George V.
"It is arranged for you to meet Inspector Trignant tomorrow," his escort told Cooper. "I will pick you up at eight-fifteen."
Daniel Cooper had not been looking forward to the trip to Europe. He intended to finish his assignment as quickly as possible and return home. He knew about the fleshpots of Paris, and he had no intention of becoming involved.
He checked into his room and went directly into the bathroom. To his surprise, the bathtub was satisfactory. In fact, he admitted to himself, it was much larger than the one at home. He ran the bath water and went into the bedroom to unpack. Near the bottom of his suitcase was the small locked box, safe between his extra suit and his underwear. He picked up the box and held it in his hands, staring at it, and it seemed to pulse with a life of its own. He carried it into the bathroom and placed it on the sink. With the tiny key dangling from his key ring, he unlocked the box and opened it, and the words screamed up at him from the yellowed newspaper clipping.
BOY TESTIFIES IN MURDER TRIAL
Twelve-year-old Daniel Cooper today testified in the trial of Fred Zimmer, accused of the rape-murder of the young boy's mother. According to his testimony, the boy returned home from school and saw Zimmer, a next-door neighbor, leaving the Cooper home with blood on his hands and face. When the boy entered his home, he discovered the body of his mother in the bathtub. She had been savagely stabbed to death. Zimmer confessed to being Mrs. Cooper's lover, but denied that he had killed her.
The young boy has been placed in the care of an aunt.
Daniel Cooper's trembling hands dropped the clipping back into the box and locked it. He looked around wildly. The walls and ceiling of the hotel bathroom were spattered with blood. He saw his mother's naked body floating in the red water. He felt a wave of vertigo and clutched the sink. The screams inside him became gutteral moans, and he frantically tore off his clothes and sank down into the blood-warm bath.
"I must inform you, Mr. Cooper," Inspector Trignant said, "that your position here is most unusual. You are not a member of any police force, and your presence here is unofficial. However, we have been requested by the police departments of several European countries to extend our cooperation."
Daniel Cooper said nothing.
"As I understand it, you are an investigator for the International Insurance Protective Association, a consortium of insurance companies."
"Some of our European clients have had heave losses lately. I was told there are no clues."
Inspector Trignant sighed. "I'm afraid that is the case. We. know we are dealing with a gang of very clever women, but beyond that - "
"No information from informers?"
"No. Nothing."
"Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
"What do you mean, monsieur?"
It seemed so obvious to Cooper that he did not bother to keep the impatience out of his voice. "When a gang is involved, there's always someone who talks too much, drinks too much, spends too much. It's impossible for a large group of people to keep a secret. Would you mind giving me your files on this gang?"
The inspector started to refuse. He thought Daniel Cooper was one of the most physically unattractive men he had ever met. And certainly the most arrogant. He was going to be a chierie, "a pain in the ass"; but the inspector had been asked to cooperate fully.
Reluctantly, he said, "I will have copies made for you." He spoke into an intercom and gave the order. To make conversation, Inspector Trignant said, "An interesting report just crossed my desk. Some valuable jewels were stolen aboard the Orient Express while it - "
"I read about it. The thief made a fool of the Italian police."
"No one has been able to figure out how the robbery was accomplished."
"It's obvious," Daniel Cooper said rudely. "A matter of simple logic."
Inspector Trignant looked over his glasses in surprise. Mon Dieu, he has the manners of a pig. He continued, coolly, "In this case, logic does not help. Every inch of that train was examined, and the employees, passengers, and all the luggage searched."
"No," Daniel Cooper contradicted.
This man is crazy, Inspector Trignant decided. "No - what?"
"They didn't search all the luggage."
"And I tell you they did," Inspector Trignant insisted. "I have seen the police report."
"The woman from whom the jewels were stolen - Silvana