had shaved, but badly and there was a thin line of stubble on his left cheek: he had the slack look of a man who drank. When someone like this was a member of the Cuerpo General de Policia, it reflected badly on the whole corps.
Alvarez scratched the back of his neck. ‘I’m not certain I know either. The thing is, I’ve been wondering whether there’s any connection between the deaths of Clarke and Allen. Apart from anything else, they knew each other.’
‘And that is significant?’
‘Well, not on its own, I suppose. But add in the fact that in each case there are unanswered questions . . .’
‘Precisely what questions remain unanswered in connection with the death of Señor Allen?’
‘As I understand it, he was a strong swimmer and on Monday the sea was calm and there was no wind and virtually no current?’
‘Precisely.’
‘Then what circumstances caused him to drown? Or to put it in another way, is it quite certain he did die from accidental drowning?’
‘The doctor who examined the body, and I quote from memory, reported the classical signs of death by drowning: in particular, a fine froth of inhaled water mixed with mucous was apparent in the mouth. This is entirely symptomatic of the deflation of lungs ballooned by drowning.’
‘But was it accidental?’
‘He had swum out a long way: perhaps more than half a kilometre.’
‘But he was a strong swimmer.’
‘However strong, he may have been seized by cramp.’
‘What I’m getting at . . .’
‘Señor Alvarez, let me interrupt you to say quite categorically that it is my invariable custom to investigate every incident, however minor or straightforward, with the utmost care and attention. I have, therefore, already asked myself whether there were any suspicious circumstances attending his death. And the answer I received was, there are none.’
‘Are you asking for a PM?’
‘The doctor signed the death certificate immediately after seeing the body and since there was no reason to suspect that death was anything but accidental, the body was released for burial after the obligatory period of waiting. The burial took place last night.’
‘I suppose there could be an exhumation.’
‘On what grounds?’
‘I don’t know precisely.’
‘This really is going too far! You come here and accuse me of negligence in my work, yet admit you have no facts to support your accusations!’
‘Sweet Mary! I’m not accusing you of anything. All I’m trying to say is that since there was no reason at the time to suspect the death was not accidental, the investigation obviously wouldn’t have been quite as thorough as it would have been if you had suspected murder.’
Inspector Leyva spoke coldly. ‘Let me say again, I conduct every investigation with the same complete and exhaustive thoroughness, irrespective of the surrounding circumstances.’
‘Oh!’
‘Had there been the slightest reason for doubt, this death would not have been classified as accidental.’
‘I see.’ Alvarez paused, then said hesitantly: ‘And there were no bruises at all on his body?’
Leyva looked even more annoyed. ‘As a matter of fact, the doctor did report very minor bruising on the right ankle.’
‘What caused that?’
‘It’s quite impossible to say. No doubt he banged it on one of the submerged rocks that are close to the shore in the bay.’
‘The bruise was caused before death?’
‘According to the doctor, yes.’
‘You don’t think it could be significant?’
‘I do not. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am a very busy man.’
‘Just one more thing. Would you have any objection to my having a word with the widow?’
Leyva stared at Alvarez and just for a moment it looked as if he were going to smile. ‘No objection whatsoever, Inspector. Let me give you the address.’
Vera Allen sat in one of the very luxurious, ugly armchairs in the over-furnished, tastelessly decorated sitting-room. She wore black, but she looked angry
Alvarez scratched the back of his neck. ‘I’m not certain I know either. The thing is, I’ve been wondering whether there’s any connection between the deaths of Clarke and Allen. Apart from anything else, they knew each other.’
‘And that is significant?’
‘Well, not on its own, I suppose. But add in the fact that in each case there are unanswered questions . . .’
‘Precisely what questions remain unanswered in connection with the death of Señor Allen?’
‘As I understand it, he was a strong swimmer and on Monday the sea was calm and there was no wind and virtually no current?’
‘Precisely.’
‘Then what circumstances caused him to drown? Or to put it in another way, is it quite certain he did die from accidental drowning?’
‘The doctor who examined the body, and I quote from memory, reported the classical signs of death by drowning: in particular, a fine froth of inhaled water mixed with mucous was apparent in the mouth. This is entirely symptomatic of the deflation of lungs ballooned by drowning.’
‘But was it accidental?’
‘He had swum out a long way: perhaps more than half a kilometre.’
‘But he was a strong swimmer.’
‘However strong, he may have been seized by cramp.’
‘What I’m getting at . . .’
‘Señor Alvarez, let me interrupt you to say quite categorically that it is my invariable custom to investigate every incident, however minor or straightforward, with the utmost care and attention. I have, therefore, already asked myself whether there were any suspicious circumstances attending his death. And the answer I received was, there are none.’
‘Are you asking for a PM?’
‘The doctor signed the death certificate immediately after seeing the body and since there was no reason to suspect that death was anything but accidental, the body was released for burial after the obligatory period of waiting. The burial took place last night.’
‘I suppose there could be an exhumation.’
‘On what grounds?’
‘I don’t know precisely.’
‘This really is going too far! You come here and accuse me of negligence in my work, yet admit you have no facts to support your accusations!’
‘Sweet Mary! I’m not accusing you of anything. All I’m trying to say is that since there was no reason at the time to suspect the death was not accidental, the investigation obviously wouldn’t have been quite as thorough as it would have been if you had suspected murder.’
Inspector Leyva spoke coldly. ‘Let me say again, I conduct every investigation with the same complete and exhaustive thoroughness, irrespective of the surrounding circumstances.’
‘Oh!’
‘Had there been the slightest reason for doubt, this death would not have been classified as accidental.’
‘I see.’ Alvarez paused, then said hesitantly: ‘And there were no bruises at all on his body?’
Leyva looked even more annoyed. ‘As a matter of fact, the doctor did report very minor bruising on the right ankle.’
‘What caused that?’
‘It’s quite impossible to say. No doubt he banged it on one of the submerged rocks that are close to the shore in the bay.’
‘The bruise was caused before death?’
‘According to the doctor, yes.’
‘You don’t think it could be significant?’
‘I do not. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am a very busy man.’
‘Just one more thing. Would you have any objection to my having a word with the widow?’
Leyva stared at Alvarez and just for a moment it looked as if he were going to smile. ‘No objection whatsoever, Inspector. Let me give you the address.’
Vera Allen sat in one of the very luxurious, ugly armchairs in the over-furnished, tastelessly decorated sitting-room. She wore black, but she looked angry
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