An Exhibition of Murder

by An Exhibition of Murder (retail) (epub)

  Demain turned his eyes to Jasper, pleading. ‘I did tell her about the letter. I cited the words. She sent the letter to Sir Peter. She killed him.’

  Violet jumped to her feet and ran for Demain. ‘Stop accusing Iris. She didn’t do anything to harm anyone. You’re a despicable man. You hated my father. And I hate you.’ Her fists rained down on his head. The policeman tried to pull her away.

  The doctor moved back with a worried expression. ‘This young woman is seriously unsettled. She must not walk about freely.’

  Jasper looked at Iris. ‘Even now Violet is playing to your plan, Iris.’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean. What plan? I didn’t tell Violet to do this. She’s simply defending me. I’ve taken care of her all her life. I’ve always been there for her.’

  ‘Yes. And therefore, it hurt all the more when you discovered you were going to lose Violet. Sir Peter’s marriage would change it all. Beate Herziger might become Violet’s friend and companion. Her confidante.’

  ‘What nonsense. He would have left Violet with me.’

  ‘That was not what you wanted. You wanted to be on travels with him. You wanted to see the world. You wanted everything to stay what it was. Or for it to become even better. After Sir Peter had died and Violet had inherited everything, you would have control over her. Via the dreams.’

  Iris laughed softly. ‘Please, Inspector. No one will believe that a person can control another’s dreams. Not even the psychiatrists believe that. You must be mad to suggest such a thing.’

  Jasper said, ‘Anton Müller is an illusionist. And what do illusionists do?’

  He dropped a silence.

  Everyone was looking at him, uncertain, what the answer might be.

  Herziger spoke hesitantly, ‘They show something that is not real. They are in chains one moment and free the next. You wonder how they accomplish it.’

  ‘Exactly. They show something that is not real. Their tricks do not depend on what actually happens but what their audience believes happens. It was the same thing in this case. It is not about what happened to Jane Bell in the chapel at the estate, or to Karl Müller when the burial chamber collapsed on top of him, or to Sir Peter even when he was stabbed in this very room. It is what Violet believes that happened. Is it not, Iris? The way to keep her dependent on you, the way to show her that she is not able to make it alone, is by allowing her to keep believing: in her guilt, in her regret, in her part in situations that were not her fault at all. Jane Bell died in a chapel when it collapsed. She saved the life of a precocious four-year-old going somewhere where she wasn’t supposed to go. That was all there was to it. Did Violet suffer a shock from this? Of course. Did she dream about it? Naturally. But someone was there to whisper to her that the dreams meant something. To remind her of the dreams every now and then so that they would come back. Someone who never quite let her forget. That was you, Iris.’

  Iris shook her head, but Jasper added, ‘You told me that Violet disliked certain people and then they died. But Violet never disliked Jane Bell. Why would she have? That kind servant girl had saved her life. You suggested it to me so in my mind a link would form between people Violet didn’t like and their subsequent deaths. People like to see connections. Perhaps the deaths were not just accidents. Perhaps they were somehow contrived by Violet.’

  ‘I love Violet.’ Iris’s voice was thick with emotion. ‘I would never hurt her.’

  ‘You might have told yourself that. But you did hurt her. Because you wanted her to need you. You wanted Sir Peter to need you. So they would never send you away.’

  ‘But why?’ Isobel Maurin asked, blinking her long black lashes. ‘She could have worked for someone else. Made money, had a life. She need not have done this manipulative thing.’

  ‘I know!’ Anna’s blue eyes sparkled. The pretty young woman pointed at the plain companion with a cruel glee. ‘She was in love with Sir Peter. She wanted to be close to him to fawn after him. She never allowed him to remarry because she wanted him but could not have him. She—’

  ‘Me want to marry him?’ Iris laughed softly. ‘Illogical, impossible even.’

  Jasper held her gaze. ‘Illegal?’

  The word sent a jerk through her body. He felt it like electricity in his own veins. So it was true. The thought that had crossed his mind and been dismissed at once. It was true.

