The Atlas Murders (25 page)

“I’ll give ten” said Henry.

“I’ll give ten too. I think
it’s a lovely gesture from the crew,” said Gary, smiling.

 “Thank you lads, that’s kind
of you. It will be appreciated.”

Henry was sorting cloths for
washing. “Some people get it hard in life, but that young kid will make out ok.
She seems to be intelligent and has a flair for the art.”

 “You’re right Henry, and I’d
say our captain will keep in touch to see how she’s doing. He’s really besotted
with her.”

Henry went to the wash room
with an arm full of cloths. He still hadn’t decided where to put the master key
which he now carried in his pocket for safe keeping. Then he noticed the fire
hose coiled up in its box on the bulkhead. I’ll just slip it in between the
flat coiled hose. It will never be seen there, he thought. After making sure no
one was watching, he quickly opened the box and hid the key between the third
row of hose from the bottom. He closed the fire hose box. They’ll never find it
there, he mused.

He was looking forward to
meeting Danny; he felt he needed to discuss this case with someone and get
another opinion. He went to the crew’s pantry and grabbed a sandwich and a cup
of tea. Gary Conrad was stuffing his face with a double ‘doorstep’ sandwich. A
couple of older men with scowls on their faces came into the pantry. Gary
looked pointedly at Henry as the two shook their heads promptly walked back
out. “I hope something happens in this next port to stop this suspicion among
the crew. A fellow couldn’t keep sailing on a ship like this. Personally, I was
thinking of jumping ship in Melbourne if it continues.”

 “Bloody hell, Gary, there’s
no need to take such drastic action. Jumping ship is a serious decision.”

 “No, it’s not such a big
thing to do here in Aussie. You just have to lie low until the ship sails. They
can’t deport you or anything - you’re like a citizen here.”

 “I realize that, but what
about your family back home, what would they think?”

“I haven’t really anyone,
only my mother and father and they’d understand.  I’d easily get a job here and
I know a few people who’d put me up for a while.”

“Let me know if you decide
and I might be able to help you,” he lied.

 “Thanks Henry, it’s nice to
have someone to rely on.”

As he lay in his bunk trying
to get sleep he kept going back to what Gary Conrad intended doing. This could
throw everything into the melting pot; two suspects on board and one ashore in
Australia - what a mess.

Pippa was still on the bridge
at midnight when the watch changed over. The third mate pointed out to the
second mate a ship approaching on their port side. She would pass well clear
but the third mate was showing off a bit to Pippa. He had the aldis lamp (signaling
lamp) out ready to contact the approaching ship. “I’ll just give her a call up,”
he said to the second mate.

 “Aye, do that.”

 The wheelman changed and put
the lookout on the wing of the bridge as it was too rough to have him on the
forecastle head. Tukola was ‘farmer’ on the watch; that meant he had no duty
only acting standby for the first hour, but he had to come on the bridge and
fill the kettle and wash the mugs for the next officer’s watch. The third mate
was making good with his signaling, the ship was nearly alongside and they
could see by the lights along her superstructure, she was a passenger liner. They
signaled their name and said they were bound for Fremantle and then home
through Suez. She was a Shaw Savill liner, ‘The Southern Cross’.

 The third mate gave them the
name ‘Rangoon’ bound Melbourne from Bombay carrying a cargo of jute. The liner
passed quickly - she was doing about eighteen knots. Pippa was excited with the
exercise. The liner reminded her of her father’s ship.

With both officers
accompanying her, they took her to the captain’s cabin.

 “Hello Pippa, as you can see
I’m burning the midnight oil, just finishing a few reports for customs and the
ship’s agents. Come, I’ll see you to your cabin.”

The morning was bright and
sunny; a blazing sun sparkled off the small wavelets. Sea birds circled the
ship, their cries piercing on the warm northerly breeze. Despite the gloom on board,
the saloon was a little more cheery than usual. The officers were chatting;
even Sean Sweeney had something to say to the third engineer. It was eight
thirty and the third officer remarked to the second, “No sign of Pippa, she
must be having a lie in.”

 “It wouldn’t surprise me
since you had her on the bridge so late.”

 “That wouldn’t keep her in
the bunk this late.”

 The captain came and sat at
the table. Tucking into his grapefruit he looked around and saw Pippa’s place
not touched. “Any sign of Pippa, it’s not like her to be this late for
breakfast; has she been up on the bridge this morning?”

