Masquerade

14

Of those who’d been invited, Koesler was the last to arrive.

The room held himself, Koznicki, Mangiapane, Tully, Janet, Marie, David and Martha Benbow, Augustine, and Krieg. This was the first Koesler had seen of Krieg since the murder. His appearance left little doubt that he’d been badly shaken.

Koznicki immediately motioned Tully into the corridor, although not out of Koesler’s line of vision. He could see that the Inspector was addressing Tully in what, for Koznicki, was an animated manner. Koesler guessed the two detectives were bringing each other up-to-date on what they had discovered to this moment.

While they conversed, Koesler, affecting nonchalance, studied the others in the room. To a person, everyone appeared to be very struck, as well they all might be, at the murder of a confrere, even though they had known him but briefly. The silence was total and strained.

By far, Krieg seemed the most affected of all. He was so pallid he looked as if he might faint at any moment. And gone, completely gone, was any vestige of the patented smile. The smart money had it that Krieg had just escaped a sudden and unexpected death. And his escape was no more than an accident, a fluke. If Rabbi Winer had not known there was an alternate key to the cabinet, if he had not suddenly gotten a thirst for a nightcap, the Reverend Klaus (“Blitz”) Krieg would now be headed downtown. Not to the Westin Hotel but to the morgue. It was enough to give any person pause. And it certainly had reached Krieg.

Out of the corner of his eye, Koesler noticed movement; Koznicki and Tully reentered the room. Their expressions gave inscrutability new definition. Koznicki remained in the background. Tully seated himself on an undraped table. Although this, another comparatively small dining room, was filled with tables and chairs, there was no sign it had been used for dining-or any other purpose-for a long while.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Tully began, “what appears to have happened is that a bottle of Frangelico liqueur was poisoned. The substance used appears to be cyanide. There can be no doubt that whoever poisoned the liqueur intended to kill someone. We believe the intended victim was Reverend Krieg.”

At the mention of his name, Krieg’s complexion grew even more ashen. Koesler had not thought this possible.

“We don’t know,” Tully continued, “exactly when the liqueur was poisoned, but we can narrow it down a bit. Since two of your group-Reverend Krieg and Rabbi Winer-drank from that bottle last evening, we know there was nothing wrong with the liqueur at that time.”

“Excuse me, Lieutenant,” Benbow said, “but how do you know that? Is there a hidden camera someplace in that room?”

For a moment Tully enjoyed the luxury of wishing that room had been outfitted with a hidden camera. It would make this a much easier investigation if all the police had to do was run the film and watch the murderer poison the liqueur. But life, particularly a policeman’s life, was tougher than that. Besides, Tully was in no hurry for a society where Big Brother watched everything everyone did at all times.

“We have the testimony of an eyewitness, reliable, who saw Krieg and Winer pour and consume drinks from that bottle. There may have been others who saw the same. The point is, one survivor is all we need to know that, at least at that time, the bottle was free of poison.”

“Just a minute, Lieutenant,” Augustine said. “What about the possibility that an amount of the poison insufficient to cause immediate death was used? That way it could have a cumulative effect. The rabbi might have gotten a small amount of cyanide last night. Then tonight, the second drink-or maybe he had several-would have killed him. If that were the case, the liqueur might have been poisoned even before last night.” Augustine seemed inordinately proud of the point.

Tully, expressionless, regarded the monk for a few moments. “I know of no way anyone can measure a dose of cyanide that will kill only on the second drink-or not on the first. You’re probably thinking of cases where arsenic has been added to food in very small quantities over a considerable period of time.

“Anyway, we will be testing the liqueur to see how much poison was in it. Judging from the coloration of the body, it was a healthy dose. Although”-Tully almost but not quite smiled at his inadvertent use of the word “healthy” to describe a fatal dose of poison-“a little cyanide goes a long way.”

Augustine seemed to physically retreat within himself.

“That brings us to tonight. Sometime between last night’s dinner and late this evening someone poisoned the liqueur. It was not unrealistic to expect that later last evening, or after dinner this evening, or surely sometime during this week, Reverend Krieg would have another drink of his favorite liqueur. If someone else were to reach for the Frangelico as an after-dinner liqueur, whoever poisoned it would be able to block its use-by ‘accidentally’ spilling the contents or dropping the bottle, for instance. Obviously, no one, least of all the killer, anticipated that anyone besides Krieg would return at night and, in effect, break into the cabinet.”

