The Murvelli Murder

8. A Dagger and a Corpse

Max Kellington went to see the chief inspector and told the man about his findings, asking for a warrant to perform an inquest formally at the mansion.

"I'll tell you there wouldn't be much to see in the house as the corpse has been moved to the mortuary," The chief inspector replied, "and also the weapon has been moved. Well nothing else was touched so, do your thing but I really do not see why you have to waste your energy on this. It's crystal clear who the murderer is and we have him in our custody. All the same, I see no harm in you satisfying your immense curiousity. But note, whatever inconveniences you encounter, it's exclusively on you."

"Of course," Max replied.

He resolved within himself to get to the bottom of the matter not out of a sense of duty but for the sole aim of satisfying his curiosity. The explanation of the police did not do that.

His first step of action was to visit the lab where material evidences were kept.

The murder weapon was a dagger with a sharp jagged edge. Blood stains were still visible on the blade.

Max picked it up and ran a finger along the length of the blade. Instinctively he wiped the bloodstains off the blade. He could feel a rough pattern on the seemingly smooth and shining surface. Squinting his eyes, he could see the outline of an engraving in the blade. He then brought out his hand lens to view what he perceived but still he couldn't quite make out the details.

He took a pencil and tore out a sheet of paper off his notepad. He placed the paper upon the blade of the dagger and then rubbed with little pressure until the details of the engraving was transferred to the paper. Although the details were far from legible, the shape of a crocodile was visible with an inscription below it. He couldn't make out all the letters but these few were visible "R*am***sia".

Max wrinkled his forehead and tried pronouncing the word by including several missing letters. It sounded vaguely familiar to him and at the same time it was as if something was nagging at his consciousness but still the whole engraving made no sense to him. After all it could be the manufacturer's trademark, he thought.

Nevertheless He wrote it down on his notepad and walked out.

Max then went to meet the secretary, Miss Joanne Luther, asking her to find and bring to his table all she could find on the accused, the victim, and also to find any steel manufacturing company in the country which has a crocodile as it's logo.

The mortuary was a ten minutes drive from the station. The detective was led to where the body was kept.

He was shown the corpse of Anthony Murvelli and he saw obviously that the man must have been a strong and physical person. He lifeless and bulky physique stretched up to 6'4, with a massive torso. Max wondered how such a bulk of a man could have been subdued by a boy like Jason and stabbed twice just like that. It didn't make sense to him at all.

A theory was forming already in his mind but he had to confirm it. He thought of carrying out an autopsy but decided to leave it until it became expedient.

In less than two hours he was on his way to the Murvelli Mansion...