 The third mate said he hadn’t
seen her yet. Adding that he had just come down from the bridge. Maybe she is
having a little lie in sir, he volunteered. The captain called Oswyn Welland
who was leaving the saloon.

“Excuse me sonny.”

 “Yes sir.”

 “Go to Pippa’s room and call
her for breakfast.”

 “Aye-aye sir.”

 Henry was serving when
Welland came back in and spoke to the captain. “She is not in her room sir and
her door is not locked, so she must be out around somewhere.”

 “Get three other lads and go
and find her and tell her come in for breakfast. Even if she’s not hungry, tell
her I want to see her.”

“Aye-aye sir.”

 The four crewmen split up
and headed off to different areas of the vessel. After they had searched every
possible place on the ship to no avail, Oswyn Welland looked down by his feet
and saw a hair slide on the boat deck not far from her accommodation. He picked
it up and knew it was hers - he’d seen her wearing it many times. He put it in
his pocket and walking briskly along the alleyway met the junior radio man.

”Have you seen Pippa about
this morning, Sweeney?”

 “No, and she wasn’t down for
breakfast.”

 “Yes, we know that. If you
see her, tell her to report to the captain.”

 “I’ll do that. Do you think
she has come to any harm?”

 “Goodness no, she must be
around somewhere.”

Oswyn went back into her
cabin. It was still open so she hadn’t returned. The radio operator’s remark
made him a little apprehensive. He noticed the bunk was very disturbed, the
pillow was on the floor. “Good Lord,” he exclaimed, there was blood on the bed
linen. He immediately headed back to the saloon and was met by the captain
coming up the stairway.

“Sir, I think you should come
and see this in Pippa’s cabin.”

Oswyn pointed to her bunk.
The captain turned deathly pale and had to hold onto the bunk board to steady himself.

 “Call the chief officer
immediately.”

 He ran down the stairs and
into the saloon, the chief officer was finishing his breakfast.

“Come immediately sir, the
captain wants you urgently.”

 “What is it young man?”

 “It’s Pippa,” come with me,
sir.

The captain was sitting in a
chair in her cabin his head in his hands.

“What is it sir?” the urgency
in the chief officer’s voice only added to the sense of desperation.

 “She’s gone. Look at her
bunk, what can I do?”

 “Good Christ almighty, if
she’s nowhere on the ship, we better turn round for a sea search.”

 “Give the order reverse
course and send the senior radio officer to me. I’ll be in my day room,” the
captain muttered.

The chief officer took charge
on the bridge and ordered all hands to mount look out. He sent two men aloft
and the ship did a complete turn to reverse her course. Christ, he thought, what
could have happened to her. How could anyone have gotten into her cabin? we
were looking after her so carefully.

Men going up onto the monkey
island stopped to ask the mate.

 “What are we looking for sir?”

 “The young girl is missing,
presumed lost overboard.”

 Their looks were
incredulous. “Lost overboard sir?”

 “Yes, I’m afraid so. Keep a
good look out now.”

 “Aye-aye sir.”

 The captain had the senior
radio officer in his dayroom and broke the news to him.

“I just can’t believe this is
happening sir, you say you saw her to her cabin and she locked the door, how! Just
how could anything like this happen? It just doesn’t seem possible anyone could
have gotten into her cabin.

 “Oh my God! The master key,
exclaimed the captain, “I will check to see it is where it should be. I’ll do
that now. Will you get a message away to our agents? Tell them the situation
and we’ll let them know in due course our new E.T.A.”

 “I’ll do that immediately, sir.”

 The captain went to the
chief steward’s room and asked him about his master key. He reached up and took
it down off the key board.

“Here it is sir.”

 “Would you know if it had
been missing for a time?”

 “I really couldn’t say sir
as I’ve had no cause to use it.”

 “Yes, I see where you’re
coming from chief. So it could have been taken and put back again?”

 “I suppose so sir, but not
many people come into my day room here.”

 “I’ll just go and check with
the chief officer; you are the only ones beside me who have master keys, is
that right?”

 “Yes sir, that’s right.”

 He went into the chief
officer’s cabin and looked at the key board; the master key was there too.

