Was this a man who was capable of luring three women to their deaths? He certainly fit the pattern of pathology, and resentment towards women.
If his wife knew anything about extracurricular activities on his part, she was not showing it.
Eulalie rode out of town toward the industrial district. Her next stop was Task’s Archery Academy where she hoped to find Marie Task alone.
During her last visit, she had noticed that Laurent tended to be out in the field dealing with students, while his wife stayed in the office, running the administrative side of the business. It shouldn’t be too difficult to get her alone.
As soon as she got to the archery center, she saw a big class of adults that was being taught by Laurent. This was the perfect opportunity to get his wife alone.
The front desk was still manned by Laurie Task who recognized Eulalie instantly.
“It’s good to see you again, Ms. Park. Have you changed your mind about signing up for classes?”
“I’m afraid not.”
“That’s a shame. I saw the way you grouped your arrows at seventy meters. It was better than my father’s best attempt. You’d be an asset at the academy. We could use you in tournaments.”
“I don’t see the point of firing at a target,” said Eulalie. “For me, a bow and arrow are for hunting – no other purpose.”
If you ever change your mind, you know where we are. In the meantime, you said you wanted to speak to my mother?”
“That’s right. If she’s available.”
“Never anything else, really.” He got up and went to knock at the door to his mother’s office. Then he went inside, and a low-voiced conversation took place.
After a while, he came out and held the door open for Eulalie to enter.
Marie Task was sorting her way through paper application forms.
“I’ll be with you in a second, Ms. Park,” she said. “I just need to finish capturing these applications.”
Eulalie waited patiently as she came to the end of the pile.
“What can I do for you?” She took off her glasses and looked up. “My son tells me you seem troubled.”
“I’m troubled because there’s a murderer out there who has killed three women, and recently made an attempt at a fourth. We still think this is connected to the time you spent at the Sydney Olympic Games. Can I ask you some follow-up questions?”
“I’d love to know why you think it has something to do with Sydney. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.”
Pure curiosity shone in Marie’s face. Eulalie realized this was a quality she could take advantage of.
“I’m not supposed to say anything.”
“I won’t tell a soul.” Marie’s eyes were bright and watchful.
“I know, but I’m really not supposed to say.”
“Oh, come on. If you tell me, I’ll tell you everything I know about our time in Sydney.”
Eulalie glanced over her shoulder as if someone might be listening.
“Okay, but you can’t tell anyone. Not even your husband, okay?”
The older woman nodded avidly.
Chapter 22
“It was a tip-off.” Eulalie lowered her voice. “We received a telephone tip-off that the person responsible for the murders was connected to the Prince William Island team that went to the Sydney Olympics.”
Marie eyes were round. “I wonder how someone knows that. They probably have personal knowledge of the situation. They might even know the murderer. Or, wait! Perhaps it was the murderer who phoned.”
“That’s exactly what our top detective said,” said Eulalie. “You have a talent for this, Mrs. Task.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I watch a lot of true crime on television, but it’s not the same, is it? Although, maybe some of the knowledge has rubbed off on me.”
“I think it definitely has. Can you tell me anything about your trip to Sydney? You’re the kind of person who would have noticed anyone behaving oddly. The best witness is an observant witness.”
Marie laced her fingers together. “The only odd people there were the Cowards – the decathlete and his wife. They had some strange ideas.”
“Like what?”
“Like, they seemed to have a problem with the fact that Laurent and I already had children when we weren’t married yet. We were engaged when we went to Sydney, but we only got married after we got back. Laurie and his sister were toddlers at the time. We left them with my parents.”
“Did they say anything that made you think that? Were they religious people?”
“Not religious, exactly. It was a kind of Mother Grundyish disapproval, you know? It was as though we had broken a social code. We offended their sense of morality by having children before we got married. In this day and age. Can you believe it? I know this was quite a few years ago, but still.”
“Which one seemed more bothered about it? Him or her?”
“Definitely her. But he was weird too, in his own way. Constantly whining about how unfair everything was and how he was being badly treated and discriminated against. Nobody could feel sorry for himself like Ronald Coward. If feeling sorry for yourself were an Olympic sport, he would have got a gold in that.”
“How did your husband find them? Did they get under his skin?”
“I think Ronald irritated him. That constant whining was enough to annoy anyone. He felt sorry for Elizabeth because she was the one who had to put up with it. Laurent knew more about her situation than I did. He’s a good listener.”
“How did your husband find the Sydney experience? Was it everything he hoped for?”
“We both enjoyed it very much. And when we came back, he was able to turn his reputation as an Olympian into a thriving business. You know he went to Athens as well, four years later?”
“He mentioned that, yes.”
“I didn’t go with him. Laurie had started school by then and we didn’t want to disrupt his schedule. It’s important for a boy to know that his mother is there for him. Laurie has always known that he comes first in my life. His sister too, of course. He’s had to work hard over the years to earn his dad’s attention, but mine was something he could take for granted. That’s the way it should be, don’t you think?”
