The Untimely Death Box Set

by James Kipling

  Santiago was one of the biggest stores in town. It was two stories high and had a stylish glass facade. Alice made a mental list of the things she had to buy and hoped that she hadn’t forgotten anything – it was so like her to forget. The store was usually crowded at this time of the day and she was foolish to expect otherwise.

  The whole town seemed to be in the store because of a sale where a few items were going at cheap prices. She noticed that there was a bumper sale on shoes, which might be what was really drawing the crowd. Certain things of no consequence caught her eye. A woman had come with her pet dog and was talking softly to him (it brought a smile to Alice’s face); a tall man was taking out something from his pocket; and a rather well-portioned woman was bending over a counter engrossed in looking at something, probably lipsticks.

  A small boy was crying while his father was trying to tackle him; another man with specs was flipping idly over a magazine; and another rather handsome man was busy pushing a stroller loaded with things. This caught Alice’s attention; this guy was certainly worth looking at. She glanced at him again. He was an eyeful. Alice waded through the throng and headed upstairs. She began climbing up one step at a time—she always preferred the stairs to the elevator.

  Elevators made her dizzy right from her childhood. She avoided them; they frightened her. As she was going up, Alice felt someone brush against her. A sudden pain shot through her and she stumbled and rolled down the stairs, soon unconscious. She lay at the bottom of the stairs oblivious to her surroundings and at last was at peace with herself.

  Frederick, who was just about to climb the stairs, looked at the scene with horror. A girl lay crumpled at his feet. She didn’t move at all. He stood there, shocked. Then, he saw other people rushing down the stairs towards the fallen figure. Someone – a woman – was screaming her head off and soon a crowd gathered around the girl. Someone yelled, “we must get a doctor! She may have slipped down the stairs and broken her neck.” Someone else commented, “she isn’t moving… she seems quite dead. I can’t believe it; no one dies by falling down the stairs.”

  Another voice said, “it could be a brain haemorrhage.”

  The doctor soon arrived on the scene within minutes and pronounced her dead. “She’s been dead for the last ten minutes. At this point it is difficult to ascertain the cause.”

  Suddenly, Frederick – who had been standing, transfixed – found his voice. “Look carefully. I noticed it right away but I couldn’t find the words. The girl has blonde hair and green eyes. This is the work of the dart murderer; he’s struck again!”

  A woman screamed. “The police are useless at this rate! We’ll all be killed. No one will be safe anymore. Doctor, can you tell if she was murdered?”

  The doctor looked at them in shock and then began to look over Alice carefully. He found the tell-tale puncture mark on the upper portion of her right arm. He looked up and said, “the dart murderer has struck again. It could be a dart, and if so, it will be here somewhere. It is a case for the police.”

  The manager of the store looked at him with his mouth agape. Without hesitating for even a second, he called the police station.

  Chapter 14

  Chief Inspector Patrick Campbell arrived on the scene, along with Geoffrey and a team of policemen. By the time he got there, the crowd had thinned down considerably. Patrick started barking orders. “No one is going to move. I don’t want anyone to leave the department store. You are all witnesses to a murder. No one should touch the body, either.”

  Then, glancing around, he said, “I don’t see many people here. Santiago is usually crowded at this hour.”

  He looked questioningly at the manager, who looked back at him apologetically. “There were a lot of people here but most of them left when they heard about the murder. No one wants to be at the scene of a murder and be called to court to testify. It wasn’t possible to stop them. Many left the moment they heard of an unexpected death. We didn’t think at the time that it was a case of murder. When we realised, there was an exodus of people; we simply couldn’t stop them.”

  Patrick sighed. “That’s a pity. People seem to run away from a murder scene and then blame the police. If more people came forward to testify and give information, many murderers who escaped scot free would have been caught.”

  The police formed a cordon around the body. Cameras flashed, and later Alice’s body was removed. Patrick turned to the onlookers. “Does anybody here want to volunteer any information? If you do, you are helping the police and making our task much easier.”

  Frederick came forward hesitantly. Patrick saw a mealy-mouthed, tall young man with a small moustache, and a sprouting beard which perhaps hid a weak chin. Patrick asked him, “did you by any chance witness the murder?”

  “No, not exactly, but I did see the girl fall down the stairs. I thought – like the others – that she had slipped and fallen, that it was an accident. I could see at once that she was young. It all happened within the blink of an eye. I tell you, I was too shocked to move. The only thought going through my head was that the girl would break her neck. She seemed so fragile. Her blue skirt went flying up. Before I could move to help her, she lay in a crumpled heap on the floor.”

  “What happened then?”

  “Everything happened so suddenly. There was a crowd of people who had gathered around the girl, and someone suggested a doctor. The girl was lying quite still. Then the doctor came and pronounced her dead. When the doctor brushed aside her hair – which had fallen on her forehead – it struck me that the girl had blonde hair and green eyes. I think I screamed that the girl didn’t meet a sudden natural death, as the doctor was saying, but had been murdered. It was the dart murderer at work. I have followed the cases of the other three murders in the news. At that time, I spoke my mind aloud and found myself the centre of attention. Everyone stared at me and then the doctor began to examine her thoroughly, finding a puncture mark on her left arm. He confirmed what I said and declared it a murder case.”