  Iris turned to Violet and smiled at her, a warm radiant smile that turned her plain face almost pretty. ‘Don’t believe anything Jasper says. I would never have hurt you, Violet. I love you. More than anything else in this world. Not just because I raised you or because I’ve been there for you ever since you were this little girl crying for your mother. But because we are bound by blood. I am your aunt.’

  ‘Aunt?’ Violet echoed.

  ‘Yes. Your father could never tell you because he didn’t know, but the twin sister he had, the one who allegedly died at birth, didn’t die. She was raised by other people. It is me. I love you so much.’ Iris wrapped her arms around Violet and hugged her.

  Jasper watched with a chill feeling. That was why there had been no separate date of death on the birth certificate of the twins. He had assumed the girl had died on the same day. But she had lived.

  He said to Iris, ‘You mentioned to me once that you never had an Oxford education. I thought you meant it in general, but actually you referred to Sir Peter, your twin brother, who did have it. He had everything that was denied to you: your parents, a loving home to grow up in, chances to move up in the world. Why did his parents abandon you?’

  Iris shrugged. ‘I was a girl. My father didn’t want a girl in the family who would only cost him money when he had to marry her off. He had his son and I was just—’

  ‘An unwanted by-product?’ Jasper put it provocatively on purpose, hoping to get behind her calm façade.

  ‘Don’t say such things.’ Violet looked at him with anger in her eyes. ‘Iris has always been good to me. Her constant care may be a bit much at times, but it comes from a good heart.’

  ‘It doesn’t come from a good heart. It wasn’t selfless and kind. Iris used you,’ Jasper retorted, ‘to ingrain herself into your father’s life and make herself indispensable. You had to be weak, emotional, in need of constant care and supervision, so he could never send Iris away.’

  ‘Wasn’t it justified?’ Iris straightened up. ‘He owed me a lot and I was only taking it back. By hard work too. Never for free.’

  ‘Yes, it must have been hard work’, Jasper said wryly, ‘to keep working him, day by day, making him believe his only daughter was ill, weak, could not be trusted, might be disturbed. I suppose there have been times when he depended totally on you and believed everything you told him. But recently he started to doubt you. He wanted to ask Kurt Baum to investigate the dreams, the events from the past. Violet’s persistent need to blame herself for situations which were, at first glance, not of her making. He wanted to know why she kept acting in such a harmful way, not to prove Violet guilty but, on the contrary, to prove her innocent, to rid her of this burden on her life. To prove, through an outsider, that it was in fact you, Iris Phelps, who kept the illusion of Violet’s guilt alive. He had no idea you were his twin sister. He merely suspected you because you were so close to Violet, so ideally placed to influence her. You listened at the door when he explained it to Baum. He didn’t mention your part in it. Sir Peter wanted Baum to form an objective opinion so he made no suggestions. He just said that he wanted to know what had really happened. But it was enough for you to assume that he suspected you. Now all you had worked for was at stake. You needed to silence him, before Baum ever reported back. You killed him, Iris. You killed your other half, your twin, your mirror image as it were. You put the mask over his face to suggest that it had been the motive for murder. But wasn’t it also to hide his features? His flesh that was your flesh?’

  Iris shook her head. ‘You are clever, Jasper, but not clever enough. You think you can provoke me into a c
onfession. But I have nothing to confess. I didn’t kill him. How could I ever hurt Violet so deeply? I love her, despite your beliefs to the contrary. I’ve dedicated my life to her. She is everything I have.’

  ‘But you never believed you were hurting her with it. Let’s face it. Sir Peter wasn’t much of a father. You were a much better parent than he had ever been. Were you doing Violet a disservice by removing him from her life? Not really. You could then protect her even better. Against the wrong suitors.’

  Iris blinked as if she was confused by the understanding tone he took with her.

  Violet said, ‘I do appreciate all you have done for me, Iris, but I won’t stay with you now that Papa is dead. I want to marry Anton and travel with him. I want to see the world, but not from old dig sites where they bring such horrible masks to light. I want to live in a different world. Be happy.’

  Iris looked at her. ‘Be happy?’ she repeated, as if she didn’t understand what the phrase meant.

  Violet nodded. ‘I want to be with Anton.’

