Sir Donald nodded, rang a bell. When a steward came along, he said: “Find the bos’n, tell him to send the blacksmith along at once.”
It took a long time for the blacksmith to smash open the heavy safe, but the lock came away in the end and Shaw reached in. He took out a long white envelope bearing the MAPIACCIND arms.
He said, “This hasn’t been tampered with, anyway. Seals are intact, and it’s a genuine MAPIACCIND envelope.” After a brief hesitation, he slit the flap. The list of signals was there and intact, and he showed it to the Captain.
Sir Donald grunted. “That doesn’t help much, theft.”
Shaw tapped the envelope reflectively against his palm. “Not a lot. Of course, they could have been copied and replaced — but there’s that seal, and the embossed envelope. Karstad wouldn’t have access to MAPIACCIND seals and stationery. We can’t get over that… not unless there’s even more behind this than we’ve suspected so far.”
They looked at each other. Sir Donald asked tautly, “You mean complicity inside MAPIACCIND?”
“In these times you can’t rule out even that, I dare say.
But it would mean some one in Geneva itself is in this racket, and that’s a very long shot. Anyhow, I hope we’re going to find out when we haul Andersson — Karstad — in.”
Sir Donald said, “Shaw, just a moment. I can’t arrest a passenger and charge him with murder on mere suspicion of being some one else—”
“But look, sir—”
Sir Donald said firmly, “There’s got to be a preliminary inquiry at least before I consider doing any such thing. I take it there’s no real proof the man’s Karstad. There’s no proof Gresham was murdered, even. Meanwhile,” he added with a straight look at Shaw, “nothing is to be said which may suggest anyone’s under suspicion. I know how important this thing is, Shaw — you mustn’t doubt that — but you have to remember I’ve got my Company’s interests to consider as well.”
The inquiry took place immediately after breakfast, in the Captain’s day-cabin. The first man to be brought up was the night-steward stationed on the section which included both Colonel Gresham’s and Andersson’s cabins; by this time Sir Donald had examined the Chief Steward’s Night Rounds Book and had seen an entry by the night-steward to the effect that he had been called to Andersson’s room at 00.50 hours.
Sir Donald asked him, “Did you find anything at all out of the ordinary during the night?”
“Oh, no, sir. Anything unusual like, I’d ’ave entered it in the rounds book.”
“Quite. I’m asking you if there was anything slightly unusual, but not sufficiently so to warrant an entry in the book.”
The man shuffled a little, looked up at the deck-head and thrust out his lower lip in an effort at concentration. As he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down in a stringy neck, rising above the high collar of his blue jacket. He said, “No, sir… not unusual, like. There was that Mr. Andersson, ’e seemed to ’ave drunk more’n ’e ought, sir. An’ ’e ’ad two bottles of whisky with ’im, sir, when ’e went to ’is room. ’E was playin’ cards again, sir.”
“Well, there’s nothing in that, I suppose.” The Captain looked up sharply, tapping a pencil on the desk. “How d’you know he was playing cards?”
“Well, sir, I see ’im when I answered a call for iced water at ten to one, that’s in the rounds book.” The Captain nodded, and the steward went on, “ ’E was pretty full then, sir, if you’ll pardon me. An’ then ’is bedroom steward, sir, ’e said as Mr Andersson an’ the other gentleman was still at it when ’e went in with the tea this morning. That was just after I come off watch.”
“I see.” Sir Donald made a note on the sheet of paper before him. “An all-night session. And you’re sure of the time you took the iced water along — ten to one?”
“Positive, sir.”
“You don’t happen to know who the other gentleman was?”
“No, sir, not by name, sir.” The man hesitated. “ ’E ’ad what I’d call a sort of — of un’olesome face, sir, all marked with pits. I see ’im earlier, too, goin’ along to Mr Andersson’s cabin.”
The Captain glanced up at the Chief Steward, who was standing beside him. “Know him, Chief Steward?”
“Yessir.” The Chief Steward stared woodenly ahead. “Name of Markham, sir. Big poker player. Flush with lol — money, sir.”
“Thank you.” Sir Donald turned to the night-steward again. “Does Mr Markham often go along to Mr Andersson’s cabin?”
“Yes, sir, ’e do.”
“Has he been in there all night before?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Playing poker?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I see. Nothing else to report?”
“No, sir.”
“Very well, thank you. Remember you’re not to talk to anyone about what we’ve discussed. All right?”
“Yes, sir, thank you, sir.”
Sir Donald nodded in dismissal; after that he saw in succession the various barkeepers and the cabin steward on Andersson’s section. The tavern barkeeper confirmed that Mr Andersson had taken two bottles of whisky away with him at about 9.30 the evening before and that he had appeared to be somewhat unsober at the time. The cabin steward confirmed that Mr Andersson, together with a Mr Markham, had been at the card-table in his cabin at 7.30 that morning, that there were two bottles of whisky on the dressing-table, one empty and the other three-quarters full, and that Mr Andersson had looked bleary and bloodshot and hardly able to concentrate on the game. The steward added that Andersson had turned in soon after and was still in bed and sound asleep — he seldom, in fact, ever got up before lunch-time. After that evidence Sir Donald sent down for the man with the pockmarked face. When the passenger was seated comfortably in an easy chair, Sir Donald said: “Well now, Mr Markham, I’m very sorry to have to trouble you with this, but I should like to know how you spent last night.”
Markham flushed and looked truculent. He appeared to be suffering from a gigantic hangover. He asked, “Why? What’s that to do with you or anyone else?”
Sir Donald said diplomatically, “I’m sorry. Perhaps I didn’t put that very well. You mustn’t think I’m in any way checking on your movements. But the fact is — you are bound to hear sooner or later what has happened — a passenger has died in somewhat unusual circumstances—”
“I’ve heard that already,” Markham cut in sourly. “It’s all over the ship.”
“I suppose so. Anyway, you’ll understand, I’m sure, that I have to make certain inquiries of the other passengers on his deck, in case they heard anything — er — suspicious during the night.”
“I see. You could have said so, then.” Markham scowled. “As a matter of fact I was playing cards. All night…"
A little later Sir Donald told Shaw the whole evidence and added, “We’re no forrarder. Markham was clear enough. Neither he nor Andersson left the cabin the whole night— not once. And we know that about the time the doctor says Gresham died, the night-steward was called to Andersson’s cabin to top up with iced water, and he saw them both in the middle of a game. It’s no good, Shaw. Your theory won’t hold water.”
Shaw said bitterly, “He’d naturally get an alibi prepared in advance.”
“Listen,” Sir Donald said with irritation. “Man’s been in the habit of having these all-night card sessions, and he was at it again last night. That’s all. On the face of it, there’s nothing suspicious and nothing we can do.”
“There must be something we can get him on.”
Sir Donald looked at Shaw forbearingly from under his thick brows. He said, “Its not quite a question of getting him on anything. You may be entirely wrong, you know.”