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Frederick Highland
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Frederick Highland
website: amg
webhost: lunarpages
As Mrs. Bullock exited, she waved in the swarthy skinned business man from Colombo. He was impeccably attired in double-breasted white ducks, a vermilion handkerchief plumed in his lapel. He looked at Greavy with a defiant stare.
"Allow me to save you the preliminaries, Inspector," he said in crisp English with some hauteur. "Yes, I had a disagreement with Sir Geoffrey in the dining room following dinner last night. A most vehement argument, I can assure you. Quite frankly, he was a scoundrel and a cheat."
"You are a dealer in collectibles, isn't that right?" Greavy asked.
"Antiques. Old coins. Rare stamps." Mr. Kandi's eyes fell on the dagger. "My, that's not the murder weapon, is it? That's a beautiful piece of workmanship. Eighteenth century Sarawak. Much too beautiful a weapon to waste in Bullock's back."
"How did you know it was found in the back of Sir Geoffrey?"
"Well, it was the talk of the ship this morning, Inspector. Say! That doesn't look too swell for me, does it?"
"I can't say you look too worried, Mr. Kandi."
"Why should I be? First of all, I'm innocent. Second of all-- Well I'm thinking of the future, Inspector Greavy. Before long my people won't have to be interrogated like this. The Indians are poised for independence. Then our turn. And we will no longer be called Ceylonese. For we are the people of the Lion-- Sri Lankans."
"I may admire your patriotism, Mr. Kandi, but the present topic is the murder of a widely respected official of the British Empire. Why did you cross swords with Sir Geoffrey last night?"
"Not over politics I can assure you, sir. No, nothing so mundane. It was over a set of stamps."
"Stamps, you say?"
"Sir Geoffrey tried to foist a set of rare Siamese stamps issued during the reign of King Vajiravudh at a very pretty price. Temple scenes. Rare, my foot! I tossed the lot right back in his face. Thought he was dealing with just another ignorant native. He knows better now." The businessman squared his shoulders for emphasis.
"I see." Inspector Greavy called out to the first mate who was guarding the suspects just outside the door. Mrs. Bullock and Kip Templar now joined Mr. Kandi before the captain's desk.
"Now that all of you are here," the Inspector announced, "I will tell you that Sir Geoffrey left a clue behind. A definitive clue at that."
Taking up a pair of tongs, Greavy carefully extracted a stamp from inside a glassine and placed it facing the trio of suspects. "Sir Geoffrey was clutching this in his hand when I examined the body this morning. It clearly points to the identity of his murderer. And I might as well inform all of you, I am an expert in East Asian stamps."
There was a slight intake of breath on the part of Violet Bullock and Kip Templar's eyes narrowed.
"There's no point in deceiving us any longer," said the Inspector, staring straight at the murderer. "I'll accept your confession now."
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Murder in the Maldives, Page 2
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