beast.

“Adam?” Gamache leaned into the phone, shouting, “Can you hear me?”

And then …

“I hear you, Monsieur Gamache,” shouted Adam Cohen. “He’s going back.”

Chapter 42

CHAPTER 42

“What’ll happen to the Supergun?” Reine-Marie asked. “Now that the plans are gone.”

They were gathered in the bistro, the Gamaches, Lacoste, Jean-Guy, Clara, Myrna, Brian, Ruth and Monsieur Béliveau. Professor Rosenblatt was sitting in a comfortable armchair, nursing a large cognac.

Olivier had locked the door, apologizing to his other patrons, “Désolé, but this is a private gathering.”

The sun had long ago set, the night had drawn in. They sat around the fireplace, their faces lit by the glow.

“It’ll be taken apart, and taken away,” said Chief Inspector Lacoste.

“To be reassembled somewhere else?” Monsieur Béliveau asked.

“Maybe,” said Gamache. “But with the plans gone, well, they’ll have quite a time of it. And unfortunately the firing mechanism seems to be missing again.”

Beauvoir and Lacoste looked at him, then looked away.

“The firing mechanism’s missing?” asked Brian. “Where’d it go?”

“I have no idea,” said Armand with a smile.

“Mary Fraser and Sean Delorme,” said Myrna. “They aren’t CSIS?”

“I don’t know who they are,” said Lacoste.

“Well, I’m sure they won’t get far,” said Clara.

“What do you mean?” asked Lacoste.

“Well, you’re going after them, aren’t you?”

“For what?”

Clara looked dumbfounded. “Well, for threatening to kill the professor and Armand and Jean-Guy, for starters.”

“Delorme pulled a gun on us, yes,” said Armand. “But stood down. No one was hurt. Beyond that they did nothing wrong.”

“Isn’t that enough?” asked Gabri.

“We have to choose our battles,” said Beauvoir. “And if there’s a trial, we’d have to explain about Bull and the plans—”

“And why you burned them,” said Gamache. He knew why Beauvoir had dropped them in the fire. It was a father’s instinct. Jean-Guy would rather die than have his child born into a world that contained Gerald Bull’s monstrosity.

“It’s a dangerous game you’re playing, letting them go,” said Professor Rosenblatt.

“It’s a dangerous world,” said Armand. “Even nine-year-old boys know that.”

“But, but—” Clara sputtered.