Edmond began recounting his life. His voyages to India and the eastern Mediterranean, his final voyage where Captain Leclerc died and entrusted him with a package to deliver to an important government official. He described meeting that official, who gave him a letter to deliver to someone named Noirtier in Paris. He told of returning to Marseilles, reuniting with his father, his engagement to Mercedes, and their wedding celebration, until his sudden arrest and imprisonment.
When Edmond finished, the priest sat in thoughtful silence for a long time.
Finally, he spoke. "There's a useful principle that applies here. When trying to discover who committed a crime, first ask who would benefit from that crime. So, who would have gained from your disappearance?"
"No one! I was nobody important."
