‘Yes. Money that Alex brought in from, I guess, a Swiss account, or company, of my father’s. It’s quite a lot of money.’

It was impossible to tell if Vincent was surprised, or even interested.

‘Have you seen anybody unusual in the area?’ he asked.

‘I don’t know. Dan, have we seen anyone unusual in the area?’

Dan shrugged. ‘I don’t know. We don’t see anyone out here.’

‘Has anybody been here, to the hotel?’ asked Vincent.

‘No.’

Then she remembered the blue car, turning in, after she’d been in the river, when she went to get her phone.

‘A car turned in, a few days ago. It was probably just lost.’

‘What kind of car?’

‘I don’t know. It was blue.’

He looked at his watch. ‘What are your plans?’

‘We’re going to spend the night in Beaune, and then head off. Away.’

‘Out of France?’

‘Yes.’

He pursed his lips, considering. ‘It would be better if you stayed nearby. We’ll need you to come into the gendarmerie on Monday.’

‘He wants us to stay,’ Bea told Dan.

‘How long for?’

‘A few days, only,’ said Vincent, in English.

‘Can you take the money with you now?’ she said.

He laughed. ‘No.’

‘We don’t want it here.’

Dan went to get it and Bea and Vincent sat in silence. He was not as closely shaved as usual, and he was wearing trainers with his jeans, not loafers. He had come alone. She wondered if he had been going away for the weekend when they interrupted his plans, and realised what was different; there was no smell of aftershave. It was like he was missing an item of uniform.

Dan came back in, carrying the red snake trap. He put it down on the coffee table where it sat, crude and ugly, with the smearing grime and the white lettering on the side. Seeing it, Vincent stood up, suspiciously. Dan undid the catches and took off the lid, revealing the money, shining like guts.

‘We really don’t want it here,’ said Bea. ‘Isn’t it evidence, or something?’

Vincent got to his feet. He stood over the table, looking down at it. He whistled.

‘I know,’ said Dan.

Vincent shook his head. ‘I can’t take it.’

‘Why not?’ said Bea, then to Dan, ‘He won’t take it.’

‘That’s reasonable,’ said Dan.

‘I need paperwork. I must follow procedure. This is serious. You don’t understand. You think you know where this has come from, but there’s more to it. I can’t touch it.’

‘Please?’

‘Madame, I can’t just take your money in my car.’

‘But it’s not ours.’