#9e
“You did
what !?”
Pinelvy slammed his hands on his desk and bent over it. Hitchgins grumbled his answer. He was tired and did not want to loose his time repeating his report over and over. All the more since he had already written it. His boss looked like he was tired too though: he would have used irony and insulting allusions otherwise, rather than shouting.
“Well, I gotta upstairs to check da house for other clues.”
“I can't believe you've been so stupid as to forage in a burned house still smoking! What kind of crazy idea might have crept in the viscid gravy you call a brain ?”
“I had a theory to backup.”
“A theory ?”
Pinelvy's face was reddening. Hitchgins thought that the commander would have happily beaten him up if he hadn't been afraid to stain his bright white suit. He discarded this stupid idea and simply answered:
“Yep.”
“And I guess that Mr Bredin is now so very happy with your clever theory, is he?”
“Well, he doesn't seem'a be. But I had told him to keep'in me steps. Now he ran like a fool and...”
The commander snorted, looking down at Hitchgins sloppy bulging belly.
“Oh, off course, anything able to stand your weight would not even notice Mr Bredin's.”
“'xactly. No'mentionin' that I tenda watch me steps.”
“Oh, of course. I guess that you're an expert at telling what is blackened planks from what is just an agglomerate of barely coherent ashes, aren't you?”
“Well, I haven't gone through da floor meself.”
Pinelvy stayed still for a couple of seconds, keeping the sergeant under disgusted scrutiny. He was obviously balancing between complete rage and some kind of resignation.
“So, I guess that you will be able to write every little detail about how the Kamilet proceeded to attack the house and get away ?”
“Haroumpf!”
Hitchgins outraged expression took his superior by surprise. He had never seen the fat man react with any pride to insults or allusions, but in this occurrence, his rough jowls were jolting in indignation.
“What is that supposed to mean ?”
“Blatant s'position sir! You're just 'xpressing a preconceived idea with no regards for actual facts. I musta say I woulda expect better than wild guesses from ya, even though I don't like ya.”
The commander leaned back in his armchair. Puzzlement and curiosity seemed to have temporarily drowned his anger.
“What would be your educated theory on the situation then?”
“I think that Kallistos was da actual attacker. He leaded the k'ling.”
“Interesting.” Pinelvy absentmindedly took a pen and began to play with it between his fingers. “What are the facts behind that assertion?”
Hitchgins relaxed a little, in spite of the usual touch of mocking irony in the commander's tone.
“For one: da gate was open. I mean it had been cleanly opened, not shattered down. I can't imagin'da firemen takin' time to pick lock da gate of a burnin' house, right? Had been opened before, dat is before da fight. And probably by someone havin'da key.”
“Proceed.”
“For two, da dog did not raise alarm. He was in da garden though. I saw fresh pawprints.” Pinelvy raised an eyebrow but said nothing. “Which means it knew whoever was comin'in enough not to bark. I've searched for tracks indicatin' if it had greeted the intruder with some enthusiasm, which'd have helped'a confirm Kallistos as the one stepin'in, but those barbarians on da scene have destroyed everythin' with their trucks and big shoes.”
“No one mentioned a dog.”
“Dat's also a clue. Da'ttackers parked their car on the roadside. Still a few tracks r'mainin'. Da dog seems to have gone wid'em. Who else than Kallistos himself would'ave bothered takin' da dog? Besides, there were a dog's bowl and a chain in da garage. Add'in da equation that diz car was probably the same that left a print in an oil stain in da closed'n empty garage. Same prints anyway.”
Hitchgins paused to swallow and resumed his explanations.
“For three, humans didn't raise alarm either. Five armed men've been killed widout drawin' their guns, and so in three different rooms. Hard work for a foreign aggressor if ya'sk me. I woulda say they've been killed by people they knew and did not suspect they'd shoot at'em.”
“Fourth...”
At this point, Hitchgins hesitated, struggling for his words.
“Fourth?” Pinelvy inquired.
The sergeant scratched his unshaved neck.
“Well... I thinka've forgotten. I'm afraid...”
“Forgotten?”
“Err... Yessir. Was no important detail methink. I barely noticed it on the spot. But ya know, wid tiredness and so on... Got memory leaks...”
The commander suspiciously glanced at him for a moment, but his despise for the man helped him to believe in the possibility of such memory failures. Still dubious, he leaned forward, his elbow on the desk, letting a smooth chin rest on his thumbs.
“Something is bothering me anyway.”
“What would'at be?”
“How do you know it was Kallistos house? I clearly remember that you did not bother hearing my explanations regarding the crime or its location. I would be surprised if you had found time to check the archives either...”
“Err... He's a well known mobster. I was aware of that, of course.”
“Really? Therefore I guess that you would be able to point Lady Marianne, Carlocito or Riff Boss residences on the City map?”
“Lessay I can point out Lady Marianne's... For the others...”
Pinelvy smiled, savoring his words:
“Mr Hitchgins, your little theory is amusing and may even be true. It will not hide out your pathetic bloomer from last night though. I don't know what you may have done in some previous life so that Judge Peter protects you the way he does. But I'm confident that whatever it is, his patience will not be unlimited. I may get rid of you this time. You would be like at home in soup-kitchens, wouldn't you?”
“I'm pretty sure notta meet ya in such dirty places 'nyway.”
The commander's smile faded away and he coldly answered:
“Now, begone. I'll notify Judge Peter of the last developments. We'll see...”
Hitchgins shrugged.
“Have a nice day, sir”
He stepped out of the office. Now, he was really expecting a delicate meeting with someone a tad more frightening than his commander, but not for the reasons evoked by the latter.
