The Dark Palace

Of course, he would overlook it, as he did all of Waechter’s misdemeanours. One had to indulge a genius. The expense would not be great, and it was possible the object was intended as a prop in some future film. In which case, it was perfectly valid to order it through the company. But he would ask him about it when he next saw him. He had a duty to do that at least.

At any rate, with the flaw ru

But of course, Waechter had other things on his mind at the moment.

He had left his director at the Savoy last night. The scene with Eloise had been upsetting for them all. His priority, once that fool of a policeman had let him into the room, was to get the two of them apart. He had escorted Waechter to the bar, although it pained him to leave Eloise on her own. Fortunately, he had run into Diaz and his nephew, who had come to the Savoy in expectation of meeting Berenger. The actor had always demonstrated a commendable sympathy for the world’s downtrodden. He no doubt discerned some quality of oppression in the Chileans’ eyes and been drawn to them. In Hartma

At any rate, Diaz and his nephew’s appearance was fortuitous. He could send them upstairs to be with Eloise until he had calmed Waechter down.

Of course, it was a terrible blow for them all, Berenger’s death. They were a family. Hartma

And yet, he had to admit it, there had been something that unsettled him about Waechter’s reaction. The gleam in Waechter’s eye was not the dewy film of grief. But a self-absorbed, chilling excitement.

Hartma

FIFTY

Light filled the room. Qui

At the top left-hand corner he had pi

A pathologist’s report concerning the eye had just come in. In short, the medical opinion was that the eye had ceased to be a part of a living organism several days at least before Friday, 17 April. The pathologist even ventured to suggest the possibility that the eye had been removed from a cadaver. This was consistent with Waechter’s version of events, namely that the incident was a hoax. Who was responsible for that hoax had yet to be decided. A photograph of Berenger slumped in a tub of dark liquid raised the possibility of his culpability. Qui

And then there was the question of the eye itself. It seemed likely that it was the eye stolen from the body of Edna Corbett. Was it a coincidence that she was a victim in a case Qui

If this was the case, was Waechter really behind it? Or was he merely the instrument of other, more sinister agents?

Qui

‘Pe

Qui

‘Should be this week sometime, I reckon.’

‘I want it today.’

‘I have a pal at the morgue, sir.’ Macadam had a pal everywhere, it seemed. ‘I shall see if anything can be done.’

‘You think it can tell us anythin’ we don’ already know? She ’ad ’er throat cut and ’er eye plucked out. There’s your cause of death, guv, with respec’.’

‘It might tell us something about the weapon. Or weapons. Presumably a different implement was used to cut her from that which gouged out the eye. They found no eye at the scene of crime?’

‘No, guv.’

Qui

‘Nothing as yet, sir.’

‘I would like some scene of crime photographs from last night’s bomb outrage. And can we not get our hands on a photograph of Le

‘Do you think the bomb blast is co

‘And what’s it all got to do with bloody German spies?’ Inchball shook his head dubiously.

‘Possibly nothing,’ said Qui

‘Yes, sir.’

‘And?’

‘Nothing. No known criminals. I am just now cross-checking them with the companies in St Swithin’s Lane.’

‘Very well. Get on with it.’

‘What do you want me to do, guv?’

Qui

‘Sir?’

‘What is it, Macadam?’

‘I think I may have found something.’

Qui

‘The London Nitrate Company. According to the Stock Exchange Yearbook, Le

‘Nitrate?’

‘It’s used in the manufacture of explosives, sir. Guncotton. If a war is coming, the control of nitrate supplies could prove decisive. Perhaps Hartma