Chapter 37
In the soot-streaked entryway, Lisette stood idly, smoking a cigarette with Brian.
Cradled in her arms was that familiar basket woven from bamboo strips. As Josée rushed down the stairs, she snatched the box without hesitation.
“Ah—! What are you doing, Josée?!”
“Let me borrow this for a moment. It might be important evidence.”
“...Huh?”
The basket was promptly handed over to the investigators, who began dismantling the cigarettes inside.
“What are you doing?! That’s such a waste!”
Each cigarette was carefully opened, lit one by one, and brought close to their faces as they sniffed cautiously.
But there was no particularly strange or acrid smell.
“Doesn’t seem like there’s any poison...”
“Of course not! Brian and I are both perfectly fine!”
“I heard the cause of death was a mishandled cigarette, so I thought maybe Florent’s was laced with something toxic.”
“Poison? If the cigarette handed out that day was poisoned, then Count Phil would be a full-blown murderer, you know?”
That’s when Madame Mélias chimed in.
“Is it really possible someone laced a cigarette with poison to kill him? If so, that’s quite a cunning method. Once it’s lit, the poison would burn away, leaving no trace behind.”
“But if that’s true, we still don’t know who did it or how they managed to introduce the poison... I did suspect the cigarette from Count Phil at first.”
“Lacing a cigarette with poison isn’t that hard, right? I heard Florent’s house had a lot of visitors. Maybe he got it from one of them.”
Josée turned her gaze to Lisette and Brian, who were still smoking from the same box.
“It's true—cigarettes aren’t always smoked alone. People often share them...”
Just then, Bernard came down from the second floor and asked,
“Do you know anything about Florent’s cigarettes?”
Josée nodded.
“Yes. I got them as a souvenir from Count Phil at the literary salon. Florent should’ve received the same kind.”
“Hm. So they came in a box like this... The cigarettes themselves were all burned, and we haven’t recovered any yet.”
“I wonder if the box got burned too.”
“It’s possible. Still, we can’t rule out the chance that it survived and just hasn’t been found.”
“If both of them were regular smokers, it wouldn’t be strange for them to share cigarettes. We should look into their social circles.”
At that moment, several investigators rushed over to Bernard.
“Inspector. According to local residents, there were multiple sightings of a glow at the window late at night.”
“Hmm... Probably cigarette embers.”
“There’s more. The onlookers who had gathered reported something strange.”
“What happened?”
“They’re complaining of stomachaches and vomiting.”
Josée crossed her arms, thinking.
“Smoke... stomachaches... vomiting...”
Her nomadic heritage gave her insight into such symptoms.
“As I suspected—something toxic was burned. That’s why even the bystanders nearby are feeling sick. I’m sure Florent inhaled it too, and that’s what killed him. If he died instantly, he wouldn’t have been breathing when the fire reached him. That would explain why there was no soot in his mouth...”
Bernard groaned, holding his head.
“Finding the toxic substance in a crime scene that’s already gone up in flames... That’s going to be nearly impossible.”
Just then, Brian stepped forward and addressed Bernard.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Brian from Pendry Publishing. Florent worked with us. I wasn’t his direct editor, but as a company, we’ll do everything we can to help investigate his social connections.”
“Thank you, Brian.”
“The first step in any case is to find someone with a motive.”
As Josée stood deep in thought, Brian leaned in and whispered softly in her ear.
“Just between us... I think the police can’t narrow down a suspect because there are just too many.”
She lifted her head, startled, only to find Brian giving her a meaningful nod. Then he turned to Bernard.
“Well then, Detective, we’ll be heading out. Oh, and Madame Josée.”
“Yes?”
“I’m tired. How about another drink? Is the brothel open tonight?”
Josée gave a small nod.
Brian, wearing a conflicted expression, turned next to say something to Lisette.