The Mannequin House (19 page)

‘Very good. That’s what we’ll do.’

‘It’s probably a waste of time, though. Given what this Davies says, Spiggott is unlikely to go anywhere near his father.’

Coddington’s face crumpled into an expression of pain and confusion. ‘But . . . you . . . what? You said . . .’

‘I agree with you, sir, that it’s important to act decisively. However, we mustn’t rush into fruitless action that will only serve to waste time and resources, simply out of a desire to be seen to be doing something. The chances are that Spiggott has nothing whatsoever to do with Amélie’s death. The evidence against him is extremely circumstantial and hardly compelling.’

A look of sudden comprehension came over Coddington. ‘Oh, I know your little game. Trying to make a fool of me, ain’ ya? Well, don’t push it, Quinn. That’s all I’ve got to say to you. Don’t push it. One word from me and you could be drummed out of the force. I’m surprised at you. Playing games like this when there’s a killer on the loose.’

‘I’m not playing games, sir. This is essential work, I assure you. And it’s how we approach every case. First we explore the possibilities in here.’ Quinn tapped the side of his head. ‘Then we gather the evidence out there.’ Quinn gestured vaguely to the window. ‘It saves time in the long run, trust me.’

Coddington’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘Very well. Go on.’

‘With your permission, sir, I am interested to know if Sergeant Inchball learnt anything else from his conversation with Davies.’

‘Yes. Inchball?’

‘Wha’?’

‘Did you learn anything else from your conversation with Davies?’

‘Well, funny you should ask that,’ said Inchball, with a wink for Quinn. ‘He did confirm that Spiggott held a candle for Amélie. And that something had happened that had sent him into a decline. I asked him if they’d had a bust-up. He laughed and said . . .’ Inchball read from his notebook. ‘
If you have a bust-up you’ve got to have an understanding in the first place.
’

‘What did he mean by that?’ asked Coddington.

‘I take it that he meant that it was all on one side. Spiggott held a candle for Amélie, but she din’ want anything to do with him. That’s what upset him.’

‘And provided him with a motive for murder!’ cried Coddington. ‘He works in Locks, Clocks and Mechanical Contrivances, does he not? It’s possible that he has the skill to engineer the mystery of the locked room.’

‘He’s a salesman, not a locksmith,’ objected Inchball, with a shake of his head.

‘However, he did know where Amélie lived,’ said Quinn. ‘We can’t rule out the possibility that he has the knowledge to rig the lock. And if he’s capable of that, it’s possible that he could have picked the lock to get in when everyone was asleep. Could Mr Davies provide Spiggott with an alibi for Tuesday night, by any chance?’

Inchball consulted his notepad. ‘He said that he, Davies, went to bed early that night because of a headache. He cannot say with any certainty what time Spiggott entered the men’s dorm, if he indeed did.’

‘Spiggott is our man,’ said Coddington conclusively. ‘Now all we have to do is find him.’

‘There was one other thing,’ said Inchball.

‘Yes?’ Quinn and Coddington fired the word at him simultaneously.

‘I got the impression that Davies was holding something back. There was something about Spiggott that he wasn’t telling me.’

‘Do you know,’ said Macadam, ‘I had the same impression when I was talking to the clerk in personnel. Tight-lipped don’t come into it. He knew who Mr Spiggott was all right. Bit of a trouble-maker, our Mr Spiggott is, I’d say.’

‘In that case,’ said Coddington, with some relief, ‘it’s decided. Sergeant Macadam, get over to his father’s house and see what you can find out. At the same time, I shall request assistance from the local CID. We could do with having someone watch the place.’

Macadam seemed relieved too, glad to have something definite to do. He grabbed his hat and mackintosh from the coat stand.

On his way out he passed the post boy bringing the morning mail. ‘Officer in Charge, Special Crimes Department?’

Quinn avoided Inchball’s eyes.

‘That’s me,’ said Coddington.

The post boy held out a large brown envelope. As Coddington took it, his moustache tilted upwards on one side, riding a smirk.

A
sudden shower lashed the roof. Peas thrown against a drum.

