"The killer is an amateur. A professional would never leave such a bloody mess, or taken that much time with stabbing an already dying corpse when the husband had left the apartment mere minutes before. And the whole motive is still up for finding out, but I believe it has started to take shape. But those are still mere guesses from my part. Voiced guesses, I am certain, could hinder both you and me. So, I want to keep everything strictly within the bounds of what I know for sure. The worst thing that could happen is you starting to look for clues that might prove my hypotheses as it might mean we both miss something of major importance that could indicate some flaws in my conclusions. I hope this makes sense. I need your critical mind on, to ensure no data goes amiss. Otherwise, we might get carried away like when the police caught me after the murder of Vasilevsky. If I had remained composed and smart, without taking daring chances, your lot would not have found me, but I could have easily gathered evidence against the actual killer."
"Don't you start this again. It was a small bit of lie wrapped in an enormous bundle of truth. You would have been arrested regardless."
"It was the first time I felt as if I was doing something good with life. I liked that, I wanted to build on that momentum. I was a good detective, wasn't I? How I sniffed through the case, and the stories of the killed fellow. Only to find out that that is exactly what the killer wanted me to do, until they informed the police about my whereabouts."
Rebecca nodded. "But you can't suggest that you are not where you deserve to be. Do you read the news? Whenever there's a gas explosion, or a car runs into a tree – people begin to wonder whether Albert is out on the streets again. You played with the most common of accidents and now they are a source of fear... of you. That is why anything less than you have now would not be understood. That's politics and the battle for popularity. Morality and redemptions don't count when it comes to power and politics. The only thing that matters is the approval of the oafish, bloodthirsty majority."
Rebecca's tone had shifted dramatically. She had straightened her back, but her face had become rock-solid and serious.
"So, you mean to say that I'm where I am because people would lynch the internal ministry if a prisoner such as I would be utilized, treated with understanding and provided a chance to change?"
"I'm saying you should not expect anything else from this world."
"Even you?" I wondered.
"Concentrate on yourself, Albert! People won't give a damn about you helping with this case, the next one or another one after. They will still want you behind bars. The question is: can you make a change within yourself? Can you yourself make peace with your past and accept the consequences it has brought to your present? That's the only thing that should matter to you now!" Rebecca's voice had become irritated, aggressive even.
"Call me stubborn, but the hope of getting both is what drives me forward. And boredom. Prisons are extremely boring."
"You're naïve and stupid," she sighed.
"We'll see," I answered, smiling.
YOU ARE READING
Living Among Wasps: The First Case
Детектив / ТриллерRichard is asked by his wife to go downstairs and pick up countryside goods from her sister's car. As the husband returns, he finds his wife dead on the floor, with numerous stab wounds. Richard was gone for just a couple of minutes. Who could have...
