[Inspector de Silva 09] - High Wire in Nuala

by Harriet Steel

  ‘Do you know where Alexei was this morning?’ he asked Kumar.

  ‘I was with him when I helped him turn the horses out to graze. That was about eight o’clock. After that, I left him to see to the two that were lame. I had my own work to do.’

  De Silva shuddered inwardly at the thought of Kumar’s work.

  ‘So it was true that there were lame horses then?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, did someone say it wasn’t?’

  ‘No, I just wanted to be sure. Thank you for your help.’

  Chapter 4

  Returning home, de Silva was about to open the front door when he felt a gentle pressure against his right leg. He bent down and picked up the black kitten. ‘Good evening, Bella.’

  Her jade eyes, splintered with dark pupils, regarded him solemnly then she purred and nuzzled his shoulder.

  ‘I’m not at all sure you should be out at this time of night. What if we lost you?’

  In the space of a few months Bella, who had attached herself to him in particular, had wrapped herself around his heart in a way that he had not expected when he had agreed to let her and her brother, Billy, come to live at Sunnybank. Jane was usually meticulous about shutting both of them in at night when wild animals might be prowling the garden, so if Bella was out, the verandah doors must be open and Jane still up.

  As he walked down the side path that led to the back garden, he smelled the heady perfume of the ginger lilies in the bed that ran along the house wall. Their white, butterfly-shaped flowers glowed in the shadows. He bent to avoid a low branch of bougainvillea, shifting Bella to his other arm, but she jumped down and ran ahead of him.

  Jane looked up from her book. Billy snoozed under the small table beside her chair. ‘Hello, dear,’ she said with a smile.

  ‘Had you given me up?’ He yawned, weary now that the first stage of the investigation was over.

  ‘You look worn out. Have you eaten?’

  He shook his head. ‘For once, I’m past wanting to.’

  ‘I’ll make sure you have extra breakfast.’

  ‘That will do me nicely.’

  ‘If you’re too tired to tell me what’s been happening, it can keep until morning.’

  ‘No, I think it might clear my head to go over things.’

  He explained about the grease on the wire and the suspicion that it had been a malicious trick Izabella had played out of jealousy.

  ‘What did she say when you challenged her?’ asked Jane.

  ‘She denied it.’

  He went on to tell her about the discovery of Alexei’s body, his conversations with Nadia and Kumar, and what Kumar had told him about Tatiana’s behaviour.

  ‘How dreadful. It’s hard to credit that such a lovely young woman would behave so unkindly.’

  ‘I’m sure your Shakespeare had something pithy to say about appearances deceiving.’

  ‘I expect he did, but what a terrible price for Tatiana to pay for her thoughtlessness and Alexei for his jealousy.’ She looked at him shrewdly. ‘That is, if you believe that he planned her death then caused his own. Do you believe it?’

  He contemplated the question for a moment. ‘I’m not sure. We have two people’s testimony as to Tatiana’s character. Kumar’s was less flattering than Nadia’s, but then her relationship with Tatiana was much closer than his and of long standing. It’s not surprising she saw her in a more sympathetic light. But I heard her words when she bent over Tatiana’s body; they intimated that she had warned Tatiana that her behaviour towards Alexei was dangerous, and there was real feeling in her voice. When I pressed her she agreed, albeit unwillingly, that Izabella might have meddled with the high wire, but I believe she also thinks Alexei was capable of playing a part.’

  ‘Then what makes you doubtful?’

  ‘I gathered from Kumar and Nadia that Alexei was extremely moody and had an explosive temper. Would a man like that hatch a cold-blooded plot to kill his lover? Wouldn’t he be far more likely to lash out in the heat of the moment?’

  ‘That’s a good point; a premeditated crime does sound out of character. And would he have been able to get up to the wire to tamper with it?’

