Inspector Zhang Gets His Wish Read Online Free Page B

asked the inspector.   He waited until everyone had gathered behind Mercier’s chair before asking him to begin the recording from the point at which Mr. Wilkinson and the prostitute stepped out of the elevator.
    "Here we can see Mr. Wilkinson and his guest arriving at eight-thirty," said Inspector Zhang. "Very much alive, obviously."
    He watched as Wilkinson and the woman went inside. "She left an hour later.   Please skip to that point, Mr. Mercier."
    Mercier tapped a key and the video began to fast forward. He slowed to normal speed just before nine-thirty in time to see Ms. Lulu leave the room.
    "Now, at this point Mr. Wilkinson ordered his club sandwich and coffee from room service, so again we know that he is still very much alive."
    "So who killed him?" asked Miss Berghuis. "If the woman left the room and no one goes in before the waiter, who stabbed him?"
    "That is an excellent question, Madam," said Inspector Zhang.
    "But can you answer it, inspector?" asked the manager, tersely.
    "I think I can," said Inspector Zhang.   "They key to solving this mystery lies in understanding that it is not who goes into the room that is important. It is who does not go in."
    "That doesn’t make any sense at all," said the manager crossly.
    "I beg to differ," said Inspector Zhang. "It makes all the sense in the world. It is as Sherlock Holmes himself says in Arthur Conan Doyle's masterpiece The Adventure Of Silver Blaze, it is the fact that the dog did not bark that is significant."
    "We do not allow dogs in the hotel," said Mercier. "There are no pets of any kind."
    Sergeant Lee looked up from her notebook, smiling, and Inspector Zhang sighed. "I was using the story as an example to show that it is sometimes the absence of an event that is significant, which was the case in the Adventure of Silver Blaze. If I recall correctly it was Inspector Gregory who asks Sherlock Holmes if there is anything about the case that he wants to draw to the policeman’s attention. Holmes says yes, to the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.   That confuses the inspector who tells Holmes that the dog did nothing in the night-time. To which Holmes replies, “That was the curious incident.” Do you understand now, Madam?"
    She shook her head impatiently. "No inspector, I am afraid I do not."
    "Then, Madam, please allow me to demonstrate," said Inspector Zhang. He put a hand on Mercier’s shoulder. "Please, Mr. Mercier, fast-forward now to the point where the waiter arrives with the room service trolley."
    "This is a waste of time," said Mercier. "We did this already."
    "Please humour me," said the inspector.
    Mercier did as he asked and they all watched as the video fast-forwarded to the point where Mr. Chau arrived with his trolley and began knocking on the door.
    "Normal speed now, please, Mr. Mercier.   The video slowed as they watched the waiter use his key card to enter the room.
    "At this point Mr. Chau is discovering the body and calling down to reception." Inspector Zhang waited until the waiter appeared at the door and began pacing up and down. "As you can see, no one enters the room until the hotel staff appear." On the screen Miss Berghuis and her staff appeared and they all hurried into the room. "At this point you phone the police," said the inspector, turning to Miss Berghuis. The manager nodded. Inspector Zhang patted Mercier on the shoulder. "So now fast-forward until my arrival, Mr. Mercier, but not too quickly. And I want everyone to note that no one else enters the room until I arrive with my sergeant."
    The door to the room remained closed for twenty minutes until Inspector Zhang and Sergeant Lee stepped out of the elevator.
    "Normal speed now please, Mr. Mercier. Thank you."
    Mercier pressed a button and the video slowed. Inspector Zhang walked up to the door and knocked on it. It opened and he went inside, followed by his sergeant. The door closed behind them.
    "So, now we are inside, talking to you and assessing