Spilt Wine

37. A Suspect and More

Monday 21 April 1986

"The lab is still working on the cause of death," Grattien's voice said over the speaker. "There were no wounds or trauma, there was no apparent struggle, the lungs don't show signs of suffocation, they have tested the common poisons and now –"

"What about chloroform?" Catherine asked.

"That is only in the cheap crime novels. It is a very complex thing to administer, even for a trained anesthesiologist. But to continue, he is a chemist, with access –"

"He? Who's he?" I asked, shrugging a shoulder.

"Sorry – Francine's husband, Philippe, I see I haven't told you. We think he is involved in this. The circumstances are too strong to ignore. We still have no trace of him even with his house under close watch. The pharmacy where he worked part-time is conducting a thorough audit of their drugs and records under the direction of the médecin légiste, I think you say, coroner."

"So this is not a good time for us to go to Paris to begin making arrangements." She looked at me, then back at the phone.

"No, and it is highly unsafe until we find Philippe Grotkopf. The autopsy on Laurent showed his death was not from hanging. He was dead before he was strung up. Philippe is also the only suspect with this."

"Is it okay for us to move Vrouwe Catharina, our barge now?" I asked.

"I see no problem with that, I don't think anybody would have connected it to the wine. It's not likely any of the ones we missed at the péniche would have stayed in the area, anyway."

"We've been planning to continue into Dijon; it's still nearly three weeks before Atelier Fluvial can take us in their dock."

"When will you do that? I can drive you over just to be sure."

"That would be very convenient. We were going to take the bike, put it aboard and drive it back down from Dijon. We can take a taxi instead." I looked at Catherine and nodded.

"That is not necessary, we can have you picked up when you get there. We want to keep a close eye on you."

"This rain is supposed to end tonight with the passing of the front, and the forecasts for tomorrow appear good. The lock keepers begin at nine, how's eight thirty from here?"

"I can do that on my way to the office."

Grattien gave an update on Marseille and on the Grotkopf files, saying there was very little of interest yet. They had drawn samples of wine from the bulk wine tanks at Grotkopf's chais in Nuits and sent them to the lab for analysis of origin. Then interrupting his à demain closing, he added, "Of course, we will keep the guards at your place while you're away. We don't want a repeat."

"Analysis of origin? You can do that with a wine?" Catherine asked after she had clicked off the phone.

"Yes, it's done increasingly now to keep wine fraud in check. Through spectrographic analysis and increasingly, through other laboratory methods, grape varieties and regional characteristics can be quite accurately determined." Quickly assessing that I could mention him now, I asked, "You remember I referred to the Cruse scandal when Louis and I were talking a few weeks ago?"

"Yes, but I didn't follow. You boys lost me in that one, as you often do when you get into some of the technical stuff. Tell me about the scandal."

"The short version, or the long one?"

"The long one, of course. We have the rest of the day. Go find a nice wine. I'll lay out a board."

A few minutes later, she looked up from the couch as I came in. "And the sommelier recommends this afternoon?"