  ‘He was a slim man, and I expect he was agile enough, but if anyone had seen him, they would have thought it very suspicious he was up there. He would have needed to find a time when there was no one about. Whether that would have been possible is something I still need to find out. I can’t yet discount the possibility that it was Izabella. Perhaps he persuaded her to do it for him.’

  ‘Surely, in that case you would need to establish there was something between her and Alexei that made her prepared to help him? Jealousy of Tatiana alone might not be enough, but I suppose she could have been in love with him.’

  De Silva mulled the point over. ‘I’m not convinced the reaction I saw was that of a woman who had been duped by a lover. There was anger, but not sadness.’

  ‘Then Alexei might have promised her promotion.’

  ‘Boris seems more in control of that side of things. And something else is strange, now I come to think of it.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘Since Alexei wasn’t performing that afternoon, how would he know that Tatiana had suffered her fatal fall? Did he watched unnoticed in the shadows of the auditorium before returning to the stables and a lonely death?’

  ‘So, if Alexei didn’t plan Tatiana’s fall and then kill himself, who do you suspect?’

  ‘Kumar told me that Boris had once been in love with Tatiana. He might have been bitter that she chose Alexei instead of him. I’ve also discovered what will happen to Alexei’s share of the circus.’ He explained what Nadia had told him.

  ‘So, he has a financial motive too,’ said Jane. ‘That is interesting.’

  ‘It certainly is.’

  In his mind’s eye, he saw Boris’s big, meaty hands encircling his brother’s throat, choking him until he lost consciousness, then dragging his helpless body to that grim little room where the final act of the murder was played out.

  ‘He might have hoped to get away with the killings because people would believe Alexei tampered with the wire then died by his own hand, pursuing some violently jealous plan for him and Tatiana to die together. I can’t imagine Boris climbing up to that high wire, but he, rather than Alexei, might have been the one who persuaded Izabella to help him in return for promotion to Tatiana’s starring role. He hasn’t pursued the line that it must have been Izabella who tampered with the wire, but is that because he’s a fair-minded man, or is there a more sinister reason? I regret not calling David Hebden back to look at Alexei’s body now,’ he went on. ‘But I don’t like to telephone him so late, so it will have to wait until morning. He’s off on a fishing trip with some old friends, but I’m sure he’d postpone his departure for an hour or so.’

  ‘If the suicide was a sham to cover up murder, do you think there would be signs?’

  ‘I don’t know, but it’s worth asking Hebden.’

  ‘But that still won’t tell you for sure whether Izabella was involved.’

  ‘No, but that’s another point where Hebden’s opinion at the time we found the body might have helped me. If it’s likely Alexei was dead before Tatiana made her check at around eleven o’clock, then it’s hard to credit he was the one who greased the wire. I’m sure Tatiana would have noticed. But if it was later on, it might have been him, or indeed Izabella.’

  ‘That’s true. What will you do with Izabella tomorrow?’

  ‘Hold her for a while longer if possible. I haven’t arrested her, but I think she’s safer where she is. Boris has yet to tell all the circus people about Alexei’s suicide, if that’s what it was, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there aren’t rumours circulating about her involvement in Tatiana’s fall. I understand that she hasn’t many friends in the circus.’

  Billy eased himself out from under Jane’s chair and padded off in the direction of the garden, attracted by a small cloud of moths hovering ov
er a patch of canna lilies. Jane stood up to fetch him back. ‘It’s time you were inside,’ she said firmly, scooping him under her arm. He emitted a plaintive meow.

  ‘I think it’s time we all went in,’ said de Silva, linking his hands and stretching his arms above his head.

  The clock in the drawing room struck twelve. ‘Goodness, we haven’t sat up so late for a long time,’ said Jane.

  De Silva smiled ruefully. ‘I hope it doesn’t have to become a habit.’

  ‘Don’t worry, dear. I’m sure you’ll get at the truth soon. Perhaps the case will turn out to be straightforward after all. Late at night, things often have a way of seeming more complicated than they really are.’

