by John Molloy
At this point in her account, Pippa started to sob, but she gradually regained her composure and then continued in her own words:
“Because father had made no will the house was legally his sons. We had to leave our home with just our personal belongings - we had no place to go. Then we got lucky. My mother secured a position as house keeper in Colombo with some friends of father and they also agreed to take me in. After about six months having to forego my higher education, I had no job and not much prospects unless I worked as a hostess in a bar or night club and mother wouldn’t hear tell of that. I felt I was a burden on the people mother worked for so a few days’ ago I decided I would try and get to Australia. I had no money so stowing away like this was the only way I could get there.”
The captain sat with a lump in his throat and a hint of a tear in his eye, he had two grown up sons whom he loved dearly but always longed for a daughter.
“My dear girl, you are welcome on board my ship. She’s not as grand as you father’s liner but she’ll get us to Australia. If you’ll forgive me I would like to see you settled in Melbourne with a proper family who will look after you. Now my dear, go and get yourself settled in. There is one restriction I must impose on you. I don’t want you to go any farther below decks than the officer’s deck. That is where the saloon and officer’s smoke room is.”
“I understand exactly, but can I go onto the bridge and I promise I won’t be a nuisance to the officer of the watch or the helmsman.”
“Yes that is not out of bounds, I will introduce you to the deck apprentices later, they live on the boat deck and you may socialize with them until twenty hundred hours when you can accompany me on a little constitutional walk around the boat deck before we go onto the bridge to sign the night book. Then you should go to your cabin. I have some books if you like reading.”
Smiling radiantly, she stood to leave.
“Thank you so very much sir. I will always be in your debt.”
“No my girl, you will never be indebted to me and anything you want or anything that might be bothering you come and tell me.”
“Thank you sir.”
The relief Henry felt after leaving Colombo was compromised now with a torment of the arrival of this young girl stowaway. He wrestled with the idea of going to the captain and confessing his position and explaining about the dangerous psychopath on board the ship, and what danger he could pose to this young girl. He would have to give it serious thought.
The days after leaving Colombo were hot but idyllic as they made good a course to the south west tip of Australia. A slight breeze along the decks and a breath of fresh air through the alleyways with doors open fore and aft, was helping to dispel the stale air and smell of human beings living and sleeping in close proximity.
The more Henry saw Pippa the more thought he gave to going to the captain and telling him all about his true purpose for being on the ship. If anything happened to her he could never forgive himself; it would only compound the tragedy of Shirley’s and Nilima’s with another that could be avoided.
The stewards were instructed not to go into Pippa’s cabin. She would look after her own bunk and go to the chief steward for a change of linen and towels. The captain was keeping a distance between her and his crew, her contact with the crew was limited to the watch keeping officers on the bridge and the deck apprentices. Oswyn Welland had easy access to her but it looked like he was not now a suspect. However, Sweeney was in a cabin close to her. Henry would monitor Gary Conrad’s movements. But Tukola, who was a watch keeper on the twelve to four, would not be so easy to keep tabs on.
During some free time, Henry walked around the after deck in the cool of the evening, standing at the stern leaning on the gunwale looking at the ship’s wake stretching in a straight line for miles. The white rush of water had a soothing and somewhat mesmeric effect as he felt drawn along on some phantom chariot.
Sensing he wasn’t alone, he turned his head to see a fireman standing alongside him.
”Excuse me mate, hope I didn’t disturb you. I was just throwing these clinkers over the side.”
“No, you didn’t, I was just lost in thought. It’s a beautiful evening.”
“Yes, but I prefer it a bit cooler. That engine room is like bleedin hell. The chief steward is giving out a few cold beers to the lads; you’d want to get down there.”
“Yes, thanks for reminding me mate.”
Then the fireman left, carrying his empty bucket.
Bloody hell, Henry thought to himself. If that was the killer and not a fireman, he could have had me over the side just like that. Where he was standing was completely screened from the rest of the ship by the poop house. He would have gone completely unnoticed. He proceeded to chastised himself for his carelessness.
He walked back the after deck and saw the captain up on the boat deck taking his usual evening stroll with Pippa accompanying him. He’s really doting on this young girl – God, what am I to do?
It was just before noon next day when the deck hands were ordered to strip the hatches and lift off a few hatch covers at either end of the hatch to let more ventilation through. They were working number four when one man looking down made a grisly discovery; a girl’s body lay stretched out on the bales of jute.
The chief officer was on the scene quickly and a sheet was laid over the body. The captain went to examine the scene accompanied by the chief engineer. Photographs and notes were taken before the body was moved to the hospital. Henry heard the commotion and went to investigate. To his horror he saw a basket and two cartons of Lucky Strikes. “My God, it was Dhanya the beautiful boat girl. You filthy bastard, I swear I’ll catch you,” he muttered through gritted teeth. He noticed the red scarf was missing. The killer must have taken it as a trophy. He hoped he might see the body; it would be very important. Then he thought, what if they decide to return to Colombo, I’ll surely be arrested this time?