  ‘But he doesn’t love you. Not like I do. He only wanted revenge on your father. He used you.’

  ‘I didn’t.’ Anton stood with his feet planted apart. ‘I might have come here to confront Sir Peter but I did fall in love with Violet. I want her to become my wife.’

  Violet smiled. ‘You see?’ She ran to Anton and hugged his neck. ‘I love you too. We’ll see the world together.’

  ‘Are you out of your senses, child?’ Iris was pale with rage. ‘You don’t know what you’re asking for. This man has no means, no set address, no… He does magic tricks for a living. You cannot demean yourself like that. You’re worth so much more. You are the heiress of the golden mask.’

  ‘I don’t want it.’ Violet made a throwaway gesture. ‘It never meant anything to me. If you are really my father’s sister, you take it. You’ll no doubt draw more joy from it than I ever would.’

  Iris stared at her. ‘You mean that?’

  ‘Yes, of course. You can take his legacy and make it into whatever you want. I don’t need it. I’m happy with the love Anton gives me.’ Violet’s face shone when she spoke as if a giant weight had lifted off her shoulders and she was now at last free.

  Iris opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. For once she seemed dumbfounded.

  Violet hugged Anton again.

  Iris looked at her. Jasper saw the struggle on her face, between joy over what had suddenly been tossed at her, all of her late twin brother’s inheritance, his reputation, his discoveries, everything, and the sharp sense of loss as Violet tore herself away from her with a remarkable ease. The impending separation didn’t seem to hurt the girl who looked a bright future in the eye, with the man she loved. But it did hurt the loyal companion, the secret aunt who had worked all of her life to… belong?

  ‘I will not allow it.’ Iris went over and took Violet’s arm. ‘You’ll stay with me. I decide who you marry. If you marry at all.’

  Violet wrung her body to extract herself from the vice-like grip. ‘I don’t need your permission for anything. I’ll elope.’

  ‘You silly girl. You can’t take care of yourself. You need me—’

  ‘I don’t need you!’ Violet screeched. ‘I don’t need you at all. I never knew you were my aunt. I never liked you. I certainly didn’t love you. Nothing in the world could make me love you.’

  Something in Iris’s face died. Her features turned cold and immobile like the mask. She stood there with her arms limp beside her body. A lifeless form.

  Violet hugged Anton, who told her everything was all right now and they would be happy together.

  Demain said in a trembling voice, ‘If she killed Sir Peter, she must be arrested.’

  Marktherr came forward with two of his men. He looked at Jasper with doubt in his eyes. ‘Shall we take her along? Are you sure—’

  Jasper nodded. ‘She killed Sir Peter and she also killed Karl Müller. It was her he wrote about in the letter. She was the dangerous woman Sir Peter didn’t want to acknowledge because he was a blind fool. He considered Iris harmless. At least at the time. Perhaps Karl Müller’s death also made him wary. Made him think about things twice.’

  The two policemen took Iris between them and led her away. She didn’t struggle. She didn’t speak.

  Marktherr said with a sigh, ‘I would have liked a clear confession.’

  Jasper stared after the woman walking away. ‘I’m sure you will get it. She has no more reason to lie.’

  As he said it, Iris turned her head around and looked at Violet. ‘For all your life I protected you and this is the thanks I get? To hear you never loved me, never even liked me? You should have been buried under that chapel, not Jane. She was a good girl. You are wicked. Evil to the core. You will never be happy, you hear? You should have been dead! Not Jane, not your father, you!’

  The policemen pulled her away. Violet stood motionless, her eyes wide with horror. ‘What does she mean? Why does she say I am evil?’

  ‘Because she can’t let you go.’ Jasper took her cold hand in his and squeezed. ‘She believes she is entitled to family after all she has been through. You might never understand it, but please try to accept it. She is the one who is in the wrong, not you. You’re not evil. And you should not have died. You were a silly child playing where you shouldn’t have been playing. Jane knew that and she saved you, selflessly. If her sacrifice is worth anything to you, then go out and be happy. Live a full life.’

  Anton wrapped an arm around Violet. ‘I’ll take care of her. I promise.’

  He led her away.