  ‘I hope so. Oh, talking of complications, there’s something I meant to ask you. The clown, Gordo, called Boris and Alexei by the name Ivanovich, not Goncharov. When I asked him why, he said it was polite for him to do so. I pretended to understand because I didn’t want to waste time on the point, but really, I didn’t.’

  ‘Ah, it’s because they’re Russians. The way their names work isn’t quite like the British one. They have a first name and a surname as we do, but their middle names are derived from the name of their father. So, Ivanovich means son of Ivan; or if it’s a woman, the middle name would be Ivanova, meaning daughter of Ivan. The proper word for these middle names is a patronymic. And as the clown said, it would be very disrespectful to call an adult by their first name alone unless you were a relation or a close friend.’

  He grinned. ‘I was sure you’d have the answer. I often wonder how you know all these things.’

  ‘I haven’t met many Russian people, but I have read a lot of Russian literature,’ said Jane with a smile. ‘Now, time for bed. And try not to let the case keep you awake. As I said, I expect it will turn out to be much more straightforward than you anticipate.’

  ‘You’re probably right.’

  But as he locked up, de Silva found it hard to feel reassured. He went into the hall where Billy and Bella were now curled up in their shared basket. Bella raised her head and looked at him, her jade eyes unfathomable.

  ‘What do you think about it, young lady?’ he asked.

  She meowed then closed her eyes and tucked her head under a front paw.

  Sleep: it was sensible advice.

  Chapter 5

  Sleep worked its alchemy, and when he woke the following morning, de Silva was ready to face the day. As he washed and shaved, he made a mental note to telephone the undertaker and warn him that he had two bodies to collect from the circus. He hoped the errand would go smoothly. It occurred to him that the legal position was not clear-cut. The circus people were neither British nor Ceylonese. What if Boris refused to hand over Tatiana’s and Alexei’s bodies? He hoped common sense would prevail. It also crossed his mind that he would need to be tactful when the question of funeral arrangements came up. The Church of England service that the British were accustomed to might be inappropriate, problematic, or both.

  Jane was already at the breakfast table when he came into the dining room. As he sat down and shook his napkin into his lap, she poured him a cup of tea. Stirring in a teaspoon of sugar, he savoured the fragrant scent of bergamot.

  ‘Don’t forget you want to telephone David Hebden,’ said Jane as he set to work on a hopper filled with two soft-boiled eggs. The bowl-shaped pancake was garnished with sliced onions, fried until the rings were sweet and crispy, and flakes of toasted coconut. There were slices of fresh pineapple and mango to follow, but as he mopped up the last of the egg with a piece of pancake, de Silva decided they would have to wait until he had spoken to Hebden. He didn’t want to miss him.

  In the hall, he dialled the Hebdens’ number and waited. It was answered after several rings by Emerald.

  ‘Forgive me for calling on a Sunday morning,’ he said after they had exchanged greetings. ‘But I’d like a word with your husband.’

  ‘I’m afraid you’ve missed him. I’ve just come in from seeing him off. He and his friends wanted to make the most of the day.’

  De Silva grimaced. He should have guessed Hebden would be off early. There was no chance of getting him up to the circus today.

  ‘When do you expect him back?’

  ‘Not until Tuesday, and he might not be here before dinner time. The drive takes several hours, and they want to go fishing in the morning. Is it something to do with the accident at the circus?’

  De Silva hesitated. He was sure that Emerald wouldn’t gossip if she knew discretion was important, and he didn’t want to cause offence by not entrusting her with news of a major development, but neither did he want to spend too much time on the telephone. He explained briefly, adding that Alexei’s death was confidential at present; he was glad she didn’t ask questions.

  ‘I’m afraid I have no way of contacting David unless he contacts me,’ she said. ‘I know he’ll be sorry not to be able to help straight away.’

  ‘Never mind, my fault for not calling sooner, but I didn’t like to disturb you last night. It was late when I came home.’

  And this morning, he thought ruefully, I allowed the dictates of my stomach to take first place.