Quinn was inside the drum. Extremes of weather always made him uneasy in that attic room. He felt both exposed and trapped, intimidated by the proximity of the elements. Too hot in the summer, frigid in the winter, in amongst the thunder when it stormed.

Quinn glanced bitterly at the coat stand. This question of the identical herringbone Ulsters would have to be resolved. But he was damned if he was going to be the one forced to change his style of overcoat.

Coddington flashed Quinn a strange, almost exhilarated glance as he laid down the document he had been reading and turned his attention to the photographs of the dead girl that had been enclosed with it.

Quinn knew a medical examiner’s report when he saw one. ‘May I, sir?’

Coddington grunted acquiescence.

Office of the West Middlesex Coroner

Medical Examiner’s Report

Post mortem examination performed 2nd April, 1914, 8.00 a.m., by Dr James Prendergast, Chief Medical Examiner for the Royal Borough of Kensington.

SUMMARY REPORT

Name: DUPIN, Amélie Yvette

Date of Birth: 6th July, 1893

Age: 20 years

Sex: Female

Occupation: Mannequin

Date of death: 31st March, 1914

Body identified by: Alice Mortimer, Housekeeper

POSITION OF BODY

1.
The body was found barefooted but otherwise fully clothed (undergarments in place and intact) on the middle of the bed, lying flat on back. Deceased was dressed in a fashionable satin gown of a pale gold colour, as if for an evening out. Items of jewellery were present on deceased: pearl ear studs, pearl necklace, gold charm bracelet. Head was facing forwards, eyes open. A red silk scarf was found around the neck, knotted in such a way as to form a loop. The loop was sufficiently loose around the neck for a hand to be comfortably placed between the scarf and the neck. The knot was tightly tied and positioned to the anterior of the neck.

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION

2.
The body measured 5’6”, a normal stature for an adult female. Weight was 7st 2lbs, which is significantly below average for the normal population. Lividity fixed in face and distal parts of the body. Eyes open with petechial haemorrhaging present in the conjuctival surfaces, consistent with death by asphyxiation. Upon removal of the silk scarf, no traumatic lesions were evident. This need not preclude homicide by strangulation, but suggests that the minimum force necessary was employed. (My own as yet unpublished paper on strangulation posits that a force of 7lbs 1oz is sufficient to occlude the airways, whilst a force of 4lbs 6 1/2oz is sufficient to occlude the venous system with fatal consequences. Given the malnourished state of the deceased at the time of death – see below – it is possible to conjecture that an even lesser force would be sufficient to achieve death.)

3.
A faint but distinct (and distinctive) elongated contusion was visible at the jaw line below right ear.

4.
A degree of muscular atrophy was observed on the arms, which were bare. When the body was undressed, its appearance was found to be highly emaciated, with breasts shrunken and ribs showing through, consistent with low body weight. Areas of dry skin were observed passim. Deceased was found to be wearing a wig. Her own hair was brittle and thinning; scalp flaky. Incipient lanugo on back and arms. Nail missing from fifth toe on left foot. Widespread dental caries. Upper right molar missing. Angular stomatitis evident at labial commissures. Infected lesions also evident on distal section of index finger of right hand, close to nail.

5.
The genitalia are of normal development for an adult female; contusion of vaginal labia consistent with recent forced penetration of vagina. Contusions on both inner thighs, again consistent with the use of force. Otherwise, no evidence of defence injuries. Signs of historic contusions passim.

INTERNAL EXAMINATION

6.
Hyoid bone and laryngeal cartilages found to be intact; presence of edema in larynx; fracture of the right superior thyroid horn with ecchymosis. This is consistent with the application of minimal force necessary to cause death.

7.
Petechial haemorrhaging present in the mucosa of the lips and the interior of the mouth. Otherwise, mucosa intact. No injuries to the lips, teeth or gums.

8.
Acute pulmonary oedema; post mortem blood fluidity.

9.
Female genital system structures are within normal limits. Examination of the pelvic area indicates the deceased had not given birth and was not pregnant at the time of death. There is evidence of recent sexual activity; indications that the sexual contact was forcible.

