The Tortured Detective

by Pirate Irwin

  Lafont was not amused by the remark and rose from his seat.

  “You are a real wise ass huh Lafarge! You are also or have been until now a lucky son of a bitch. Do you know that we sent a commando of our men down to Limoges to take care of one of our men, Jean Leroy for skimming money from us?” said Lafont.

  “He died whimpering like a baby. Our men asked after you round town but of course we were too late, though, I think we would have been anyway if you had remained there. The Special Brigades chief appeared equally keen to get rid of you as we were.

  “Well we’ve got you now and it is my pleasure to leave you in the hands of Bonny, who has already shown you a little of what you can expect. Only this time you will have your hands and legs tied together,” said Lafont with a malicious grin on his face.

  Lafarge grimaced while Bonny moved towards a pair of doors behind the detective and Lafont made to exit by the ones they had entered through.

  “Von Dirlinger is behind all this isn’t he Lafont?” asked Lafarge, hoping at least to go to his death knowing who was responsible for it.

  Lafont stopped at the door and turned towards Lafarge, who by this stage was being manhandled out of the chair and towards the other room by Bonny.

  “Him? No of course not. He is especially squeamish and doesn’t like to know how we deal with problems, though, he must be aware of our methods. This is all our own idea and work Lafarge.

  “Firstly we like to protect our partners and secondly we loathe your type, those that like to think they are incorruptible, or that their price is too high for anyone to pay. After all everyone can be bought, only you are not worth what you may think you are and we believe it is cheaper to get rid of you than to pay you.

  “We already have one of your family on the payroll and she doesn’t come cheap, especially her morphine habit. But the bonus is that she is more our type sexually speaking than you are and she repays us liberally with her favours,” said Lafont flashing him one of his evil grins before disappearing out the door.

  Lafarge would have liked to have run after Lafont and kicked the living daylights out of him. However, despite his wiry physique Bonny was strong and kept a tight hold of him before dragging him into the adjoining room.

  “You bastards! You have turned my sister into a whore and an addict!” shouted Lafarge.

  Bonny just laughed and threw Lafarge onto the white and black tiled floor while he called out to someone to come and help him.

  “It might be a good thing your sister has such a liking for morphine because you will need some to ease the pain we are going to inflict on you,” said Bonny bending down over Lafarge.

  Lafarge spat in Bonny’s face and earned a kick in the ribs. As he curled up in pain he saw two of the other members of the gang enter the room, which reminded him of a dentist’s surgery with its white walls. However, instead of the seat one lay in while the dentist poked around inside your mouth there was a large white bath.

  One of the men bent over it and started running the water while Bonny and the other well–built man restrained Lafarge, tore off his jacket and shirt and bound him with ropes.

  Bonny asked whether the bath was ready and his accomplice nodded. With Lafarge now subdued the other man went over to another corner and wheeled over to the bath a device which looked like a seesaw on wheels.

  Lafarge’s eyes bulged when he saw this, his heart racing as he realized what they had in mind for him.

  Bonny looked down on Lafarge’s prostrate figure and reveled in his misery.

  “Yes this is how it is going to end. But don’t worry it won’t be quick, I am a master at prolonging life until the victim is begging for death,” he said smiling.

  Bonny then gestured to the man who had helped tie up Lafarge to come and aid him in dragging him over to the seesaw. Lafarge was powerless to resist but refused to scream out as he didn’t want to give Bonny the satisfaction.

  They then lifted him onto the contraption where they briefly untied him before retying the ropes round the plank. Lafarge’s head was at the end nearer the bath which meant he was staring up at Bonny’s face.

  “Bonny usually one is allowed a final request. Are those the rules here?” asked Lafarge, trying to suppress the fear he was feeling being reflected in his voice.

  Bonny nodded.

  “Well I would rather that the last thing I see in this life wasn’t your face so please turn me over,” said Lafarge, which provoked the other two men to burst out laughing.

