A Great Reckoning

Lacoste begins questioning Amelia, with Gélinas and Jean-Guy also present. Lacoste gently asks Amelia about her relationship with Leduc; Amelia admits that Leduc wanted to sleep with her and that she refused him. When he was rejected, Leduc threatened to expel her. This threat was especially grave because, in that case, “Amelia Choquet would leave the academy and go back to the streets. This time without hope. And she would die” (289). Nonetheless, even though her fingerprints are on the gun case and the gun, Amelia says she did not kill him. Amelia is surprised to find out that Gamache was responsible for getting her admitted to the academy since Leduc told her that he was the one to let her in, despite Gamache’s wishes.

Gamache and Reine-Marie sit in the chapel, and Gamache reminisces about the loss of his parents. He reflects on how Brébeuf supported him during this experience: “Brébeuf never left me. Never went to find more fun friends” (292). Reine-Marie tentatively brings up a question about why Gamache is so protective of Amelia, but before they can discuss it, Olivier comes to interrupt him. He is concerned because he thinks Gélinas is determined to find Gamache guilty of Leduc’s murder.