you know, her husband was an apothecary, a
fine, learned gentlemen. They don't make ‘em like that anymore. No,
they don't. It’s a pity, don't you think?"
"I do. Tell
me, do you know your neighbours well?" Kroupa tried to get to the
purpose of his visit.
"Not very well. Sometimes I run into Mrs Peacock, and
then there were the Baldwins. They were, how
should I say, introverted? Quiet neighbours, with the occasional
outburst. But since Mrs Baldwin was shot and young Miss Baldwin left, it’s been very quiet. Mr Baldwin does not associate with anyone, so little in fact, that
people talk. I don't, unless I know the facts. That’s all I
know."
"You mentioned outbursts. What were they about?" Kroupa
encouraged him.
"You know, young women. The Baldwin s’ lass and the old man always fought, about nothing. The
girl got on better with Mrs Baldwin . She went to complain somewhere and people, actually two
women, came to talk to Ted Baldwin. After they left, there was a
big uproar, the lass walked out and Mrs Baldwin was hysterical. And then somebody came and shot Mrs Baldwin . They never found out who it was. It was a very
sad story. But otherwise, it has been a very quiet and peaceful
place. The only thing you always hear is the hum of the ocean. I
wouldn't live anywhere else."
"I bet it's peaceful. With two neighbours six feet under
and the other one in the cooler, who could make a noise?" Hendrych
commented.
"Hush," Kroupa
gave him a dirty look. "Which school did the child attend?"
"Did you say two people dead? Don't tell me that
t here was
another shooting! What is the world coming to. Poor lass, and she
was so pretty."
"She's still
kicking alright, it's the old man who got shot," Hendrych provided
the necessary information.
"Thank God she’ s okay. It would be a shame, so young and already
shot. So, it was the old man, was it? Serves him right, that dirty
old man."
Kroupa
interrupted the flurry of words, "You still owe me an answer. What
school did the lass attend?"
"That's obvious, the one around the corner. Where else? St
Ignatius, of course. St Ignatius, around the corner." The sonorous
voice thundered. Sara was agitated and jumped up at the sound.
Kroupa decided that he’d got what he wanted, nodded to Hendrych and
whistled to Sara.
"What a
voice!" Hendrych shook his head.
"The more in voice , the less in brain," Kroupa added.
"Do you think
she did it?" Hendrych ask insecure.
"Did what?
Who?"
"The lass, as
the old man called her?"
"Two thousand years ago a man called Plutarch said
' Decide no suit until you have heard both
sides speak '. Always remember that. It is still valid
today."
"Who are the
both sides?" Hendrych looked confused.
"That I don't know as yet," Kroupa admitted. "Time will tell. We
are going to find out more."
-------------
At Katoomba police station, George Hurst and Mark Cotton were
sitting side by side at the long table, facing a beaming Senior Constable
Milton and a young stenographer . "So, young men,
what did you do in the car park last month?" Milton asked
directly.
"What do you mean? We weren't never in a ny car park. We don't have no
wheels, man," said a nervous George.
"Then I have to refresh your memory. You two and Ms Baldwin
had a party in the Coles' car park, starting at about nine
pm. You do
you remember that, don't you?"
"She promised she wouldn 't tell nobody. Yes, we were there, so
what?"
"What were you drinking?" the superintendent wanted to
know.
"Black rats," Mark said quietly. "Bundy and coke, if you must know,"
he readily explained.
"How many
black rats did you have?"
"We bought a
carton, that's all." The talk turned to George, who was more
co-operative.
"That's
twenty-four cans, isn't it? How much did Ms Baldwin drink? How many
cans - of those black rats?"
"Maybe six? I
had just two or three and Mark didn't drink much, did you,
Mark?"
"I take it that Ms Baldwin was quite intoxicated?" Milton
suggested.
"That's for sure, man. She was absolutely
fine, learned gentlemen. They don't make ‘em like that anymore. No,
they don't. It’s a pity, don't you think?"
"I do. Tell
me, do you know your neighbours well?" Kroupa tried to get to the
purpose of his visit.
"Not very well. Sometimes I run into Mrs Peacock, and
then there were the Baldwins. They were, how
should I say, introverted? Quiet neighbours, with the occasional
outburst. But since Mrs Baldwin was shot and young Miss Baldwin left, it’s been very quiet. Mr Baldwin does not associate with anyone, so little in fact, that
people talk. I don't, unless I know the facts. That’s all I
know."
"You mentioned outbursts. What were they about?" Kroupa
encouraged him.
"You know, young women. The Baldwin s’ lass and the old man always fought, about nothing. The
girl got on better with Mrs Baldwin . She went to complain somewhere and people, actually two
women, came to talk to Ted Baldwin. After they left, there was a
big uproar, the lass walked out and Mrs Baldwin was hysterical. And then somebody came and shot Mrs Baldwin . They never found out who it was. It was a very
sad story. But otherwise, it has been a very quiet and peaceful
place. The only thing you always hear is the hum of the ocean. I
wouldn't live anywhere else."
"I bet it's peaceful. With two neighbours six feet under
and the other one in the cooler, who could make a noise?" Hendrych
commented.
"Hush," Kroupa
gave him a dirty look. "Which school did the child attend?"
"Did you say two people dead? Don't tell me that
t here was
another shooting! What is the world coming to. Poor lass, and she
was so pretty."
"She's still
kicking alright, it's the old man who got shot," Hendrych provided
the necessary information.
"Thank God she’ s okay. It would be a shame, so young and already
shot. So, it was the old man, was it? Serves him right, that dirty
old man."
Kroupa
interrupted the flurry of words, "You still owe me an answer. What
school did the lass attend?"
"That's obvious, the one around the corner. Where else? St
Ignatius, of course. St Ignatius, around the corner." The sonorous
voice thundered. Sara was agitated and jumped up at the sound.
Kroupa decided that he’d got what he wanted, nodded to Hendrych and
whistled to Sara.
"What a
voice!" Hendrych shook his head.
"The more in voice , the less in brain," Kroupa added.
"Do you think
she did it?" Hendrych ask insecure.
"Did what?
Who?"
"The lass, as
the old man called her?"
"Two thousand years ago a man called Plutarch said
' Decide no suit until you have heard both
sides speak '. Always remember that. It is still valid
today."
"Who are the
both sides?" Hendrych looked confused.
"That I don't know as yet," Kroupa admitted. "Time will tell. We
are going to find out more."
-------------
At Katoomba police station, George Hurst and Mark Cotton were
sitting side by side at the long table, facing a beaming Senior Constable
Milton and a young stenographer . "So, young men,
what did you do in the car park last month?" Milton asked
directly.
"What do you mean? We weren't never in a ny car park. We don't have no
wheels, man," said a nervous George.
"Then I have to refresh your memory. You two and Ms Baldwin
had a party in the Coles' car park, starting at about nine
pm. You do
you remember that, don't you?"
"She promised she wouldn 't tell nobody. Yes, we were there, so
what?"
"What were you drinking?" the superintendent wanted to
know.
"Black rats," Mark said quietly. "Bundy and coke, if you must know,"
he readily explained.
"How many
black rats did you have?"
"We bought a
carton, that's all." The talk turned to George, who was more
co-operative.
"That's
twenty-four cans, isn't it? How much did Ms Baldwin drink? How many
cans - of those black rats?"
"Maybe six? I
had just two or three and Mark didn't drink much, did you,
Mark?"
"I take it that Ms Baldwin was quite intoxicated?" Milton
suggested.
"That's for sure, man. She was absolutely
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