Death And The Maiden

21

Commissioner Manfred Brugel was studying Rheinhardt’s report. His brow furrowed and his lower jaw jutted out. There was something about the simian perplexity of his expression that reminded Rheinhardt of an orang-utan he had once seen at the zoo. Brugel lifted his large head and began to shake it from side to side.

‘No,’ he growled. ‘No, no, no!’ Rheinhardt did not know how he should respond to four consecutive negatives delivered without preamble and with such devastating relish. ‘A vagrant,’ Brugel continued with sardonic glee, ‘walking through fog thicker than potato soup …’

‘Herr Geisler is a gardener, sir,’ Rheinhardt interjected. ‘Not a vagrant.’

Brugel swatted the air and pressed on. ‘Claims to have seen the mayor visiting Ida Rosenkrantz the night before her apparent suicide, and you expect me to take his word as gospel?’

‘It would have been remiss of me not to draw the incident-’

‘Alleged incident!’

‘-To your attention, sir.’

‘Indeed it would.’ Brugel snorted like a farm animal. ‘However, you have done so now and that is where we shall let the matter rest.’

‘But, sir,’ said Rheinhardt. ‘With respect, I think we should at least-’

‘The answer is no, Rheinhardt! Think, inspector.’ The commissioner jabbed his own temple with a rigid finger. ‘Show some judgement. Did you really expect me to endorse your proposal? Good God, man! Have you taken leave of your senses?’

‘If Lueger wasn’t the mayor of Vienna we would almost certainly question him.’

‘But, Rheinardt, he is the mayor of Vienna. That is the rather obvious and substantial fact you seem peculiarly unwilling to appreciate.’

‘I am perfectly aware-’

Before Rheinhardt could finish his sentence Brugel exploded again. ‘You think you can just stroll into the town hall and implicate the mayor in a murder inquiry, on the basis of this?’ The commissioner flicked Rheinhardt’s report with disdain, tearing the paper. ‘The testimony of a ne’er-do-well who rents a pallet bed and dines in a soup kitchen?’

‘He is not a ne’er-do-well,’ said Rheinhardt patiently. ‘He has never been in trouble with the police and has simply fallen on hard times. I don’t think we can simply ignore his statement.’

‘Ah, but we can, Rheinhardt. And very easily.’

Rheinhardt glanced up at the portrait of the emperor. It hung on the wall behind Brugel’s desk. Franz-Josef, the old soldier, dressed in his white general’s uniform and red sash — on the table beside him, a field marshal’s hat sprouting green feathers. Brugel sported the very same oversized mutton-chop whiskers. It was common knowledge that the commissioner was an ardent royalist.

‘The mayor and Ida Rosenkrantz were acquainted,’ said Rheinhardt.

Brugel tensed. ‘What?’

‘Rosenkrantz’s dresser, Herr Schneider, said that the diva was invited by the mayor to sing at his birthday celebrations.’

‘Many others have had that honour.’

‘Yes, sir, but the mayor also went out of his way to greet Rosenkrantz when he saw her in the Imperial.’

The commissioner rolled his eyes.

‘Lueger likes being seen in public with popular people — singers, actors, the rich and famous. He’s a politician.’ Brugel leaned forward, ‘Listen to me, Rheinhardt, and listen well. They don’t call him the Lord God of Vienna for nothing. There would be consequences, grave consequences, for all of us.’

‘He is not above the law.’

The commissioner produced a lopsided smile. ‘Isn’t he?’

‘Sir, I know that there are certain constitutional obstacles-’

Brugel cut in vehemently. ‘He would have to be removed from office before a case could proceed against him.’

Rheinhardt looked up at the emperor’s portrait. ‘It is not for me to comment on matters of government and state. But if the mayor was removed from office before the election, there are many elevated persons who would welcome such a development.’

The inspector kept his gaze high.

After a long silence, during which Brugel once again assumed a distinctly ape-like mien, the commissioner clapped his hands together and made a gravelly sound that might have been chuckling.

‘A very good try Rheinhardt — you’re getting quite slippery these days. But no, you cannot interview the mayor. However …’ The commissioner lowered his voice. ‘You raise an interesting issue, a perspective on these matters which I must agree does merit further consideration. Therefore I don’t want you to feel discouraged.’ The commissioner’s grin widened. ‘I am not, in principle, opposed to you taking the investigation in the direction you suggest. We just need something more substantial, a little more meat on the bone, eh? Now, if you should come across any further evidence linking Mayor Lueger with Ida Rosenkrantz …’

Brugel rubbed his hands together.

‘You’ll be the first to know, sir,’ said Rheinhardt.

‘Excellent,’ barked the commissioner, glancing over his shoulder at the emperor’s portrait.