“Just a minute, Lieutenant. .” The interruption this time came from Janet. “You seem to be saying. . you’re implying that one of us here is the guilty party. And I resent that. I deeply resent that!”

“Somebody put poison in a drink. It had to be someone with motive, capability, and opportunity.”

“Yes,” Janet replied, “but we are not alone on campus. There are many students boarding here temporarily during the conference.”

“We know that,” Tully said. “They’re in. .” He checked his notes. “. . the Florent Gillet Student Residence. But of the six campus security guards, two were assigned to this building, Cadillac Hall, and three were at the Student Residence. And all of them agree that no one left the residence this evening. And no one entered Cadillac Hall tonight except Reverend Benbow, who took a walk and then returned. No one left the campus after Krieg’s assistant drove out in the limo, presumably after the Reverend dismissed him.”

Krieg nodded weakly.

“Besides, we’re also looking for motive. And from what’s been said among yourselves over the past couple of days, it seems as if there might be plenty of motive right here in this room.”

Tully might have added that he did not fathom the intensity of the writers’ animosity toward Krieg. But he was going to make it his business to damn well understand what was at the core of it just as quickly as possible.

“Now,” Tully continued, “the Medical Examiner tells us that Rabbi Winer died sometime between 8:00 and 10:00 this evening. I would appreciate it if each of you could tell me where you were between those hours. Let’s start with Father Koesler.”

“Me!” Koesler was clearly startled. “But you know-”

“For the record, Father. Everyone.”

“Well, I was. . I was at the movie.”

“From beginning to end?”

“From beginning to end. That’s right.”

“Anyone see you there?”

Koesler almost laughed. “I’d say so. Sister Janet was strong about making our presence known to the students so they could see that at least part of the faculty would be with them even when not required to be. So the three of us sat together at the front of the auditorium.”

“The three of you?”

“Mrs. Benbow, Sister Janet, and I.”

“None of you left the theater at any time?”

“No.”

“Father Augustine?”

“I went to my room right after dinner and stayed there until I was called down here after they found the body.”

“Anyone who can corroborate that?”

“I was in my room, alone. No, no one can verify. . but I resent-”

“Reverend Benbow?”

“Well, as you’ve already mentioned, I took a walk after dinner. And then I returned to this building and went up to my. . uh. . our room.”

“Anyone see you?”

“The guards. They saw me leave and then return.”

“It was a short walk. No more than half an hour at most. That leaves plenty of time you were in the building. All that time you were by yourself?”

“I’m afraid so. Martha was at the movie.”

“I see. Sister Marie?”

“Lieutenant, I don’t see the purpose of this. Let’s say your hypothesis is true and that the liqueur was poisoned sometime after dinner last evening. That leaves all of that time-from after dinner yesterday until sometime between 8:00 and 10:00 tonight-for the murderer to act. That’s what. . better than twenty-four hours. Why, then, are you so eager to know what we were doing for a few hours tonight?”

“Narrowing it down, Sister. You’ll remember that after dinner last night you went through the psychodrama that Reverend Krieg arranged. Krieg and the kitchen attendants were in the dining room constantly until you returned to ‘view the body.’ Then you all were together in one of the classrooms until I came. After which you all retired. And, because of all the commotion, the head of the campus security force called five of the six guards into this building. They say there was no further movement throughout the building the rest of last night.

“Then during the day today, people have been in and out of the kitchen and dining room all day long. It’s not likely someone who had to get a key from an adjacent room, open a cabinet, find the specific bottle, and then carefully pour in the poison-it’s not likely the killer would have chanced being seen doing this by all the people who were milling about this area through the day.

“No, the best opportunity the killer had was after dinner this evening. All the excitement of last night was over. Things were very quiet and, as we are learning, no one will admit to being in this area. On top of that, after dinner everyone announced where they planned to spend the evening. Three of you to the movie, one for a walk, and the rest of you to your rooms. It was the perfect time for one of you to return and pour the poison.”

Tully paused, but Marie appeared to have nothing further to say.

“So,” Tully said, “Sister Marie, your whereabouts from 8:00 to 10:00 this evening?”

