"Very interesting. And what do you think, could he commit the crime?"
"I think the woman was cranky. Nick was involved in his scientific work and never paid attention to women and simply didn't know how to lure a woman. By the way about two weeks ago he said a girl attempted to entice him".
"That's very important. Who was the girl?"
"He didn't mention her name but seemed rather worried".
My smartphone played a melody signaling the arrival of an SMS. I opened it to read a message from Rogov informing me that he had at his disposal all the information necessary to unmask the murderer.
7. The Murderer Unmasked
"Ladies and Gentlemen!", began Rogov. It was 10 a.m. and we were sitting in his office at Police Headquarters.
"I am Major Michail Rogov, and I was charged to investigate the murder of Nikolas Smirnov". He made a short pause. He looked impressive in the police uniform with major's straps, the breast decorated with medal ribbons.
"I must inform you at once that the investigation is over and the murderer was found. This person is sitting here. I ask this person to make a voluntary confession, which, according to the law, will extenuate this person's guilt". He stopped and cast at the audience a peering look.
"Gee!" exclaimed Ruchko and gave a short whistle. The others remained silent exchanging nervous glanced.
"OK", went on Rogov. "Then I must inform you about the results of investigation that completely unmask the murderer". Не cleared his throat.
"From the very start there were four main suspects: Mrs. Olga Smirnova who inherited Smirnov's fortune," – at this word everybody looked at Olga who wore her best black evening dress that matched perfectly her blond hair. Ruchko hemmed; Zilberman brought out a handkerchief to mop his bald patch, "Mr. Alexei Larin who was on intimate terms with Mrs. Smirnova", continued Rogov, " Vladimir Timkin, who had a conflict with Smirnov, and Elza Goldberg, whom he insulted in public. Besides Smirnov had a daughter by his first wife who lived in Novoyarsk and who could also profit from Smirnov's death".
"The case was complex because nobody had an alibi and everybody could commit a crime. Smirnova and Larin stated they were together at Larin's flat; Timkin told he was at his laboratory but his colleagues witnessed he left the laboratory several times; Dr. Goldberg said she was at her office but her secretary asserts she also went away.
"To solve the crime I decided to employ a police technique that we call 'catching on a bait'. "I asked Mr. Larin, whom I know well, to contact each of the suspects", Rogov lied without a twinge of conscience, in his usual manner.
Everybody stared at me and I failed to see friendliness in their eyes. "Now I know your real name, Mister Bait", Olga said to me in a loud whisper so that all could hear.
"I must say the technique proved its value. Mr. Larin's actions caused the criminal to act and make mistakes. Let us listen to Mr. Larin".
"The first thing that arrested my attention was your words, Mr. Zilberman", began I. Zilberman looked at me doubtfully and uttered: "But I didn't tell you anything".
"No, you told me about a very important fact. You said that four people sat at the table broken during the incident at your restaurant".
"No wonder, the table was for four persons and all seats were occupied".
"That's the point! And in the police records, as Major Rogov kindly informed me, only two persons were registered: Oleg Ruchko and Marina Sotova. It was strange. In such situations people usually take efforts to be compensated for the damage they suffered. It means that the other two, for some reasons, didn't want their names to be mentioned".
"That fact prompted two more questions: Who were those two people? What were their motives? And it was you, Oleg, who helped me to find the answers."
"I don't remember anything. I was in bad condition", quickly responded Ruchko.
"You said that at the restaurant your celebrated 'Vovan's birthday'. So the first name of one of the two unknown persons must be Vladimir because 'Vovan' is its diminutive. You, Oleg, were in the company with the girl, Marina Sotova. It was logical to suppose that that Vladimir also was with a girl. But who was she? Here you helped me again, Oleg".
"I never help coppers' sleuths!" contemptuously declared Ruchko.
"Nevertheless you did it. Involuntary, of course. You said: 'zany woman, professor's wife'. You knew who the woman that shoved the singer was. And how could you know? Smirnov worked at Computer Science Department and you study at Law Department. He never taught you, and you never met. There could be only one answer: that Vladimir or/and his girl must be from Computer Science Department and they told you about Smirnov's wife".
Ruchko didn't say anything, his eyes twinkled spitefully.
"I found that mysterious Vladimir when I visited the University and met Vladimir Timkin. When he flexed his muscles to demonstrate that Smirnov was not able to beat him I remembered the man I saw in Ruchko's drawing room. He had the same figure and body".
"And what of it?" said Timkin nonchalantly. "Yes, I was at the restaurant. I didn't want my name to appear in police records because I prefer to stay out of police affairs. I dislike the police in principle. Since when is it prohibited? Do you know many people who like our noble policemen?"
"The fact is not that you dislike policemen. The fact is that you hated Smirnov who excluded you from his projects after the quarrel and you lost all the money you could earn. And he wanted to expel your from postgraduate courses. Another fact is that you like very much the girl with whom I saw you at Rucko's flat. Who was she?"
Timkin didn't reply looking indifferently aside.
"I answered this question when I was leaving the University. In the lobby hung a large portrait of Smirnov and I realized that the woman whom I had met several minutes ago had striking resemblance to him. It was Lina Frolova, Smirnov's daughter".
Everybody stared at Frolova who sat calmly smiling.
"Frolova is Smirnov's daughter?!" exclaimed Elza Goldberg in utter surprise. "But why?.."
"Yes, that is the question", Rogov took up the ball. "I've told that Smirnov's daughter was one of the suspects from the very beginning. We thought she lived in Novoyarsk, where she and her mother moved seven years ago after divorce. How could Galina Krotova have turned into Lina Frolova? There was no difficulty to find out that two years ago she married and assumed her husband's name to become Filinova. Then she divorced and moved from Novoyarsk. We had to work hard to establish the fact that she married again, took her current name, and then divorced for the second time".
"And what of it?" responded Frolova repeating Timkin's phrase. "I am free to marry and divorce as many times as I wish".
"Sure, but why did you take so much effort to conceal your real name? You introduced yourself as 'Lina', which is a diminutive of 'Elena', rather than 'Galina'. Moreover you tried to disguise your appearance. This is a report from city's Optician's shop. It states that you constantly bought brown contact lenses, though the natural color of your eyes is blue", Rogov demonstrated a piece of paper.
Frolova didn't answer anything and continued to smile calmly.