Summary

In Chapter 1, Gamache arrived at an abandoned, decrepit farmhouse. There were snow-covered lumps that Gamache assumed were old vehicles and farm machinery. One other car had only a dusting of snow so Gamache assumed the man he was supposed to meet was already there. Gamache read the letter that he had received from the notary once more. It was odd that the notary had scheduled the meeting at this abandoned house. Also, the notary named on the letter, Maître Laurence Mercier, had died six months earlier.

Inside the house, an unnamed man watched as Gamache parked his car and then answered the phone. He was surprised that Gamache, the Chief Superintendent of the Sûreté du Québec, now on suspension pending an investigation, had actually come. The snow began falling more heavily as a second car pulled up.

In Chapter 2, Gamache...