In Search of Murder--An Inspector Alvarez Mallorcan Mystery (11 page)

‘Amongst whom there may well be someone with reason to have been unfriendly. You may be able to help me determine who such persons might be.'

‘You think it may be one of us since we're foreigners? You'd believe anything of the English because of Gibraltar. But ask you where's the difference between Gibraltar and Cuela and Melila and you can't answer.'

‘I assure you that I am in no way influenced by the presence of the British on Spanish land—'

‘British land.'

‘Let us not argue over a subject which has disturbed relations between the two great nations over so many years.'

‘All right, pax. I'm afraid I became rather heated.'

‘A sign of pride in one's own country, señora. I will, as you say in England, lay my cards on the table. It has become necessary to speak to ladies who knew Señor Picare.'

‘Then you must be busy.'

‘Did you visit him at Vista Bonita?'

‘Yes.'

‘When you were on your own?'

‘My husband did not accompany me because he would have been bored to tears.'

Alvarez's imagination went briefly into overdrive. ‘Did he know you visited Señor Picare at his home?'

‘Yes. You are surprised?'

‘I have to consider Señor Picare's reputation.'

‘And you now think it necessary to add my name to those he “entertained”? I am dismayed and flattered. Dismayed you believe I could have been eager to betray my marriage without a second thought, flattered you consider Neil would have had the slightest lascivious interest in an aging woman.'

‘Far from aging, señora.'

‘Words to compensate for your over-reaching imagination? I did go to Vista Bonita quite often. And every time, I would find Neil to say hullo provided he was not entertaining in the bedroom. So now I imagine you're wondering what iniquity attracted me.'

‘I would not consider such possibility.'

‘A moment ago, you seemed more than ready to do so. My reason for going to Vista Bonita was far less interesting than imagination suggests. I went there for cooking lessons.'

‘Cooking lessons?' he confusedly repeated.

‘The cook there … I can never pronounce her name.'

‘Rosalía Mulet.'

‘I don't suppose you know she's a wonderful cook, as she's always ready to say. We have eaten there two or three times – Neil and his wife were inviting minor ex-pats to prove they were socially broad-minded. The meals could have been served in a five-star restaurant. I found out the name of the cook and went up to his place when I knew he was away. I met Rosalía, flattered her shamelessly, asked her if she would show me how to cook more interestingly than I managed. John now says I must have descended from Escoffier.'

Even when not in the cuerpo, a Mallorquin had an inbuilt tendency to look for an ulterior motive. Was he naive to accept what she said because she spoke firmly, with confidence, and must realise how easily her story could be checked? Did she present so unlikely a story in the belief that its very unlikelihood would give it credence?

‘I have one last question, señora. I'm afraid it may give offence, but it has to be asked. Did Señor Picare ever attempt to seduce you?'

‘When his choice was capons, not old hens?'

He stood. ‘Thank you for not taking offence.'

They heard a car enter the drive. ‘That will be John,' she said.

‘In order not to cause any problem, señora, I will say I have been asking you about the car collision.'

‘That's kind of you, but there's really no need. He's easily amused.' She called out, ‘I'm in here, John, with Inspector Alvarez.'

Metcalfe entered. He was wearing a shirt with sleeves that were rolled up; he had no right arm.

‘I
have spoken to Señora Metcalfe,' Alvarez reported over the phone.

‘And?' Salas demanded.

‘She is an attractive woman, rather because of her personality than her appearance. When I questioned her, she said immediately that from time to time she had visited Vista Bonita.'

‘Picare was attracted by her, whatever her features, and she sold her virtue to gain the benefits of a rich man's company.'

‘A very unjust judgment. She went to Vista Bonita to obtain cooking lessons.'

‘That is the latest euphemism for adultery?'

‘She had lessons from the cook, Rosalía.'

‘She needed to be shown how to boil an egg? It is to be hoped for Señor Metcalfe's marriage that his naivety equals or surpasses yours.'

