Summary : Victor, de la brigade mondaine

Before his worldwide renown brought on by high profile cases like the theft of national defense bonds, the double murder of father Lescot and Elise Masson, and his fierce rivalry with Arsene Lupin, inspector Victor was already known within police circles as an eccentric veteran. Born Victor Hautin and the son of a prosecutor from Toulouse, he spent years in the colonies undertaking delicate and dangerous missions. His career was frequently marred by personal scandals involving the wives and daughters of aggrieved citizens, which ultimately blocked him from achieving higher administrative posts. Later in life, having inherited a fortune and seeking a way to occupy his leisure time, he secured an introduction to the judicial police director through a cousin in Madagascar. Despite his prickly nature, independence, and advancing age, he proved to be a valuable, discreet, and unassuming auxiliary who performed his duties when it suited him. His reputation remained confined to his superiors and colleagues until the formidable presence of Arsene Lupin entered his path. Confronted with this extraordinary adversary in the dark affair of the defense bonds, Victor experienced a dramatic surge in his capabilities. The ensuing secret, passionate, and implacable struggle pushed his remarkable qualities to their absolute maximum. The eventual unexpected twist in the case further enhanced Lupin's legendary prestige while simultaneously propelling the name of Victor from the social brigade into worldwide fame.

Before achieving global renown, Inspector Victor—whose real name was Victor Hautin—was a skilled but cantankerous and unpredictable detective within the Brigade mondaine. He treated police work almost like a hobby, operating with a highly eccentric style that occasionally drew public scrutiny and press criticism. According to a confidential note from M. Gautier, the Director of the Judicial Police, Victor was the son of a prosecutor from Toulouse and had spent a significant portion of his earlier life in the colonies. His career in colonial administration was marred by personal scandals involving the seduction of wives and daughters, which ultimately barred him from higher administrative positions despite his competence in handling delicate and perilous missions. After inheriting a substantial fortune, a matured Victor sought to occupy his leisure time by joining the police force, where he became highly valued by his superiors for his discretion, lack of personal ambition, and effectiveness, despite his stubborn and independent nature. Initially, Victor's reputation remained confined to a narrow circle of colleagues and superiors. His true rise to prominence occurred only when he was pitted against the extraordinary and formidable master thief, Arsène Lupin. This confrontation centered around a dark and complex case involving the theft of National Defense Bonds and the double murder of Father Lescot and Élise Masson. The formidable nature of his opponent seemed to elevate the old inspector’s existing skills to their absolute peak. Victor engaged in a relentless, bitter, and fierce struggle against Lupin, moving from the shadows into the public eye. Ultimately, the investigation culminated in an unexpected and dramatic twist that simultaneously enhanced Lupin’s legendary prestige and immortalized Victor's name across the world.

This text introduces Victor of the Vice Squad, an inspector who achieved international renown following the theft of the National Defense Bonds, the double murder of Father Lescot and Élise Masson, and his relentless struggle against the legendary thief Arsène Lupin. Prior to these defining events, Victor was known among his colleagues and the press as a highly skilled yet unpredictable, cunning, and bad-tempered veteran policeman. He treated his duties almost like a hobby, working only when it pleased him, and frequently drew scrutiny for his highly unconventional and imaginative methods. To address complaints about Victor's behavior, M. Gautier, the Director of the Judicial Police, submitted a confidential note to the Prefect defending his subordinate. The note reveals that Victor’s real name is Victor Hautin, the son of a public prosecutor who passed away in Toulouse forty years prior. Victor spent a significant portion of his life working in the colonies. While he was recognized as an excellent official capable of handling the most delicate and perilous missions, his career was frequently disrupted. He faced constant transfers due to numerous scandals involving the seduction of married women and the abduction of young girls. These personal indiscretions ultimately blocked him from rising to higher administrative ranks. As the years passed, Victor grew calmer and inherited a substantial fortune. Looking to occupy his leisure time, he used a recommendation from Gautier's cousin in Madagascar to secure a position under Gautier. Despite his advanced age, excessive independence, and touchy temperament, Gautier valued him as a highly discreet, reliable, and unpretentious asset who sought neither ambition nor publicity. Initially, Victor's reputation remained confined to a small circle of superiors and peers. His breakthrough into the public eye occurred only when he was suddenly pitted against the extraordinary and formidable Arsène Lupin, whose involvement turned the dark National Defense Bonds case into a highly publicized affair. The appearance of such a prodigious adversary seemed to instantly push the old inspector’s remarkable abilities to their absolute peak. Victor pursued an intense, devious, and implacable hatred against Lupin, fighting first in the shadows and later in the public eye. Ultimately, the unexpected and theatrical climax of this investigation cemented the global fame of Victor of the Vice Squad while simultaneously enhancing the prestige of Arsène Lupin.

Victor, an inspector from the Brigade mondaine, unexpectedly spots a stunning, mysterious woman with reddish hair at the Ciné-Balthazar. Just as he resolves to follow her, a frantic short man named Alphonse Audigrand creates a massive disturbance, screaming that a woman in black has stolen from him. Victor trails Audigrand and ultimately escorts him to a police station, where Audigrand confesses that he is a bank employee from Strasbourg who lost an envelope containing nearly one million francs in National Defense Bonds to a woman named Ernestine. Following this lead, Victor tracks down Ernestine, a typist at a chemical company, who admits she found the yellow envelope on the floor. She reveals that another employee, Madame Chassain, likely witnessed where she hid it before departing for Saint-Cloud. Victor intercepts Madame Chassain at the train station. Although a search of her belongings yields nothing, Victor deduces that she must have passed the stolen envelope to an accomplice during her commute. Through careful surveillance over the following days, Victor and Principal Inspector Hédouin identify Madame Chassain's associate as a reclusive man named Lescot, who lives in a pavilion named La Bicoque near Garches. Late at night, the officers approach the property and hear a gunshot inside. They storm the building to find Lescot shot dead. Victor catches a glimpse of the mysterious red-haired woman escaping through a window, while Hédouin is wounded in a confrontation with the fleeing killer, leaving Victor to ponder the identity of the dangerous new culprit.