Marie seemed to sigh, but it was inaudible. “I’m afraid my case is a carbon copy of Father Augustine’s evening. I went to my room and stayed there. . catching up on some correspondence.” She brightened. “I have the letters I wrote if you want to see them.”

Tully shook his head. “You could be a fast writer. You could have written them anytime. Any outside verification?”

Marie lowered her eyes and shook her head.

Tully nodded once, concluding one phase and beginning another.

“I think it would be good,” Tully addressed Janet, “if you would continue with this workshop.”

“Lieutenant,” Janet said, “as the resident host of this conference there’s nothing I’d like better than to proceed. But what about Reverend Krieg? We can’t let anything happen to him. And from what you’ve said I have to assume that his life is still threatened.”

“That depends,” Tully said. “The only way we can create a safe environment for you, Reverend Krieg, is to keep you under lock and key in a safe place with police presence and protection.”

“I’d have to stay in my room?” The mere fact someone had addressed him personally seemed to have awakened something within Krieg. His color began to return.

“Something very much like that, yes,” Tully replied.

Krieg pondered that for a moment. “No, I won’t do that. Out of the question.”

“Then we’ll do our best, but it can’t be perfect. Now, about continuing the conference. Are you all willing?”

“Funny,” Benbow said, “we had this same choice last night when we wondered whether to continue the conference after some heated words had been exchanged. And the odd thing is that it was Rabbi Winer who said something about having to go on. To see how this would end. And now, this is how it ended for him: He’s gone.”

Tully gave them a few moments to consider their choice.

“Reverend Krieg is the one at risk,” Marie said. “If he’s willing, I’m sure the rest of us will go along.”

Another pause. Tully would wait as long as necessary for them to decide.

“I’m willing,” Krieg said, quietly.

“Then so am I,” Marie.

“And I,” Benbow.

“All right,” Augustine.

“Good,” Tully. “Then the next order of business is that each of you will be interviewed by one of our officers.”

“Now?” Janet said. “Lieutenant, it’s late, and these people will have to work tomorrow in an extremely trying atmosphere. Couldn’t we-”

“Sister,” Tully interrupted, “this is a homicide investigation. The investigation has top priority. We’ll ask you all to cooperate and give your statements now.” There was something about the way he emphasized, “now,” that made it clear that the time frame was non-negotiable.

There were no further objections.

“One thing more,” Tully said, “we will want to search your rooms. All of you.”

“No you don’t! No you don’t!” Augustine was vehement. “That’s going a bit far. We know better. You can’t do that without a search warrant.”

Tully regarded him, then said, “If you insist on one, we’ll get one.”

“You’ll have to show probable cause before a judge will issue one,” Marie said.

“After all that’s been said here, the things you’ve said to each other in the presence of witnesses, the threats,” Tully said, “it shouldn’t be difficult at all to convince a judge.”

Tully waited, but there were no further arguments. “Of course we’ll have to wonder why you are so reluctant to have a police search. But that’s up to you. You can give us permission to search or you can tough it out. Up to you.”

After a few moments, Marie said, “Very well.”

Benbow, with a glance, checked to see if his wife had any objection. Seeing none, he said, “You have our permission.”

Augustine seemed to be fighting the issue within himself. “Oh, all right. But you can be sure the people back in Massachusetts are going to hear about what a police state you have here in Detroit.”

Tully ignored the virtually undeliverable threat. “Good. Now, please, all of you stay where you are. The officers will be here very shortly to take your statements.”

Tully did not leave a happy group behind him. But as he, Koznicki, and Koesler left the room Tully felt the emotional charge of commencing the investigation. It was off the ground. The chase was on to discover whodunit.

He quickly dispatched officers, some to interrogate the faculty, some to search their rooms.

“It was fortunate they backed away from their insistence on a warrant,” said Koznicki.

“Yes,” Tully said. “That could have taken some time. I’m sure we wouldn’t have any trouble getting one. But we’d have had to limit ourselves to whatever areas we listed in the warrants. Now we can bring to light anything we happen to find.”

“What did you think of the session with them just now?” Koznicki asked.

“Interesting,” Tully said. “They’re amateurs, of course, but they are familiar with police procedure. Probably done their research well. But one thing puzzles me.”

“And that?” Koznicki asked.

“They’re not turning on each other.”

“Not turning on each other?” Koesler asked.