‘He lost his right arm three years ago. Before then, he'd been a keen sportsman who had to restrict his eating. His wife set out to give him the most tasty cooking she could manage in an attempt, which she knew must be weak, to compensate. Her love for him was not lost along with his arm.'

‘You should have presented this fact without puerile comment at the beginning.'

‘I would have done so sooner had you not assumed that because Señora Metcalfe visited Vista Bonita, she must have accommodated Picare during such visits.'

‘You chose to be diverted.'

‘But …'

‘You have questioned the cook to confirm Señora Metcalfe's evidence?'

‘No, señor, because—'

‘The need to do so has not occurred to you?'

‘If Señor Metcalfe was physically incapable of dragging Picare under the water sufficiently quickly and forcefully—'

‘Was he?'

‘Obviously.'

‘You readily and without question accept the obvious? You will get into a swimming pool and, with help, determine whether with only one arm, a man can be dragged under water with force and speed. Was Señor Metcalfe naturally right-handed? One more fact which needs to be determined.'

‘Were that so, his left arm would, by now, have strengthened very considerably through constant use.'

‘A supposition which must be tested. You and a second man will carry out that test in a swimming pool.'

‘I'm a very poor swimmer …'

‘Your ability does not matter since you will be the victim.'

‘But to do as you suggest could be fatal.'

‘You will be in a pool. The women who were deliberately drowned were in a tin bath smaller than they and their heads were pushed under the water at the same time as their legs were drawn up.'

‘I hope that's a sufficient difference.'

‘You will order a policia to help you.'

‘He's not going to be happy if he knows he could kill me.'

‘You will not mention the improbability for fear he fails to use sufficient strength.'

‘If he doesn't understand what could happen, he's likely to become too enthusiastic.'

‘You will not be finding out something we already know, that in certain circumstances and conditions, a sudden rush of water up the nose and mouth can prove fatal. You are merely going to find out whether a one-armed man can pull you under the water with sufficient force.'

Another difference Alvarez found difficult to accept.

Alvarez stood alongside Virgilio Veno at the edge of the council swimming pool, built five years before in an unusual decision to repay, in another form, some of the money taken in rates which would have otherwise unaccountably disappeared.

‘Take it very easy,' Veno said for the fifth time to Alvarez. He had been given the role of victim despite Salas' directions.

‘I'm only going to use one arm. You can't be in any danger,' Alvarez assured him.

‘Ever done anything like this before?'

‘No.'

‘Then you can't say what could happen any more than I can. Take things really quietly or I'll make it clear what I think.'

‘If something goes wrong, you won't have that chance.'

‘How d'you comfort a dying man? Tell him heaven has closed its doors?'

Veno jumped into the pool, his multi-coloured trunks noticeable in the sunlight which came through the transparent roof. He was a notably good swimmer and two young women, in fairly minimal costumes by the diving boards, watched him with interest. Peacocks were useless, but they attracted attention.

Veno completed his fourth length, stood up in the shallow end. ‘I'm ready, but not willing.'

Alvarez was not an enthusiastic swimmer, being well aware of the dangers water offered. He looked to check a lifeguard was on duty, found none was present.

‘Come on or we'll be here until the place closes.'

He went down the steps and forward until the water was at shoulder level.

‘Know what I'm going to do if you try to be too enthusiastic?' Veno asked. ‘Twist off your goulies.'

Alvarez took a deep breath, lowered himself under the water, opened his eyes. Veno's legs appeared to be more solid than he had judged them when on land. He gripped the left leg above the ankle with one hand, pulled sideways to bring the other tumbling into the water. Veno remained upright.

‘Were you tickling me?' he asked as Alvarez surfaced. ‘You'd better try again and put more beef into it.'

Using as much force as he could muster in the deadening effect of the water, Alvarez pulled. Veno began to lose balance and immediately kicked out with his leg to free himself.

‘If you want to know if it can be made to work,' he said, when Alvarez surfaced, ‘you stand and I'll pull.'

Veno had the build of a man who regularly lifted weights, ran on a moving track, used a dry-land rowing machine. ‘No need to bother.'

