Rahn felt an excitement rising to his throat. Things were coming together. He was intoxicated by the complexity of the puzzle. He was tense and alert.
The old woman noted his eagerness. She smiled and continued, ‘Saunière visited with a certain Boulle, leader of the penitents, and showed him what he had found. Boulle was immediately excited because, you see, the penitents were in the possession of a book . . .’
‘Le Serpent Rouge, the Grimoire of Pope Honorius?’ Rahn blurted out.
‘Yes, not the original but a copy of it that they had acquired through the murderous priest, Jean-Louis Verger.’
‘So, did Association Angelica also have a copy of it? Is that what you meant when you said they were also in possession of a secret?’
‘Very well surmised. They held the original.’
‘And Saunière knew about the grimoire?’
‘No, he wanted the Cathar treasure, or what he imagined it might be: gold coins, precious jewels.’ She half smiled, nodding mysteriously. ‘Saunière was playing a dangerous game. He was a very audacious, if not a stupid man. Now, this Boulle offered Saunière money to continue his search, having by now heard that Association Angelica were also involved.’
‘So now there are two orders that know about the treasure,’ Rahn said, ‘Association Angelica and the penitents. Both were in possession of Pope Honorius’s grimoire, Le Serpent Rouge, one the original and the other a copy, and now they suspected that Saunière had found the key to completing it.’
‘Yes! You catch on fast, Monsieur Rahn. Saunière began travelling to Paris and Lyon and Toulouse regularly, courting the good favours of a number of groups – who were all vying for the treasure. He soon became a celebrity, giving parties here at the villa and drawing to himself the attention of the most illustrious people; people like the opera singer Emma Calve, the Countess of Chambord and any number of disaffected members of the Austrian Hapsburg family.’
‘Was he party to some intrigue to bring France into the Austrian empire?’
‘Yes, better the empire than the government! At any rate, his entertaining drew the attention of his friend from the nearby village of Coustassa, Abbé Antoine Gélis, who became suspicious of Saunière’s newfound wealth and celebrity. When he asked Saunière about it, the braggart, thinking himself invulnerable, could not resist. He told him, “I have found something of great value, and so far I have made it work for me – and I will hold on to it! Do you want to know what it is?”
‘Thus was Antoine Gélis added to the ring of priests who now knew about the treasure, and a lot of good it did him, as you no doubt already know. At the same time, through the renewed influence of the penitents, Saunière became interested in the “Cult of the Dead”, saying more and more masses – since he needed money to continue his search. In the meantime Saunière’s confidante, Bishop Billard, died of a stroke. A new bishop, a man called De Beauséjour, was appointed to Carcassonne, a man who was dedicated to the Church’s reconciliation with the government of France; in other words, a Freemason. Having heard rumours of Saunière’s renovations and his parties with movie stars, singers and royalty, De Beauséjour sent his right-hand man, the Abbé Cros, to investigate. Subsequently, Abbé Cros and his underlings arranged a meeting with Saunière, Boudet and Gélis at Coustassa. I remember the night quite well because on his return home, Saunière was laughing at how frustrated Abbé Cros had been that they wouldn’t tell him anything. As it turned out, they were to suffer at the bishop’s hands. Saunière was sued and Boudet was hounded. Perhaps Cros, knowing Abbé Gélis’s weakness for money and desire for the grand life, offered him a large sum to divulge what he knew. Perhaps that is why he was killed so brutally? Did you hear how they found him? The killers took pains to place his limbs in a certain pattern, both hands on his chest and one leg bent behind him. What in the tarot reminds you of that, Monsieur Rahn?’
‘The hanged man!’ Rahn said, suddenly illuminated.
‘Yes, the betrayer of secrets!’ she hissed with glee. Her eyes twinkled. ‘You see, none of them, not Saunière, nor the Bishop of Carcassonne or even Cros understood the dangerous game they were playing. They did not realise it until Gélis was killed. The hanged man was Association Angelica’s calling card; they also left their catchcry, “Viva Angelina”, on a packet of Russian cigarette papers at the murder scene.’