“Would it put you more at ease if we talked somewhere else? It must have been quite a shock to find the Attaché’s body here. Where can we go?”
“There’s a storeroom right next door with a table and chairs. We could go there.”
“Good!”
When they had settled down and Drusilla seemed a bit less nervous, the Frau asked, “What time did you find the body?”
“I’m not sure exactly. I’m on the night shift this week and we were making up extra beds for the stayovers.”
“I guess you’ll have a few more to make up for the rest of our team, if you’re around tomorrow. You’ll meet a nine-foot tall Kodiak Bear; a gorgeous Polar Bear and her two cubs; a curly haired white dog and two white Bengal Tigers. But I bet you meet a lot of interesting animals here at the Residence.”
“Not that interesting! Anyway, I think it was about one o’clock in the morning. We needed some more pillow cases and I took the back stairway down to this storeroom. That’s when I saw him. His body was blocking the stairs. His head was on the floor but most of him was still on the staircase. At first, I thought he was just unconscious but then I saw the bones sticking out of his neck and the blood and I was sure he was dead. That’s when I started bleating.”
“Were the lights on?”
“Yes. I thought that was strange. Usually I have to turn them on when I use those stairs.”
“Did you see or hear anyone else.”
“No!”
“Were there any packages or papers next to the body?”
“I didn’t see any.”
“You probably use this staircase a lot. Have there been any other accidents on it recently?”
“I’ve been here over three years and I don’t remember anybody ever falling or slipping. You can ask the rest of the housekeepers.”
“I will. One other thing. The Attaché’s right horn was broken off. Did you see it?”
“No, but I was so frightened, and I didn’t want to touch the body. The broken piece may have been under him or somewhere else. After they led me away, Joseph and Major Butho took the body. I don’t know where they put it.”
“It’s in refrigerated storage. Do you know who cleaned up after they moved him?”
“It was probably Bertha. She was on cleanup duty that night.”
“I’ll ask Joseph to introduce me. Thank you, Drusilla. You’ve been a big help. That wasn’t a very pleasant experience. Is there anything else you can recall or want to tell me?”
“No, but I don’t think I’ll be using that staircase very much.”
Chapter Six
Now it’s time for some brief show and tell
Introducing our team’s personnel.
And we learn on the phone
Bear’s not coming alone.
We’ll be seeing his noble wife, Bel.
Since the Colonel and Frau were mates, they were sharing a large bedroom. I, on the other paw, had a smaller room to myself. I joined the Colonel in his digs and invited him to join me while I called Octavius over an encrypted smartphone. Wyatt plugged in a second pair of earphones and a mike while I made the connection.
“Bear Here!” roared a deep ursine voice. No doubt, Octavius was seated at his speakerphone. He believes he must thunder at full amplitude to be heard over that device. This from a technical genius. His staff keeps trying to get him to tone it down but to no avail.
“Octavius! Maury. I’ll be calling you over an encrypted link so switch phones. Wyatt is here with me. Frau Ilse is interviewing the maid who found the body. She should be joining us shortly.”
I made the transition to encrypted mode and waited. Beeps and boops and the Great Bear was on board, this time with a more subdued voice. He opened in typical Octavius style. “Well?”
“Well,” I replied and gave him the Washington tourist’s version of our progress, or lack thereof. I passed on the Ambassador’s remarks about wanting us to pursue every credible lead but fail to prove foul play. He wants it to be called an accident.
There was silence on the other end of the phone and then one of his signature “Hmms.” Followed by, “I don’t like that. I don’t like that at all. Our agreement was to follow the facts wherever they led with no intervention on his part. I’m half tempted to call this off and bring you back.”
The Colonel spoke up. “Octavius, there are some things here that are very strange. His Excellency’s apparent change of attitude; the state of the Impala’s body; no one is quite sure why he stayed over at the Residence that evening. Actually, that’s not true. The Ambassador knows but he hasn’t seen fit to tell us - yet. It could have been routine. As long as the Ambassador himself or the Treasury of Gotu is paying, I’d like to hang on. My curiosity has been piqued.”
