Hardly our young Evans had just fallen asleep, that his sleep was withdrawn from him by a howl. A woman's voice.
'Clothilde?'
Evans threw himself out of bed, and nearly walked out of his room completely naked. Panicked, he could not find his clothes, and had to help himself to his goods to get dressed in an emergency. He ran down the stairs, and discovered the young woman in tears in the arms of Mr. Deberry, two other men standing next to him. of them in the entrance.
Blood everywhere. Evans saw a shredded arm near the fireplace. Pieces of bodies and entrails littered the room. At the foot of the counter, staring blankly, with a disfigured face, lay the innkeeper's head.
"It's you! You killed him, monster!" Clothilde suddenly yelled, pointing at Evans.
He wanted to respond and defend himself, but the smell of blood was so strong, and the scene so sickening, that he had to turn around to vomit.
One of the two men, a bald guy, went shouting outside, and a passing patrol entered. Clothilde, completely hysterical, continued to accuse Evans.
"I'm innocent! The latter finally protested, wiping his mouth. Why are you accusing me?
- I heard you arguing with my father, he refused to let you sleep here! He forbade you to come near me, and you came to talk to me anyway. You are a man without honor, and I know you killed him!
- Guards, seize it, ordered the bald one!
- It's not me, I swear!"
The two guards grabbed the young craftsman, doing their best not to show their disgust at the innkeeper's remains.
Evans was stunned, not understanding why Clothilde was accusing him. He wouldn't have described his conversation with his father as an argument, even if it was far from pleasant.
"I could never have done that, please believe me, sir...
- Judge, corrected the bald man. Judge Cardot. And you're?
- Evans, Evans Duez, apprentice tailor.
- Well Mr. Duez, you are accused of murder, and will be considered guilty until proven innocent. Let's take him!
- It's... it's absurd! the young man protested as he was dragged out.
- Your honor, if you allow me... nodded the other man, with a slight German accent. I do not think that a single man, moreover so puny, could have shredded a body in this way.
The judge ordered the guards to stop, while the German bent down to observe what was left of the innkeeper's arm. He pointed to the wounds that covered him.
"These wounds were not inflicted by a man. The flesh was torn, no one has the strength to do this.
- Where does this morbid knowledge come from? asked Cardot.
- Doctor Karl Wendel, introduced the German. I study the sciences of anatomy and human biology. I can assure you that one man cannot be the cause of such carnage.
- So you think there are several culprits? Should I arrest all customers of this hostel?
- I could not confirm it with certainty, but I can assure you that this young man could not physically have done this kind of damage.
- Whatever could have killed him, Deberry opined, it's a supernatural being.
- Nonsense! strongly rejected Cardot. No devilry can invite itself so close to "Notre-Dame".
- Your god cannot protect you against the creatures of the night, judge, Deberry launched.
- Do not blaspheme! If one man couldn't commit this crime, then all three of you are guilty in my eyes, and in the eyes of the Lord, the judge accused them, before turning to the guards. One of you fetch enough men to take these three criminals away, and the other stand at the entrance so that no one leaves this inn."
The guards complied, and Cardot ordered the customers to move away from Clothilde, and to remain motionless in a corner of the room while awaiting the arrival of reinforcements.
Evans then turned to his two companions in misfortune, desperate.
"I assure you it's not me!
- This fanatic judge will condemn us all to desolation, innocent or not, Deberry nodded. We have to find a way to get us out of here.
- There is only one entrance, retorted Wendel. And attacking a guard will secure us the scaffold.
- We could jump out of a window, Deberry offered again.
- The windows at the back overlook the Seine, explained the scientist again, and at this height, the impact with the water would be fatal to us. As for those facing the street, they are also too high, we would break our ankles when we hit the ground, and we wouldn't get very far after that.
- So, what do we do? Evans asked.
- The only sure solution which is offered to us, consists in proving our innocence, answered Wendel. Unfortunately, the judge seems to have no use for the scientific method. The only way to convince him is to find the real culprit.
- How are we going to do this without moving from here? Evans asked again.
- I'll distract you, and you'll look for clues in the rooms, Deberry launched.
- In this case, we will have to act quickly, Wendel opined.
Charles then got up and approached Clothilde, under the gaze of the judge, who got angry and ordered her to return to her place.
Taking advantage of the diversion, Evans and Karl each rushed towards a bedroom.
Evans climbed the stairs, passed Wendel's room and his own, and finally arrived at the door of Cardot's. He told himself that the judge had been a little too hasty to have nothing to hide, and strongly suspected him of being behind all this. He opened the door, and jumped when he saw three dogs rushing towards him. For a moment he thought the animals were going to attack him, but they just sniffed him and licked his hands. Leaving them alone, Evans then began to rummage through the judge's business. He found a wig, very well made clothes, and a dozen rosaries, but nothing that could be considered a clue. At the bottom of a satchel hanging in the closet, he also discovered a bursting purse, made of mediocre leather that clashed with the rest of the judge's possessions. It was clear to Evans that she was not his.
Evans came out, being careful that the dogs didn't follow him, and he closed the door. What was his surprise to see a guard at the end of the corridor. Charles' diversion hadn't lasted long. forced to descend, he found himself alongside Wendel and Deberry, facing a judge, fuming.
"You claim to be innocent, began this one, yet you act like criminals. These shenanigans will not help you during your trial.
- Your honor, we were simply looking for clues to the murder, Wendel tried to explain. And I found something interesting.
- Really? Dropped the judge, doubtful.
- I went to the victim's room, explained the doctor, and in the middle of his account books, I discovered a letter that you wrote.
Wendel then took a yellowed sheet from his pocket and presented it to the judge before continuing.
- You wrote there that this inn was going to have to close, if the owner did not repay his debts. Hence your presence here, is it not?
"Indeed," replied Cardot. I had to collect payment.
- So I have a theory, Wendel stipulated. I think the innkeeper didn't repay his debt, and he came to see you at night to convince you to give him more time. But, you refused, the innkeeper got angry, and in a desperate effort, wanted to attack you. You defended yourself by unleashing your dogs, which we all heard howling at the moon last night, and you seek to have us accused in your place.
- This is ridiculous, how dare you?! asked Cardot offended.
- Aren't you also considered guilty until proven innocent, judge? replied Wendel. You had a motive, what about your alibi?
- I was sleeping soundly. And the innkeeper repaid his debt.
- Can you...
- Doctor Wendel, interrupted Evans. I think you are wrong. I went to the judge's room, and found a purse. He tells the truth. As for the dogs, they are not beasts of attack.
- What is more, added Deberry, if the innkeeper had come to visit the judge in the night, the attack that you suppose would not have taken place here, but in his room.
- And my dogs haven't been out since yesterday, the judge affirmed. Your theory is flawed, Dr. Wendel.
Annoyed, the indexed, replied.
- So I admit it, I was wrong, please excuse me.
- His mistake comes from the fact that he does not have all the elements, launched Evans. If you let us examine all the rooms, maybe we could find the real culprit, and find out the truth!"
Cardot hesitated for a moment, watching the three men in front of him. It was then that reinforcements arrived. A dozen armed guards entered the inn.
"I will examine the chambers myself, finally affirmed the judge. As for you, you will have plenty of time to repent in the cell."
He ordered the newly arrived guards to take them away. Dr. Wendel let himself go, resigned, while Deberry tried in vain to flee, before being caught. Hampered by irons, the three unfortunates had no choice but to let themselves be taken to the Bastille.