 Henry was too sick in his
gut to eat a breakfast after he heard the news. The atmosphere below deck was
dangerous. A wrong word could cause serious confrontation. The crewmen felt that
now the murderer was showing how superior he was; that all the care the young
girl got wasn’t good enough to stop him. Some of the older men were visibly
seething with rage and the thought they could be sharing a cabin, and were
definitely sharing a ship with him, was pushing them over the edge of reason.
Henry felt threatened by looks alone. He went out on deck for his off duty,
thinking maybe he could help somehow. There were crew men at all vantage points
looking out over the sea. The thought of a vibrant, vivacious young girl sunk
in the depths, brutally murdered was too much. Although no one said it, all on
board were certain that this had been her fate.

The captain arrived on the
bridge and checked in the chart room the time of alteration of course. They had
been searching two hours now and all ships in the area had been alerted to the
search. He went out onto the wing of the bridge and gazed out over the
turquoise water. There was a light breeze stirring an occasional wave on an otherwise
calm sea. The ships searching in close proximity gave rise to a slight hope
that she might be found, but deep down the captain’s heart was broken - he knew
he would never see Pippa again.

 The day wore on; weary and
despondent men were half blinded from the glaring sun and sea, but none
complained. At eighteen hundred hours the search was called off. The ship
resumed her speed and course for Melbourne. A radio message was received that
the girl’s cabin was to be locked and nothing touched; forensic people in
Melbourne would want to examine the scene and take fingerprints. The message
also instructed that when the ship docked all crewmen were to remain on board
and there would be no shore leave until the chief of police gave his authorization.
There would be a policeman stationed at the gangway to see these orders were
carried out.

The captain discussed this
with the chief officer and they decided they would tell the crew what the
situation was going to be when they arrived. Notices were printed out. One was posted
on the crews’ notice board and one on the officers’ notice board to ensure there
could be no misunderstanding from anyone trying to go ashore.

Chapter
Twenty-Five

 The ship docked at ten hundred
hours next day and a team of police and detectives plus custom men were waiting
on the quay wall. Uniformed policemen took up duty at the foot of the gangway
and two came on board with the three detectives. A policeman was placed outside
Pippa’s door and another with a detective began a search around the area from
her cabin to the deck outside where her hair slide was found. The captain and
senior officers had a meeting with the senior detective and went over the
disappearance. They enquired how he saw her to her room and made sure it was
locked.

The watch keepers were listed
and a note was made of the order of their duty as first, wheel second wheel and
farmer. This was very important as it denoted who had what free time on each
watch. The hair slide was handed over along with the name of the man who found
it and where. When all formalities were gone through with the people who had
last seen her alive, the detectives went to examine her cabin and take
fingerprints. They instructed that the hatch where the boat girl’s body was
found was not to be opened until the detectives were ready to examine it. The
captain went to the chief steward and asked him to get a table and some chairs
arranged in the officer’s smoke room. This was where the detectives were going
to question the whole crew - one at a time.

 Henry was looking out for
Danny but he didn’t expect him to be among the first group that came on board.
He would have to meet Henry or contact him without their knowing and without arousing
suspicion. The policeman at the gangway was an unwelcome sight for the crewmen,
as it meant no shore leave. It also scuppered Gary Conrad’s plans of jumping
ship. To Henry, this at least was a positive - it meant that all three suspects
would remain on the ship.

 Henry and Gary finished
making the interview room ready. The chief steward pinned paper over the glass
panels so there would be no peeping or prying eyes when the crewmen were being
questioned. He said to the two of them, “Lay six extra places at the lunch
table, we’ll have these men for quite a while from what I’m told. I hope they
root out this filthy murderous bastard from our midst.”

 “With God’s help,” said Gary,
“I’d hate to have to sail from here with him still on board and a ship load of men,
still suspicious of their fellow crew members.”

 “I’ll start in the saloon,”
said Henry as he left.

Does Conrad think I’m
suspicious of him? Does he know more or suspect something about me I don’t realize?
Henry’s mind was a web of cross thoughts and theories but with still no
definitive idea of which one was the killer.’

 The lunch went reasonably
well. The captain didn’t come to the saloon; he had a sandwich sent to his
room. The rumor was that the questioning would start at thirteen thirty hours. Deck
officers first and radio men, then engineers. The deck hands, catering, and
engine men last. During the meal the detectives spoke about everything and anything,
but didn’t mention the murders.