  Kurt Baum came up to Jasper. ‘Do you believe him? He’s but a young man. Does he have any idea what he is letting himself in for? Violet may not be a murderess, but she has been through so much that her mind has suffered.’

  Jasper pulled the dream book from under Baum’s arm. ‘I’ll take this, thank you. You do not need it anymore.’

  Baum huffed. ‘You almost accused me of murder. Was it necessary to pretend you suspected me?’

  ‘I wasn’t pretending. I did suspect you.’

  Baum’s eyes went wide. He muttered something under his breath.

  Jasper watched Rohmann walk to the door with Isobel Maurin. He could hear him say, ‘But you can’t have felt anything for the poor old sod. Give me another chance. I’ll make it up to you. We can travel to Paris. You can perform there and I’ll write. Not stupid newspaper articles but a novel.’

  ‘Something deep about tortured love?’ Isobel asked, patting his arm with a coy smile.

  ‘No, something about twins separated at birth. I suddenly had the revelation of the century about a shock ending.’ He leaned over to her and spoke urgently as they left the room.

  ‘I don’t give them any chance together,’ Baum said.

  Jasper sighed. ‘Just a case of can’t live with each other, can’t live without each other, I guess.’

  ‘Is that a motto from a Greek philosopher?’ Baum asked.

  ‘No, from a Viennese waiter.’ Jasper went over to Demain. ‘I hope your heart didn’t get too much of a shock?’

  Demain eyed him with a half-angry, half-resigned expression. ‘I suppose you needed to do it this way to make her feel secure before you went after her. I did tell her about the letter. I’ll swear to it in court.’

  Jasper nodded. ‘She sent it to Sir Peter, hoping it would be found among his things after he died and point at Anton Müller. She knew of course from the advertisement of his magic show that he was in Vienna and she wanted to pin the murder on another than herself.’

  ‘Did she know Violet was seeing this illusionist and considered eloping with him?’

  ‘I don’t know. It’s odd she let Violet go out on her own. Perhaps she allowed it because Violet’s connection to Anton would strengthen his motive for murder.’

  ‘Surely she would never have allowed Violet to be implicated in her father’s murder?’

  Jasper considered what Iris had told
him. How subtly she had convinced him Violet was indeed a troubled girl. ‘I’m not sure,’ he admitted.

  Demain sighed. ‘I’m the only one left with rights to the golden mask now that Violet has said she wants nothing to do with it. But I’m no longer as enthusiastic about it as I used to be. It seems to inspire the worst in people.’

  He walked away slowly, suddenly an old, dejected man. Herziger followed him. Beate watched them go and then came over to Jasper. ‘Thank you for solving this matter.’

  He searched her expression. ‘I’m truly sorry for the hurt I’ve caused you by what I had to expose.’

  ‘I knew about it.’

  ‘That is not the same as others knowing about it as well. I wish I could have spared you that, but… I knew some people were suspicious of you because of Sir Peter’s womanising, and I wanted to clear you for all to see.’

  ‘I do appreciate that.’ She took a deep breath. ‘It’s true that I said to Lavinia I could just kill him. I fantasised about it.’

  ‘Be careful with that. Sometimes in life there is a thin line between what the mind conjures up and what we’re actually going to do. Shy away from evil. Listen to the good inside you.’

  ‘Forgive and forget?’ she asked cynically.

  ‘I’ve seen much more deceit than you have. And still I believe that most people are not particularly evil. On the contrary, they have goodness inside them if you care to see it. Your father genuinely loves you very much. He’s been so afraid you were guilty and that he would lose you.’

  A smile lit her features. ‘I thought he was guilty and I was afraid to lose him. It’s good to know we can still tolerate each other after all these years together. We are again thrust upon each other now.’

  She waited a moment. ‘Now that Demain can’t marry Violet, he might turn his attentions to me. But I will not be receptive of them. I have decided love is really not my thing. It’s too irrational. I prefer my life calm and under my control.’

  Jasper nodded. ‘I understand.’ He didn’t say she might change her mind one day when someone came along to sweep her off her feet. It seemed unlikely in her case, but who knew? He liked to believe in good outcomes for those who had been hurt.