Part 13 (1/2)
Then ecu briefly reported on the morning meeting with Hare, and about the sword that had served as a murder weapon.
”Then it must have been planned! The fact that someone, just like that, takes a sword from an antique suit of armor and cuts the head off Vulture seems ... too much.”
But before Falcon could comment on this, they both heard a loud bark from inside the superintendent's office.
”In here! Both of you. Bring something to eat!”
”Eat?” Falcon asked, looking unhappy.
Anna shrugged her shoulders to relay that she didn't have anything edible with her.
”Not tomorrow,” Bloodhound shouted. ”Now!”
They got up and took the few steps into the superintendent's office. Falcon closed the door.
”I'm extremely sorry, Superintendent,” said Falcon, ”but I didn't know you wanted something to eat. If I'd known, of course I would have-”
”Shut up, ecu!” the dog ordered, holding up a couple of densely covered pages with one paw. ”This, you understand, this is d.a.m.ned interesting.”
Anna shook her head inquisitively while Falcon nodded in understanding.
”Vulture's will,” said Bloodhound, waving the papers in the air. ”Not a foundation as far as the eye can see. The widow can exhale, even if she won't get all of the pie.”
”I thought that perhaps it might be-” Falcon began.
”A will?” asked Anna. ”Vulture's? Listen ... isn't that suspicious? That there's a will at all? I mean, Vulture was neither old nor sickly.”
”Forgive me for pointing this out,” said Falcon, ”but Vulture was rich. Rich enough to be convinced by lawyers, who charge by the hour, to be safe rather than sorry.”
”Falcon may be as freshly hatched as I am wrinkled,” Bloodhound barked, ”but he's right. Nothing strange about a will in Vulture's circles. Not when money is gus.h.i.+ng from the estate.”
”Okay,” said Anna. ”What does it say?”
”The wife and son get most of it,” said Bloodhound.
”I am of course shockingly inexperienced,” said Falcon, ”but I actually forgot to ask. What did the son say, Superintendent?” Falcon asked.
Bloodhound was embarra.s.sed. He hadn't managed to reach Oswald Vulture's son, even though he had left several messages on the answering machine. The moment he dismissed the widow, the rich Flamingo, he had also lowered the priority of her son. He had a recollection of having delegated the matter to Pedersen, but perhaps he'd forgotten to ask?
”You two will have to look up the son immediately, get his alibi, and give him the bad news. I don't think he has any contact with his parents,” said Bloodhound. ”Do that during the day. And it's not just bad news ...” The superintendent nodded at the papers and said, bitterly, ”There's more money than you think.”
”And it all goes to the wife and son?” asked Anna.
”No. No, Vulture was no doubt a cunning devil ... I don't know ... Well, read it yourself.”
Bloodhound pushed the will over to the inspectors.
”It's only formalities at the beginning. Start on page three.”
Anna leafed through to page three, leaving the papers on the table so Falcon could read too: ... and to my chauffeur Kai Gnu I leave both my black Volga Deluxe and the red Volga Kombi that my wife uses. To Fritz Burma, who clipped my hedges for so many years and fertilized my flower beds, I leave the bathroom furnis.h.i.+ngs at Mina Road. He may take the fixtures he finds valuable (he will have to disa.s.semble them himself, and this applies both to the gold faucets in the guest bathroom as well as to the diamond-studded mirror on the top floor). Ellen Spider, my reliable cook, is awarded two million and Chameleon Raukanomaa, who ironed my s.h.i.+rts and underwear, is awarded one million: the money shall be deposited into their respective bank accounts no later than two months after my demise. To Jasmine Squirrel shall go a monthly payment of fifty thousand as long as she lives. The doorman at Nova Park and likewise my personal factotum George Llama shall be guaranteed a workshop of no less but possibly larger than two thousand square feet in Bourg Villette, to be furnished and equipped according to Llama's instructions. To Daniel Lamb, my faithful a.s.sistant, a sum of fifty million shall be paid, in installments of ten million on the fifteenth of January for five years. Pugdog Owen, in the event she loses her job as domestic servant at Mina Road, shall be compensated with the equivalent of the monthly salary she had at the time of her termination until she reaches the age of seventy. My ma.s.seuse Cow Bonvie is awarded my collection of antique cuff links.
”Several suspects,” said Falcon ecu when he was finished. ”In any event, several who have a motive.”
”Too many to worry about now,” Bloodhound growled. ”But there is something else remarkable about this will.”
”Excuse me, but now I don't really know what you mean, Superintendent,” Falcon asked.
”Think about it,” Bloodhound growled.
Falcon thought.
”Injustice, possibly,” he said at last. ”That ... the ma.s.seuse ... gets nothing more than a collection of cuff links. Can anyone have known about the will in advance, and felt provoked?”
Anna Lynx was squirming in her seat.
”Cuff links must cost a pretty penny,” she said. ”We're talking about someone who has gold bathtub faucets, apparently. No, I see what you're getting at, Larry. It's Squirrel.”
”Exactly,” Bloodhound confirmed.
”The squirrel?”
Falcon wasn't following. Bloodhound explained.
”Everywhere in the will Vulture is careful to describe the details. Who's done what, and why. Nothing is left to chance here. But this ...”
Bloodhound picked up the papers and read to himself.
” 'Jasmine Squirrel'-who is she?”
”No idea,” said Falcon.
”That was a so-called rhetorical question,” the superintendent growled.
”Excuse me, Superintendent.”
On the other side of the blinds the sky had cleared, and the wind was as absent as Falcon's sense of humor. Bloodhound sighed.
”I don't know if any prosecutor is going to request it, but we'll probably have to check up on every poor pile of s.h.i.+t mentioned in the will. Where they were at the time of the murder, how their relations.h.i.+p to Vulture appeared ... you know,” he said.
”C'mon, can't we ask Pedersen?” Anna asked.
”It sounds like Pedersen's type of a.s.signment,” Bloodhound nodded. ”I'll let him know. His group can check everyone who's mentioned in the will.”
”Perfect,” Anna nodded.
”Except Squirrel,” said Bloodhound. ”First I want a little background on Squirrel, ecu. And you'll also have to take care of the son, if Pedersen's going to have time for the rest.”
”Excuse me, but what's the son's name?” asked Falcon, ready with his notepad.