  Bonny was furious at being ridiculed and slapped Lafarge twice round the face.

  “Right let’s give the Chief Inspector a taste of what he can expect,” said Bonny after he cooled down.

  With that Bonny and the well–built thug tilted up the other end of the seesaw and Lafarge’s head disappeared into freezing water.

  He reeled from the shock as his body was racked by palpitations his heart rate slowing considerably while he couldn’t breathe without water flooding into his mouth and entering his lungs.

  After what seemed like several minutes, though, it was probably just a minute otherwise he wouldn’t probably still be alive the plank was tilted back the other way and Lafarge came back up retching and gasping for air, his body trembling all over.

  Bonny peered down at him, he was smiling in a self–satisfied way.

  “Probably the first time you’ve been pleased to see my face after all Lafarge!” he said.

  Lafarge didn’t react, he was physically incapable of doing so. His whole thought process seemed to have shut down, dread at being dunked back into the bath was the only thing that filled his head. However, he desperately tried not to convey the fear he felt by shutting his eyes.

  “Come come Lafarge open your eyes! You’ve kept them closed for long enough to the realities of the situation that you might as well die with them open,” hissed Bonny before bursting out in a manic laugh.

  Seconds later he indicated to the sidekick to take hold of the device and help him tilt it upwards again. Lafarge steeled himself for the shock, never one for church or religious thoughts he wasn’t going to recite a prayer as he braced to depart the world.

  He was just numb and he thought it best to die in that fashion. No thoughts of regret, of failing to have the time to make up with his father, how he would miss his family, just acceptance he was minutes away from death.

  Down he went his head hitting the water with some force and then the same ripples of shock running through his whole body. However, this time it didn’t appear to be as long as the first time under water, or maybe he was already getting used to it. Or of course he was just plain dead.

  However, he could just about feel his heart beating when he emerged once again. This time when he opened his eyes it was to see a far from happy Bonny saying something he couldn’t make out, as his ears were blocked, to one of the two gang members.

  They moved towards him with knives drawn and Lafarge waited for them to plunge them into his body or to slit his throat like they would a pig.

  Instead, however, they sliced apart the ropes tying him to the seesaw and lifted him up so he sat astride the device, leading him to cough up water which splattered on their shoes.

  He was by this stage totally confused at the turn of events. But once he came properly to his senses and his eyes were able to focus properly he saw why he had gained such a reprieve, for standing in the doorway was Huariau.

  Huariau put his index finger to his fedora and tipped the front of it in a kind of salute. All five men stayed in their positions, the Bonny trio encircling Lafarge, none of them saying a word until the detective had regained his ability to speak.

  “Huariau what are you doing here?” asked Lafarge stretching out his arms as he tried to get some feeling back.

  Huariau stepped forward, Lafarge noticed he didn’t even have his gun, and held out his hand.

  “I suggest we speak in the car. Can you walk? Otherwise I will ask these two gentlemen to help you to the door,” said Hua
riau.

  Lafarge sensing that perhaps his reprieve might be temporary unless he made his exit now tried to stand but his legs gave way, the blood not having fully recovered its power of circulation, and Huariau caught him.

  “Right Schwarzfeld and you Bonny, yes you you stupid bastard, take a shoulder each and bring him to the car,” said Huariau, his tone brooking no argument.

  Bonny was seething, his moment of revenge ruined and now humiliatingly forced to help his victim to the car, but he obeyed Huariau nonetheless.

  It took some time to drag Lafarge back down the passage and into the hall. He could hear the party was still in full flow and wondered briefly what state his sister was in by this stage.

  He thought it wise not to ask whether she too could come with them, and finally they managed to get him down the steps outside the front door and into the passenger seat.

  Bonny slammed the door shut, probably vainly hoping that Lafarge’s foot was still hanging outside the car, and engaged in a heated conversation with Huariau. The detective could not make it out clearly enough and frankly he didn’t care for he was enjoying the fact he was still alive.

