Yannick arrived with the car. The curtains were drawn, he honked, nothing moved in the little house. He got out of the car and climbed the stairs four by four. He peeked into the space left between two curtains. His eyes widened and fear gripped his stomach. Coraline was lying on her stomach across her bed. He ran to his car to get the duplicate house key he had kept in the glove compartment.
He opened the door and rushed over the inert body. He turned her around, hugging her against his chest. Coraline opened her misty eyes. " What is happening ? I took a sleeping pill yesterday and I'm freaking out. »
He kissed her on the forehead with a breath of relief: "I'll make you some strong coffee, that'll help you." »
After Coraline emerged, Yannick looked at her and explained, "I know you won't let go until you understand. So I'm taking you with me. »
Coraline looked at him surprised: "What are you talking to me about?" Take me where? ".
He looked out the window. "Another murder has been reported. Superintendent Bernst, who thinks he is a serial killer who would use the legend of Dahut to settle his accounts, asked me to come and see the crime scene. She hopes my knowledge of legends can help unravel the clues left by the killer. »
Coraline took a small notebook and finished getting dressed. She got into the car in the hot, steady rain.
After 15 minutes, they stopped in front of a modern house, all white and square. This house seemed out of place in this street with its slate and thatch roofs. Blue lights flashed all around them.
Both of them walked on a path of gray concrete.
They walked through the door. The house was white and sanitized, but the walls were covered with reproductions of the house owner's archaeological finds. Coraline entered the living room where large bay windows, taking up the entire width of the house, gave an impressive view of the waves raging and crashing on the rocks below.
Commissioner Bernst went through a door to the left of the bay window. "Here you are, Monsieur Le Ber. Come see our new crime scene. It is even stranger than the previous two. »
The three of them moved forward, Coraline's hands were shaking and clenching around the little red notebook she had taken. As she entered, Coraline saw a man sitting at a dark mahogany desk. The upper part of his body rested on the work surface, in such a way that one could have thought for a few moments that he was sleeping and expected to hear him snore. His gray hair suggested that he must be an elderly man. He was soaked and the water beaded drop by drop on the floor.
Approaching, the vision was quite different. A black mask covered his face. Forensic experts began to remove the mask, the man's mouth was open and streams of water flowed out as soon as his airways were freed from the grip of this death mask.
The medical examiner, Jean Del Roc, approached the commissioner after he verified the identity of the person. "Commissioner, this is Professor Marvin Derch. At first glance, he must have been drowned. I will send you my full report within 2 or 3 days. »
Yannick advanced towards the body, placing small half-moon glasses on his nose. Coraline stayed behind, motionless and silent. She watched the room to try to turn away from the dead man and his face, which would probably haunt her nightmares.
The desk on which this man was lying was full of documents, old books, tattered sea charts. All of his bookcases, which lined every wall of the small room, were emptied onto the floor, and the books they contained were torn and soaked.
"What do you think of this scene? Does your great knowledge of the legends and meanings of Breton symbolism allow you to understand the spirit of the assassin or put us on a track. » The superintendent had approached Professor Le Ber by asking him all the questions that remained unanswered. She cooed, showcasing her breasts and her slender body…
Yannick drew her, not without glancing worriedly at the immobile young woman, in a corner to discuss away from the indiscreet ears of all the police staff who were cleaning the room.
Coraline's chocolate gaze was caught by copper shards coming from the corpse's left hand. This flash of bronze had not lasted more than a second. The sun had broken through the thick black clouds for a few moments and had knocked through the window to land on the archaeologist's hand.
She slowly turned to Yannick who was discussing the symbolism of the elements of the legend present in this room. The young woman's hand rested gently on the forearm of this speaker who was a little too talkative. He stopped in his explanations and plunged his blue gaze into Coraline's small brown eyes. She turned around and showed her discovery with her pale, trembling hand.
At the same time, the pathologist who had left the room returned with a suitcase, stopped in front of this scene and followed the outstretched and trembling finger. He grabbed a very long pliers. Flashes crackled.
The muscle fibers had stiffened and prevented the fingers from loosening. After taking many pictures, he strained the hand muscles and freed the wires. He carefully stuffed them into a small transparent bag and sealed it with red tape.
When the palm of the hand opens, we can see its secret: a numbered series.
47.973085 / -4.446142. These numbers were written in black ballpoint pen.
Coraline discreetly noted these numbers in her notebook while pretending to observe a photo of Professor Derch. He was angling on a motorboat. In the left corner of the boat a lifebuoy bore the inscription "HER".
Two plainclothes policemen, a man and a woman, entered and approached. With all these people, it had become almost impossible to move. "Commissioner, we need to hurry to finish here and get back to the police station. A radio call has just informed us that a big storm was approaching and that the surroundings had to be secured. »
Yannick turned to the superintendent and grabbed Coraline by the hand: "We'll let you finish. Can you send me the crime scene photos when the storm has passed? For my part, I will do more in-depth research in the old documents that the institute has. »
She nodded sadly and walked them back to their car.