Over the years, Eulalie had developed a smile and head bob that made it appear as though she were agreeing with someone, without committing herself. She smiled and bobbed now.
“What were your impressions of the boxer, Thashin Bapanda?”
“Was that the kid – the teenager?”
“No, that was Jules Chatel. This was an adult.”
“Oh, I know who you’re talking about. He’s a teacher now, isn’t he? I thought it was odd that he brought his parents to Sydney. He was an adult at the time. I remember thinking he was a bit of a mama’s boy - one of those men that has never grown up. Laurent told me his mother was worried about him. She thought he would never get a real job and leave home. She was afraid it was something she had done that had caused him to be like that. Well, she was right, wasn’t she?”
“Do you think so?” said Eulalie.
“Of course. No child gets to be like that on his own. It’s always the parent’s fault. Too little discipline usually, and not a strong enough father figure. I noticed that about Thashin’s father. He was a weak man. What kind of role model is that for a child? Boys need someone to look up to – someone to model themselves on.”
“Someone like Laurent?”
“Exactly. Laurie adores his father. He has always tried to make him proud. Look at the way he is working in the archery business now. He’s starting from the bottom and working his way up. Carrying on his father’s legacy. It makes us proud. Thashin’s parents didn’t have that. You’d think a boxer would be a strong, independent person, wouldn’t you? But you’d be wrong in his case.”
“I’m sure they were proud of their son for qualifying for the Olympic Games,” said Eulalie.
“Well, yes. That goes without s
aying. But there’s more to life than a few weeks at the Olympic Games. A man needs a career, and that’s what Thashin didn’t seem to have.”
“He’s a teacher now.”
“Yes, and I sincerely hope he is more independent now. His poor mother would be very relieved if he were.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
Eulalie got to her feet.
“Is that all?” said Marie. “I hope I was helpful.”
“You were very helpful, thank you. Please remember to keep quiet about the tip-off. Nobody knows about that.”
Mrs. Task returned to her work, so Eulalie showed herself out. She was pleased to see that Laurent Task was still engrossed in the archery lesson he was giving out in the grounds. The timing had been perfect. She turned to walk to the parking lot but stopped when she heard someone call her name.
“Ms. Park. Eulalie. Sorry to interrupt.”
It was Laurie Task. He had abandoned the information desk and was approaching her with an apologetic look on his face.
“Yes?”
Eulalie thought she knew what was coming next and sighed inwardly.
“It was just… I was just wondering…” He took a breath. “I wanted to ask… if you’d like to have coffee with me sometime.”
“That’s nice of you, Laurie, but I don’t think so, thanks.”
He seemed to be waiting for further explanation.
“Do you already have a boyfriend?”
Eulalie was about to deny it, when she remembered that she and Chief Macgregor had made things official.
“I do, as it happens, but I’m also eight years older than you are. I’m sorry, but that feels like too much of a gap for me.”
“People say I’m very mature for twenty.”
“I’m sure you are, but I think you’ll be better off dating girls your own age.”
A frown descended over his face. “They’re boring. They have nothing to talk about. They haven’t led interesting lives that I want to hear about.”
“My life is uninteresting.” Eulalie edged her way towards the parking lot. “I’m sure you’ll find someone soon.”
He looked sad. “I don’t want someone. I want you.”
Well, you can’t have me.
She managed not to say it out loud. She just smiled at him and walked briskly to her Vespa. Only when he had turned and gone back inside did she pause and take out her phone.
She called directory information and got the number for Dev and Refiki Bapanda in Sea View. There was no risk of running into their son at this time of day. He would be safely on St. Michael’s Cay teaching math to adolescents.
She called the number to check if they were home. The phone rang three times.
“Hello?”
“Hello, is that Mrs. Bapanda?”
“That’s right. Who’s calling please?”
“My name is Eulalie Park. I’m a liaison officer with the Queen’s Town Police Department. We are investigating a case that we believe is connected to the Sydney Olympic Games.”
“You’re the one who spoke to my son.” The voice turned sharp. “You went and interviewed him at his place of work.”
“That’s right, Mrs. Bapanda. He was very helpful. But you and your husband were also in Sydney. You might have valuable information to add. I was wondering if I could come over and ask you a few questions? Is your husband home?”
“He’ll be home for lunch in a few minutes. I suppose you can come over. You might have to watch me cooking, though.”
“That’s fine. I don’t want to intrude. If you and your husband can answer a couple of questions, that would be great.”
“Be here in ten minutes.”
It was more like fifteen minutes. Eulalie ran into some traffic crossing Lafayette Drive. Queen’s Town had two main suburban areas. The first was Edward Heights – the millionaires’ row of the island. A dizzying array of antique and modern mansions clung to the cliff face up on Edward Drive. Many of the houses were a remarkable feat of engineering because of the steepness of the slope they were built on. They had to be dramatic enough to command million-dollar views, but sturdy enough to withstand the cyclones that occasionally brewed in the Indian Ocean and battered Prince William Island in the summer months.
