Murder, Haircut and Shave by William De Lisle Read online

  Police.”

  by inspecting the corpse this morning. When,

  “Allah’s with you, Hazret! Whoever

  with others, I went to ascertain if the deceased got money from a chief of police?”

  was known to me, a careful look at it informed

  “Allah is great, Coral.”

  me who three of the murderers were.”

  “If He can make you wring money

  “And who were they?”

  from a chief of police, Hazret, truly He is.”

  “I know not their names, nor, to the

  Thus Coral, piously but dubiously.

  best of my knowledge, have I ever set eyes on them. Still, please Allah, it should be easy

  THE police chief of Isfahan was a sorry man

  from my description to find them.”

  that day. The Prince-Governor sent more than

  “Then, by thy salt, friend, why didst

  once to ascertain what progress had been thou not at once bring this information to made. The chief always replied that he had a

  me?”

  clue. And he had most of his underlings fed

  “Why, Saheb, if I have, please Allah,

  with sticks on the soles of their feet because more wit than all Isfahan put together, should they could find no way of fixing the crime on I not make my commission out of it? Behold,

  Mammoth Detective

  6

  the townsman prisoner is to pay me two

  “I will pay nothing, but will make thee

  hundred tomauns when I clear him, and the

  eat stick until thou tellest me all.”

  Kurds five hundred. I have the written

  “In one hour a friend of whose identity

  promise of the one, a Cursing Letter from the you know nothing will go to the Prince-others.”

  Governor and give the information unless I

  Sohreb Khan roared with laughter. come to tell him all is arranged.”

  “The Kurds will respect their word, but will

  Sohreb snorted, nicely trapped.

  slay thee and recover their tomauns later. The

  “Twenty, thou bankrupt!” he offered.

  townsman will not keep faith with thee.”

  They bargained, and compromised at

  “But he will with you,” said Hussein.

  one hundred. When Hussein had it in his

  “Pour the oil of information into the

  hands in good silver he carefully coached

  flask of attention.”

  Sohreb.

  “The sums are payable not to me by

  “Saheb,” he said, “a caravan of

  name but to whoever shall fix the guilt on the pilgrims bound for Kerbela rested at a certain true culprits. Will you purchase the documents inn in this city. They went on their way about from me for one hundred and fifty tomauns?”

  the time the corpse we know all too well was

  Sohreb Khan opened his pig-eyes. making the circuit of the square. The company

  “How would that profit me?”

  included a left-handed man, one with a badly

  “Do not pretend, Saheb-Jam, that your

  scratched face, and one skilled in the barber’s penetrating intelligence does not perceive the craft. Send swift officers after the caravan, and benefit. You will extract two hundred tomauns if those three be with it still, let them be

  from the townsman, thus making fifty for arrested, in Allah’s name. Let us now go to yourself. And by forgiving the Kurds their

  inspect the corpse and I will explain.”

  promise you will bind them to you with cords

  of gratitude. At present you dare not either

  SOHREB KHAN presented himself very

  keep them in jail or loose them. Behold, you

  cheerfully at the Prince-Governor’s levee the shall go to them, and with a great laugh say: next day but one.

  ‘The youth, my agent, who secured the

  “Well,” quoth the Prince in no good

  Cursing Letter from you, did it at my bidding.

  humor, “what report dost thou bring, O

  Behold, I jested with you: here is the letter, I bankrupt one? Do murderers still walk freely

  have no desire to rob you.’ Kurds, Saheb, are to and fro in Isfahan in spite of Our orders?”

  Sons of Gratitude—they will trouble you no

  Sohreb made up the facial expression

  further.”

  of one amazed. “Subhan’llah! Did not the Prince order the arrest of the murderers of the AT LAST the official intelligence was Greek perfumer? And when the Prince orders, enlightened. “Barak’llah!” Sohreb exclaimed, is it not done? Please Allah, the four

  “I will find the murderers.”

  murderers wait without, having been arrested

  “Even so, please Allah. By your salt,

  at Maier.”

  Saheb, your name will resound to Fars. I will

  “Afrin! What is this mention of a

  tell you the way, for one hundred and fifty

  Greek?” demanded the Prince.

  tomauns.”

  “This slave of the Prince referreth to

  “Ten, to be paid when I have the men

  the dead Greek who, by mistake, was borne

  in hand,” said Sohreb.

  about on good Moslem shoulders two noons

  “One hundred and fifty,” said Hussein.

  ago. This least of the Prince’s servants said to

  “Paid now.”

  his men: ‘Go, overtake the Kerbela caravan

  Murder, Haircut and Shave

  7

  that left Isfahan at the time this accursed It was attar of roses.”

  Christian corpse was sullying the shoulders of

  “Afrin! ” said the Prince, and all of his Believers. If in the company ye find a left-courtiers after him.

  handed man, one with a scratched face, one

  “Would this Prince’s slave could die

  with some barbering skill, and a fourth their now and hear no other earthly sound after the familiar friend, arrest them. If they be not with Prince’s word of commendation! Now, the

  the company, then let Iran be scoured until

  man’s feet were callous with walking: he was

  they be found.’ And the four men were with

  not one who could afford attar of roses for his the caravan, and so greatly were they amazed

  own use. Therefore he must have traded in the at their detection that each began to accuse the scent In a word, this was no follower of the

  other three of betraying all.”