Another long paws. “All right. We’ll be flying up in the morning.”
I chirped, “Who is we?”
“Belinda, the cubs and me. The Ambassador extended his invitation to them to sightsee in Washington while I worked with you on the investigation. Oh yes, I’m sure Mlle Woof will be there to keep an eye on those two rascals. The Flying Tigers will be part of the flight crew although Belinda insists she wants to pilot the Ursa Minor herself.”
Before the conversation could go any further, Frau Schuylkill padded into the room. I pointed at the phone and mouthed “Octavius”.
She nodded and coming close to the phone said, “Good evening, Herr Bear” in her unique Switzerdeutsch accent. Wyatt gave her the microphone and the earplugs.
“Good evening, Frau. Can you shed any further light on this situation?”
“I had a short interview with Drusilla, one of the maids. She is a Goat. She was still frightened from her experience in finding the Impala’s body but she confirmed that he was lying at the foot of the rear staircase with his head and front hooves on the floor and the rest of his body still on the steps. The lights were on. He wasn’t carrying anything that she could see. She started bleating and eventually one of the other maids and Joseph, the Majordomo came. They took her away and that’s all she remembers. Another maid came in after they moved the body and cleaned up the area.”
“Can you interview that maid? She might have picked up something important.”
“I will ask Drusilla.”
“Joseph has invited us for a nightcap after dinner. I plan to take him up on it and question him further. For example, did the Ambassador put in an appearance when the body was found? Which room was Idi staying in? Did it seem like he was returning there?”
Snorts from the Bear on the other end of the phone. “All right, Maury. See if you can pick up any more clues. As if we had any clues in the first place. I agree with you, Colonel. I don’t like the way all this is turning out. I’ll see you in the morning. Click!”
“Anyone for a pre-dinner brandy?”
As we file out of our rooms and down the Grand Staircase (There must be an elevator somewhere.) let me get you caught up on a few things. You will meet the Bearoness and the cubs tomorrow. Mlle Woof is a Bichon Frisé, a small French, curly haired dog half the size of the cubs, McTavish and Arabella. She is their governess. How she keeps them in line is a mystery but she is definitely in-charge. Octavius also mentioned Benedict and Galatea Tigris, the Flying Tigers, a pair of white Bengal siblings who fly both the Bearoness’ and Octavius’ aircraft. They will be coming to Washington on the Ursa Minor as backup crew. That ship gives new meaning to the words “luxury helicopter.” Octavius spends heavily on transportation even though he is somewhat sedentary. But what the hell! If you’ve got it, flaunt it”
We made a semi-grand entrance into the library where Joseph, Major Butho and Doctor Mopsi were siphoning off some VSOP cognac onto crystal dishes.
“Glad you could join us,” said Joseph. “The Ambassador sends his regrets. He is tied up in an
overseas telephone conference. I have some names for you. Here is a list of the meeting attendees and here are the staff members who stayed over.”
“Not many,” I said, “I think we’ll make a visit to the Embassy tomorrow after Octavius arrives. There are five names on the stayover list including Idi. Were any of these others aware of Idi’s death?”
“They may have been. The maids made enough noise to wake up the entire house. The Ambassador has clamped a complete state of silence on the entire staff. He wants this affair strictly controlled and does not take kindly to being disobeyed.”
The Major lapped a healthy slurp from his bowl. “Pardon my curiosity but the Ambassador has not been particularly forthcoming with us, either. May I ask you about your backgrounds and about this Doctor Bear?”
I described Octavius’ history, personality, skills and the long list of cases he has solved nationally and internationally. I also made mention of his immense wealth derived primarily from his mega business interests - Universal Ursine Industries. The Great Bear does not rely on his cases for revenue. I also mentioned the Bearoness and her independent fortune. Money was not an issue for the Bears. The Ursa Minor would bear that out. They would also meet the unique sibling team of white Bengals - The Flying Tigers, who pilot the Bear’s and Bearoness’ aircraft. I slipped in a few comments about the cubs to soften the blow when they arrived.