Sea View was built further inland on a flat plateau that afforded most of the residents no sea view at all. It was a solidly middleclass suburb, featuring three-bedroom homes with small yards. It was a nice place to raise children. There was little or no crime. Kids could safely walk to school and ride their bikes on the streets.
Chief Macgregor lived in Sea View. Eulalie might have been raised in an apartment in downtown Queen’s Town, but she appreciated the prettiness of the matchbox houses, and the orderliness of its neat grid of streets.
Her GPS took her straight to Seagull Avenue where the Bapandas had their home.
She and Dev Bapanda arrived at the same time. As she pulled up to the front gate, he climbed out of a car he left parked in the street. He clearly intended to return to work after lunch. He was wearing a dark grey suit with the logo of Queen’s Town Mutual Bank and Building Society on it.
She could immediately see why Mrs. Belfast had excluded him as a suspect. He was a small, slightly built man with coffee-colored skin. There was no way he was the person she had encountered in Finger Alley all those years ago. His son might fit the physical profile, but he didn’t.
“Mr. Bapanda?” Eulalie held out her hand.
“If you’re selling something, I’m not buying.” He shook her hand gingerly.
“No, I’m…”
“And don’t tell me you’re trying to convert me. It used to be that one could be a Hindu on this island in peace.”
“It’s nothing like that, Mr. Bapanda. Your wife is expecting me.”
“Oh, you’re a friend of Refiki’s? Why didn’t you say so? You’re welcome, of course. We hope you’ll stay to lunch.”
“Not a friend, no. I’m a liaison officer with the Queen’s Town Police Department.”
He gave her a long look. “You’re the one who interviewed our son the other day. What do you want with my wife and me? We don’t know anything.”
“It’s about the time you spent in Sydney at the Olympic Games. You and your wife might know more than you realize.”
He gestured for her to precede him up the path to the front door. “You’d better come in.”
The house was filled with delicious scents as Mrs. Bapanda prepared lunch. She had made a lamb biryani and was busy deep-frying samosas in hot oil.
“What’s that spice?” Eulalie sniffed the air as Mr. Bapanda ushered her into the kitchen. “It’s so familiar. It’s Prince William Island chili, isn’t it? That takes me straight back to my childhood.”
Mrs. Bapanda cast an eye over Eulalie’s wavy black hair, dark eyes, and olive skin.
“You’re not Indian,” she concluded. “With those eyes, you look as if you have come straight from the village in the forest.”
“I was born there. We left when I was twelve. I remember my grandmother and the other women cooking with those chilis. It’s an evocative smell.”
“Then maybe - just maybe - you have the palate to appreciate my cooking. Sit down and eat while we talk.” She indicated the kitchen table where her husband had already settled himself.
It wasn’t the most professional setting for a witness interview, but Eulalie knew that to say no would be to give offence. Besides, the food smelled delicious.
“You’re very kind. Thank you. I just hope it doesn’t spoil your lunch to have me at the table asking questions.”
“It takes more than that to put my wife and me off our food,” said Dev.
Eulalie watched them as the meal was set out on the table. It was hard to believe that a heavyweight boxer like Thashin could have come from these small people. Facially, he resembled both of them, but his height and build were all his own.
As the food was put in front of her, Eulalie gave it her
full attention, knowing it was the polite thing to do. Besides, food this good deserved it. She complimented the meal in a way that she knew would be acceptable to her hostess. Then she got down to business.
“Do you mind telling me why you went to Sydney with your son all those years ago?” she asked. “Was it a kind of vacation?”
“You must understand, our son was very young in those days,” said Dev. He was about to continue when his wife interrupted.
“Let’s not fool ourselves, Dev. Thashin was thirty when he was chosen for the Olympic Games. He was a grown man. But we still didn’t believe he was capable of going to Sydney by himself. We need to ask ourselves why that was.”
“Maybe.” Dev shrugged. “He turned out okay, though, so I don’t think we did anything wrong.”
“If we did such a good job, why is he suspected of murder now?” Refiki’s eyes filled with tears.
“Your son is not suspected of any crime, Mrs. Bapanda,” said Eulalie.
Legally speaking, this was true. Thashin’s official status was still that of witness. If he became a suspect, he would have to be legally cautioned and informed of his right to have an attorney present during questioning. The fact that he was one of three suspects in Eulalie’s mind was irrelevant.
“All I’m doing at this stage is gathering information from people who went to Sydney as part of the Olympic delegation.”
“Does that mean you’re also talking to the others who were there?” asked Dev. “Sophie Webb and her husband, the Cowards, the Tasks, that kid – what was his name?”
“Jules Chatel. Yes, I’m speaking to everyone.”
Some of the suspicion faded from their eyes.
“Was the Sydney Olympics a good experience for you as a family?” she asked into the silence that had fallen.
The Bapandas glanced at each other.
“We didn’t realize it at the time, but it was,” said Refiki. “Something happened during those weeks that seemed to mature Thashin. We never knew exactly what it was, but when we got back home, he was ready to move on with his life.”
The Complete H-Series of The Eulalie Park Mysteries Page 115