  Huariau finally managed to rid himself of Bonny, who mounted the steps and stood on them with his hands on his hips looking hatefully at the car as it drove off, though, Lafarge thought he looked rather pathetic. However, he shuddered to think what was in store for Vanessa. For if what Lafont and Bonny had taunted him with was true then she was as much a victim as those who went downstairs or into the room he had been in.

  On the other hand nothing he had heard from others about seeing her at these parties or out at clubs and restaurants on Bonny’s arm suggested she had been an unwilling companion.

  “Cognac?” asked Huariau, breaking Lafarge’s train of thought.

  Lafarge gripped the hip flask and his hands still shaking slightly raised it to his lips and drank half of the contents. Never had his favourite drink tasted better or more welcoming as it warmed first his mouth and then the rest of the top half of his body.

  He took a cigarette Huariau offered him and managed to light it, the smoke burning his lungs at the first intake, but soon his body returned to something approaching normal.

  “So Huariau do you mind telling me how you managed to track me down and secondly how on earth you succeeded in persuading that vile piece of shit to release me,” said Lafarge.

  “Well you can thank Gerland. He was concerned by the interest the Lafont and Bonny gang members showed in you when they came to Limoges to resolve their own internal problems,” said Huariau, his eyes not straying from the road.

  “Thus he asked me to put a couple of men on tracking you when he heard you had returned from Nice. I did so, and while you were not aware the gang were following you, they appear to have been similarly ignorant that we were shadowing them.”

  “Yes, but you still had to gain access to Lauriston and then persuade them to let me go,” said Lafarge.

  “Ah that was actually far easier than the tracking of you and them. Gerland has kept a lot of his old clientele, he probably told you as much when you were down in Limoges. He never misses an opportunity to tell anyone he comes into contact with as he thinks it is hilarious.

  “Anyway one of his, as it turns out, best pre–War investments was he defended Bonny when he was thrown off the force in disgrace and then imprisoned.

  “While he didn’t keep him out of prison, Bonny thought he had done a fine job. Thus once he and Lafont started making serious money, he entrusted all legal matters to Gerland and a fair amount of their money to be kept safe in Limoges or secreted away.

  “He has quite a hold over them, both personally and professionally. He told me, as they know me because I have been a go between for Gerland before, to present myself there and tell Bonny to release you otherwise he would never see a large part of his fortune.

  “The fact all of it has been gained through criminal and violent means is purely secondary in this matter of course!” sad Huariau laughing bitterly.

  “Bloody hell Gerland and you have some nerve. How could he or indeed you be so sure that Bonny and Lafont would dismiss the threat, kill me and you and then send his goons to Limoges to deal with Gerland?” said Lafarge.

  “Well I guess Bonny perhaps has more regard for Maitre Gerland than to spit in his face, although I think the money is the key. Sheer greed,” said Huariau.

  “This bloody war has been far worse for France than the Great War, it has completely divided us.

  “Even worse it has made scum like Lafont and Bonny extremely rich. Profiteers are bad enough but thugs and gangsters are the pits, and decent people of integrity like Gerland have felt obliged to compromise and become involved with them,” added Huariau.

  “Well I am a stubborn son of a bitch and the last one to wish to make compromises but I am truly glad that Gerland did!” said Lafarge.

  Lafarge couldn’t believe his good fortune and he owed Gerland and Huariau a huge debt for stepping in and standing up to Bonny. Whatever Huariau said it had taken immense courage to do that.

  He told him so but Huariau shrugged his shoulders as if to say I’m sure you would have done the same thing. Lafarge grunted a yes but in truth he didn’t know if he could have done so.

  Huariau appeared to know where they were going as he hadn’t asked Lafarge for a destination, and to the detective’s surprise his former colleague drew to a halt outside his apartment block.