  “How many people were there when the murder was committed?”

  “The crowd was milling around. There were simply too many people everywhere. A sale was going on and that attracts the crowds. I’ve been to Santiago several times, but I’ve never seen so many people before. Sunday mornings are always crowded, but today seemed particularly so.”

  “Now think back carefully. Did you notice the girl, Alice, before she was murdered?”

  “I can’t say I did. She grabbed my attention only when she started falling down the stairs. I can’t say I saw her before.”

  “How many people were on the stairs when she started falling down?”

  “I told you, the whole store was simply thronging with people. There were too many people on the stairs. There were people everywhere.”

  “Now answer my question carefully. Do you honestly think that someone could have pricked Alice with a pointed dart in a crowded department store?”

  Frederick thought for some time before answering. “It could have been possible, but of course the murderer was taking a risk. I don’t know how he did it but people were very busy doing their own thing. I don’t think anyone observed anything… they would have said something if they had. People turned around only when they saw Alice falling. I’m pretty sure that the first thought in everyone’s mind was that it was an accident; that she had simply slipped and fallen.”

  “Why did no one try to break her fall or help her?”

  “It all happened very fast – in a matter of seconds. I think people were too shocked to do anything. I saw people running down the stairs to help her, but no one could reach her in time. Someone shouted that she would break her neck. At the time people didn’t have any idea that she was murdered.”

  “Now think back. Someone who was climbing up the staircase must have murdered her. Do you remember anything that might help us to catch the murderer?”

  Frederick shrugged. “I don’t think I do. Th
ere was a crowd using the staircase and anyone could have struck her. I’m not a very observant person by nature. However, come to think of it, there was a rather odd incident. When Alice was falling down the stairs, almost everyone’s attention was on Alice. I, too, was struck dumb but I did see a rather tall, well-built man hurrying down the stairs without even glancing at Alice. I found it odd since everyone else’s attention was fixed on the falling woman.”

  “Yes, that’s something to take notice of. Can you describe the man?”

  Frederick shook his head. “No, I don’t think I can. All I remember was that he was a tall man with rather swarthy skin, wearing a blue jacket. I may be wrong about the colour, I’m not sure. At the time all I remember was thinking that it was funny that he should be so engrossed in himself to such an extent that he didn’t notice what was happening.”

  “Did he seem in a hurry?”

  “Not exactly. He wasn’t running or anything of that sort, but he was walking with a purposeful stride, as if he had something specific on his mind. His attitude towards the accident was indifferent, at best.”

  Patrick left Frederick and walked up to the manager. Mr Patterson was a short, thick-set man with a protruding paunch. He was dressed in a formal suit. He seemed visibly shaken. “Nothing like this has ever taken place here before. Our store is one of the best in town and we enjoy a great reputation. Now this murder will change the scene completely. Our reputation is going to take a battering, and it will take a long time to recover. My sales are going to be affected. After all, who will visit the store with the police prowling around?”

  Patrick said firmly, “Mr Patterson, all we want are some answers to a few questions. We want cooperation.”

  Mr Patterson nodded. “I will do my best.”

  “When did you discover the murder?”

  “I was nowhere near the scene of the murder. I was at my seat talking to a customer when the commotion took place. I heard a scream and then sounds of people running about. I left my seat immediately to see what had happened. All I heard was that a girl had fallen down the stairs and that she wasn’t moving. Naturally, like everyone else, I presumed it was an accident. A crowd had gathered around the fallen girl, and someone was trying to sprinkle water on her face. She was lying still, as if dead. Her skin seemed pale and she wasn’t responding when people were shaking her. Someone suggested calling a doctor, and I at once rang the local doctor and told him to come as fast as possible, as it was an emergency. He came soon enough and then pronounced her dead. He said that the death must have been instant. Then a man pointed out that the girl in question had blonde hair and green eyes. It could have been murder. The doctor examined her more thoroughly and declared that it was indeed murder and a case for the police. I rang the police at once and you know the rest.”

  “I believe the store was unusually crowded.”

  “Yes, that’s true. We do get a fairly good crowd on Sunday mornings anyway, but today it was really crowded. The attraction could be the sales – we were clearing some of our old stock out and certain things were going dirt-cheap. Customers – especially women – are always attracted by sales.”

  “Yet when we arrived, there weren’t too many people around.”

  Mr Patterson nodded. “That’s true. They’d all left by then. People started to leave the moment they heard there had been an accident. This increased when they heard that it was a death and that there was a murderer at large. No one wants to be involved in a murder case. People are scared with the unpleasantness associated with it and don’t want to be hauled to court.”

  “Now think carefully. Your seat is near the door. From where you sit, you can observe people coming and going. Did you notice anything out of the ordinary? Something that struck you as odd?”

  “No, I can’t say I did. There were too many people and I had a lot of work. I was engrossed with my PC. I did glance up a few times, but nothing caught my attention. It was the usual crowd.”

  “What about your staff? Do you trust everybody?”