The Colonel and Frau in turn, described their military backgrounds and the cases they had worked on for The Great Bear. I avoided any mention of my ne’er do well early history or how I came to be Octavius’ side-kick and simply listed off some situations I had taken care of and various international law enforcement agencies I had assisted. The Major as well as Joseph and the Doctor seemed impressed. I confessed that none of us knew the circumstances that previously brought the Ambassador and Octavius together. They were both reluctant to discuss the subject.
I asked, “When was the Ambassador made aware of Idi’s death?”
Joseph replied, “Not until next morning. He had gone to bed and the Major and I felt we had things in hoof for the moment. He was obviously quite disturbed at the news but did not seem to think he should have been awakened.”
“Did he view the body?”
“Oh yes! And he gave instructions to have the Doctor do a post mortem; to notify Idi’s next of kin and prepare to send the body home. Then he had a change of heart and said he wanted to employ a disinterested investigative team to examine the evidence and circumstances. That’s when he contacted you.”
“How did you feel about that, Major?”
“Honestly, I was a bit miffed. After all, the Embassy security team are hardly amateurs. However, on reflection, I decided to go along without complaint. We seem to be working well together so far.
The Frau growled and said, “Yes, and we thank you for your cooperation. We’ll try to finish our work as rapidly as we can and not exclude you from any of our activities or conclusions.”
This was a little white lie and I’m sure the Major realized it as such, but he let it pass. We agreed that dinner seemed to be in order. During the meal, discussion centered on Gotu. All was not as peaceful and prosperous as we were initially led to believe. The Major shared with us that there were several political parties who had combined to foment unrest. The Prime Minister was hardly popular. There had been no overt acts yet, but the media outlets were quite blatant in their attacks on him. “A corrupt, incompetent nepotist whose family is draining the Treasury. Luxurious living while the rest of the country is suffering. In the midst of plenty, there are shortages of basic necessities.”
We also learned that the Ambassador was the Prime Minister’s nephew. Another reason why caution and confidentiality were essential. Idi’s death will not play well in the press or with certain politicians. Accidental death certified by a world renowned, objective detective team would go far toward averting an upheaval.
“Was Idi a member of the political opposition?”
“It’s not clear what he was. He made himself out to be apolitical. He seldom spoke about the government at home and was smart enough not to get on the wrong side of the Ambassador.”
All of that would have rated another one of Octavius” “Hmmm’s”
After Joseph gave us instructions on breakfast, the Frau went off to track down the “clean-up” maid. Bertha was another Goat.
“Yes, I was on clean-up duty the other night. First, I helped take Drusilla back to her room. Then I went back downstairs. No, I didn’t see the body. They had moved it already. There really wasn’t much to clean up. A little blood on the rug. And, oh yes. I guess he broke his horn when he fell. They left it there when they moved him. I picked the broken piece up.”
“What did you do with it?”
“I think I put it in the trash bin. I’m not sure.”
The Frau practically choked. “Please show me!”
Chapter Seven
If you are a hybrid bear cub,
You belong to a posh aero club
And you leisurely fly
In a craft through the sky
To a city you call Washing-Tub
The thundering sound of whirling rotors echoed across the Embassy Residence compound as an oversized, super-powered helicopter gently settled onto a grassy expanse. Octavius had arrived in style. His latest aerial toy was a true wonder. Behold the Agusta Westland AW101 VVIP glistening in sparkling gold and white with the name Ursa Minor and the outline of the constellation painted along the fuselage. The North Star Polaris was highlighted. With a cruise speed of 157 mph, a range of 517 miles and a five-hour endurance rating, the Ursa Minor made the 400-mile journey from Cincinnati to Washington DC with ease and comfort. Octavius, in true gillionaire fashion had furnished the interior with luxurious seats and fittings, an opulent galley, and had installed an array of navigation, communication, performance and safety equipment that was state-of-the-art plus. Universal Ursine Industries had seen to that.
