WHODUNITS

Twenty-six...

I am inspector Harry and I will tell you about the series of murder witch happened in the village of Saint Catherine.

In this town, everything was quiet and peaceful until a horrible murder broke the inhabitants' happiness.

It started on the 21^st of December 1986, I was called for a crime which occurred on Main Avenue at Mrs. Cramble’s house. She found a charred corpse in her oven in the morning at approximatively 11 a.m.

The room had a smell of charred flesh, Mrs Cramble didn’t remark it because of her cold. There weren’t any sign of a clash, no blood, nothing. All the room and the entire house were clean. Perhaps the murder had happened in another place or maybe the killer was a cleaning lady. When I discovered the scene of the crime I knew that it would be difficult to find the murderer.

I started the investigation and I rapidly found clues left by the murderer. My discoveries were the following:

• There were some fly eggs on the corpse and I concluded that the death dated back to the previous day.
• There was a finger missing on the dead body. Perhaps the murderer had taken it.
• And my best discovery was the paper left back in the mouth of the victim. We could read the two letters “B.K”.

After two or three days we knew that the victim was Mrs. Cramble's daughter, Julia Cramble. Then I decided to question the poor mother. She couldn’t say a word, she was crying all the interrogation long. She just told me the name of some of her daughter’s school friends.

I went to their high school to ask them some questions; they were on the verge of tears. I asked them if they knew if Julia had had some troubles with anybody some time ago and they told me she had had a recent ex boyfriend but they said he was such a nice boy. His name was Tom Brady. Suddenly, the superindentant gave me a ring:

• “Inspector Harry!”
• “Hi Jacky!”
• “There is a new murder on Parker Street number 8. It is very similar to the one of Julia Cramble’s !”
• “Okay I’m coming !

Then I left Julia’s friends and took my car to go to this new scene of murder !! When I arrived, the house was full of people. All of the family was here. The corpse was in the oven. There was a smell of charred flesh in the house and the same atmosphere as if the cleaning lady had just left the house. There was still a finger missing on the dead body and I found a new paper in the mouth of the corpse. The death dated back to about 3 or 4 hours ago, there was no fly on it. At this moment I thought of the little paper found in the mouth of the first victim “B.K”. The murder had occurred at the Kingdown’s house, I asked the wife if she had a daughter. She answered she had got one of 22 called Barbara. I immediately realized that the corpse found in the oven was Barbara Kingdown but I didn’t inform the family… The initials corresponded and the two women were approximately the same age. I was sure that it was a serial killer. I read the message left by the murderer, we couldn’t easily read it because it had been written in the great haste, after several minutes of deciphering I understood the message, it was written “C.P you will never arrest me until I’ve killed all the 26”.

I asked Mrs.Kingdown to tell me the name of some of Barbara’s friends. (In every investigation the friends of the victims are the best spring of information and it’s very useful in most investigations).

Barbara’s friends didn’t tell me very interesting things about Barbara except that her last boyfriend was Tom Brady. They told me that he was such a nice boy and I wanted to know if it was the true. Then, I summoned Tom Brady, the lover, at the police station.

When Tom Brady arrived in my office, he nodded politely. I offered him a chair and he sat down. He looked like a serious man, polite, smart, he corresponded to the description given by the friends of the two victims. I started my questioning:

• Hello Tom Brady! Do you know why you’re here, in my office?
• No sorry, I’m a little anxious.
• You’re here because we have found Julia Cramble and

Barbara Kingdown dead, in the oven of their houses. Do you know those two girls?

Shocked by this piece of news his look went blank. He seemed really distraught. He stammered “yes”. He was on the verge of tears. But I continued questionning him.

• What type of relation had you got with the two girls?
• They were my ex girlfriends.
• Very good and had you got any trouble with them?
• Never! Sometimes I still talked to them! I haven’t killed them!!

It’s not me! I’m not a murderer!

• I want to believe you but for the moment you’re suspected

because you were acquainted with the two victims! But do you know anybody, who could want to kill Julia and Barbara?

• I swear I am innocent! Yes there is a man, Jack Proutfit, he was

one of my friends, he loved Julia so much but she loved me. He was so jealous. He said to me that he would have a revenge but I didn’t believe him!

• Okay and have you got his phone number or his address?
• Yes I have his phone number, but I think he has moved because I haven’t seen him since he threatened me.
• Thank you for your help Tom.
• Thank you too inspector Harry!

Tom was such a charming boy. He was too perfect to be trustworthy but he was very convincing. I was sure he was the murderer but I couldn’t prove it for the moment as he had told me about Jack Proudfit, so I decided to meet him the next day.

But at first, I needed to look for the next victim, because I thought I had understood the craft of the murderer. Thus, I was sure the next victim – if there was one! - Would have the followings initials: C.P. but there were a lot of people with a name which began with those letters. I looked for it during all the night but to finish, I fell asleep…

So I decided to meet Jack Proudfit…

He lived in a dark and narrow street, the door of his house was worm-eaten and a smell of rot came out… It was a little scary...

Nevertheless, I mustered my courage and knocked at the door. After 2 minutes Richard opened. He was as I had thought: a beard of several days on his face, dirty clothes, about 21 years old…

• What? He said.
• Hi! I am inspector Harry and I want to ask you some questions about Julia Cramble…
• Why? he asked me on the defensive.
• Hum... Because she has been killed…

He didn’t look really affected.

• So, she is dead… I said, trying to get answers.
• Yes, I got it !
• … Will you let me in or do you plan to continue this discussion in the cold?
• Yes, do come in.

I started asking him the same questions I had asked Tom. He answered with brief vague and imprecise sentences…

When I got home, I thought about all I had learnt:

Richard Proudfit was extremely strange, he seemed violent, yet I thought he really could not have killed Julia because he seemed to hate Tom so much. But could he have killed her just because of his hatred? Yes, that was possible…

It was necessary to conduct an inquiry

So at first, I had to get some rest! … Unfortunately, a new crime woke me up during the night…

The victim was Colinda Prinstown. I was sure there was a link with Tom; she was certainly his ex girlfriend or related to him in some way. She was in an oven too, and one of her fingers was missing. It was exactly the same type of murder.

After investigations and interviews, there was a link again with Tom Brady: she really was his ex girlfriend too!!!!

So, deep inside I knew he was the killer, but I hadn’t got any evidence to arrest him…

And murders followed one another…

To conclude there were 25 victims and no suspect… (Yes there was Tom but no evidence…) I began to get depressed…

No doubt there would be a 26^th victim…

It was Jessica Fitch, she died as the others, needless to tell you her corpse was found in an oven.

This was it, the 26^th victim had been killed and I hadn’t arrested the killer…

But I was surprised: there was a paper in the mouth of Jessica. It was written: T.B. That’s it, all the 26 have been killed”

Now, everything was clear in my mind, I understood the entire story and I ran to Tom’s house…

…but it was too late. He was dead, he had hanged himself in the living room.

The 26 fingers were in the oven, an awful smell of decomposition was in the air. He was smiling, and a shiver ran down my spine.

I got away very fast, I felt quite bad…

I didn’t sleep well…

During the night the telephone woke me up.

-Inspector, there is another victim in an oven…

Chloé Coruzzi and Hugo Jaillet