In Search of Murder--An Inspector Alvarez Mallorcan Mystery (22 page)

‘Perhaps wishes?' Alvarez suggested. ‘When I said I wanted to speak to him, you corrected me.'

‘When referring to a senior, a junior wishes, not wants.'

‘With bowed head?'

There was a pause, during which he could hear voices, but not clearly enough to understand.

‘Alvarez,' Salas said, ‘Señorita Torres has referred to the unfortunate manner in which you have just spoken to her. You should not be surprised to learn that she found it objectionable.'

‘I was only being very slightly sarcastic, señor.'

‘As Pedro Antignac wrote, “Sarcasm is an ignorant man's wit”. Why have I not received your report?'

‘I gave it to you yesterday, señor.'

‘And you have done nothing since then?'

‘I questioned Amengual and Señora Barrat, but since I learned nothing of any consequence from either, I decided there was no reason to bother you with the results.'

‘Your decision should have been to report to me immediately. You will now do so.'

‘Amengual drives his wife to the local market where she sells the fruit and vegetables he produces. Because of the times at which he takes and collects her, he could not have been at Vista Bonita at the time of Picare's death.'

‘Have you confirmed that the market was in operation on the twelfth?'

‘It runs every Thursday throughout the year.'

‘I repeat my question.'

Did Salas not understand that nothing prevented a market from operating on the specified day of the week?

‘Have you confirmed he drove his wife there and brought her back?'

‘They both confirmed that fact.'

‘At what time did he fetch her?'

‘At about four in the afternoon.'

‘You have proof of that?'

He believed the Amenguals were telling the truth, so in a way it was fair to say their evidence was confirmed. ‘Yes, señor.'

‘Have you managed to do anything more?'

‘I spoke to Señora Barrat and she—'

‘Identify her.'

‘She and her husband live in one of the properties below Vista Bonita. As instructed by you, I questioned the inhabitants of those homes and asked her if she had seen a brown Fiesta driving away on that afternoon since she might be able to confirm the time at which Russell had left there on the twelfth. Of course, to expect someone to note a car when that person has no reason to do so, not to mention the unlikelihood of accurately noting the time—'

‘To anticipate failure is to fail. Have you determined how many brown Fiestas there are on the island?'

‘I'm waiting for the information from the importers.'

‘Until you receive this, do you not understand that little, if any, significance can be given to the sighting of such a car?'

‘As it was you who ordered me to make the enquiries, señor …'

‘Unfortunately, not in sufficiently simplified detail to enable you to understand what steps needed to be taken and the order in which to carry them out.'

‘Judging by those whom I have spoken to, I don't think it can be regarded as feasible to continue to question other occupants in homes along that road.' Before Salas could comment, he added, ‘However, as I said just now, I did speak to Madge. She and her husband live next to—'

‘A surname?'

‘Barrat.'

‘What was her evidence?'

‘She could tell me nothing that you would find useful and interesting, señor.'

In fact, it had seemed obvious that Madge had not been involved with Picare, but it was easy to imagine he had met her and would have seen her as prey to be caught and tamed; perhaps her husband had returned unexpectedly or she had been guiltily unwilling to explain a lengthy absence from home.

‘The result of your questioning is wholly negative?'

‘As you have said, there are times when a negative can be as valid as a positive.'

‘When considered intelligently. Have you spoken again to Marta to decide how much credence it is safe to give her evidence? Does the cook …?'

‘Rosalía.'

‘Yet again you consider you need to remind me?'

‘I only mentioned her name because—'

‘You will question the cook after speaking to Marta and will cross-check their evidence, with particular emphasis on the circumstances in which they heard Russell call out to Señor Picare when he was in the pool.'

‘I will do so first thing in the morning.'

‘This evening.'

‘Señor, neither of them has a known motive …'

‘Marta's father had a very strong one. Which is why you will ask her, without giving your reason, if at any time she heard her father vehemently condemn Picare and whether he was absent from home at the specific time.'

‘I am morally reluctant to ask, without explaining why, a daughter to say something which might adversely affect her father.'

‘I was not aware that morals have any part to play in your life.'

Alvarez parked, walked across to the front door of Vista Bonita, sounded the bell. As he waited, he gained pleasure from the view despite his resentment at being where he was in order to carry out orders with which he disagreed. He rang once more, was further ignored. He walked along one side of the house, checked the single side door was locked, rounded the corner and came in sight of the pool. Rosalía had been swimming and was standing by the steps at the shallow end. She was naked. She saw him, climbed the steps, picked up a towel and began to dry herself.

His thoughts were a template for any man's mind in similar circumstances. He hurried forward.

‘Am I embarrassing you?' she asked.

‘On the contrary.'

‘You don't mind seeing a woman naked?'

‘Not when she's perfectly sculpted.'

‘Then you approve of what you see?'

‘Never more so.' His voice had thickened. He moved to her side.

‘No closer or you'll get wet.'

‘I'm waterproof.'

She spoke coquettishly. ‘Remember, sweet inspector, I'm a good girl so it's see but don't touch.'

He reached out to put his arms around her, kissed her hungrily, cupped her left breast with his right hand, began to slide his left hand down her back.

‘No!' She screamed. She struggled to free herself and when his grip did not loosen, clawed his face.

The sharp, unexpected attack caused him to release her. She ran into the house. He moved the tips of his fingers across his cheek, found they were bloodied.

For very many days, she had projected a sexy image, met sexual innuendo with sexual innuendo, inevitably led him to believe …

‘You're bleeding.'

He had not heard Marta approach. His bewildered surprise was replaced by embarrassment.

‘Didn't you know?' Marta asked.

He said nothing.

