In the city of Mende with Jacques Forêt

Cathedral and the city of Mende

I was able to catch up with my central character, Jacques Forêt, whilst I was in France a little earlier in the year.  I put one or two testing questions to him… read on to find out what he said…

AW  Jacques thanks for making time in your busy schedule for me today.  You're working here at Vaux Investigations, in the centre of a city, how does that measure up with your own little 'barony' in the tiny gendarmerie in Messandrierre?

JF   I enjoyed my time as the local policeman in Messandrierre, and yes, I suppose you could say I had my own domain.  But village life is what it is, and whilst I needed some quiet when I first arrived, I quickly realised that I missed the excitement and the pressure of working on a large and complex case like the ones I used to handle in Paris.  Being here at Vaux gives me more varied work as I always have a number of cases on my desk at any one time.  I have the thrill of complex investigations again, but I'm still answerable to the management board… and that has its difficulties.

AW  Difficulties?  Would you like to tell me more about that?

JF    Not really.  But I will say that adjusting to life in a corporate organisation has not been easy for me personally.

AW  Alright, I'll let you get away with that one.  I understand you have a new case that you are working on.  Can you tell me about that?

JF    Hmm.  A difficult one.  What I thought at first was a straight forward missing person's case is turning out to be much more complex.  A key witness is now dead and myself and my colleagues are unsure of where to go next.  I'm also concerned that there are other parties working in the background to thwart my progress… It's a difficult situation.

AW  But you are confident that you can resolve it, aren't you?

JF    Oh yes.

AW  And that smile tells me everything I need to know!  And when will we be able to read all about this?

JF    In November.

AW  OK.  So, moving on, what about Beth?  Anything you want to share with us about you and Beth.

JF    She's very well, thank you and working hard to establish her photographic studio and shop here in Mende.

AW  I see.  Not quite the answer I was hoping for.  Are you sure there's nothing more you want to tell us about you and Beth? … And there's that smile again!

JF   You know me too well!  Perhaps we can talk off the record over lunch.

... and here's a short extract from Jacques' next story



                               la lettre 

…families fracture, Monsieur Forêt. No one desires it or intends it, but it happens. A harsh, unforgiving word begets a rash and revengeful action, and a sliver of ice takes hold in a dark corner of the hearts of those at odds with each other. And there it wedges itself, the frost gradually deepening and destroying. One of us has to stop the cold, as this impasse can continue no longer.  I have to put things right with my son, Monsieur… 


june 3rd, 2011


Montbel is available for pre-order in both print and e-format.