Free The Erasers by Alain Robbe-Grillet Page A

anything to do with the police, and your presence here makes me sure of it. ”
     
    Despite his interlocutor ’ s evident prejudice, Wallas insists: the victim ’ s relatives and friends could be questioned. But Laurent has no hopes of finding out anything useful from this quarter either:
    “ It appears that Dupont led an extremely solitary life, shut up with his books and his old housekeeper. He seldom went out and received only rare visits. Did he have any friends? As for relatives, there seem to be none, except for his wife “
    Wallas shows his surprise:
    “ He had a wife? Where was she at the time of the crime? ”
    “ I don ’ t know. Dupont was married only a few years; his wife was much younger than he and probably couldn ’ t endure his hermit ’ s life. They separated right away. But they still saw each other now and then, apparently; by all means ask her what she was doing last night at seven-thirty. ”
    “ You ’ re not saying that seriously? ”
    “ Certainly I am. Why not? She knew the house and her ex-husband ’ s habits well; so she had more opportunities than anyone else to commit this murder discreetly. And since she was entitled to expect a considerable inheritance from him, she ’ s one of the few people I know of who could have any interest in seeing him dead. ”
    “ Then why didn ’ t you mention her to me? ”
    “ You told me that he was the victim of a political assassination! ”
    “ She could have played her part in it anyway. ”
    “ Of course. Why not? ”
    Commissioner Laurent has resumed his jocular tone. He says with a half-smile:
    “ Maybe it ’ s the housekeeper who killed him and made up all the rest with the help of Doctor Juard, whose reputation—let me tell you in passing—is not so good. ”
    “ That seems rather unlikely, ” Wallas observes.
    “ Even altogether unlikely, but you know that never kept anyone from being a suspect. ”
    Wallas feels that this irony is in bad taste. Furthermore, he realizes he will not learn much from this official, jealous of his authority but determined to do nothing. Isn ’ t Laurent really trying to wash his hands of the whole affair? Or else would he like to discourage his rivals in order to make his own investigation? Wallas stands up to say good-bye; he will visit this doctor first. Laurent shows him where he is to be found:
    “ The Juard Clinic, eleven Rue de Corinthe. It ’ s on the other side of the prefecture, not far from here. ”
    “ I thought, ” Wallas says, “ that the newspaper said ‘ a nearby clinic ’ ? ”
    Laurent makes a cynical gesture:
    “ Oh, you know the papers! Besides, it ’ s not so far from the Rue des Arpenteurs. ”
    Wallas writes down the address in his notebook.
    “ There is even one paper, ” the commissioner adds, “ that mixed up the first names and announced the death of Albert Dupont, one of the biggest wood exporters in the city. He must have been quite surprised to read his obituary this morning! ”
    Laurent has stood up too. He winks as he says:
    “ After all, I haven ’ t seen the body; maybe it is Albert Du-pont ’ s. ”
    This idea amuses him enormously, his overfed body shakes from fits of laughter. Wallas smiles politely. The chief commissioner catches his breath and holds out his hand amiably.
    “ If I hear anything new, ” he says, “ I ’ ll let you know. What hotel are you staying at? ”
    “ I ’ ve taken a room in a café , Rue des Arpenteurs, a few steps away from the house itself. ”
    “ You have! Who told you about that? ”
    “ No one; I found it by chance. It ’ s number ten. ”
    “ Is there a telephone? ”
    “ Yes, I think so. ”
    “ Well, I ’ ll find it in the book if I have anything to tell you. ”
    Without waiting. Laurent begins leafing quickly through the phone book, licking his index finger.
    “ Arpenteurs, here we are. Number ten: Café des Allies? ”
    “ Yes, that ’ s the one. ”
    “ Telephone: two-zero-two-zero-three. But