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Simone De Valfort: A Short Story

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Shortly after I called the Police, my ears captured the sound of a car, tearing up the silent shroud of the dying night. As it rapidly approached ‘La Simonière’, I identified its powerful engine as the one of a Citroën DS, the favorite make of the Agents of the ‘Sûreté de Paris’. The vehicle pulled in front of the residence, and before its motor stopped, I heard the doors being slammed, and thereafter, in the novel peace of the dawning day, I perceived voices, among which I recognized Étienne’s unmistakable vocal sound. Finally, I saw a man entering the house. The newcomer was no more than sixty years old. He wore a long black old gabardine, left unbuttoned, with both ends of its belt dangling from the loops stitched in the coat. He moved …show more content…

I decided to withhold nothing, with the exception of the incident I witnessed at dinner, which I had ultimately judged lacking factual evidence. Indeed, that scene, between Simone de Valfort, and her close friend, Madame Chaboix, had been enhanced by my imagination, and couldn’t reasonably provide any clue leading, or being even related to the Baron’s death. So, as not to confuse the Commissaire, I made a brief statement, sticking only to the facts, the bare facts, including those concerning ‘The Blue Letter’. I did not make any attempt to steer his investigation into one direction or another. He seemed perfectly capable of putting everything together, and from the result of his assemblage, to arrive at a conclusion. In fact, after my account, when I asked him his opinion about the case, he told me that he had already his ‘petite idée.’ “And what could that ‘little idea’, be?” I asked, feeling on my face a stupid …show more content…

“This ‘Blue Letter’ was obviously written with a poison-pen, and this could spell: robbery! But first, we’ll have to see if anything’s missing in the house. Won’t we?” “Naturally,” I said. “And, of course, Commissaire, you think that a robbery would point to homicide!” “No, no, no!” He cut me. “Vous n’y êtes pas! You’re missing the point, Morsirisse!” I must have shone some surprise, for he had a grin during which he kept his mouth so tightly closed that his lips, too small to sustain the pulling force exerted on them, curved up, bringing the corners of his mouth to the level of his

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