‘Then it seems to me that we are faced with a copycat murder.’
‘A theory which we have already rejected.’
The C.I.D. Inspector from Scotland Yard did not reject it, however, and news came from Phillips that Otto Schumann was, in the classic phrase, assisting the police in their enquiries into the death of Maria Machrado.
‘Their view,’ said Phillips, ‘is that Schumann copied the methods of his sister’s murderer, and there’s no doubt he can’t produce any sort of alibi for the time when Muchrado was killed. He says that after they had the row about money, and had parted, he went to London on the spree. He doesn’t seem to remember much of what he did up there and, as he was under the influence most of the time, he can’t give himself much help.’
‘What is the evidence against him?’
‘That he and Machrado had had this row – he admits it, and, of course, her landlady’s description of it has lost nothing in the telling – and that Maria was pregnant. They don’t believe him when he says she didn’t expect him to marry her, and, naturally, any other boy-friends she may have had are not in a hurry to come forward for fear of being implicated. He’s not yet remanded in custody, but, although they are continuing investigations, I’m certain the Yard believe they’ve got the right man.’
‘What is their attitude towards the murder of Karen Schumann, then?’
‘They regard that as my pigeon. They were called in to investigate the death of Machrado, and, as they’ve convinced themselves that the murders are not connected, that’s that, in their view. I can’t say I blame them, although I’m certain they’re mistaken. Of course, they’ve unearthed a lot of information which I hadn’t got hold of, including evidence that Schumann could be violent and had slugged a couple of Dutch sailors ashore in a pub and half-killed a Lascar seaman on his own ship. Added to that, his mother has admitted that she was physically afraid of him in some of his moods, and that hasn’t done his case much good, as you may imagine.’
‘But you yourself retain an open mind?’
‘Not altogether an open mind, ma’am. I still think the same man killed both girls, and as that man can’t have been Schumann, well, that’s where I stand, and, following my hunch, I’m still tailing James.’
Laura telephoned her husband.
‘Oh, there’s method in our madness,’ Gavin replied. ‘The case can’t possibly come to trial for several weeks. Meanwhile, if Phillips is right – and, like most Hampshiremen, although he may be slow, he is apt to be very sure – our joker will try again, and, when he does, I should think we’ll get him.’
‘Of course, Otto Schumann’s such a liar.’
‘Yes, just the type – pathological, as Dame B. points out – to be the sort of person who commits a string of murders, and he’s known to be violent, of course. The magistrates have now remanded him in custody, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll be brought to trial. They’ll still go on looking. Phillips is positive Otto is not our man, and he’s quite a hard-headed old cuss and not a bad psychologist, in his way. Incidentally, you know we’ve been certain all the time that Schumann couldn’t have killed his sister? Well, but for an odd coincidence, he could have done. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you.’
But it was Phillips who came with the next bit of news. Scotland Yard’s case against Otto was stronger, and his own case against James was weaker, than he had thought. Not quite all of the first story with which Otto had amused himself by recounting to Dame Beatrice was untrue. The London C.I.D., with far greater resources than those vouchsafed to a police officer in the provinces, had unearthed some interesting facts about it.
It had occurred to minds sharper, more suspicious and more astute than Phillips’ admittedly rather slow intelligence, that as Bilbao, Maria Machrado’s home town, was also a seaport of considerable importance, Otto’s ship might well have called there to pick up cargo. Not only did this prove to be the case, but it was also established that the uxorious Otto not only knew the girl, but that she had indeed come to England on his ship, although not with the uncle he had postulated. Further, a reluctant and tearful Mrs Schumann had been persuaded to admit that it was Otto who had sent the girl to her as soon as he had learned of his sister’s death.
‘And I am thinking at first,’ moaned Mrs Schumann, ‘that my wicked boy has had a change of heart and is sorry for his mother in her loneliness, and sends me this young girl to comfort me, so that I shall have somebody with me at weekends and for College vacations, as before.’
‘And when did you change your mind?’ asked the patient, gentle voice of Detective-Inspector Maisry of Scotland Yard.
‘When, of course, he takes pleasure of the girl, and takes her out in my car, and all the rest. And when I warn the girl against him she laughs in my face and asks me what I expect. She tells me she is pregnant by Otto on board the ship, and that he will have to marry her, although he says not, and that he would rather kill her than marry her.’
These fell words being repeated to Otto by Maisry, he denied them, which made no difference whatever to Maisry’s conviction that Mrs Schumann had been telling the truth. Then Maisry investigated Otto’s statement that he had got drunk, been robbed, had slept in
