Deadly Communion

14

RHEINHARDT USHERED HERR JAUFENTHALER and Jochen Wetl (the waiter at Honnigers) into a large room. A row of soberly dressed men flanked by police constables stood against the opposite wall. The inspector did not really expect his two witnesses to recognise the ‘black-haired blue-eyed’ gentleman among their number but, he reasoned, even if the likelihood of a positive identification was remote it was not impossible. He had read of several cases in the police gazette where identity parades had brought cases to a swift and successful conclusion, avoiding months of painstaking detection. One had to be lucky, of course, but Providence occasionally sided with the law.

All the gentlemen standing against the wall were professionals with at least some knowledge of anatomy. Two were doctors, one was a physiologist, another a medical student, and the final member was a mortuary assistant. They had all been approached by constables who were patrolling the Volksgarten. Rheinhardt had issued an order that any dark-haired gentlemen with blue eyes observed loitering near the Theseus Temple should be questioned. Murderers — as every policeman knew — were often strangely compelled to return to the scene of their crime. Of those questioned, any with a medical occupation were to be recruited for inclusion in the identification exercise that was about to begin.

Jaufenthaler and Wetl moved up and down the row and looked closely at each individual. It became apparent that neither the jeweller nor the waiter had seen any of the men before.

They both shook their heads and returned to Rheinhardt.

‘Thank you, gentlemen.’ The inspector called across the room. ‘You have been most patient. The Emperor and the security office are indebted.’

In the corridor, Herr Jaufenthaler said: ‘I’m sorry, inspector.’

‘There is no need to apologise,’ Rheinhardt replied.

The jeweller seemed uncomfortable.

‘Inspector?’

‘Yes?’

‘I discovered something in my ledger which may be relevant.’

‘Oh?’

‘I’d quite forgotten. The gentleman who purchased the silver-acorn hatpin …’

‘Yes? What about him?’

‘He didn’t buy one hatpin — he bought two. You see, I had taken six originally, not five, as I told your assistant. I’m sorry. One can’t remember everything.’