10. Stomach severely distended; gastric walls swollen. Bezoars of undigested food present in gastric contents. Negative presence of alcohol and other identifiable toxicants. Blood tests negative for identifiable toxicants.

CAUSE OF DEATH

11
.
Anoxic anoxia (asphyxia) caused by ligature strangulation.

FURTHER OBSERVATIONS

12
.
Microscopic silk fibres were found on the neck of the deceased, identical to fibres from the scarf placed around her neck. It is therefore highly probable that the scarf was the ligature used to inflict death, despite the looseness of the scarf around the neck.

13
.
There is evidence that the deceased unsuccessfully fought against an act of rape. There is no similar evidence that she fought against her death. The question will quite reasonably be asked by investigators, given the circumstances of the body’s discovery, whether it is possible for the deceased to have self-administered the fatal constriction of her own airways. The investigators will be well aware that self-strangulation (as distinct from hanging) is conventionally held to be impossible. It is certainly inconceivable without some kind of mechanical intervention (e.g., a tourniquet) to override the victim’s natural instinct for self-preservation, which would otherwise interrupt any attempt at self-strangulation. A tourniquet or some other device would also be required to maintain the necessary force once the victim has passed out: experimentation shows that one may attempt to strangle one’s self to the point of becoming unconscious, but at that point one must necessarily release one’s grip unless, as stated above, a mechanical contrivance preventing this was involved. Given the evidence as so far discovered, self-strangulation must be considered impracticable if not impossible. As for that other question an investigator may reasonably put – whether death may have occurred accidentally, that is to say by misadventure – this certainly is not beyond the bounds of possibility. It may, for example, be counted death by misadventure if some animal of sufficient body mass (i.e., > 7lbs 1oz) were to be imagined hanging on the back of the knotted scarf, pulling it tight for a sufficient length of time to fatally occlude the airways; that is to say for 2–3 minutes, or less given the presumably weakened state of the deceased. However likely or unlikely such an accident may be considered in other respects, from a medical point of view at least it is possible. From the medical evidence alone (leaving aside the anomalous circumstances of the scene of crime), by far the most likely explanation for this fatality is homicidal strangulation. The evidence of rape would argue persuasively for homicide, as it is well known that sexual attack and murder are frequently associated.

14
.
As for the time relationship between the sex attack and death, the contusions sustained during rape are such as to indicate it took place shortly before death, certainly on the same evening.

15
.
The various indications detailed in paragraph 3 above are consistent with malnutrition, whether due to self-induced inanition, deriving from the condition anorexia nervosa as identified by Gull, or to insufficient dietary provisions at the house where she resided. Arguing in favour of the former is the presence of angular stomatitis already noted; according to Lasègue, these small lesions at the corners of the mouth occur in some cases of anorexia nervosa and are thought to be caused by the habit of self-induced vomiting. One possible cause of the infected lesions on the index finger of the right hand is repeated forcing of the finger down the throat to induce vomiting. The widespread presence of contusions does not necessarily indicate a history of violent abuse; vitamin deficiencies due to malnutrition may render the skin prone to bruising. There was no evidence of physiological causation for inanition, e.g. convolvulus of oesophagus.

As an addendum, Dr Prendergast had listed the weights of the deceased’s various internal organs.

‘So, what do you make of that, Quinn?’ said Coddington. His tone was chipper, almost bullish.

Quinn was non-committal. ‘Interesting.’ He handed the report to Inchball, who had risen from his desk in his eagerness to see it.

‘Is that all you have to say?’ Coddington’s moustache became frantically animated. ‘Does it not rather vindicate my original theory concerning the monkey?’

Quinn took the photographs from Coddington without answering. The first showed Amélie fully clothed in a shot of her head and upper torso. It was hard to believe in the beauty she must have possessed in life. Even in the black and white image, the bloated purpling of her face was manifest. Her hair appeared almost luminously blonde in comparison. One might have mistaken it for a sign of health. But Quinn knew from Dr Prendergast’s report that it was a wig.