For all its size and sophistication, the chopper only required a single pilot. In this case, it was his Polar Bear wife, the Bearoness Belinda Béarnaise Bruin Bear (nee Black.) As backup, The Flying Tigers - Benedict and Galatea Tigris, two white Bengal aviators, were along for the ride. BUT Belinda was definitely pilot-in-command. Rounding out the assemblage was Octavius himself and their twin hybrid cubs, Arabella and McTavish Bear, accompanied by their governess, the redoubtable Bichon Frisé, Mlle Woof.
The Colonel, Frau and I moved up to the forward door as the huge blades slowly rotated to a stop. The door burst open and out tumbled two brown and white, oversized fur balls followed more sedately by a little white Bichon Frisé, Mlle Woof. “Uncle Maury, Uncle Maury, we’re here in Washing-Tub. Are you glad to see us? Hi Frau! Hello Colonel! (They were a little cautious when it came to Wyatt.) Momma flew the helicopper all by herself. Poppa just sat and slept.”
(Octavius is known to suffer narcoleptic episodes brought about by a self-administered genetic alteration designed to make hibernation unnecessary. Sometimes, they happen at very inopportune moments. For this reason, as well as his size, he does not drive, control aircraft or boats or use dangerous equipment. Nevertheless, he insists he is not narcoleptic. An ongoing debate! We invariably lose.)
Speaking of whom, the rear cargo door opened and a set of stairs folded out, revealing the nine-foot, 1400-pound bulk of the Great Bear as he tried to maintain his balance. The Wolves rushed to give him an assist. I would have ended up flattened if I got anywhere near them.
Joseph approached from the house, somewhat awed by the opulence of Octavius’ and Belinda’s arrival vehicle. He stepped forward and bowed as Belinda made her way down the forward stairs, leaving the Tigers to batten down the chopper.
“Milady, welcome! We are honored to have you and your family here with us. My name is Joseph, Majordomo of the Residence. We have prepar
ed rooms for you and your companions and have laid out a luncheon for you. I assume the journey was not too wearing. That indeed, is a wonderful aircraft.”
“Thank you, Joseph. Actually, I am a bit tired. We came over from the Shetlands a day ago, on my SST and now on to Washington. Yes, the Ursa Minor practically flies itself and is certainly outfitted with every airborne comfort.”
By this time, Octavius and the Wolves had joined us. The Camel nodded and said “Doctor Bear, welcome. I am Joseph, Majordomo here at the Gotu Embassy Residence. We are saddened that a death has necessitated your visit but we look forward to your assistance in resolving this issue. As I have mentioned to the Bearoness, we have rooms set aside for your party and will be serving luncheon shortly. The Ambassador will join you at that time.”
Octavius drew himself fully erect as was his wont when making or taking formal introductions. Nine feet tall. Intimidating? Usually, but not to an animal very close to his height and weight. In his best resonant voice, he said, “Thank you for your hospitality, Joseph. I am eager to join my advance team and get involved in our research. Is Security Chief Butho available? I would like to confer with him. And, of course, I look forward to seeing the Ambassador.”
As the Great Bear spoke, the Rhodesian Ridgeback was making his way from the parking lot to the helicopter, shaking his head in admiration of the awesome craft. He was taken aback when the two white tigers, Ben and Gal, emerged from the forward door and sprang to the ground. A second round of introductions all around, interrupted by the capering cubs with Mlle Woof in hot pursuit. She bowed briefly to the assembly and scurried off after Arabella and McTavish.
Joseph suggested they follow the maids with the luggage and go up to their rooms while we and Octavius spoke to the Major. He left to check arrangements. We would all be called to lunch shortly.
The Attaché Case Page 3