The number four hatch had
been opened and an examination of the murder scene had taken place. The hospital
had also been examined and fingerprinted. Henry was happy he hadn’t left any
prints after him. The door handle had been held by numerous hands since his
visit. Henry was observing Gary Conrad who was very quiet at lunch. He ate
meticulously. It was as if by eating slowly he was putting words together. He
seemed to be pre-empting his interrogator’s questions.

 “What do you make of this no
shore leave now Gary?” enquired Henry. Then, looking around and seeing no one
within earshot he added, “will this upset your other plan?”

 “I’m not sure. They will
probably lift this no shore thing when they’ve questioned everyone.”

 Henry was pushing food
around on his plate. “I certainly hope so. More importantly, I hope they catch
the bastard.”

 “Don’t we all hope the same…
This is a dangerous ship to be sailing on. Do you think he could start killing
crew members as well as girls?”

 “I never thought of that but
I suppose anything’s possible with someone like that on board.”

 “Fuck it Henry, I’m
certainly off this bucket if I get half a chance.”

 “What time do you reckon
we’ll be on for our police interview?” asked Henry.

 “It’ll depend on the length
of time they’re going to take with each one. Don’t forget we have one another
for an alibi the night Pippa went over. You didn’t stir out of our cabin all
night - neither did I, right?”

 “Yes, of course. You didn’t
have to remind me. What else would I say?” although Henry thought that it was
always possible Conrad could have sneaked out while he was asleep.

 “I just don’t know. I’m just
confused and the fellows that were down in the tween decks will all be top
suspects.” He looked around to see if there was anybody who might be listening.
“Should I tell them about the man I thought I saw going up along the bales with
that girl?”

 “Gary, you should tell them
everything you can that might help to catch the murderer.”

 “I think you’re right. He’ll
never know I fingered him, will he?”

 “Whatever you tell the
detectives will not come back on board this ship, that’s almost guaranteed. The
police don’t work like that. Everything they hear is treated as strictly
confidential.”

“I suppose you’re right, if
it helps to catch him, I’ll tell them what I saw.”

 The senior detective went to
the captain’s room and told him he would like to take statements from him and
his senior officers and asked if he would he mind if they used his dayroom for
these interviews.

“No actually, I think it
would be more in line with on-board etiquette if you conducted the senior officers’
interviews here.”

 “Very well sir, could we
start immediately after lunch, we have a lot of people to interview. If you
wish I could take your statement now before we go to lunch.”

 “Fine, close the door and
sit down. Have you got all the paper and pens you’ll need?”

 “Yes.”

The detective dug into his bag and pulled
out a sheaf of A4 paper and a Waterman fountain pen and laid them on the desk.”

 “I like your pen sir,” the
captain said, admiring the blue marble style, colored pen.

 “Right sir, if you could
start at the beginning of the voyage from Colombo and the finding of the young
girl’s body in number four hold.”

 The captain pulled out a
drawer, took out a camera and handed it to the detective. “You’ll find the
photographs of the body on this film. I hope they will be of some help to you?”

 “Thank you sir, I’m sure
they will be.”

 The captain related the
relevant details of the voyage since they left Colombo. The detective could
detect the heartbreak this man was suffering at the loss. And he was blaming
himself for not being more careful. “Thank you sir and I would like to offer my
sincere condolences for the loss of both young girls. Now, there’s a little
test I want to conduct. So if first thing after lunch suits, could the persons
with master keys please meet me outside Pippa’s cabin and bring their keys with
them. You say the chief engineer and chief officer have photographs of the body?
I will have to have them as well.”

 “I will see to the keys and
when you meet the officers, if you remind them of the photographs. You head
away to your lunch and I’ll have this room available for you to start at
thirteen hundred hours.”

 Henry received two letters;
one from Vera and one from Vincent. He read through Vera’s and was surprised to
see how well informed she was of all that happened in Bombay. She reprimanded
him for his dalliance with the young girl, Nilima and how she thought a certain
party very nearly succeeded in having him landed in an Indian jail. She
scotched the idea that Oswyn was away all the time and she believed regardless
of what the detectives say, that he was responsible for the death of the girl
on the dock. Henry thought she was overly determined to convict the young man,
but he would have to keep an open mind about him as she could have some very
well placed informant. She wished him well and a speedy return. She missed him
and said she would never find anyone to replace him. She said her sexual aura
hasn’t shone since his leaving. He put it away until later, but before he’d
destroy, it he’d read it once more. He read Vincent’s short missive and was
sharply reminded on how close to jail he had been and he was to be careful not
to go back into any country that could enforce the warrant and start
extradition proceedings. He was reminded that the dwindling Imperial power of Her
Majesty might not be enough to keep him out of jail. Vincent said that case in
Bombay was a serious and hideous set up to get him arrested and he had an
opinion on who was responsible. He also from the report on the second murder,
stressed how dangerous and how seriously cunning and intelligent the murderer
was. Vincent implored Henry that the killer shouldn’t be underestimated under
any circumstances. However, Henry was well aware of the killer’s capabilities,
so needed no reminding. Henry wondered if he thought he was being threatened,
would the maniac start murdering his own ship mates - he assumed he would.

