The Sanatorium(64)

“I used to,” she says. It feels strange, speaking to Noah again, and she knows that it’s her fault, this awkwardness. During her break she hasn’t seen any of the team in person, only exchanged messages. She’s blocked them out, compartmentalized them.

Noah laughs. A familiar sound: deep, slightly husky. A few beats pass. “Warner, I’ve missed your dulcet tones.”

“Same,” Elin replies with a sharp, sudden tug of homesickness. No, she corrects, not homesickness—worksickness. However hard she’s denied it to Will, she’s missed this: not just communicating, but the hustle and bustle of the office, the incident room. Meetings. Interviews. Living beyond the space in her head.

“You sure?” Noah replies. “From what I’ve heard you’re pretty happy in retirement.” The words are light, but Elin notices the intake of breath, the move from jokey to serious.

“It’s not easy, Noah.” Her voice wobbles. “Deciding whether to come back. I don’t want to let people down.”

“But you know we’re all behind you, right? With what happened. None of us thinks it was your fault. You acted on instinct. Gut. We’d all do the same.”

A long pause.

Elin realizes her foot is tapping the floor, her hand still trembling around the phone. Her throat feels thick suddenly, and she has to force herself to speak. “I know.”

Noah moves the conversation on. “So the files . . . I’ll let you take a proper look, but they’re mainly copies of e-mails, some letters. I’ve already sent them through.”

“The encryption wasn’t up to much, then?”

“Nope. Pretty basic. A sixteen-bit key. In fact, I’d say demeaning for someone of my expertise.”

She laughs. “Noah, look, thanks for doing this on such short notice.”

“I’m used to it. You’ve always been pretty demanding.”

“Any reward required?”

“Only curry on your return.”

“Deal.” As she says good-bye, Elin’s already opening her laptop.

The first of the files he’s sent is a Word document, information copied and pasted in both French and English. An article printed out, similar to what she found in Laure’s drawer yesterday.

The headline is in French, Dépression psychotique.

Easily translatable: psychotic depression. Her eyes flit over the English text:


Read about psychotic depression, a severe form of depression that causes people to experience the usual symptoms of depression, plus delusions and hallucinations.


Elin churns it over: Did this refer to Laure? Was she concerned, aware of something wrong, a decline in her mental state? Perhaps researching it?

The next file is another Word document. On the first page is a row of text. The words are in French, but Elin recognizes it straightaway.

It’s the anonymous letter that was sent to Lucas. Elin falters, eyes falling away from the screen.

It was Laure who sent the letters.

It’s one thing hypothesizing, but this is proof. Proof that Laure had some kind of disturbing preoccupation with Lucas Caron.

She pulls her eyes back up to the screen, opens another file.

Again, a Word document; it spans several pages and contains copies of e-mails.

They’re between Laure and a woman named Claire. No addresses are shown, just the body of the messages.

Elin scans through:

Laure,

As requested, please find attached draft copy of article. It’s important that the information isn’t traceable back to me.

Claire



A HOTEL BUILT ON CORRUPTION?

The first foundations are being dug for the extensive renovation program and expansion of what was Sanatorium du Plumachit into a luxury hotel named Le Sommet.

Lucas Caron, great-grandson of the original owner, has poured millions into the renovation. A result of nine years of planning, when complete, the resort will incorporate a new conference center and a 7,000 sq m Alpine spa.

Yet the renovation has been dogged with issues; the original plans attracted fierce opposition from environmental groups concerned about development in what is a national park. Laws on building in such areas are especially strict in Switzerland and formal opposition has continued for years.

An online campaign and petition saw more than 20,000 signatures, and environmental groups have staged several protests on-site.

Local doctor Pierre Delane has opposed the project from the start. “It doesn’t fit with the landscape. The fa?ade is too modern, a brutal change to the original building.”

Most significantly, there have been fears regarding the safety of guests. Stefan Schmid, a mountain guide, warned municipal officials in 2013 that the area above the hotel’s main access road was susceptible to avalanches.

Examining the area, geology professors from the University of Lausanne noted a fact that the original builder never flagged: the hotel’s main access road is located at the base of a canyon, in the direct path of a natural channel for snow falling from Mont Bella Lui.

These concerns have led to accusations of bribery and questions arising over how Mr. Caron was able to obtain the zoning variance for the hotel expansion given all of the safety concerns, but the charges were dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Another local resident commented, “There’s the stench of corruption surrounding this project.”