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Service Journal Gaulois - 742 Octobre 29 Mardi, 18:00 TNP

Pierre LaFlamme's Murderer Arrested?

The Provisional Police have apprehended the suspected murderer of Pierre LaFlamme, former Général-en-Chef of The Council. Our source in the Police (who preferred to remain unnamed) claims that the suspect's name is Aimeé Desper, another advisor to President Orianne Castaignède of the Republique of Gallia. However, the arrest of madame Desper, and more importantly, the state she was found in, raises more questions than answers.

Pierre LaFlamme was assasinated on New Paris a month ago, on September 25th. He was supposed to meet his fiancée at the Jardin des Champs-Élysées of Île-du-Palais. But before he could arrive, a sniper had shot him from the roof of a nearby building. The murder weapon was found later that day, but the suspect had long left the crime scene. The attack on an official such prominent as Pierre LaFlamme had everyone rattled, so the disappearance of a junior presidential advisor went almost unnoticed.

Aimeé Desper, age 31, had joined the Council after the reclamation of Languedoc by the Royal Navy in 733 A.G.S. She received military training and attained the rank of Capitaine in the Council. However, her duties gradually switched to the more civilian side of the Liberation Movement as it gained momentum in Gallia. Around the time when the Council was pushed out of Roussillon, Capitaine Desper became a junior advisor to Orianne Castaignède, who would eventually become the President of the Republique of Gallia. Desper was allegedly chosen for that role due to her combination of military and civilian experience, and the fact that more senior Council officers were still needed in command of the fleets.

According to our source in the Police, madame Desper was reported missing on the day after LaFlamme's assassination. That, and being one of the few people who could know where LaFlamme was, made her one of the key suspects. A warrant was issued for her arrest, and an all-points bulletin was sent. Madame Desper was allegedly sighted and subsequently apprehended several days later, wandering aimlessly through the Pont des Arts district. She offered no resistance during her arrest.

Despite being a month old, this development has only reached the press now. It generated a lot of theories as to why a Desper's arrest had been kept a secret for so long, and why a soeur-in-arms with a spotless service record and no history of altercations would go against her former commanding officer. As the news about madame Desper's involvement arrived, wild speculation ensued on the possible cause of murder. The theories range from LaFlamme's alleged betrayal of "the Council's fight" (the ceasefire with the Council's recent enemies) to unshared love (Pont des Arts where madam Desper was found roaming is also known as Pont d'Amour).

There are also people who claim that the powers-that-be want to sweep LaFlamme's death under the rug. Their motive is allegedly to avoid any disruption of the reconciliation between the new rulers of the once-united Gallia. However, things could be even more complicated. According to our source in the Police, the suspect rambled during her arrest. The only words she ever said during her arrest and subsequent interrogations were "His word is law." When asked who he was, madame Desper allegedly answered: "The King". This could be seen as an attempt of feigning insanity in the face of serious criminal charges. But a preliminary psychiatric report suggested a severe and peculiar case of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Unfortunately, we have no information on further conclusions of the psychiatric board, or the results of the forensic analysis. The one-month delay could just be a precaution on the Police part, to ensure that they apprehended the right person before going public with the official announcement.

If proven guilty and sane, Aimeé Desper is expected to face capitol punishment for her crime. But that still begs the question if Gallia can truly be united, if former comrades-in-arms go against each other in such fashion. We will keep you up to date as the story develops.■

Local Correspondent, Jules Bertineau

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