The Defeated Aristocrat (8 page)

Lilli stared past him, transfixed by the sight of the bloodied mutilated corpse on the bed. She felt lightheaded, strange as though she’d been transported back to the ‘hotel’ in Wasser Strasse.

A man dressed in a plain black suit, starched collar, and tie glanced up from his examination of the body. ‘You’re in shock, Mrs Gluck. Sit down. I’ll be with you in a moment.’

‘There’s no need, Dr von Mau. This is not the first corpse I’ve seen in this condition.’ Lilli opened her bag and removed the note. ‘I received another communication …’ She decided it might be more circumspect to hand it to the senior officer. ‘… Kriminalrat Dorfman.’

Dorfman took the note. Georg Hafen touched Lilli’s arm. She winced. He stared at her in the dim light of the overhead lamp. ‘What happened to you, Fraulein Richter?’ Lilli was Georg’s godchild, but as they were in a professional situation he automatically reverted to her professional name.

‘I fell downstairs.’

‘Excuse us, Kriminalrat Dorfman.’ Georg propelled Lilli into the next room. Like the crime scene, it contained a bed, couch, washstand and chair. The doctor, Martin von Mau, joined them.

‘I’ll offer you my hand, Lilli, but only after I’ve washed it.’ He went to a washstand and poured water from a jug into a bowl.

Lilli knew Martin. She’d attended the same music academy as his older sister Charlotte who’d been devastated by her husband, Anton von Braunsch’s, murder. Although neither of them had embarked on a musical career she and Charlotte had remained close friends after their academy days and Charlotte, or Lotte as she was known, had worked as her assistant on the newspaper for the last two years.  

‘Please don’t stand on my account.’ She was aware how much trouble Martin’s club foot gave him.

‘Thank you, Lilli.’ Martin dried his hand, shook Lilli’s, and turned to Georg. ‘I can give you a verbal preliminary report, sir.’

‘Take a look at Mrs Gluck before we discuss it.’

‘No, really,’ Lilli protested. ‘I fell. It was clumsy of me. You know how it is when you’re in a hurry. We received a report at the paper that a man and two children had fallen through the ice into the Upper Lake when skating. I ran from the office and tripped down the stairs. Of course no one was at the lake by the time I arrived. Firemen had fished them out and taken them to the hospital in Hinterrossgarten. They all survived …’ Realising she was elaborating more than necessary, she sank down on the sofa. Martin moved a chair in front of her, sat, and held his hand up before her eyes.

‘How many fingers can you see?’

‘Kriminalrat Dorfman will want to talk to me. I’ll leave you in Dr von Mau’s capable hands, Lilli. Listen to him and do as he advises.’

‘We’ll discuss this case in my office, seven o’clock sharp.’ Dorfman handed Georg the note that had been delivered to Lilli. ‘You have my authority to employ as many men as you need. If necessary, cancel all leave. I want the perpetrator of these obscenities caught and punished.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Keep Max Meyer in the cells for a couple of days and arrange to have him questioned at hourly intervals. Day and night. He and the
Konigsberg Sonne
need to be reminded what is and isn’t permissible to print. See he’s given advice on the acceptable behaviour for journalists.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Georg was relieved to see Dorfman walk down the stairs and out of the door. It hadn’t been easy for him to step down from the position of Acting Kriminalrat, which he’d held on a temporary basis since Dorfman’s uncle had died in 1915. He would have accepted his demotion with equanimity if a better man with experience or talent had been appointed in his place. But Dorfman owed his position to influential connections. It was enough for the Burgomaster that Dorfman’s father and grandfather had been judges, that his brother was a lawyer, and although Dorfman had no qualifications or university education he’d returned from the war a colonel.

Georg read the note that had been delivered to Lilli. Afterwards he watched the police photographer, Otto, make a record of the room from every angle. He was still monitoring Otto from the doorway when Martin joined him twenty minutes later.

‘Lilli’s husband beat her.’ Martin hadn’t asked a question and Georg didn’t divert his attention from Otto or the room.

‘She told you?’

‘Not in so many words.’

‘It’s the words we need. She has to make an official complaint.’

‘She has three cracked ribs, extensive and serious bruising, and whip marks on her back, arms, and breasts. By the look of the cuts and bruises, they were made by the buckle end of a belt. I advised her to throw the brute out.’

