20 years a cop, Claude Lebel has a seeming air of helplessness which gives him the knack of giving people the confidence to talk to him. This is not feigned for he is, in truth, a henpecked husband with a mild, almost apologetic, air. He's been with the Brigade Criminelle of the Police Juciciare for ten years, has headed the Homicide Division for three. In that that three years he's only lost one case due to a technicality. When Commissaire Maurice Bouvier, head of B.C. nominates Lebel on Aug 11 to head the investigation into the Jackal's identity he calls Lebel the best detective in France . (source: Forsyth's novel)