‘I thought because you're a detective you must know about her and the señora.' Marta brought a handkerchief from a small pocket in the front of her frock, dabbed away the blood on his cheeks. ‘You should see a doctor.'

Who would want to know the circumstances of his injury. ‘It's nothing.'

‘Take my hankie and hold it against your cheek.'

He wanted to explain, to try to excuse his behaviour, but believed that to do so would exacerbate the contempt she must surely be experiencing. His bewildered embarrassment caused him to say, ‘I'll return your handkerchief as soon as it's been cleaned.'

He refilled his glass with brandy from the bottle in the bottom drawer of the desk, regarded the telephone as if it was a spitting cobra.

He finally dialled.

‘Senior Chief Salas' office,' Ángela Torres said primly and proudly.

‘I want to speak to the señor.'

‘You wish to do so. Wait.'

He drank. He'd been hoping Salas would not be there.

‘Yes?'

‘Señor, I have—'

‘A name?'

‘Inspector Alvarez.'

‘Do you think that eventually you will be able to understand the need to introduce yourself? What is the object of this call?'

‘To tell you, señor, that the motive for the murder of Picare was not money, as you suggested at the beginning of the investigation.'

‘Your grounds for such conclusion?'

‘Señora Picare and Rosalía enjoyed a relationship.'

Alvarez waited.

‘That is all you have to say?' Salas demanded.

‘I thought you weren't commenting because you were so surprised.'

‘Since one of them is an employer and the other an employee, the relationship is one that is hardly a cause for surprise.'

‘I'm not referring to such a relationship, señor.'

‘Can there be any other?'

‘For the señoras, it had become also a personal one.'

‘I suggest you ring off and compose a legible report before you attempt to deliver it.'

Alvarez drank quickly. It was absurd he should need to explain certain facts of life to Salas whose prudery should have been banished by work long ago. That it had not could confirm certain rumours concerning Salas' marriage. ‘Señor, the two were lesbian partners.'

Another silence. Then: ‘Your authority for this statement?'

‘The experience of someone.'

‘Who?'

‘I have promised never to reveal the name.'

‘A promise you had no right to give since this is an ongoing investigation and the informer's evidence may well prove essential.'

‘If I had refused to give my promise, I would not have learned the nature of the motive which finally confirms Señor Picare was murdered.'

‘You should have succeeded in gaining the information by offering a retractable promise.'

‘Understanding the relationship explains certain facts. When Picare died, his wife was naturally shocked, yet she suffered far more than one might expect when the marriage was far from a happy one. So why was this?'

‘You can provide an answer which is not totally beyond belief?'

‘She knew the nature of her relationship had somehow become known to her husband – hence the bitter rows between them. She had every reason to believe that as a consequence he would demand a divorce and her affair with Rosalía must be destroyed. It was Rosalía who decided there was one way in which to prevent this happening.

‘When she learned I was investigating the death of Señor Picare, she was all playful and come-on. Yet as is now clear, the interest of any man was unwelcome to her.'

‘A woman will hardly be described as playful with anyone other than a young child and I have no idea what is the meaning of “come on”.'

‘The manner in which a woman behaves when she wants to indicate she is interested and probably willing.'

‘Your knowledge of matters in which a cultured mind has no interest never ceases to depress me.'

‘She hoped her behaviour would avoid my becoming aware of her true feelings.'

‘You say you learned the truth of the relationship from a third person whom you promised not to identify. Since you must realise that his or her identity will be important in a trial, would I be wrong to consider it possible there is no such third person and he or she has been introduced in order to conceal you have been guilty of conducting the investigation in a manner which is prejudicial to the reputation of the cuerpo?'

‘I have always been guided solely by that, señor.'

‘For the sake of everyone, I will accept your reassurance.'

‘Quite early in my enquiries, I leaned about a bitter row, almost violent, between the Picares, but at the time there was no reason to think this was caused by anything other than the señor's womanizing. Then when the relationship between the señora and Rosalía became known, I remembered those rows and how bitter they had become and judged Picare had learned about his wife and Rosalía. A man from an ordinary background made wealthy by luck is going to be very conscious of his image as seen by friends and acquaintances, in particular those from grander backgrounds than his. He would be convinced they would laugh at him if they learned his wife was a lesbian carrying on an affair with his servant. He will have told his wife she had to get rid of Rosalía or he would divorce her and make certain she got as little of his money as possible.

‘The two women faced disaster. Cicely Picare was too old to return to a job in a bar, Rosalía with her cooking skills would find little difficultly in obtaining another job, but how likely was it that they would then be able to enjoy each other's company?

‘Rosalía found the solution, but aware it would horrify Cicely, never discussed it. She subtly encouraged Picare, waited until Cecily was away for the day, suggested she and Picare had a swim together. To him, this would lead to a much desired conclusion. When it was too late, after she had lured him up to the deep end so that his head was just above water, she suddenly and violently, pulled him under.'

‘It has taken you a very long time to uncover the truth,' Salas said.

‘Because she used every possible means in which to cover her guilt. She mentioned the regular visits of women, named several without admitting that the visits of two were perfectly moral. When I asked her to help me in checking the ability when in the kitchen to hear someone by the pool, she spoke only in a whisper. When I went to the pool, she lied and told me she had heard nothing.'

‘It has taken you a very long time to uncover the truth.'

‘But for the information I received after I had agreed never to reveal the name of the provider, señor, it perhaps never would have become known.'

‘Have you arrested Rosalía?'

‘I judge that at the moment there is not sufficient proof to do so and unless she confesses, there is unlikely to be enough in the future.'

‘You will question her again and obtain her confession. And in future, this will, hopefully, persuade you to accept my judgments. At the beginning of this investigation, I said that the motive for Picare's murder would prove to be money, not sex as you so wrongly maintained.'