Inspector Zhang Gets His Wish Read Free Page A

Then we have a body, but no weapon and no killer." Inspector Zhang paused to make sure that he had everyone’s attention before continuing.   "In this case, an accident is unlikely, considering the nature of the wound and the fact that the body is lying down. Plus the blood is only on the bed. If he accidentally stabbed himself on for instance the lamp on the bedside table, we would see blood on it. There is no blood anywhere but the bed, so it is safe to say that it is on the bed that he died."
    He turned to look out of the window and linked his fingers behind his back. His spine clicked as he straightened it, and he sighed. "The second explanation is that it is indeed a murder, but a murder in which the victim is compelled to kill himself. Or herself.   A mind-altering substance can be used, a gas or a pill, LSD for instance. Mr. Carr suggested that a man might become so bewildered that he could strangle himself with his bare hands, but of course we know that is impossible."
    "You think he was drugged?" said Mercier. "Or gassed? How could gas get into the room, we have central air conditioning and the windows are sealed."
    "If he was drugged, the Forensics Department would know," said Sergeant Lee. "They could perform tests."
    "He did not stab himself to death," said Inspector Zhang quickly. "If he did, the weapon would be in his hands. Or on the bed. There is no knife; therefore he did not kill himself.   And I see no evidence that the victim consumed food or drink in this room."
    He went over to the mini-bar and opened it. It was full. "You see, nothing has been taken from the mini-bar, and there are no unopened bottles in the room."
    He looked over at the room service waiter. "Mr. Wilkinson was dead when you got here? He was dead on the bed and you saw the blood?"
    The waiter nodded.
    "So he did not consume anything that the waiter brought into the room. We can rule out poison or drugs."   He went back to the window. "It is the third explanation that creates some of the most fascinating fictional locked room mysteries," he continued.   "That is where it is murder, and the killer uses some sort of mechanical device to carry out the killing. A gun concealed in a phone, for example. Or a knife that springs out of a suitcase. Or a pistol that fires when a clock is wound, or a weight that swings from the ceiling, a chair that exhales a deadly gas when your body warms it." He waved a hand at the bedroom. "In this case we would be looking for some way of stabbing Mr. Wilkinson and making the knife vanish." He smiled at his Sergeant. "What do you think, Sergeant Lee? Do you think there is a mechanical device hidden in the bedroom?"
    "It is unlikely," she said quietly, as if she feared giving him the wrong answer.
    "I agree," said Inspector Zhang. "It is a hotel room, like any other." The Sergeant smiled with relief.
    "It is a suite, one of our best," said the manager.
    Inspector Zhang nodded, acknowledging the point. "But nothing in the room has been changed, am I correct? Everything is as it should be?"
    "Other than the body on the bed, yes."
    "Then we shall move on to the fourth explanation. Suicide."
    "Suicide?" repeated the Sergeant. "But if he stabbed himself, where is the weapon?"
    "The point of the suicide is to make it look like a murder," said Inspector Zhang. "Either to throw suspicion on someone or to defraud an insurance company. I assume that a wealthy person such as Mr. Wilkinson would have a lot of insurance. Perhaps he has an incurable condition. Cancer perhaps. So he kills himself in such a way that his wife can still claim the insurance."
    "Perhaps that’s it," said Mercier. "Surely you check to see if he had any policies."
    "But where is the weapon he used?" asked the Sergeant. "If Mr. Wilkinson took his own life, where is the knife?"
    "But that is the point exactly," said Inspector Zhang. "To make it appear to be a murder and not a suicide, the weapon must disappear. Mr. Carr suggested a knife made of