The attempted robbery became the talk of the city for the next two weeks. The dying man's signed confession named Benedetto as the murderer. Police launched a massive manhunt.
They recovered Caderousse's knife, his burglar's lamp, a ring of keys, and his clothing, except for his vest, which mysteriously vanished. The items were catalogued as evidence. The corpse went to the morgue.
Monte Cristo told everyone the same story: the break-in happened while he was at his country house. He only knew what Father Busoni told him. The priest had coincidentally asked to spend the night examining rare books in the mansion's library and witnessed everything.
Only Bertuccio, one of Monte Cristo's servants, turned pale whenever Benedetto's name was mentioned. But no one paid attention to his reaction.
The prosecutor, Villefort, prepared his case with his usual intense dedication to justice.