“Sister Janet just doesn’t figure in that group. Martha Benbow might be a stronger suspect if only on behalf of her husband. But, then, she was at the movie during the 8:00 to 10:00 time of death.

“That leaves Benbow, Augustine, and Marie. Each of them seems to have some kind of grudge against Krieg. Only we don’t know why. It’s gotta be more, lots more, than that they just don’t want to write for him. Hell, all they’ve got to do is say ‘no.’ Even if they have to say it more than once. God, it’s a free country. Krieg can ask them pretty please as often as he wants. And they can say, ‘Get lost, creep,’ as often as they want.

“I think, first thing, we gotta find out what’s the kicker. Why are they so sore-assed about it?

“But the most puzzling thing is that they’re not going after each other. I gave them every chance to jump on each other. Augustine could say Marie or Benbow did this or that, which makes them more likely suspects. Or Benbow could say Augustine or Marie did such and so, which turns the spotlight on them. But no; they stuck together. When one agrees to be interrogated, they all agree. When one agrees to a search, they all agree. It doesn’t make a hell of a lot of sense. But it will,” he added, “it will.”

“The statements they made, the questions they asked,” Koesler said, “didn’t you find them rather unusual?”

“Unusual?” Koznicki repeated.

“For one thing,” Koesler said, “I know that without their consent you wouldn’t have been able to search their rooms without a warrant. But I didn’t know about “probable cause”-that you wouldn’t be able to get a judge to issue a warrant without convincing him that there was reason to believe they could be guilty of a crime and that the search was necessary.”

“Yeah,” Tully said. “Well, like I said, they’re amateurs. They’ve done their homework; probably learned a lot from research. That’s good news and bad news. Maybe they can be helpful if they pay attention and let us know what they think, what they suspect, what they see and hear. On the other hand, they are just as likely to get in the way.”

“And one thing we must never overlook,” Koznicki said. “One of them killed a man.”

“Yeah,” Tully agreed.

“If you don’t mind,” said Koesler, “I have one more question.”

Tully said nothing, but he came close to minding. What he’d said about the others in this ersatz faculty also applied to Koesler. The others wrote murder mysteries. Granted Koesler had been involved in actual homicide investigations. And, to be fair, he had made few mistakes, and had actually been very helpful on occasion. But they all were amateurs and while they could prove useful, they could even more probably get in the way.

Plus-and this was more like the bottom line-there was the awareness that Koesler was a close friend of Walt Koznicki. And Koznicki, although he needn’t and didn’t throw his considerable weight around, was still the boss.

It was with all that in mind that Tully accepted another question.

“The thing that kept bothering me in there was how narrow the scope of this investigation is. Now I know I’m not a detective and I’m not a real part of this investigation-nor should I be.

“But you seem to be insisting that the crime had to be committed this evening between 8:00 and 10:00. That the liqueur had to be poisoned during that time. And that it had to be done by either Dave Benbow, Augustine, or Marie.

“Isn’t that a bit restrictive? I know that people have been in and out and around the dining area all day long. But isn’t it just possible that somebody, somehow, managed to get into the dining room, into the cabinet and poison the drink sometime during the day, long before dinner?

“And if that is possible, isn’t it also possible that almost anyone could have done it?”

Tully nodded. “Sure, everything’s possible. Thing is, we got a hot potato goin’ on here. People downtown are gonna want this thing closed yesterday, which gives us an advantage we don’t ordinarily get: We’ll get lots of help. With all that help, we’ll be lookin’ into everything. All the things you mentioned and more, Padre. The students, the kitchen people, the security guards-everybody’s being checked and interrogated. When we get done with the initial phase of this investigation, we will pretty well know what everybody has been doing nearly minute by minute all day today.”

“Well,” Koesler said, “I must say that’s reassuring. I’m sorry I raised the question. No,” he corrected himself, “I’m glad I asked, because it puts my mind at ease. But then. .”

“But then,” Tully picked up, “if all that’s goin’ on, why am I concentrating on Benbow, Marie, and Augustine?”

“Well, yes.”

“It could be anybody, Padre, like you say. But if it isn’t Benbow, Marie, or Augustine or any combination thereof, I’ll swallow my badge. They make up the list of the likely perps. That’s why with everybody else covering everybody else, I and a few others are gonna zero in on those three.”