The captain called the chief officer, chief engineer and chief steward to his day room. He asked each one in turn what they thought should be done if they should return to Colombo or bury the body at sea.
“What do the authorities in Colombo say?” asked the chief engineer.
The captain asked the chief officer to call in the senior radio officer. The chief steward said that the body was starting to decompose and if they were to go back to Colombo it would be in an awful state by the time they arrived.
“Yes chief,” agreed the captain, “it will take us three days to return to Colombo and we have no way of refrigerating the corpse.”
The senior radio officer arrived.
“Sit down please. You’ve heard the shocking news?”
“Yes sir, it’s terrible. It looks like we have a murderer on board.”
“We’ll come to that part of this dreadful business after we decide what to do with the poor girl’s body. I want you to radio our agent in Colombo and explain the situation so he can contact the police and the girl’s family - they would have surely reported her missing by now. Tell them that the body is in a state of decomposition and all the senior officers on board ship have agreed that to return to Colombo would necessitate refrigerating the body which facilities we haven’t got. A burial at sea is the only practical thing to do. Tell them we have taken photographs and have a written account of the murder scene as we saw it which we will hand over to the authorities in Australia.”
They all agreed that was the only way open to them. The senior radio officer got up to go and send his message.
“Please sit a minute; we’re not quite finished here yet.”
“Aye-aye sir.”
“Now, I want all of your opinions on how best to handle this situation.” He looked at the chief engineer. “Can we start with you Robert?”
The chief engineer was a man of fifty-five and had huge experience on ships, having sailed on merchant ships during the war. Death was no stranger to him. He had witnessed ships torpedoed and men in the sea dying in burning oil w
aiting for rescue which never came because ships were issued with strict orders not to stop on any account. He was used to death, but the prospect of a cold calculated killer living among them even sent shivers down his spine. He looked the captain squarely in the eye. “There is not much use trying to find this murderer. We will have to leave that to the authorities. We could question all the crew members, but do you think we would be any nearer an answer?”
All agreed with this; with not a clue to go on it, looked a dead end.
“But what I do suggest very strongly and I’m sure you will all agree, the protection of our young passenger must be our top priority.”
The captain turned visibly white with fear - his eyes were filled with abject terror. “My God men, she is going to have to be protected twenty-four hours a day. But who should we trust to do this apart from ourselves and the other officers? I have already forbidden the stewards to include her cabin on their cleaning rounds. We can’t take any chances.”
“Yes sir,” agreed the chief steward. I couldn’t trust any of my men and just between ourselves that new man we took on in Fremantle is someone we know nothing about. And sometimes his ship experience seems a bit dubious. Maybe I’m wronging the man but little things he failed to do just struck me as strange for one apparently so experienced.”
The radio officer agreed with the chief steward.
“Yes, I asked him if we should splice the main brace when we crossed the line and he gave me a blank look like he didn’t know what I was talking about - a bit strange for a fellow at sea for years. To me, he comes across as someone who might be running away from something.”
The captain stood up.
“Thank you gentlemen for your contributions; I will call you all again when we get word about the burial. In the meantime, report anything you might hear or your juniors might hear from below decks.”
As they left his cabin, the captain turned to the mate.
“Could you wait a second, there are a few things I want to discuss with you.”
“Yes sir.”
The captain put his hands up to his face and lay back in his chair. “Would you believe I feel physically sick over this whole business? The responsibility for this young girl is weighing down on me in a dreadful way. I’m afraid I’m not confidant of securing her complete safety, that’s why I’m asking if you can you help along with the other officers.”
“Yes sir, of course. I and our second and third officers will do everything you ask. I will have to discuss with the chief engineer about his men’s co-operation, especially the second and third who are reliable company men.”
“Do that and I will speak to Pippa and explain how she will have to keep her door locked at all times - especially at night. Thank you. I’ll let you know about the arrangements as soon as we get word back from Colombo.”
During the days following the grisly discovery, meal times were quiet and somber affairs. No one spoke. The saloon was like a monastery. The crew’s mess was even worse; men sat around eyeing one another, not a word spoken - suspicion hung on the air like a foul mist.
Conspicuous by his absence from the dinner table was Sweeney, the junior radio officer, but no one remarked on it. The chief steward had come into the pantry and spluttered out the news about the possibility of the ship returning to Colombo. After the evening meal, Henry spent some time alone on deck; the thought of the ship going back to Colombo with the dead girl was devastating. He’d surely be arrested and would also be the prime suspect for this latest murder. And even identifying as a police officer, he’d still have to prove he was innocent of Nilima’s murder.
He hadn’t spent much time alone with Gary Conrad since the discovery of the dead girl. The few minutes he was in his company alone, Conrad seemed as shocked as the other crewmen.
