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everything to extremes.
Sundays in the March household were like stepping back to Victorian
times. Church in the morning and evening, reading the Bible or some
other worthy book-in between: no games, nothing frivolous." `I should
imagine that young David told the same story to each of his victims,'
Bond mused.
`Which story?" `That his father was old and ailing, and that his mother
was dead. We know that's what he told the second one Bridget Bellamy."
`He admitted that. It seemed he really considered his mother dead."
`Makes sense. Did they help him at all I mean at the institution?"
`They diagnosed a complex series of symptoms.
He seemed to be a very unhealthy mixture, a witch's brew of all the
worst kind of mental problems manic depressive, psychotic, hysteric,
psychopath. They controlled him with drugs for a while, but he was
highly intelligent. Went through long periods I mean months at a time
of appearing perfectly normal, likeable, friendly Then, out of the blue
the terrors would strike. -`There was a need to kill?" `That's what was
said. He tried to murder another inmate, and also attacked a nurse on
one occasion. Nearly did her in.
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`Mmmm. And, from all this, you think Laura was also affected?" `Don't
see how she could avoid it. One of the shrinks had a very long session
with the father, and came to the conclusion that he was seriously
unbalanced. The entire mating situation was fraught with dangers. A
hyper-religious, superdominant mother, and a weak, mentally unstable
father. They produced one monster. It makes you wonder if they spawned
two of them." `Let's say Laura March was unbalanced.
She's the victim here, so, when we begin to examine her murder, we have
to take her possible mental state into consideration." He gave another
short laugh, heavy with irony. `Her colleagues must be going through
all kinds of hell. Courts of Inquiry, investigations on those who did
her PVs. Couldn't happen to nicer people." He looked up, and saw the
fear still deep in Fredericka's eyes. Touching the bulky file on his
knee, he said, `This thing's really spooked you, hasn't it?" `More than
I can say. I was concerned up on the mountain, at the crime scene. This
story's so horrible that I'm genuinely frightened. Damn it, James, in
their wisdom, our respective services want us to go in there and carry
out our own clandestine investigation. I'm even nervous of looking
through Laura's effects." `The cops haven't taken them away?" `As a
favour to us, the room she had at the Victoria-Jungfrau in Interlaken
has been left as they first found it." `They've removed nothing?"
`That's what they say. Of course who knows when you're dealing with
cops. The room's been sealed. The hotel expects us, but, since reading
this stuff, it's the last thing I want to do." She paused, her hand
going to her hair, once more raking it with splayed fingers.
`James, couldn't we stay here for the night? Put it off until morning?"
A weak smile briefly lighting her eyes, and her intentions quite
positive. `It's so nice here, no ghosts. We could comfort each other."
The pause lasted for almost thirty seconds.
`We could just as well comfort each other in Interlaken, Fredericka, if
that's what you have in mind." `Yes, but.
`But it's best to face things like this head on.
You say the hotel's expecting us. We should go.
Really we should." She looked away, then back at him with a wan smile,
reaching across the low table, allowing the tips of her fingers to touch
the back of his hand.
Then she nodded gravely and slowly picked up her shoulder bag, ready to
leave.
As they pulled out of the car park, Bond caught a glimpse of another
car's headlights come on. It was one of those almost subliminal
experiences: he was aware of the car starting up, and preparing to pull
out, a few slots to their right and behind them.
In the sodium lamps illuminating the car park he thought it was a red
VW, but would not have put money on it. When they reached the turn-off
back to route six, he thought he saw the same car again, too close for
any comfort, though maybe too close to be a professional.
While not dismissing the possibility of a tail, he put it on the back
burner of his mind. No experienced watcher would use a red car, nor
would he so blatantly call attention to himself by staying so near.
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Less than an hour later, they pulled up in front of the imposing Hotel
Victoria-Jungfrau-a building which still retains the splendour of the
British Victorian architectural influence on so many large Swiss hotels.
There had been no sign of the red car once they had got fully under way.
Inside, there was the usual gravity over the formal registration: a
neat, unsmiling dark-haired under-manager, whose little plastic
nameplate revealed her to be Marietta Bruch, watched them as though
intent on taking their fingerprints. She then went through the passport
routine before saying that she was so sorry about what she actually
called `the untimely demise of your relative' Then: `You have, I
believe, papers from the police?" Fredericka smiled, digging into her
large shoulder bag, carefully keeping it below the level of the
reception desk so that nobody could glimpse the pistol. `Yes, I have
them, don't I, darling?" She beamed, giving Bond a quick, raised
eyebrow.
`Well, I gave them to you, but I've known things go missing from that
handbag before now." He turned away, giving the porter a hint of a wink.
The porter regarded him as though he had just ordered malt vinegar with
Dover sole.
She pulled out the official documents, passing them across to the
redoubtable Fraulein Bruch who inspected them closely, as though looking
for possible bacteria. `These seem to be in order,' she finally
pronounced. `Would you like to see first your cousin's room, before you
go to your own? Or do you wish to settle in?" It was all too obvious
that the hotel wanted them to check Laura March's room as soon as
possible.
`The police have already given permission for the room to be cleared
once you have been through her items." Marietta Bruch gave them a bleak
smile, behind which Bond detected the not unnatural desire of the hotel
management to get the murdered girl's effects out of the way, and have
the room free to rent. `We have ample storage space for her cases, if
you wish to make ~... `Yes,' Bond sounded decisive. Yes, we understand,
and I think it would be best if we looked through her things now. It
will be easier for us also. And we will, of course, ask you to keep her
cases until matters have been arranged." Fraulein Bruch gave a sharp,
official nod, then asked, `Mrs March's husband?
When she arrived this time, she said he was ill and wouldn't be joining
her. I hope it's not serious. She said it wasn't." `Then she didn't
tell you the truth. Mrs March's husband died several months ago,' Bond
lied.
`Oh!" Fmulein Bruch looked genuinely shocked for the first time.
Then again, `Oh! They were such a devoted couple. Perhaps that's
why...?" The thought trailed off as she picked a key from the rack.
`Perhaps you would like to come with me?" She came around to their side
of the reception desk, back on form, curtly instructing a porter to take
Mr and Mrs Bond's cases to 614. She put a great deal of stress on the
Mrs Bond, as though clearly saying that she did not believe a word of
it.
Laura March had opted for an obviously cheap and cheerful room.
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`It is not one of our luxury accommodations." Unteffuhrer Bruch as Bond
now thought of her-broke the seals and turned the key in the lock.
`She made the reservation at short notice, and said one of our cheaper
rooms would be convenient." Inside it was a basic hotel: a narrow bed
with a side table and telephone, one built-in wardrobe, a chair, a small
writing table, and a closet-sized bathroom into which were crammed all
the usual conveniences. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]