An Exhibition of Murder by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788639057
Publisher: Canelo Books
Published: 2020-02-21T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Jasper stared in disbelief at the girl who clawed at his arm to make him release the illusionist. She kept screaming that he didn’t understand and he should let go. She was about as hysterical as she had been after her father’s murder. But now she was here at the theatre where the Magnificent Müller performed. She was here, with her father’s killer, defending him.

What is this? Jasper tightened his grip on the young man. ‘I’m not letting him go. He murdered your father. He should be brought to the police station.’

‘He didn’t murder my father.’

‘Then why do I have an eye witness who saw him bent over the body, his hands on the mask of death?’

‘I wanted to take the blasted thing.’ Anton Müller spoke in an agitated, breathless voice. ‘I had come to take it, you understand. It belonged to my father. He gave his life for it. I went in and Treemore was already lying on the floor, the mask over his face. I didn’t understand what had happened and closed in. I leaned over to take the mask. Then I saw the blood on his chest. I panicked and ran. I didn’t kill him.’

‘A likely story,’ Jasper growled. He looked at Violet. ‘Do you believe this?’

‘Of course. I know Anton couldn’t kill.’

‘You know? But you told me your father was being threatened. You asked me to keep an eye on him.’

‘I knew Anton wanted to steal the mask and I wanted to prevent that. I never wanted him to go to prison.’ She burst into tears.

Jasper blinked. ‘You knew of his plans? But how?’

‘We met. I love him.’

Now Jasper was truly dumbfounded. ‘You love the son of the man your father allegedly murdered?’

‘My father didn’t murder anyone. Demain did that. We wanted him to get scared and confess.’

Jasper shook his head. ‘I don’t believe one word of it. Demain is not dead. Sir Peter is.’

Anton sighed. ‘That was never supposed to happen. No one was supposed to die. We wanted to scare Demain into giving us the mask. Or money.’

Violet provided, ‘So we could elope and marry and be happy.’

‘With money you had taken by force?’ Jasper shook his head. ‘How could you believe you could be happy for even a single moment?’

‘I would have been happy,’ Violet said with emphasis. ‘I love Anton and I want to be with him. I would have done anything for him.’

Even kill your father? Jasper wondered.

He suddenly felt very tired and very empty. He still held Anton but not as tightly anymore. ‘You were seen standing over the body. That means you are in deep waters.’

‘I know. My fingerprints are also on the mask. I should never have touched it. Or I should have taken it along after I had, but… I was so upset that he was really dead. I…’ Anton swallowed hard. ‘I had wished him dead, I can’t deny it. And there he was, as if my wish had come true. As if the mask had killed him for me.

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