Wyse was reeling. Not only from the fall, where the springs on the bed although old produced a bounce which would have tested the stomach of the most resilient test pilot. But much more importantly, he had in a moment of madness reduced to rubble one of the main pillars of his own philosophy. Struggling against the pull of gravity to get off the bed, a sickening feeling overwhelmed him with the turbulent vision before him.
Rogers had bent down and was in the process of removing the bucket from the victims head. A strangled yelp escaped from Wyse and Rogers turned towards him smiling cruelly.
The head was tightly wrapped in a brown paper bag and Wyse watched helplessly as Rogers nonchalantly ripped open the bag to expose the victims face.
An amazing shock of white hair escaped from the tear, released from solitary confinement it was trying to distance itself from the sunken pale blue eyes and hollow cheeks that were its gaolers.
‘A penniless vagabond, no doubt.’ remarked Rogers, holding his nose against the strong vinegar vapours.
The desecration of the scene and the cast away comment by Rogers was an outrage. Wyse’s very quiet austere Greek nobleman was in grave danger of giving way to an altogether more tempestuous ancient. He had found through his classical studies that the Romans were almost barbaric when compared to the Greeks but rising from the bed he was pleased to feel their ferocity coursing through his blood.
The outburst simmering on exploding was quickly dampened by the appearance of two police officers materialising out of the shadows next to Rogers. They were quickly led past Rogers with obvious disdain by Elms, who had no time for Rogers or any other officer, a trait which Wyse was not going to reprimand him for on this occasion. Hovering anxiously at the door stood the dead man’s friend, he was already transfixed with the unfolding melodrama and physically dared not enter the room.
A look of satisfaction stole over Wyse and positioning himself in front of Rogers he addressed the police officers, who by their appearance seemed to have been involved in a stakeout which must have been going on for some considerable time, in a very confined space. ‘Gentlemen, I present the victim who has been dead for approximately some time. There are no obvious marks upon the body that I can see and I have not touched the murder weapon.’
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