  Then it came to him, of course he had been tracked since he returned from Nice. He didn’t really care whether they had seen him with Aimee on the first night as they were not going to denounce her.

  Huariau helped him out of the car, but this time Lafarge was able to walk, albeit it was more of a shuffle.

  “Erm Huariau I feel embarrassed to ask you this after what you did tonight, but could you keep an eye out for my sister? That is whenever you have to conduct business with them on behalf of Gerland,” said Lafarge.

  Huariau nodded.

  “Good news is that you can call your men off watching the apartment block. There’s no need to keep an eye on it anymore,” said Lafarge.

  He shook Huariau’s hand with both of his to emphasise his appreciation.

  “By the way Lafarge, Gerland said to pass on to you that he does do divorce cases for real,” said Huariau winking at him and raisIng his eyes up towards the floor that Lafarge lived on.

  For the first time in what had been an extraordinary day, and one which had almost culminated in his death, Lafarge laughed… and boy did it feel good.

  CHAPTER THIRTY–ONE

  Lafarge woke the next morning with his body and head aching. The former because of his experiences at Rue Lauriston the latter because having finally dragged himself up the stairs and into the apartment, aided by Madame Grondon, Aimee had poured drink down him to help dull the pain.

  Normally a hot bath would have been the healthy option. But despite a generous offer of Madame Grondon to heat up some water, Lafarge was understandably reluctant to get into a bath.

  Aimee hadn’t pressed too hard to get him to tell her what had happened, but drink as is its way loosens tongues and he gave her a fairly detailed account of what had taken place, ending it on the brighter note of Bousquet’s resignation.

  Aimee said she knew already as it had been broadcast on the Nazi–authorised Radio–Paris, which as he lay back in bed he could hear blaring from the drawing room with some collaborationist politician droning on.

  His aching head could also not blot out the memory of him and Aimee tumbling into bed, their making love brought about by a mix of drink, relief at having escaped certain death and also their mutual attraction.

  He had no regrets, although he accepted that there was no future for them as a couple. Indeed if he was able to make his rendezvous with von Dirlinger that night then he wanted to be on a train back to the south the next day.

  He was sure that Aimee was not under any illusions either. But he hoped the mat
ter would not cloud their day together, for he wanted to spend a pleasurable time with her before he brought the investigation that had dominated his life for almost two years to a conclusion.

  Funny he thought that this has been so important to me and I have paid scant attention to far greater events that will have a direct influence on the way the world is run for decades to come. Better to think in the short term than tempt fate as Hitler had and predict a 1000-year Reich which now appeared to have been one of the most inaccurate prophecies of all time

  Yet he reasoned that unless ordinary people, especially policemen like himself, went round doing their jobs even in times of war then anarchy and despotism would rule everywhere. Even if it wouldn’t merit mentioning in history books – Bousquet would no doubt feature but not in the way he probably imagined it would be a year ago.

  Lafarge sighed and then levered himself out of bed, putting on a dressing gown, which was hanging on the door. He walked out into the drawing room where Aimee, also in a dressing gown though hers was a far more glamorous silk one, was making coffee.

  “Ahi there you are sleepy head! You know what time it is? Midday!” she grinned.

  He smiled too and gave her a kiss before sitting in his favourite tatty chair.

  “You want to go to the cinema Aimee? You must be bored out of your mind having spent all of yesterday cooped up here,” said Lafarge.

  “Besides it is warm there. The only thing is to be there early as the queues are almost as long as those for the baker and the butcher these days with so little food available.”

  Aimee laughed and wagged her finger at him.

  “You don’t have to get me out of the flat! I am not going to ravage you. Although that is a far more enjoyable means of keeping warm,” she said.

  Lafarge could feel himself blushing but vehemently denied that was the reason for his suggestion.

  “No seriously Aimee it would be nice to do something normal, not anything that involves beating up people, arguing with anyone or even being tortured,” he said.