Mists of London - Part 2 - Humpty Dumpty

The area in front of the British Museum was isolated by the police. Some detectives were analyzing Tom Wills’ lifeless body while others were interrogating the witnesses.
A car stopped in front of the gates and a tall and strong figure hopped outside. He went to the crime scene with large steps pushing his way through the crowd as if they were mere ants in his way. When he was entering the crime scene, an officer stopped him.
-I’m sorry, sir. – He said. – You can’t pass. This is a crime scene.
-Detective Sean Harris. – He pulled his badge out of the brown coat. – Scotland Yard.
Harris passed the yellow tape that marked the crime scene and walked towards the body.
-What happened here, officer?
-The victim’s name is Tom Wills. He’s the British Museum curator. A few hours ago, he was seen walking around the museum with Mrs. Stradford. They eventually split up and the next time they were seen together… He was dead.
-Cause of death?
-Witnesses say that he fell from the roof.
Harris looked to the body. There was blood everywhere… Then he looked to the poem.
-What’s this? – He pointed to the rhyme written on the floor next to the victim’s head.
-We don’t know yet, sir.
-Where’s Mrs. Stradford?
-She’s over there. – The officer pointed a woman sitting on the stairs.
Harris walked towards her.
-Sir. – The officer said. – What are you doing?
-I’m going to interrogate her.
-We’ve already done that.
-Well… - Harris looked to her. – I haven’t.
Mrs. Stradford was holding a glass of water. He sat next to her.
-Good evening, Mrs. Stradford.
-Good evening. – She said slowly.
-I’m detective Harris. Could you answer me some questions?
-Of course.
-How much did you know the victim?
-We had worked together around here for five years. He was a friend.
-Do you know anyone that would like to do this?
-The museum receives constant requests to return some pieces to their respective country. But no one had tried to kill us before.
-You were the one that first noticed the body, right?
-I didn’t notice the body. – She put down the glass of water. – He almost hit me…
-The body?
-We had just watched Mr. Nixon’s lecture at the auditorium. We went out because he said he had to deal with something in the main entrance. We split up because I had forgotten my cell phone inside the auditorium. When I came back, he wasn’t there anymore. I went to the main entrance searching for him. It was when…
Harris saw her expression. It was almost like she was going to throw up.
-He almost fell on me… - She said. – I was terrified. I started screaming and… And…
-Did you saw someone trying to escape the crime scene?
-No. I was too focused on the body…
-Thank you for your time.
Harris got up and went back to the body. The officer was there waiting for him.
-Anything? – He asked.
-Nothing important. Was he dead before the fall?
-No, sir. We can conclude that he died from breaking his vertebral column by the impact with the ground.
-Then it may be either suicide or a crime of passion.
-I disagree. – Said someone in front of them.
Harris looked to him. It was a man wearing a suit.
-Sorry? – Asked Harris.
-It can’t be a crime of passion. It was surely premeditate.
-Who are you?
-Oh, I’m sorry. Christopher Nixon. I’m a writer.
-Why do you say it was premeditated?
-Because of the poem. It’s a version of “Humpty Dumpty”.
-“Humpty Dumpty”?
-Yes. The Mother Goose rhyme. “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. The entire king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again.”
-I know the rhyme. But what about it?
-Well, the witnesses say that no one was seen writing this after the crime occurred. So it was definitely written before it. Someone planned to write this and drop Wills right next to it.
-It looks like you thought a lot about it…
-My work is to think about things, detective. I’m just trying to help.
-Did you know the victim?
-No. We met early this day.
-It still could be suicide.
-Tom Wills was a happy and rich man. Suicide is too improbable.
Harris turned to the officer.
-Did you check the security tapes?
-Yes sir. – Said the officer.
-Where was Mr. Nixon at the time of the murder?
-He was at the auditorium.
-Do the cams show how Wills got to the roof?
-After Mrs. Stradford went back to look for her purse, he walked away. That’s the only thing we could see. After this, all the cams go dark and return back to normal after the murder.
Harris turned back to Nixon.
-Why did the murderer leave the poem written?
-Maybe he wanted to send a message. – Said Nixon analyzing the inscriptions. – Or maybe it’s an obsession. In that case, you can’t let your guard down because he may strike again.
Nixon looked to the body.
-You don’t seem to have a problem with this. – Said Harris.
-Sorry?
-You are in a crime scene, there’s a body lying right in front of you and there’s blood everywhere. But you still act so normal…
-My previous work involved dead people.
Harris stared Nixon to process what he had just said.
-Did the officer tell you? – Asked Nixon. – About the queen?
-What queen?
-Sir. – Said the officer. – We found an envelope with the victim. It was in his pocket and contained a montage that showed a ship with the queen’s face. It was all covered with blood and plum juice.
-And where is this envelope?
-It was sent to the laboratory to search for handprints and to identify the blood.
-Tell me about it next time. – Harris turned to Nixon. – Mr. Nixon, you sure helped us. But you are still a suspect. Don’t do anything stupid, okay?
-Don’t worry about it. – Said Nixon.
*
It was almost 22:00 PM and Nixon was in his hotel room reading news about the murderer. Apparently, the only digitals found in the stained envelope were from Wills. The blood was still to identify. Nixon wish he could help more, but it wasn’t his job anymore.
Suddenly he remembered. The church, the bells, the gun…
Someone knocked on the door leading away Nixon’s memories. He got up and went answer it.
-Who is it? – He asked.
-Megan Stradford. – The feminine voice came from the other side.
Nixon opened the door.
She was wearing a black leather jacket and had a white scarf hanging on her neck. It seemed like she had been crying.
-Mrs. Stradford? What are you doing here?
-May I come in?
-Of course.
She came into the room and sat on a chair by the window. Nixon sat next to her.
-What happened? – He asked.
-I keep thinking about Tom. It’s so horrible… Why would someone do this to him?
-I don’t know. But I’m sure the police will find the killer.
-That’s why I came here. The police still think it was suicide.
-Serious?! After everything I said and after all the proofs they still think it was suicide?!
-Big part of them yes. Some started betting right there in front of the body. Can you imagine it?
-Bastards…
-That’s why I want to hire you.
-What do you mean?
-You could find the killer like you’ve done many times. I’ll pay you.
-No! – Nixon got up. – I’m sorry, Mrs. Stradford, but I’m not a detective anymore!
-Please!
-I can’t!
-You are the only one who can solve this!
-There are many people that are better than me.
-But they won’t do anything.
Nixon looked to Megan. She was friends with Wills for so much time…
Church, bells, gun…
Nixon understood her.
-Fine. I’ll do this. – He said. – But you don’t need to pay me anything. And I also can’t do this alone. I have to call someone…
Nixon picked up his cell phone that was lying in the bed.

Continues…