The Châtelet Apprentice: Nicolas Le Floch Investigation #1. Jean-Francois Parot

      Nicolas’s plate was not level and he noticed that it was resting on a piece of paper on which he recognised the cook’s poor and almost childish handwriting. The message was brief: ‘The slut insulted me this evening, tomorrow I will tell the whole story.’ He finished his meal hurriedly. It was out of the question for him to go and find Catherine right then in order to question her; she rented a furnished room in a house a few doors away. He felt a twinge of remorse at the fact that, although he had lived at the Lardins’ for more than a year, he had never been inquisitive enough to find out exactly where his friend lived. As he climbed the stairs Marie suddenly appeared on the landing and dragged him up a few more steps. She huddled up to him, so close that he could smell her fragrance. Her cheek brushed against his and he noticed that she was crying.

      ‘Nicolas,’ murmured the young woman, ‘I just don’t know what to do. This woman disgusts me. Catherine said horrible things to her that I didn’t understand. They hit each other. She threw Catherine out. Catherine was a second mother to me. And what about my father? Where is he? Do you have any news?’