  Mr Patterson seemed completely taken aback by the question. He looked annoyed, to say the least. “What do you mean by asking if I trust everybody under me? Of course I do. Don’t tell me you’re suspecting my staff. They’re all honest and decent and have nothing to do with the murder. The police come up with really funny ideas.”

  Patrick raised his hand. “I didn’t mean that I’m suspecting anyone. But no one, including you, is above suspicion till we get the killer. Have you hired anyone new lately?”

  Mr Patterson answered testily, “yes, just two weeks ago. One of the salesmen had left and I needed someone else. Bruce came with high credentials. So far I’ve found him sincere and hardworking and not wanting in any way.”

  “Can you call Bruce?”

  “OK, I’ll do so if you insist but you won’t find anything. He’s a perfectly honest man and certainly not a murderer.”

  Soon, Bruce appeared. He was tall and thin as a rake and must have been around 35 years old. He seemed nervous at being brought before the police and he shifted his feet as he stood in front of the Inspector. His opening words were, “I want to tell you that I’ve done nothing wrong. I just don’t want to get into trouble.”

  Patrick smiled. “We aren’t suggesting that you have. Can you show me your counter, please?”

  Bruce nodded. “Yes, of course.”

  Bruce was manning the counter selling socks. From his position, he had a pretty good view of the staircase. Patrick took this in. “From where you were standing, you can see what’s happening on the staircase?”

  Bruce hesitated and then said, “yes, I suppose so, but I’m usually too busy to look.”

  Patrick nodded. “You were on duty when the murder took place. You were standing behind the counter?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “Then you must have seen what was going on.”

  Bruce answered, “actually, I didn’t. Sunday mornings are always busy and today particularly so. I hardly had time to look up.”

  “How did you come to know about the murder?”

  “I was busy attending to customers when I heard a loud scream. I looked up and saw a girl tumbling down the stairs, her skirts flying. Well, I dropped my work and ran towards the staircase. By now, quite a crowd had gathered there and people were running about, trying to be helpful. Mr Patterson had already reached the spot. A doctor declared the girl dead. By that time, the crowd had already thinned down considerably. Someone – I don’t remember who – said it was a murder and then there was a bit of a panic.”

  “Did you notice Alice before she was murdered?”

  Bruce hesitated and then said, “as a matter of fact, I did. She was heading for the stairs. She caught my attention because she had a lost look about her, as if she wasn’t paying attention to the task at hand. I saw her just begin to climb the stairs. At that time, her stride was more purposeful, as if she had made up her mind about something. Mind you, all I caught were glimpses – nothing concrete. After that, I was very busy. I didn’t look up until I heard someone screaming and the girl falling down the stairs. Like everyone else, I thought it was an accident.”

  “Can you tell me approximately how many people were on the staircase at that particular time?”

  “Well, it’s difficult to tell since I wasn’t looking, but with what little I could make out, there were quite a few – certainly more than twenty people. There was a rush down the stairs when the girl fell down – you could literally hear the thumping of shoes and clicking of heels.”

  “From your position, you can get a clear view. Now think carefully, did you notice anything significant – something which struck you at that time?”

  Bruce said, “I didn’t hear the girl screaming, which I found odd. I heard gasps of horror and women screaming, but not from the girl who was falling down. Usually if anyone slips and falls they let out a scream.”

  Patrick nodded. “You have a point ther
e. You seem fairly observant, can you describe the scene when the girl was falling? Why didn’t someone try to break her fall?”

  Bruce seemed pleased. He looked thoughtful and then said, “I guess it happened within seconds. The girl had climbed only a few steps when she fell. By the time I reached the place, she was lying on the ground, completely knocked out. I hardly remember anything much, except for a few stray images – a middle-aged woman was wiping perspiration while running down the stairs, another woman was almost sobbing, a tall man carrying a basket was saying something to another guy, another woman was giving advice trying to look important, and another man in a yellow tee shirt was screaming loudly, ‘someone do something, this girl is hurt!’ I’m afraid that’s all.”

  “Did you notice anyone leaving the scene without glancing at the fallen girl?”

  “No, I can’t say I did. Everything happened rather fast. My eyes – like everyone else’s – were riveted on the girl. After standing around the girl for a few moments, people started leaving, but I didn’t observe too much.”

  Patrick smiled at Bruce. “Thank you, you have been very helpful. You are an observant young man. I want you to go home and think about everything again… the mind has a funny way of remembering things, and you may recall something which you cannot remember at present.”

  Bruce said, “I’ll do my best.”

  On their way back to the police station, Geoffrey turned to Patrick. “Isn’t it strange that each time the murderer strikes in a public place, he gets away scot-free? No one notices anything.”

  Patrick answered, his eyes half-closed, “Yes. We’re dealing with a bold and resourceful man who strikes at an opportune moment. The beauty of striking with a dart in a crowd is that very few people notice it. People are moving close to each other and are generally engrossed in whatever they are doing. Our murderer strikes with a poisoned dart, which can be carried in his pocket. All he has to do is to take it out, give a quick jab, and get away from the scene with no one the wiser.”