Free Death at the Clos du Lac by Adrian Magson

when you think about it. The whole place is built on secrets of one sort or another.’
    Stefan had said much the same thing. ‘
Lots of secrets in this place
…’
    Rocco waited to see if she would enlarge further. There was a moment in most investigations when a tipping point was reached that could change the entire nature of an enquiry; it could be at any time in the proceedings, with no warning. But it usually hinged on a simple revelation, a careless or unexpected word, a change of attitude. Rocco knew that point had been reached. Dion was ready to talk.
    ‘We still don’t know why he was killed, or who is responsible,’ he said calmly. ‘But I believe it is connected with the death of the man in the pool.’
    ‘Why do you think that?’
    ‘Well, most killings usually have a motive driving them. Anger, fear, greed, hate … even love, occasionally. But nobody in this area knew him well enough; like me, he was brought in from outside.’
    Alix said, ‘Had he made any acquaintances here – people he might have mixed with outside of work?’
    ‘No. He liked to keep to himself … when we weren’t together, anyway. He was a very private man. Very conscientious, too.’ She looked at Rocco. ‘That’s why I don’t understand why he would have disappeared like that. He never believed in taking time off when he was on duty. Something must have happened to make him leave his post.’
    ‘Something did. Or someone.’

CHAPTER TWELVE
    She stared at him. ‘You’re suggesting he left deliberately?’ Her face flushed quickly and she looked alarmed at the idea.
    ‘No. I’m not. But he was a trained security man, wasn’t he?’
    ‘How do you know that?’
    ‘I was in the army in a previous life. And now I’m a cop. I know the type.’
    ‘I see. Well, he was a naval policeman until he suffered a back injury in training. He was transferred to other duties. Still security but … onshore.’
    ‘Other duties?’
    ‘I can’t talk about that. You’ll have to take my word for it.’
    ‘So he was still serving?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘And you?’
    A brief hesitation, then, ‘Yes. Me, too.’
    ‘You were engaged here
because
you were in the military?’
    ‘Yes. Nobody told us why – only that it was importantwork.’ She gave a lift of her shoulders. ‘I was thinking of going into civilian nursing, anyway. It seemed a good move to make, for the experience.’
    ‘What about André?’
    ‘He arrived one day not long after one of the patients went missing. You’ve heard of closing the door after the horse has gone? Well, that’s what it was.’
    Rocco nodded. Standard military practice the world over. Most armies ran training courses in it – or should have.
    ‘Was he armed?’
    ‘Yes. He was sent here to improve security. When a couple of new patients were checked in and they couldn’t get a reliable guard, he was asked to stay on.’ Her eyes misted up, and Rocco guessed that it probably hadn’t been a hard decision for Paulus to make. She was an attractive woman to be around. ‘Best time I ever had, meeting him.’ She wiped angrily at her face and looked at the ceiling.
    There was a short silence, and Rocco wondered at the kind of work that could get a military-trained guard killed and frighten his lover into silence. What made this place so important that the Internal Security Directorate should assign a military cop to guard the doors?
    Was it to keep people out … or to keep them in?
    ‘You’re saying that André was conscientious, never cut his duties?’
    ‘No, he never did.’ She lifted her chin. ‘I know what you’re thinking – and I don’t blame you. But we never compromised our work and he wouldn’t have walked away willingly. He wasn’t like that.’
    ‘When was the last time you saw him?’
    ‘Some time after two this morning – ten past or so.’
    ‘You sound fairly sure. Was he here in the building?’
    This time the blush was nothing to do with anger. She looked away and