‘You've learned all you need to know?'

‘Yes.'

‘Then how about a couple of lengths for ten euros, you with a half-length start?'

‘It's against my pocket to bet.' Alvarez climbed out of the pool and enjoyed the warm relief which came from safely completing a dangerous task.

‘Señor,' he said over the phone, ‘I can state that a one-armed man cannot pull another under the surface, let alone with sufficient force to drive water fiercely up the nose.'

‘The basis for your statement?'

‘The result of the tests you asked me to carry out.'

‘Your assistant could not drag you under?'

‘No, señor.'

‘Very well.'

‘So it's become a case of two down, three to go.'

‘What is that supposed to signify?'

‘I think it isn't credible to suppose Jacques Poperen would have returned from Antibes by the time of Señor Picare's death and done so unobserved.'

‘Why not?'

‘He was enjoying life with his mistress.'

‘“Enjoy” is a word few would use, the circumstances being what they are. Have the French police reported whether or not the woman has another illicit partner who suffered what some would mistakenly term “jealousy” and came to the island?'

‘I am still waiting to hear from them; I will phone them again … Señor, having risked my life in the swimming pool to be certain Señor Metcalfe could not have dragged Picare under the water, three suspects remain to be questioned.'

‘Three?'

‘Señoras Crane and Dunkling. There is also Lynette whose surname I have not yet been able to determine.'

‘You choose to forget Señor Russell?'

‘The legacy was to be spent on a party of remembrance. The sum was not inconsiderable, but unlikely to provide the motive for murder unless Russell was destitute. Although staying in a third-rate hotel, this was not the case. For once, it seems money is not the root of evil—'

‘The love of money is the root.'

‘Russell had met Lynette through Picare and decided to have a stab at her.'

‘He had reason to injure her?'

‘It is a Mallorquin expression and not to be taken literally.'

‘Restrict yourself, if you cannot deny yourself, to local expressions which are not meaningless or misleading.'

‘She rejected his advances since he could not offer her the kind of life Picare did. If money was the motive, could Russell for some reason have believed Picare had named Lynette in his will for a considerable sum which provided him with a second reason to murder Picare? A short-lived possibility as Marta's evidence made clear.'

‘In what way?'

‘Señor, I understand you will not wish me to repeat what I have said previously, but your question makes this inevitable. Marta heard Russell say goodbye to the señor and then the car drive away.'

‘You therefore dismiss him from suspicion? Yet have you not told me that she is so naive she will believe most anything, so emotionally upset her testimony is of doubtful value? Have you questioned him as a suspect, not merely a name?'

‘It seemed most unlikely he could be a suspect in view of the facts.'

‘You do not understand that, as I have just pointed out, there are reasons to accept they might not be facts. Have you tried to question Debra Crane, Giselle Dunkling or Lynette … What is her surname?'

‘Russell did not give it.'

‘Because he thought that if he did, you might – how do you misphrase it – take a stab at her?'

‘I would not engage in such a relationship in the normal course of events, but as she may possibly be of assistance to us in the case, I would never begin even to consider that.'

‘To deny too forcefully is to confirm.'

Alvarez arrived early, or not as late as usual, at the post. The duty cabo made a point of looking at his watch and expressing surprise.

Alvarez sat behind his desk, used a handkerchief to remove the perspiration from forehead cheeks and neck. The continuing high heat was enervating humans, harming plants and trees, threatening water supplies. A good downpour was much needed.

He stared at the sheet of paper on the desk. In his handwriting were the names of those he had to question. Only two had been crossed off and now one of them, Russell, had to be rewritten. It was the last sack which broke the camel's back.

Debra Crane lived on the outskirts of Mestara, an ancient town on the flat plain, noted for its weekly market and skill in growing strawberries. The inhabitants' hostility to those from Llueso, for a reason that had disappeared into the past, was maintained. A Mallorquin welcomed someone or something to dislike since who or which could be blamed for any present annoyance.