Free Murder On The Rue Cassette (A Serafina Florio Mystery) by Susan Russo Anderson Page B

doubted that, but said
nothing.
    The inspector continued.
“Unfortunately I have but thirty minutes before I have a meeting which I am
obligated to attend, so I will be thorough, but brief.” He sighed. “A patrolman
on duty discovered a body on the Rue Cassette shortly before dawn on Thursday,
April 16.” He consulted a large folder on his desk, flipped through the pages,
and looked again at his watch.
    “You’re uncomfortable, I can
see,” Serafina said. “Would you rather I returned later this afternoon?”
    “Impossible.” He slammed a palm
on top of his desk. “You and I must come to an understanding, and the sooner we
do, the better for all.”
    “I’d like nothing more.”
    “Then I’ll get to the point.
Your presence here is a formality. Although he treated you with the deference
due a foreign dignitary, the prefect knows it. I know it. The Busacca family
knows it. Only you seem to be unaware of the perfunctory nature of your visit.
You deal with La
Sûreté Nationale ,
founded by the great Eugène François Vidocq, the father of modern detection.
Our organization is the forerunner of all such agencies, so make no mistake as
to my meaning, Madame, when I say, we have completed the case on the death of
Elena Loffredo. We have done all your work for you. I cannot state it more
plainly than that.”
    Serafina bit her tongue to stop
her lips from trembling and concentrated on breathing slowly. “Please carry on
with the specifics.” The pitch of her voice was higher than normal.
    Rosa sat still, a bit out of her
element, but to give the madam her due, she knew when to hold her tongue.
    Reluctantly he continued. “The
woman had been shot, one bullet to the left temple. Burns and gunpowder surrounded
the wound. We found papers in her reticule identifying her as Elena Loffredo,
Countess of Oltramari. An autopsy was performed a few hours later. It
determined that the victim was murdered in the early morning hours of April 16.
We made sure the woman was identified by the oldest and closest family member
of the deceased, and following the family’s wishes, we released the body to
them so that it could be prepared for burial in accordance with Judaic custom.
Soon after the woman was discovered, we made inquiries and have detained a
person of interest. With a few more hours of persuasive interrogation, I have
no doubt he will confess to the countess Elena Loffredo’s murder.”
    As Valois spoke, Serafina willed
herself to concentrate on the sense of his words, as if they had nothing to do
with her. Her body ached from lack of sleep and her heart beat wildly. So
Loffredo was in prison, about to be charged with the murder of Elena. Why
hadn’t she realized it before this? The pounding in her head grew, making
understanding even more difficult. Her breath came in ragged gulps. Pressing
fingernails into the palm of her hand, she forced herself to stay calm. She
glanced at Rosa who was looking at her feet.
    Groping for the right thing to
say, Serafina thought she might start out with flattery, then rejected that
idea. “I’m not convinced that the body you found in the Rue Cassette is that of
Elena Loffredo.” She stopped, letting her words sink in.
    Valois’ face was rigid, almost
impassive. “I’m not sure I understand you, Madame.”
    Rosa said nothing, but nodded
her agreement.
    Serafina continued. “I believe
that hasty conclusions were drawn due to the actions of others, not the least
of which was the disregard that Madame Sophie de Masson gave to the body. She
identified the dead woman as her niece without the help of other members of her
family, when she knew her eyesight was failing. Her sons, for instance, who are
in Paris, should have been by her side.”
    Color flooded his face. “You
mock me. I am always thorough and methodical in my investigation.”
    “Nevertheless, I stand by my
statement. Deliberate obfuscation on the part of at least one person has caused
you to make inaccurate