The Thirteenth Apostle by Jamie Probin

Author:Jamie Probin [Probin, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-04T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

7th November, 1935

‘Ladies and gentlemen, a toast: To comradeship, and to success where the police failed, that we might together unmask Le Fantôme!’

Armand, Duc de Laroche raised his champagne glass and beamed at the company. A surprisingly enthusiastic barrage of echoes accompanied the raised glasses along the length of the heavy oak table.

‘It’s very kind of you to invite us...’ M. Lacomte tailed off, suddenly uncertain of the correct title with which to address a duke.

‘Armand,’ smiled the duke. ‘We are all friends here.’

‘Armand, this place is astonishing. I mean, quite literally astonishing. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I wouldn’t believe it.’

‘Thank you. I think.’

‘You know what I mean. It’s like a fairy tale castle. The place defies common sense. Why on earth would anyone build this?’

‘You can blame my great great great grandfather. He’s the lunatic behind the scheme. The original family home was down in the middle of Montanix, boringly situated with all the other houses. When it burned to the ground, he decided in his wisdom to build himself a walled castle.’

‘Sociable sort, was he?’ asked Philippe Dechampes.

A broad grin split Armand’s face. ‘From what I hear, he makes me look gregarious.’

‘But never mind that,’ persisted Lacomte. ‘It’s not the appearance I’m talking about. Why on earth would he build it up here?’

‘Why relocate halfway up a cliff? A good question. It would seem eccentricity began early and confidently in the Laroche line.’

‘How did they even get up here to build it?’ asked Captain Oakes. ‘It seems impossible,’

‘Using the same funicular railway we did earlier, would you believe? It is, and always has been, the only way to reach the chateau.’

‘So what do you do if the funicular breaks down?’ asked Emmeline Boullante. ‘Surely there must be some other way to get up? Or, I suppose more importantly, down?’

‘Well there are steps beside the track running down the entire length, as you may have noticed, but I can’t say it’s a journey I would ever want to do.’

‘Do you mean that in all this time the railway has never broken down?’ asked Oakes.

‘Oh, several times,’ smiled Armand, ‘but I have simply remained here until it was repaired. I keep enough supplies in the chateau to last weeks without needing to leave. In fact to be honest I rarely do go down to the town. I have a valet and the wonderful staff who came up here earlier to prepare this meal, but they travel up when I need them. Mostly I am here alone, which is how I like it.’ He grinned again. ‘You can see why they call me a recluse.’

It was easy, mused Harris, to understand why some people had fastened onto the duke as a candidate for Le Fantôme. If he was indeed the master of disguise – and had a secret exit from the chateau, which would be quite possible – then the ability to be away for weeks at a time without anyone knowing would be ideal.

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