The Lerouge Case · Character

M. Tabaret

A retired rentier and amateur criminologist whose eccentric habits and obsessive theorizing make him the unlikeliest detective in Paris.

major

Also known as old Tabaret, Tabaret, dear M. Tabaret, III M. Tabaret, poor old Tabaret, wretched Tabaret, Old Tabaret, XIV Old Tabaret, XVIII Old Tabaret, Cunning old Tabaret

First appearance: The Lerouge Case

As a major figure in The Lerouge Case, M. Tabaret is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The detective who arrives at the crime scene to investigate.

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Old Tabaret lives quietly among his tenants, who mistake his abstraction for idiocy and his strange visitors for disreputable vice, never guessing he is a devoted student of crime. He adores Madame Gerdy and treats her son Noel as his own, and has made the young barrister his sole legatee. His passion for deduction, his intimacy with the Gerdy household, and his hunger to outshine the professional police place him at the center of the Lerouge investigation.

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Character Web

22 connections

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Relationship types

Rivalry
Professional
Other

Character groups

Core investigation and family
Backstory and supporting characters
Protagonist

+17 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

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Relationships

Noel Gerdy
rivalry · negative
Tabaret, a detective, is Noel's antagonist, relentlessly pursuing the truth about the… How this plays out →
M. Daburon
professional · positive
Noel Gerdy
rivalry · negative
Tabaret, a detective, is Noel's antagonist, relentlessly pursuing the truth about the… How this plays out →
M. Daburon
professional · positive
Noel Gerdy
rivalry · negative
Tabaret, a detective, is Noel's antagonist, relentlessly pursuing the truth about the… How this plays out →

Noel Gerdy
Tabaret, a detective, is Noel's antagonist, relentlessly pursuing the truth about the Lerouge murder and Noel's guilt.
M. Daburon
Daburon and Tabaret work together as magistrate and detective, collaborating on the Lerouge case.
Noel Gerdy
Tabaret, a detective, is Noel's antagonist, relentlessly pursuing the truth about the Lerouge murder and Noel's guilt.
M. Daburon
Daburon and Tabaret work together as magistrate and detective, collaborating on the Lerouge case.
Noel Gerdy
Tabaret, a detective, is Noel's antagonist, relentlessly pursuing the truth about the Lerouge murder and Noel's guilt.

Relationship notes

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In the story

M. Tabaret appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Lerouge Case
The detective who arrives at the crime scene to investigate.
I
An amateur detective accompanying M. Daburon. He is described as vain and obstinate, prone to inventing stories based on appearances, and is distrusted by the commissary.
II
Old Tabaret conducts a detailed examination of the crime scene, deducing the murderer's methods and motives. He also shares his personal history with M. Daburon.
III
Obsessively analyzes the murder case, deduces a child is involved, and later visits Noel Gerdy to investigate further.
IV
Listens intently to Noel's story, deducing connections to the Widow Lerouge murder and the conspiracy.
Chapter V
Mentioned as the source of the bank notes Noel gives to Juliette.
VII
Eager to arrest Albert de Commarin, confident in his deductions, and frustrated by the magistrate's caution.
Chapter X
Tabaret arrives triumphantly with evidence (broken foil, gloves, cigar-holder) and details of Albert's arrest, but becomes anxious upon learning Noel has been to see the magistrate.
XII
The detective who first deduces Albert's guilt but later, after reading the examination report, becomes convinced that Albert is innocent.
XIV
Determined to save Albert after realizing his own role in the accusations; visits Madame Gerdy's home and conceals his police connections.
XVIII
Follows Juliette home, questions her about Noel's alibi, and becomes convinced of Noel's guilt.
XIX
Present at Noel's deathbed; Noel taunts him about his detective work.
XX
Disillusioned with justice, now doubts crime itself and campaigns against capital punishment.

Chapter companion notes

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