Henry went down the after deck and stood outside the hospital door. This was a room that was seldom occupied; he imagined none of the crewmen were ever in there. He didn’t want to look conspicuous hanging around, so he quickly tried the door handle. “” he muttered, “I thought so, locked.” Then he remembered the master key and went to get it from its secret hiding place. I’m sure the key will fit, he mused, it’s the same type of lock as all the others. I’ll need a small flashlight there’s one in Conrad’s drawer. Then he heard a voice coming from behind the poop house where he had been standing several nights before.
“He’s a foul mouthed young scamp. One I never liked.”
Henry lost the sound, it was like a whisper. He ventured a bit closer and heard the voice again.
“Did you ever hear him talk about women? No respect, that’s what I say. People like him can cause harm. I’ve seen it happen where I live in Solford.”
“It still doesn’t say he could commit murder. I know he was one of them down the tween decks,” was the response from a second voice.
Then a third voice chipped in: “We’re living, eating, and sleeping with this brute. Did you see the poor wee things face all battered her cloths all torn? Who’d do such a thing? What about that new steward we took on in Fremantle, I’d like to know a bit more about him too?”
“Aye, I hear some of them in the recreation room say he’s not much of a sea going fellow - strange him signing on in Aussie.”
The conversation continued.
“That’s not strange; you get lots of blokes on the beach looking for jobs in all sorts of countries. We picked up a fireman in Valparaiso. He was on the beach six months, Scottish he was, living ashore with a woman whose husband was at sea and when he came home the lad had to clear out. We’ll have to keep our eyes and ears open and catch this bastard. I’d have no qualms giving him a watery grave.”
Henry moved quietly down the deck and stood inside the mast house; he stayed out of sight in the darkness and watched as they passed to see who the three inquisitors were. Henry identified a fireman, the boatswain and an A.B. All in their fifties. As older seaman, they would have definitely not gone with any of the boat girls.
My God, Henry thought, this gaggle of crewmen could be a dangerous development; they were setting up their own vigilante group.
Gary Conrad was sitting reading when he got to his cabin he raised his head from the book. “Talk of returning to Colombo with this girl’s body.”
“Yeah, it’s a terrible situation, poor girl. She didn’t deserve that.”
“I know it’s a hard life they have.”
He stood and gazed out of the porthole.
“Did you see her face Henry?”
“No, I only saw the body when it was covered.”
“I didn’t see the body either but I heard the deck lads who found her saying she was badly beaten, her face was battered and looked like her neck was broken cause her head was twisted to one side.”
Henry’s disgust showed on his face. “Christ almighty! who would want to do that to a young girl? They might be prostitutes or whores whatever you like to call them, but who thinks he has the right to mistreat them?”
Conrad threw the book down.
“Whoever he is he’s a sick bastard and feelings are running so high around the crewmen. If they find for sure who he is, I’d hate to think what they’ll do to him. It won’t be justice in a court he’ll get; it’ll be over the side with him or what’s left of him after they’re finished with him.”
Henry stripped off to go for a shower. He stood with a towel around his waist. “I’m glad I wasn’t down those tween decks.”
“Fuck you Henry; don’t look at me with suspicion because I took my girl below there. Half the fucking crew was down there.”
“I’m not looking with suspicion at you or anyone. I overheard a few of the older men out on deck and they were having their own kangaroo court. I don’t know who they were talking about but it wasn’t pleasant what they had planned to do with him if they discovered his identity.”
“I’d help if I was sure, but if you think about it seriously, it’s almost impossible to finger anyone.”
&n
bsp; “Did you see anything when you were coming or going from the tween decks? I know the light was poor but you could surely see some of the couples?”
“I’m not sure which of the girls it was that was killed but I did see one fellow going far up along the bales because most of the business was done just near the ladder down from the mast house; they were nearly on top of one another. He was going up where her body was found and I’d know the girl if I saw her face.”
“Are you sure you’d recognize the girl if you saw her face?”
“Look Henry, you go take your shower. I’m saying no more, it’s too fucking serious. I just can’t implicate someone just like that.”
Although still a suspect, Henry’s policeman’s instincts made him feel that Conrad’s reaction to the murder was genuine. But then again, he knew from his police training that psychopaths could often be cunning and could also be convincing actors.
The mate was in with the captain when the chief radio officer came to the door.
“I have word back from the authorities in Colombo sir.” He walked in and handed him the paper.
“Thanks, that was quick.” He read the reply and handed it to the chief officer. “See what you think of that?”
He read it down and handed it back to the captain. “At least they’ve given us an option; the final decision rests with you sir.”
“Yes I know, doesn’t it always, but this involves just more than a quick ‘we’ll return or keep on course’. A girl and her family are the subject and the trauma of never having a grave to grieve at or place to lay flowers would be depriving these people of the basic succor of life.”
The mate stood and looked at the distress of this noble man. “I’m going to the chief steward and the chief engineer and we’ll go look at the body and decide if it is at all possible to keep this corpse for another four days in any remotely decent condition with this heat and humidity. We’ll report back to you shortly sir.”