Part 4 (1/2)

”Yes, sir; he had a purse, and he must have taken it with him because he didn't leave it in his room.”

”What sort of a purse was it?”

”A brown leather purse, sir.”

”Was it a new one?”

”Oh, no, sir; it was well worn.”

”How big was it? About like mine?” Riedau took out his own pocketbook.

”No, sir; it was a little smaller. It had three pockets in it. I mended it for him once, so I know it well. I didn't have any brown thread so I mended it with yellow.”

Dr. von Riedau nodded to Muller. The latter had been sitting at a little side-table writing down the questions and answers. When Riedau saw this he did not send for a clerk to do the work, for Muller preferred to attend to such matters himself as much as possible. The facts gained in the examination were impressed upon his mind while he was writing them, and he did not have to wade through pages of ma.n.u.script to get at what he needed. Now he handed his superior officer the paper.

”Thank you,” said Riedau, ”I'll send it out to the other police stations. I will attend to this myself. You go on with these people to see whether they can identify the corpse.”

Fifteen minutes later the three stood before the body in the morgue and both the bookkeeper and his companion identified the dead man positively as Leopold Winkler.

When the identification was made, a notice was sent out to all Austrian police stations and to all p.a.w.nshops with an exact description of the stolen watch and purse.

Muller led his companions back to the commissioner's office and they made their report to Dr. von Riedau. Upon being questioned further, Pokorny stated: ”I had very little to do with Winkler. We met only when he had a report to make to me or to show me his books, and we never met outside the office. The clerks who worked in the same room with him, may know him better.. I know only that he was a very reserved man and very little liked.”

”Then I do not need to detain you any longer, nor to trouble you further in this affair. I thank you for coming to us so promptly. It has been of great a.s.sistance.”

The bookkeeper left the station, but Mrs. Klingmayer, who was now quite rea.s.sured as to the harmlessness of the police, was asked to remain and to tell what she knew of the private life of the murdered man. Her answers to the various questions put to her proved that she knew very little about her tenant. But this much was learned from her: that he was very close with his money at times, but that again at other times he seemed to have all he wanted to spend. At such times he paid all his debts, and when he stayed home for supper, he would send her out for all sorts of expensive delicacies. These extravagant days seemed to have nothing whatever to do with Winkler's business pay day, but came at odd times.

Mrs. Klingmayer remembered two separate times when he had received a postal money order. But she did not know from whom the letters came, nor even whether they were sent from the city or from some other town.

Winkler received other letters now and then, but his landlady was not of the prying kind, and she had paid very little attention to them.

He seemed to have few friends or even acquaintances. She did not know of any love affair, at least of nothing ”regular.” He had remained away over night two or three times during the year that he had been her tenant. This was about all that Mrs. Klingmayer could say, and she returned to her home in a cab furnished her by the kind commissioner.

About two hours later, a police attendant announced that a gentleman would like to see Dr. von Riedan on business concerning the murder in Hietzing. ”Friedrich Bormann” was the name on the card.

”Ask him to step in here,” said the commissioner. ”And please ask Mr.

Muller to join us.”

The good-looking young clerk entered the office bashfully and Muller slipped in behind him, seating himself inconspicuously by the door. At a sign from the commissioner the visitor began. ”I am an employee of Braun & Co. I have the desk next to Leopold Winkler, during the year that he has been with us--the year and a quarter to be exact--”

”Ah, then you know him rather well?”

”Why, yes. At least we were together all day, although I never met him outside the office.”

”Then you cannot tell us much about his private life?”

”No, sir, but there was something happened on Monday, and in talking it over with Mr. Braun, he suggested that I should come to you and tell you about it. It wasn't really very important, and it doesn't seem as if it could have anything to do with this murder and robbery; still it may be of some use.”

”Everything that would throw light on the dead man's life could be of use,” said Dr. von Riedau. ”Please tell us what it is you know.”

Fritz Bormann began: ”Winkler came to the office as usual on Monday morning and worked steadily at his desk. But I happened to notice that he spoiled several letters and had to rewrite them, which showed me that his thoughts were not on his work, a frequent occurrence with him.