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He took Billy aside and said, “Can we talk?”

“Oui. Where?”

A few minutes later they were in the Gamaches’ kitchen. Armand had cut slices from a fresh miche from Sarah’s Boulangerie, and made egg salad and tomato sandwiches, while Billy poured them each a glass of lemonade.

“Pink?” he asked, raising it.

It was a shade unknown in nature.

“The girls,” said Armand.

“Your granddaughters haven’t been down for a while,” said Billy, accepting the sandwich and sitting at the old pine table.

“Okay,” said Armand. “I can’t lie. Reine-Marie likes it.”

It was so clear that it was actually Armand who liked the pink lemonade that Billy laughed.

He took a large bite of the sandwich, the bread soft and chewy and the crust crisp. The egg salad had an unexpected hint of curry.

“What do you know about that room?” Armand asked.

Billy raised his brows. “Nothing. Why do you think I would?”

“Because of the letter.”

“Pierre Stone knew about the room,” said Billy. “But I didn’t. You think if I did I wouldn’t have broken through years ago? And certainly when Myrna and I started living together?”

Armand believed him. He saw no reason for Billy Williams to lie.

Though the room had been bricked up for a hundred and sixty years, the items hadn’t been there for that long. That was obvious.

Someone had gone through a great deal of trouble to place those items there. And that same someone, Armand was sure, wanted them to be found.

“How long ago did you say you got that letter?”

“Must be five weeks. I have the envelope at home. I can show you.”

“Yes, I’d like to see it.”

“What’re you thinking, Armand?”

“I’m more feeling than thinking.”

Billy smiled. “And what are you feeling?”

“That this isn’t just a joke. Someone who goes through this much trouble has been planning it for a while. That painting must’ve taken a long time to do. That book, the grimoire? Reine-Marie has been looking for it for years, but it shows up here?”

Was it placed there specifically for her? He hoped not. He thought not.

“I want to know why.”

“And who,” said Billy.

“And how. If the room was bricked up, how could those things have gotten up there?”

Billy heaved a sigh and put down his sandwich. “I don’t know. I do know those bricks sealing up the opening haven’t been moved since they were laid.”

“So there must be another way in. Through the roof, or the floor.”