Chapter 7: Leon and the Director in Paris

Marie looked up at the newcomer.

Bon dieu--what a man. He's like a movie star!

His smile sent shivers through her.

He resembled in no way those nondescript men who had preceded him over the two years that she had worked for the director.

His blue eyes took her in casually. To Marie they were soft hands following each contour of her body. With her soft auburn hair, her curvaceous figure and substantial bosom, with her innocent wide eyes and long lashes, Marie knew she was attractive to men. But, suddenly she felt awkward, flawed. Was she attractive to him? She patted her hair and prayed that her bra strap wasn't showing again.

Leon made no attempt to converse with her. Marie was disappointed: he merely said "Monsieur Castel, Mademoiselle, to see Le Directeur."

He took a seat, looking at her with a faint smile. Blushing, Marie looked down.

Le Directeur continued through the dossier. This Castel wasn't at all like the other seven or eight field agents that he briefed in a year. This man seemed virtually fearless. For dangerous assignments that was appropriate enough. Although, from what the Americans knew, it seemed this one might not be dangerous. On the other hand, the director knew better than to trust early indications in any investigation.

When an opponent sensed danger, he often took severe and effective measures, particularly where large amounts of money were concerned. Certainly danger was present for any agent sent from France and other western countries into the bribe-rife Eastern Europe's white female slave trade. Murder and torture were common. It was probably wise to send in an agent who could handle himself.

Fearless or not, Castel has his faults.

Le Directeur examined the photograph.

It's nearly two years old. Still, at thirty-nine the man should not have changed much. Devilishly good looking; reminds me of the protagonist in that novel translated from the English, 'Le Peinture de Dorian Gray'. Castel has many of his characteristics. With women, especially. Apparently has no regard for them, considers them in toto as the pool of vehicles to choose from when motivated by his sexual appetite.

The incident as a fifteen year old schoolboy with his two friends created such a scandal that, since then, he's assumed a mantle of respect for girls and women. According to the other two boys involved in the affair, he was the instigator. Seems likely they were truthful; it fits in both with Castel's character as a controller, and his subsequent numerous--always brief--affairs.

Considering how young the boys were, each fifteen at the time of the 'incident', they did quite a lot to the girl.

Out of curiosity rather than in the expectation of discovering anything necessary for his meeting with the agent, the Director read the transcripts of the interviews.

The girl was the daughter of a small perfumer. Leon met her when he went with his mother to the boutique run by the girl's family. Initially, the girl waited on Leon's mother but the girl's mother who was also in the shop, evidently recognizing wealth when she saw it, intervened and she took over. Subsequently, Leon and the girl conversed while the two mothers discussed perfume.

The director picked up the transcript of Leon's interview and leaned back in his chair.

According to Leon's testimony, the girl invited Leon to picnic with her. He considered her invitation to be suggestive. Her parent's estate was devoted to flower cultivation-- much of the province of Grasse even today is still used for that purpose. Theirs contained a copse; the young couple went to a clearing in it with a basket of food and wine and a blanket, all provided by the girl. Leon claimed they had 'some sex' as well as food and wine. The interviewer didn't dig further.

A pity. I would have.

He glanced at the girl's transcript.

She claimed the picnic was entirely Leon's idea. Some kissing but she denied any 'sex'. Interviewer dug no further (again! These stupid provincials!. Had all this occurred in Paris, we'd have discovered the truth).

They had another picnic three days later. Leon brought along two friends from school. Disagreement--naturally--about how it began. Leon and two other boys claimed they 'fooled around' on the blanket with the girl, all four including her, laughing. Then...

He glanced at each manuscript.

All four agreed that Leon started it. He 'played' with the girl, while the other two held her.

At Leon's instigation, they tied her to the trunk of a tree. She protested at first but Leon persuaded the other two that 'she didn't mean it', that her protest was a formality, that she was ashamed to admit her arousal. She didn't scream or even cry. Then, all three of the boys put hands under her clothing and explored her body.

The director glanced again at the girl's affidavit.

She claimed only that they touched her 'everywhere'.

Leon 'finger-fucked' her. He claimed that the girl was sexually aroused and liked it. The other boys--stupid or ignorant?--didn't know whether she was or not. The girl testified that she was not, and that she continued to protest. They all four agreed that she kept saying "Non! non!" Leon was the only one who claimed it was pro forma.

Then, they all agreed, Leon removed his trousers, and he had intercourse with her standing up. The girl protested initially but stopped after some minutes.

Leon said, "Your turn," and the other two also had intercourse with her. The girl began to cry.

They undid her hands but kept her waist bound to the tree trunk; Leon coerced her, by pinching her nipples and 'other parts of her body', into performing what the investigators term 'an unnatural act' with a wine bottle.

The director looked at the doctor's statement. "The victim's hymen was found to be intact but her vaginal opening appeared large enough to permit the actions she claims were committed upon her by the young men. This is not particularly unusual. Some minor abrasions in the orifice confirmed recent intercourse."

He perused the boys' transcripts.

Out of her hearing, according to the other two boys, Leon told them he'd persuade her to use her mouth.

Back then, girls of seventeen were ignorant, certainly in the provinces. The girl would have none of the knowledge a young Parisienne of today. The girl may never have heard of oral sex. That must have been traumatic for her. Unless, of course, the theory held by the investigators that she was sexually experienced has some validity.

The director looked over each interrogation transcript, trying to get a sense of whose words sounded truthful.

Leon pinched her nipples as well as 'other places'. The girl claimed that 'he gave me no choice', that his pinching compelled her to do it. Leon, on the other hand, claimed his pinching wasn't that hard; that, except for her nipples it wasn't even pinching. He said her sounds indicated pleasure. He undid her from the tree and she performed the act on him while he lay on the blanket. While she did it, Leon fondled her with his hands and told the others, "She likes it, I can tell."

After the girl satisfied him, Leon wanted her to do it with each of his friends, but they demurred, saying they 'didn't want that'. They each had intercourse with her once more. When the second boy was ready to have her, Leon told the girl, 'take it doggie style, on your hands and knees'. While the boy had her from the rear, Leon had her as he'd had her before, from the front.

Because of Leon's age and that of the girl, who was seventeen, the authorities dropped the matter. Two members of the panel were fixed on the notion that the girl, two years older than the boys, might have been the seducer. The parents of the girl were compensated, and nothing more was done.

Since then, Castel avoided scandal.

The director attached the paper clip and marker, "Personal Actions" and slipped the papers back in the folder. He took out the "Professional Actions" papers and removed the marker and clip.