  Prophet (bliss attend his beard!), but an infidel

  “Afrin! ” exclaimed the Prince. “How

  perfumer. Now came the question of the

  didst thou find this out?”

  slayers. Four must have been concerned: it

  “I am the Prince’s sacrifice! Inspection

  would need four to carry the bier. Now, this

  of the corpse showed what manner of men

  Greek had been stabbed in the left side, one

  three of the murderers were, beside what and effectually. Yet there were bruises on the manner of man the corpse was in life.”

  throat, marks of two hands. One throttled him

  “Explain,” said the Prince. “If the in front while another stabbed from behind.”

  explanation is good, why, by Allah, we of the

  “How?” asked the Prince. “One could

  Kajar house know how to bestow rewards.”

  throttle and stab, too.”

  “One glance of approval from the

  “Kourbanut-i-shuma, Hazret-i-Ali!

  Prince’s eyes is enough pay for a lifetime of Both thumbs made prints. And the victim was

  toil! To begin, the corpse had been prepared

  strongly built. One held, one stabbed, and he with ca
re in a way, the wound being washed

  stabbed from behind to avoid the risk of

  so that no blood might show. The beard had

  stabbing his friend. And he used his left hand; been shaved off, obviously to disguise the

  and used it dexterously, by token of the way

  features, and, although no trouble had been

  the wound slanted. Now, the nails of the

  taken to cleanse the body generally, the head corpse had been cut and cleaned. It might be

  also was fresh shaved. Why, reflected the he left nail-marks of his struggle, and that his Prince’s slave, all this trouble over shaving?

  nails had suffered in the struggle. So the nails Then the reason was plain. The skin of the

  were trimmed lest the scratches they inflicted head was not that of one who habitually goes

  should be specially noted if the slayers came shorn, it was like the skin whence the beard

  under suspicion. And since the scratches had

  had been freshly removed after death. The

  to be considered, they must be in some spot

  man had worn hair all over his head: he was

  where they could be noticed. Hence I inferred no follower of the Prophet (on whom be one with a scratched face—and well he is peace!) —shaving it was a disguise.”

  scratched indeed! Then the barber as third was

  “Afrin! ” said the Prince again.

  guessed at because all barbering was well

  “The Prince’s servant lives a thousand

  done. The fourth might be taken for granted.

  years in one moment of the Royal Find Scratched Face, Left Hand, and one with approbation!” smirked Sohreb. “The next some barbering skill, and any fourth man who point was a curious perfume about the corpse

  frequented their company might be the fourth

  and its wrappings. For a test part of the in guilt.”

  wrappings were washed until the death reek

  “And how didst thou connect all this

  was eliminated, yet the other scent remained.

  with the caravan?”

  Mammoth Detective

  8

  “Simply enough. No perfumer was not await his rich friends’ return, but left missing from the Bazaar of the At-tarin. Isfahan at once, prudently reserving Fazl Ali Hence the deceased must have been a traveler.

  as an untapped source of supply against

  Inquiry at the different inns elicited that a another period of need.

  Greek pedler had been traveling with the

  He rode a horse again; Coral, the ass.

  Kerbela train, but had not joined it when it left

  “Master,” whispered Coral, “one matter alone

  Isfahan. And I found that a left-handed rogue is not patent to my intelligence. The smell of had sold an ass before the caravan left the

  attar. I’ll swear there was none about the

  city—the perfumer’s ass. A little application corpse.”

  of the willow wands to the soles of the

  “It was necessary to connect the corpse

  fellows’ feet made them confess where they

  with its trade, boutcha. ”

  had hidden the victim’s stock, as too

  “But Sohreb Khan smelled it, and so

  incriminating. Now will justice be done, for

  did all he called to witness it.”

  the rogues are, please the Prince, well known

  “He smelled it, Coral, when I assured

  to my officers—men who have earned death a

  him I had smelled it. And the others smelled it hundred times.”

  on his assurance.”

  “That is as well, for I would not have

  “Afrin! ” chuckled Coral. “Master, it had Moslems slain for an infidel,” decreed the was an ingenious thought of yours to find the Prince. “Now, whose dog was Asaf, who was

  clues to the murderers—after I told you how I deemed fit to be Vizier to Suleiman the All-heard the three actual perpetrators describing Wise, compared to Sohreb Khan? Let the the crime to the fourth man, and arranging the mouth of Sohreb be filled with gold and funeral as well, in the empty house next to that sweetmeats, as well as it has filled Our ears in which I waited for my friends— Mas’llah! ”

  with words of good sense. We have spoken.”

  “All comes from Allah. To Him be the

  praise, Coral,” Hussein replied modestly.

  MIRZA HUSSEIN, his purse plethoric, did