  ‘I’ve just had a thought. You might ask Doctor Norton down at Hatton. He and David have an arrangement to cover each other’s cases if one of them is away.’

  De Silva considered the idea for a moment. He had come across Norton a few times and he seemed a capable man, but on reflection, as neither doctor would be able to throw much light on the time of death now, it might also be a forlorn hope that they would be able to tell whether Alexei had died from hanging or some other cause. He might as well wait for Hebden’s return.

  ‘I don’t think a few days’ delay will be a serious problem. I won’t disturb him on a Sunday.’

  ‘Very well. Shall I ask David to call you when he gets home?’

  ‘I’ll drop a note in to the surgery.’

  ‘Well, I’ll tell him you rang anyway.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘He’d already left,’ he said to Jane when he came back to the dining room. He sat down and pulled the bowl of fruit towards him. ‘I shall console myself with some of this.’ He sniffed the tangy smell of pineapple and the intense sweetness of mango.

  ‘Do you think it will matter?’ asked Jane, spreading Cooper’s Oxford marmalade on her toast.

  ‘Probably not too much. Emerald suggested I call Doctor Norton up from Hatton, but I doubt that he will be keen to come on a Sunday, and Hebden is back on Tuesday evening. His opinion can wait. I’ll drop a note at the surgery, asking him to have a look at the body as soon as it’s convenient after he gets back. He would need to do that anyway for the medical reports for the coroner.’

  He took a bite of mango and wiped some juice from his chin with his napkin. ‘This is delicious.’

  ‘Will you still go up to the circus?’

  His mouth full of another piece of mango, he nodded. ‘Yes. But I might pay a visit to Archie first. He asked for a report on the case. I think news of a development like this shouldn’t wait until Monday.’

  ‘He and Florence usually come to church on a Sunday.’

  He finished his fruit. ‘Perhaps it will be easier to telephone. I’ll call and see if he’s available now.’

  Waiting while the servant who answered went to find Archie, de Silva wondered what his boss’s reaction to the news would be. Certainly, he had been reluctant to get involved in Tatiana’s case, but then her death might genuinely have been an accident. At first, there had been no reason to think otherwise. Alexei’s death was a different matter.

  The servant came back on the line. ‘I am sorry, Inspector, no one can find the sahib. We think he has gone out for a walk.’

  ‘When is he expected back?’

  ‘No one is sure.’

  In time for church presumably, but then he would be in a hurry. He thanked the servant and decided to go up in person.

  Jane was pouring another cup of tea when
he returned to the dining room.

  ‘I’ll go to the Residence after all. Archie’s out for a walk, and they don’t know when he’ll be back. Hopefully, I can find him, and there’ll be time to have a few words before he wants to be on his way to church.’

  ‘Do finish your breakfast before you go, dear.’

  ‘I’ve had enough.’ He kissed her cheek. ‘I’m afraid I may not be back in time to give you a lift to church.’

  ‘Don’t worry. I’ll manage.’

  **

  It had rained in the night, freshening the trees that lined the road to the Residence and making them sparkle in the sun. Here and there, the bright flash of parrots and other birds contrasted with the greenery. A few puddles of water steamed gently at the sides of the road. One hand resting on the wheel, de Silva almost forgot he was in a hurry.

  He wondered again what Archie’s reaction would be to the news that they had another body on their hands. If he persisted in the view that British involvement should be kept to the minimum, the conversation might not be an easy one. But whatever Archie’s opinion, the deaths had occurred on his, de Silva’s, patch. It went against the grain to sweep the matter under the carpet.

  He turned the Morris into the Residence’s drive. At first, the view of the large white house was partially obscured by tall palm trees, then it became clearly visible. When he had parked the Morris, he went up to the front door and knocked. It was worth checking whether Archie had returned before he trudged around the grounds looking for him.

  ‘The sahib is still not back,’ the servant who answered the door told him. ‘You might find him down at the fishing lake. The dog likes to swim.’

  De Silva thanked him and set off.