The Studied Financier (10)

 10

“I can agree that Marshaggins conclusions are illogical. If you don’t like mine, what do you propose instead?” my father asked.

“The man in the bath,” I said, methodically, “was not a well-off man who was careful of his personal appearance. He was a laboring man, probably a miner. After the murderer killed him, the culprit washed him with antiseptic soap, dumped cologne on him, gave him a mani, and shaved him to disguise his social status and looks. I believe the murderer was a strong man or well-trained woman because the victim was killed with a single blow on the neck. I think he or she also must have been someone with a cool head and gifted intellect, since the offender did all that ghastly sprucing up business without leaving any additional marks or clues. I think we are looking for someone who is wealthy and refined since he or she could not have easily accessed a cabin on this ship otherwise. Quite frankly, the criminal must have bizarre and almost perverted imagination since whoever it was decided to add a pair of pince-nez after positioning it naked in the bathtub.”

“Perhaps we are dealing with a poetic murderer,” my father said. “So, do you think the pince-nez did not originally belong to the body? That only makes a fresh puzzle. One can’t suppose the murderer left them in that obliging manner as a clue to his or her own identity.”

“No. I’m afraid this murderer possessed what most criminals lack—a sense of humor.”

“That sounds like rather macabre humor.”

“True. Someone who can afford to be humorous in such circumstances is a terrible person. I wonder what happened with the body between the murder and depositing it on our cruiseshuttle? I mean, I actually have so many questions. How did the perpetrator get it there? And why? Was it brought in at the outside door as Marshaggins suspects? Or did it come through the adjoining door, as I think, on the not very adequate testimony of a smudge on the doorframe? Did the murderer have accomplices? Is Cullchipps really in it, or even the grandfather? It wouldn’t want to ignore that theory since Marshaggins is inclined to it. If they weren’t involved, why was their cabin selected for such an abominable practical joke? Has anybody got a grudge against Cullchipps or his grandfather? I also must find out who had the cabins around the crime aside from our good doctor. Did she perhaps play the piano at midnight or damage the reputation of this cruiseshuttle by bringing dubiously respectable men into it and thereby offend any of her neighbors? Has this victim had any other attempts on his life? I mean, there must be a motive somewhere. You can’t prosecute a crime without a motive, you know.”