In Search of Murder--An Inspector Alvarez Mallorcan Mystery Read Online Free

ankle.’
    â€˜In the face of those facts, why is Dr Ferrer not more certain? Have you misunderstood him?’
    â€˜No, señor.’
    â€˜Then you will speak to him again and ask for a firm opinion.’
    â€˜He mentioned a case in England which he thought might be relevant.’
    â€˜What was the case?’
    â€˜A man more than once married a woman with some money and each time he drowned her by suggesting she washed in a tin bath—’
    â€˜It is hardly credible to quote a case from the Middle Ages.’
    â€˜I gathered this occurred towards the end of the nineteenth century.’
    â€˜A time at which no bathroom in Spain was without running water and a proper bath.’
    â€˜But on this island …’
    â€˜Bears no relevance to circumstances on the Peninsula. There, after the first murder, signs of the struggle would have been efficiently noted and the man found guilty, suffered the penalty of death and no further woman would have suffered.’
    â€˜It seems not, señor. By pushing her head under the water with one hand and pulling up her legs with the other, an unexpected rush of water hits the larynx … or the pharynx …?’
    â€˜You are not aware where each is situated?’
    â€˜Not exactly.’
    â€˜Or inexactly. The larynx is a cavity in the throat which encloses the vocal chords; the pharynx forms the cavity which is the upper part of the gullet. Is that what caused Picare’s death?’
    â€˜Dr Ferrer said there could be no certainty until the post mortem and even then there might not be any.’
    â€˜A typical medical excuse for failure. When will the PM be?’
    â€˜I don’t yet know.’
    â€˜What is it your intention to do before that takes place?’
    â€˜It’s difficult to know what can be done until we know the result.’
    â€˜A typical excuse for doing nothing. It is not necessary to learn the señor’s financial situation, who were his friends and acquaintances, was he known to have caused deep resentment, had he been the subject of threats?’
    â€˜Is there any point in doing all that before the cause of death is established? If it becomes clear that death was accidental, all the work would be wasted.’
    â€˜Was the dead man wealthy?’
    â€˜I should imagine very much so.’
    â€˜I prefer fact to the product of your imagination.’
    â€˜In order to provide a base for his house, it must have taken many hours of work with heavy machinery to level the land …’
    â€˜You may omit technical details with which you are unlikely to be cognisant. If wealthy, that provides a motive for his murder.’
    â€˜But as yet, señor, there is no certainty …’
    â€˜You fail to understand that an hour’s investigation taken immediately after an incident is worth far more than one undertaken later.’
    â€˜But in this instance—’
    â€˜You will question the doctor and demand a firm judgement, not possibles and perhapses. You will question the widow and staff in order to appreciate all the relevant circumstances surrounding his death. Is that clear?’ Salas did not wait for an answer, cut the connection.
    Alvarez awoke and discovered his siesta had lasted only slightly more than an hour. Salas had disturbed his sleep pattern. The rising heat from the marble window ledge, wavered and had a hypnotic effect; he closed his eyes. He had made his report and Salas could hardly expect him to carry out a futile investigation immediately.
    Dolores’ call from downstairs awoke him.
    â€˜Enrique, are you dead?’
    â€˜Did she expect him to answer if he were? He reluctantly got up, went through to the bathroom and enjoyed a cold shower, dressed. In the kitchen, Dolores was seated at the table, reading. He waited for her to put the book down, prepare his hot chocolate and set out biscuits on a plate. She continued to read. He coughed, then