BAD ONE AND THE CASE OF THE DOUBLE MURDER IN THE THAMES

CHAPTER 10 THE RETURN

He did not know exactly why, but that morning and that park were especially enjoyable for him. If they had asked him at that precise moment if he was happy, he would have said “yes”, without hesitation. He would have affirmed that life was beautiful after all he had been through lately. He would have allowed himself to get carried away by that feeling of peace that invaded him not knowing when or where did it come from. In spite of everything, he was feeling peace of mind although he hadn’t shown up at Scotland Yard for some days, and he hadn't seen Sara much recently. He was calm in spite of his recent visits to the psychiatrist. Yes, in spite of all that, Bad One was feeling happy, for no apparent reason; happy like a duck of Kensington Gardens when getting out of its bath and ready to clean its feathers, finds a place to sunbathe under the warm midday sun.

He had just had a meeting with the psychiatrist of the department, Jerry Lewis[1], who had been “asked” to help immediately after that inopportune faint he suffered in the midst of the interrogatory of suspects of the case of the Thames. Dr. Lewis, a famous specialist in neuropsychiatry, took charge of the matter with a special interest, considering captain Bad One was not an every day patient. After many clinical sessions and having undertaken an endless number of psychological evaluation tests, he was diagnosticated with something disturbing: Brief Psychotic Disorder, brought on by the tragic death of his wife.

One woke up in the room 234 of St. Thomas’ hospital. There, sat next to his bed, was Sara who had stayed with him all the time. He was sleeping for three days, and she scarcely left his side not even for one moment. When he opened his eyes, the wide smile of the woman was giving him the welcome to the world of the vigilant ones.

- Hello Bad, how are you, sweetheart? -She asked in a voice full of tenderness.

Paralyzed in the bed, he was looking at the woman and seemed not able to recognize her. He did not answer anything. Like in a movie, different scenes of Agatha and his assistant Cocowa came to his mind, but there was something different now.

He remembered that day after the poisoning attempt, when he arrived to his house.

- Hello Agatha -.

Not looking at a certain place he said, - I saw you this morning in the window -.

- You were observing us. Was it an entertaining moment for you? They poisoned me, they almost killed me -.

- You may be right, dear friend, it is possible. The fact is that today they have tried to kill me again -.

- The thing is maybe some day that fanatical dwarf will manage to do it -.

But he only found himself alone. Agatha his friend was not there. His mind formed a vision of her, according to what the psychiatrist had told him, surely due to his love of reading novels of Agatha Christie. Then, he remembered when he met Cocowa. The odd questions from Sara had an answer now.

- Are you alone? -.

She asked in an unsure tone of voice.

- No, Sara. I amin the victim’s apartment, the woman’sapartment, asking some questions to her apartment mate: Why…? -.

- I meant if you are with your assistant right now -.

Finally, feeling embarrassed he asked from the bed - Sara, you knew there was no assistant, didn’t you? -.

- Yes darling, I knew it, but I never imagined it could become a serious problem. I thought it was about your state of mind… about your discouragement -.

More scenes appeared in his mind. He felt ridiculous now, after seeing himself speaking and acting completely alone. He remembered the day when he went with Cocowa to interrogate the Chinese at the stinking "beauty" saloon.