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At the beginning of The Da Vinci Code it is insinuated that Captain Fache believes that Robert Langdon killed Saunière because of the message left on the floor "PS Find Robert Langdon".

The same scene also shows Fache wearing Seal of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei which is obviously meant to be some sort of foreshadowing of the real reason for his hunting Langdon.

However later in the film after Langdon & Sophie escape on the plane Fache tells Lieutenant Collet that the reason he believes that Langdon is the murderer is due to Bishop Aringarosa contacting him and supposedly breaking the Seal of the Confessional by claiming that Langdon confessed to the murder.

I could understand the message being used as an excuse by Fache, however this does not explain how the Bishop knew about the message and was able to find a high ranking member of the Sect to trick into helping him.

So the question is how does the Bishop find out about the message and Langdon's involvement seemingly before the body is even found?

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  • I could understand the message being used as an excuse by Fache
  • ...and was able to find a high ranking member of the Sect to trick into helping him.

Fache did not use the message as an excuse; nor did he knowingly tro to frame Langdon. Fache genuinely interpreted the message as if it reveals the killer, and therefore genuinely believed that Langdon is the killer.

Aringarosa didn't command Fache to frame Langdon. Aringarosa lied to Fache about Langdon confessing the murder. Fache, being a devout member of Opus Dei, of which Aringarosa is the leader, took his superior's words at face value and genuinely believed him.

However, Fache did not use this as conclusive evidence yet (or else he would've already sent out an arrest warrant). But when he then saw the message, he took that as further evidence of Langdon's guilt, and concluded that Langdon must indeed have done it.

This is what's called confirmation bias. Fache misinterpreted the evidence (message) based on a belief he already held (Aringarosa claims Langdon has comitted murder), and immediately interprets the message as further evidence of what he already "knows".

  • however this does not explain how the Bishop knew about the message
  • how does the Bishop find out about the message [..] seemingly before the body is even found?

Aringarosa is the one who gives Silas, the actual killer, their missions. He is Silas' handler, so to speak. So we can reasonably infer that whatever Aringarosa knows about the murders and crime scene, he knows from Silas.

how does the Bishop find out about [..] Langdon's involvement

Landon wasn't involved. He was merely mentioned by the victim. At this point in time, Langdon is not aware nor even indirectly involved in the murder that is taking place.

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  • @ Flater First of all at no point in the question do I say that Fache is trying to Frame Langdon, Secondly the problem is that Silas has left long before the message has been written therefore it is still not clear how the Bishop knows that Langdon was mentioned in the message.
    – EdHunter
    Commented Oct 26, 2020 at 9:26
  • @EdHunter: "the message being used as an excuse by Fache" If it's an excuse, then Fache disingenuously argues for evidence that he does not himself believe. And when done to falsely accuse someone of a crime, that is called framing that person.
    – Flater
    Commented Oct 26, 2020 at 13:42
  • @ Flater Rather than arguing about what I mean in my question why not take it at face value - The excuse is used with his colleagues to justify the operation as he cant reveal the phone call from the Bishop due to religious beliefs/doctrine. - Nothing in this situation implies that Fache is being anything other than sincere in his belief, as evidenced by the fact he doesn't detain Langdon and Sophie later on in the film once he realises he himself has been duped.
    – EdHunter
    Commented Oct 26, 2020 at 15:43
  • Please could you look again the the actual question which is how does the Bishop find out about the message & its contents. Silas shoots Saunière through a security gate and then leaves the building. Saunière then spends what must be several minutes leaving a trail of clues for Sophie & Langdon before finally writing the message we are discussing. How then does the Bishop discover the contents of the message and how does he locate and contact Fache prior to Fache getting to the crime scene and seeing the message for himself.
    – EdHunter
    Commented Oct 26, 2020 at 15:47

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