Death and the Maiden Read Free Page A

She is no longer fully compos mentis . She cannot remember how much she has taken and she is confused. In this disoriented state she takes yet more laudanum, and the dose is now fatal. She sits on the side of the bed and removes her shoes and stockings. As she bends down she becomes dizzy. She slides off the bed and onto the floor. She rolls over, onto the rug, and closes her eyes.’ Engelberg shrugged again. ‘It might well have happened like that, inspector: an accident, a cruel tragedy of mischance.’
    Rheinhardt lifted the counterpane and looked under the bed, where he saw a pair of brown leather ladies’ shoes. He then examined the coverlet more closely, searching for small indications consistent with Engelberg’s scenario. It was all very plausible, but when Rheinhardt looked again at Fräulein Rosenkrantz’s body, positioned so neatly within the rectangular limits of the Persian rug, he could not quash a nagging doubt.
    ‘Thank you, Herr Doctor,’ said Rheinhardt. ‘You have been most helpful.’
    ‘May I leave now?’
    ‘I must ask you to give Haussmann your details first.’ The inspectorglanced at his assistant. ‘Then you are free to go. Once again, please accept my apologies.’
    Rheinhardt bowed and left the room. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen, where he found Constable Drasche sitting next to a middle-aged woman whose eyelids were raw and swollen. Rheinhardt pulled a chair from under the large wooden table and noted with some satisfaction the presence of an empty teacup.
    ‘My name is Rheinhardt,’ he said softly. ‘I am the detective inspector.’ He sat down. ‘It must have been a great shock.’
    A prolonged silence followed, during which the housekeeper twisted a damp handkerchief.
    ‘Terrible.’
    ‘Frau Marcus,’ said Rheinhardt, ‘when did you discover Fräulein Rosenkrantz?’
    ‘Seven-thirty.’
    ‘I know that this is difficult but I must ask you to tell me what happened, precisely.’
    Frau Marcus nodded and took a deep breath.
    ‘I arrived here at seven o’clock and set about preparing mistress’s breakfast: a boiled egg and some pumpernickel. When the egg was ready I took it upstairs on a tray, along with some butter. I knocked on the door – but there was no reply. Fräulein Rosenkrantz had told me yesterday that she wanted to rise early because she had a new role to learn, so I went in. I thought she’d fainted … and I knelt down on the floor beside her.’
    ‘Did you touch her?’ Rheinhardt interjected.
    ‘Yes,’ said Frau Marcus. ‘I touched her face. It was cold. Horribly cold.’
    The housekeeper shivered.
    ‘Did you attempt to move her?’
    ‘No. I was scared and thought it best to call Doctor Engelberg.’
    ‘And you were right to do so. But are you quite certain that you did not move Fräulein Rosenkrantz? Please think carefully, Frau Marcus – it may be important.’
    ‘I touched her face with this hand.’ She raised her arm as if swearing an oath. ‘Then I ran downstairs to telephone Doctor Engelberg.’
    ‘What did you do while you were waiting for him to arrive?’
    ‘I telephoned the police station.’
    ‘And did you go back upstairs again?’
    ‘No. By the time I had finished talking to the police, Doctor Engelberg was knocking at the front door.’ Frau Marcus gave the handkerchief another twist. ‘I took him up to the mistress’s bedroom. He held a mirror under the mistress’s nose – and then he said, “She’s dead.” I already knew … no one is ever that cold. But it was still terrible to hear those words. He touched the back of her neck and told me that he thought she’d been dead for hours.’
    Rheinhardt produced his notebook and scribbled a few lines. ‘Where do you live, Frau Marcus?’
    ‘The twelfth district.’
    ‘And how long have you been working for Fräulein Rosenkrantz?’
    ‘Two years.’
    ‘Who else works here?’
    ‘Only the gardener.’
    ‘Fräulein Rosenkrantz has no cook? No laundry