‘If only it were that simple. They live in an apartment in her invalid father’s house. She’s probably terrified her husband will beat her father and child if she asks him to leave.’

‘Blows that forceful could kill.’

‘I know and she knows.’ Georg finally turned to him.

‘You’re a senior officer in the city police.’

‘She’s Dedleff Gluck’s wife. Do you know the kriminalrat’s directives on violence between husband and wife?’

‘Ignore it?’

‘Short of murder, yes. A wife is the property of her husband and a man may dispose of his possessions as he wishes. However, although I may not be able to arrest Gluck, I am his superior.’

‘Which means?’

‘I have some power over him. Did you know Lilli calls me Uncle Georg in private?’

‘No.’

‘I’m her godfather. Leave her husband to me.’ He moved to allow Otto to carry out his equipment. ‘You’ve finished photographing everything, Otto?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘You’ve made a record of every inch of the room?’

‘As always, sir.’ Otto was hurt by the suggestion that he wouldn’t have.

‘I can move anything knowing I can see where it was originally placed as soon as you’ve developed your photographs?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘In that case, thank you.’

Martin helped Otto stack his tripod, camera, plates and equipment outside the door before following Georg back into the room. They both stared at the mutilated corpse.

‘My apologies, von Mau. After the murder of your brother-in-law, this is probably the last place you want to be,’ Georg murmured.

‘Anton was found like this?’ Martin asked.

‘Exactly like this. Lilli discovered his body.’

‘She did?’ Martin was surprised.

‘Someone sent her a note with the address. Just as they did tonight.’

‘Could the same person have killed both men?’

‘It’s possible,’ Georg replied cautiously. ‘Same mutilation, same shredded pile of uniform and underclothes cut from the body, same rope ligatures binding hands and feet to the head and footboards and similar rusting mask covering the face.’

‘A branks.’

‘A what?’ Georg questioned.

‘A branks – a scold’s bridle.’

‘You’ve seen one before?’

‘All doctors have to complete three months training in a psychiatric clinic. I was sent to Alte Pillauer. It used to be a workhouse. There was a pile of these bridles in a disused padded cell in the cellar. The caretaker told me they stopped using them about a century ago but the authorities never got around to throwing them out.’

‘So a mask like this wouldn’t be difficult to find?’

‘Not for someone with access to an old hospital, workhouse, or even a church. They were used as a punishment by all three institutions and called scolds’ bridles because they silenced as well as humiliated the wearer. They fit tightly on the head, preventing movement of the facial muscles. Some, but not all, have a built-in tongue depressor that makes it impossible for anyone strapped into one to speak. I’ll check this model when I remove it. As Lilli arrived after me I take it she didn’t discover this victim?’

‘The maid did. She cleans the rooms and changes the bedding between clients. A room here costs one mark an hour.’

‘Expensive.’

‘Not when you take laundry into account. Were those injuries inflicted before death?’ Georg was finding it difficult to control his emotions. He couldn’t stop imagining the pain the man must have suffered – if he’d been alive when mutilated.

Martin referred to his notes. ‘Would you like me to outline what I think happened bearing in mind that some findings will be down to guesswork, not scientific conclusion?’

‘At this stage I’ll accept any help I can get.’

‘The police doctor gave you a report on the other victim?’ Martin asked.

‘You know Dr Feiner?’

‘No.’

‘You’re fortunate. He wouldn’t be the police doctor if his wife wasn’t the Burgomaster’s aunt. The man’s senile.’ Georg concentrated on a spot on the carpet so he could ignore the odorous lump of mutilated flesh that had been a living, breathing man. ‘After examining the victim, Feiner came to three conclusions. First he was dead. Second his genitals had been removed. Third, they’d been stuffed into his mouth or rather the gap in the mask that gave access to his mouth.’

‘I can tell you a little more than that about this victim, sir. His hands were secured to the headboard and his ankles to the footboard while he was alive. The evidence is in the rope residue on the metal and the bruises on his wrists and ankles.’

‘He struggled?’

‘The bruising suggests he did, but only after he was tied. There are no bruises higher up his arms or legs. Look around. The chair’s upright. The mats are straight. The room’s neat. There’s no evidence of a fight. Either he allowed himself to be tied to the bed …’

‘Or whoever did this straightened the room after they killed him,’ Georg suggested.

