Donaldson was last
seen alive buying a lottery ticket in Kensington, central
London. He was found dead by his wife
when she got back from bingo at 11.30pm. A door key for a hotel in Milan
was next to Donaldson’s body. His wallet had been
stolen.
The police suspected Dickey Bird, a
small time drug dealer and security guard at the Notting Hill Bingo and
Social Club. Bird and Mrs. Donaldson were having an affair.
Rick however, had his doubts. Mrs. Donaldson was
paying him to investigate her husband’s murder. Rick walked up
to Inspector Jim Corner of Scotland Yard who was in charge of the murder
investigation. Rick took off his
sunglasses and looked the inspector in the eye.
‘I’m Rick Mansworth.’ said Rick. ‘You must be Corner of the Yard’.
‘Yes, that’s right Mr. Mansworth’ replied the inspector, ‘Scotland Yard.
How did you know me?’
‘You’ve only got one eye. You lost the other one drinking coffee.’
‘Yes, that’s very clever of you Mr. Mansworth. But now I always take the
spoon out of the cup.’
Dickey Bird ‘So, who have you arrested
for this one inspector?’ asked Rick. Looking around the crime scene.
‘Bird of course’ replied the inspector, laughing. He’s the only suspect.’
Rick walked away and left Corner of the Yard laughing behind him. A blue
BMW was parked outside Donaldson’s
flat. Rick looked through the window and saw a map of Milan on the
passenger seat. There was a white hotel towel on the backseat. Rick looked
closer and read the writing on the towel ‘Hotel Valiente, Milan’. Rick
took out his mobile and phoned Air
Italia. He was going to Milan.
The Hotel Valiente was on of the worst Hotels Rick had ever
seen. As he walked into reception he
saw mice and cockroaches packing their
bags to leave! The receptionist checked the coffee-stained register for
the name of Donaldson. There was a newspaper next to the register. Rick’s
Italian was bad, but he managed to translate the headline; ‘$6 million in
cocaine stolen from Milan Police’
‘Yes Sir’ said the receptionist in an Italian accent, ‘he was.. a here
for.. a two days. He a…checked out.. a.. yesterday.
‘Did you notice anything unusual about him?’ asked Rick, nervously
watching a cockroach coming out of the lift.
‘I sure..a..did.’ said the receptionist, ‘He..a only had..a.. one eye.’
So that’s it! Thought Rick as the taxi flew
through the streets of Milan to the airport. Corner used his police
identity to steal the cocaine from the Milan police. Then he used
Donaldson’s connection with Dickey Bird the drug dealer to put the
suspicion on Bird.
As Bird was being questioned Rick
arrived at Scotland Yard.
‘You’ve got the wrong man!’ shouted Rick, as he ran into the police
station. ‘He did it!’ Rick was pointing
at inspector Corner.
‘Be careful Mansworth.’ warned the inspector. ‘I’ve got my eye on you.’
‘Too late Corner’ said Rick. Your fingerprints
were found on the map in Dickey Bird’s car. The hotel bill in
Milan is on your visa card and the bullets taken
from Donaldson’s body came from your gun.’
Success. Rick had solved another case
and, as he sat on his balcony with a whisky and a cigarette, he looked at
the busy London streets below and thought about dinner. Fish in the
microwave, or chicken in the pub? He finished his drink quickly and put on
his jacket. Tonight he didn’t feel like being alone.
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