I Was Jack Mortimer (Pushkin Collection) Read Online Free PDF

I mean, yes: it was probably some exhaust backfiring…”—“What type of backfiring?”—“A lorry I was overtaking.”—“And when you turned around?”—“I didn’t turn around.”—“You didn’t turn around?”—“No.”—“Dammit, man!” the inspector yells. “Someone gets shot in your car, and you don’t so much as turn around?”—“No, I thought…”—“A murder is committed in your car as you drive along, and you don’t notice a thing? A man is bumped off so close behind you that you could reach out with your hand and touch him, and yet you see nothing, absolutely nothing of the murderer? You continue driving with thedead man in your car and expect me to believe you had no idea he was dead, and it was only after you touched him that he slumped forward, and is now lying between the seat and the suitcase, and the car’s outside the door…”
    “What do you want?”
    The policemen had overpowered the drunk at last, and the officer whose arm Sponer had pulled now stood facing him and said, “What do you want?”
    Sponer stared at him. He must’ve committed suicide. The man shot himself. That’s right! Seeing as there wasn’t anybody else there… On the other hand, if it wasn’t suicide… If the dead man didn’t even have a weapon on him… He hadn’t seen one lying there. If, however, someone had jumped on the running board, pulled the door open, fired, slammed the door shut and jumped off… And you didn’t notice a thing? Didn’t hear the shots? Thought it was backfiring? And the man in the car didn’t shout out when the other person burst in and attacked him? A person who’d just arrived is attacked and murdered before he even reaches his hotel… Why? Why on earth should anyone… I haven’t got a clue who the murdered person was or who did it! How the hell should I know why the bastards did it in my car… the bastards, for that’s what they are…
    “Well?” the policeman asked. “What’s the matter?”
    “I…” Sponer said.
    “Yes?”
    “I… I only wanted to…”
    “What did you want?”
    “I wanted to see if a…”
    “If a what?”
    “If a mate of mine…”
    “Yes?”
    “If he’s here,” Sponer gasped.
    “What mate?” the policeman asked.
    “Another… another driver.”
    “Should he be here?”
    “Yes.”
    “Why?”
    “Because,” Sponer stuttered, “because he… was involved in an accident.”
    “Oh? Do you have any details.”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “Where did the accident take place?”
    “In town.”
    “Yes, but where?”
    “On the Freyung.”
    “I see. Who else was involved?”
    “It… it was a car.”
    “What type of car?”
    “Another car.”
    The policeman frowned.
    “Really?” he cried, clearly still furious after the struggle with the drunk. “Another car? Not his own? Are you trying to be funny?”
    “No, Inspector,” Sponer mumbled, “I only wanted to say…”
    “What did you want to say?”
    “I only wanted to ask if he was here.”
    “Who?” the policeman yelled. “What’s his name?”
    Let’s get out of here, Sponer thought. Quick, before I start saying things that aren’t true, otherwise they’ll keep me here, and in the car they’ll find the… “No, Inspector,” he mumbled, “he’s not here yet, but he’s sure to…”
    “What’s his name?” the policeman bellowed.
    “Georg… Georg Haintl,” Sponer mumbled.
    “Right!” The policeman grabbed a notepad. “And his registration number?”
    Sponer was spared the need to answer. Just at that moment the drunk, having shaken off the three men who were holding him down, noiselessly and unexpectedly leapt to his feet and launched himself with all his force in a flying tackle from the back, straight at the knees of the policeman who was questioning Sponer. The officer fell down with a crash, but was instantly back on his feet with a cry of rage, and the four again pounced on the drunk. Sponer turned on his heel and ran out.
    The policeman