Chapter 5
William checked back with Dr Grace but the lab work and tests revealed nothing definitive. He had hopes but did not have expectations. In his office, he wrote out a grid of motives and suspects, including the victim as a suspect in self-murder. It was a puzzle. After working on it for the better part of an hour he concluded that if it was suicide, Julia's autopsy of the mind will have to provide the evidence. It will be something deeply buried and private, and he will be loathed to bring it to light. But also required to do so. That was the part of his job he disliked the most.
Murder, though, was a possibility. He looked at the family picture and considered. The sons looked very much alike, with the dark hair of their mother. Each stood in part profile behind the mother and father.
The inspector walked over. "What have you found out, Murdoch? I have a stack of messages about this case. For all the family used its influence to keep it out of the papers, seems everybody knows all about it anyway.."
"Sir. It seems Mr Whitley was that rich after all and his sons inherit, but not equally. I spoke with the estate solicitor. His younger son, Christopher would make out best financially regardless of cause of death. He will inherit nearly the entire cash estate. His eldest son, Andrew, would only get the proceeds of an insurance policy, but not if it was suicide. Mrs Whitley will get the house and an allowance from the estate, and there was a provision for paying out a sum to her if the death was ruled accidental, but not if suicide or as the result of criminal activity, which in his case included being a murder victim. I don't understand why the estate is divided the way it is."
"The rich are different from you and me, and the newly rich an even odder lot, that's all. I see you have an accident category up there." Brackenreid pointed at the board.
"Accidental death is a stretch, but just in case, I examined the gun to see if a misfire or other misadventure could produce the wounds. I noted the mechanism is faulty and could possibly (but not probably) fire if the butt of the gun was struck hard enough or if it was cocked and one's finger got stuck near the trigger guard. Dr Grace removed the bullet and I confirmed it was fired from this gun." William made another chalk mark. "Is it a murder made to look like a suicide; a suicide made to look like a murder? A terrible accident? All four in the house (five if you count Dr Pratt) were covered with blood. Gunshot residue and patterns are not helpful and the scene has been so disturbed as to have no evidentiary value. Blood spatter, if any existed, was also obliterated."
"So, what's next?"
William put the chalk down. "Sir, as you can see on the board we just have to work through all the possibilities. In light of what we now know about the will, I will have to reinterview the family and witnesses."
"Fine. Do it delicately so they don't feel harassed. You have two more days…by Sunday." He took his hands out of his pockets and held them up. "Don't protest to me—that comes from the Chief Constable and the Mayor. Get on with it then."
William held back his expression until the inspector returned to his own office. There goes my day off, he thought. "Yes, sir," he muttered. He decided to make a model of the death scene to sort out the timeline and the facts, and started opening his cabinets for supplies and bringing them to his workbench. He was smiling soon after.