‘Not the killer. Not after the murder. He would have left bloody handprints. But if more than one person was involved, the ‘clean’ one could have restored the room to order after the victim had been trussed to the bed.’

‘Officers were here within minutes of the maid sounding the alarm. They locked down the building and checked everyone inside. No one was blood-stained and no one admitted to hearing a fight, raised voices, or anything out of the ordinary. But, given the nature of this house a few moans or screams might go unnoticed.’

‘I doubt the victim was able to make much noise once that mask was locked on.’ Martin approached the corpse. ‘You asked about the mutilation. His genitals were removed when he was alive.’

‘You’re certain?’

Martin pointed at the bloody mass of raw flesh between the man’s legs. ‘For that much blood to flow, he must have been. I can’t be certain of the sequence but I think after the mask was locked on his head effectively silencing him, it’s likely his buttocks were lifted and supported by the low stool you see beneath him and his penis and scrotum removed. I’ll make a closer examination in the mortuary. The cuts are of uniform length and jagged suggesting they were made by a scissors or short-bladed knife. If I had to opt for one I’d say scissors. Sharp ones similar to boning scissors. Rigor hasn’t set in. I’d say he died sometime within the last three to four hours. Do you know who he is?’

‘The uniform is that of a kriminaloberassistent.’ Hafen pointed to the shredded clothes. ‘His pockets were empty. Picked clean.’

‘Did he come in with anyone?’

‘Not that anyone saw. In fact no one appears to have seen him enter the building.’

‘Was he on duty?’

‘No idea. I’ll check the rotas after he’s been identified. Did he die from blood loss?’

‘I doubt he’d have lived more than five, maybe ten minutes after the mutilation and attendant blood loss, and for most of that time he would have been semi-conscious from shock and pain.’

There was a knock at the door. Georg opened it. Lilli was outside.

‘If you don’t need me …’

‘I don’t. Go home and try to get some sleep, Lilli. You might manage an hour or two before you have to get up.’

‘I wanted to check what I can print.’

‘There’s been a second victim.’

‘Nothing more?’

‘No, and no mention of the notes you received.’ Georg warned. ‘It’ll be your scoop when the time’s right.’

‘The victim?’

‘Unidentified as yet. We won’t release his name until after his family have been informed. As usual you’ll get any press release twelve hours before the
Sonne
. Tell Klein to arrange transport to take you home.’

‘Thank you, I will.’

‘It’s me who should be thanking you for bringing us the letter, Lilli.’

‘Be kind to the young officer who escorted me here. He wouldn’t have if I hadn’t lied to him. His name is Blau.’

‘I promise no more than three lashes,’ Georg joked. ‘Goodbye, Lilli. Take care of yourself.’

Georg watched Lilli walk down the stairs. ‘Is there anything else, Martin?’ he asked after the front door had closed behind her.

‘Just one more thing before I remove the mask.’ Martin picked up a fragment of the victim’s uniform and wiped the blood from the man’s chest.

Georg squinted, ‘Are those letters carved into the skin?’

‘Crude, but they appear to spell “defiler”. Given the blood flow they look as though they were incised during life. I’m no detective but added to the mutilation it could be an indication of motive. Was anything cut into the chest on the other corpse?’ Martin asked.

‘I don’t recall but I’ll check. Thank you, Dr von Mau. I can’t promise anything given Feiner’s connections but would you be prepared to consider the position of police doctor if I put your name forward, after consultation with the kriminalrat? Provided he agrees, of course.’

‘I would be honoured by the appointment, sir. As would my bank manager if there’s a retainer.’ Martin examined the lock on the base of the neck ring that secured the two halves of the scold’s bridle.

‘I’m not sure what the salary is, but it must be worth having as Feiner wants to keep it. Here, let me.’ Georg produced a bunch of skeleton keys. ‘Essential equipment for every officer who doesn’t want lawbreakers to have all the advantages.’ He had the lock unfastened in seconds.

Martin tried to remove the penis from the mouth of the mask but it had caught on the metal “teeth” that framed the opening. Gently, exerting minimum pressure, he prised the front from the back of the bridle. He stopped when he saw a mark on the left side of the victim’s neck.