 The interviews started in
the officer’s smoke room with two detectives. A policeman stood guard outside
the door. Meanwhile, the chief detective was carrying out the trial with the
master keys. He took the captain’s key first and inserted it in the lock, it
turned and opened. He closed and locked the door. Then he tried the chief
steward’s key. It also turned and opened. He tried the chief officer’s key but
it wouldn’t open the lock.

“Are you sure sir that this
is the right key?”

 “Yes positive. It’s been on
that key board since I joined in London, but I have never had any cause to use
it.”

 “Could you go and get all
the keys on the key board and bring them here please?”

 He went away and was back in
a couple of minutes with four other keys that looked alike.

“Here try these.”

 The detective tried all the
keys none of them would open the lock. He held up the key that was supposed to
be the master key. “You see this key; it is not of the same manufacture as
these others. It doesn’t even resemble them if and if you look closely there’s
no channel like here. He then held up the keys together to demonstrate the
difference. My opinion is this key was planted purposely so the master key
wouldn’t be missed. I’ll have to take it ashore for examination. I’m sure
you’ll get another master key cut to replace it.”

“Yes, I’ll do that. Do you
think the person responsible for this murder used that key?”

 “It looks like it. It was
the only way into the room if she had it locked, and from all accounts, the
door was locked.”

They went back into the
captain’s dayroom and the detective asked the chief officer if he’d like to
make his statement.

 “Yes, he reply.”

He sat down and the other’s
left the room.

“Before we start sir, he
asked the detective with trepidation in his voice,” could you tell me if young
Pippa was actually murdered, or have you anything to suggest otherwise?”

 “I have nothing to suggest she
wasn’t. I think she was brutally murdered and sexually assaulted. The blood
stains, urine and semen on the bed linen, when properly examined, will bear
this out.”

 “My God, it’s too incredible
to imagine that right under our noses something like this could happen - twice.”

 The detective sorted his
paper and got ready to write. He glanced at the chief officer who, like most of
the men he had met, looked tired and haggard. “You see sir, this type of crime
is rare ashore, but it’s our job and we get somewhat immune to it, but never to
an extent that we’re not shocked. This situation here where you have people in
such close proximity and they know that they could be dining, talking or even
sharing a cabin with this monster, is in my opinion, absolutely unsustainable. Someone
is going to break and accuse a shipmate and anything could happen. It could
result in a fight with serious or fatal consequences. I don’t know how we can
solve this for you and ourselves. We might get a lucky break but from what I’ve
observed thus far, the chances are not in our favor. Our only real chance is if
we can get something solid from the interviews. The fingerprinting might give
us a breakthrough, but unfortunately, it could be too late for you. The results
could take so long to come through, that your ship might have already sailed by
then. I must ask the captain to give me all the crews discharge books, there’s
a set of prints on each one; that will save a lot of time and bother.”

 “Yes, it might help if he
left some prints in Pippa’s room as he surely did.

I’ll start where?”

 “Please start at the port of
Colombo.”

 The chief officer gave his
account and left. Then one by one, the senior officers gave their accounts.

Down below in the smoke room
the interviews were going quickly enough and Gary and Henry were standing
around expecting to be called at any time. Henry was observing as much as
possible the people standing waiting - trying to observe any signs of
nervousness in them. The only one to show signs was Sean Sweeney; he was
literally shaking. Tukola was quiet and emotionless. Henry noticed that the
older men were anxious to get in to tell their stories; each one he was sure,
had a suspect. He wondered about Danny, who he was sure would be in Melbourne
working out some way to contact him. However, Danny wasn’t going to be able to
come on board, and it was unlikely that Henry was going to be able to go
ashore.