گروهبان مورفی

Chapter nine

Sergeant Murphy

While I was in the police station, I remembered one of the things which was worrying me. How had Jo and his tall friend known that I was in Elaine Garfield’s apartment? The porter at the Manson Building must have told the two men. I decided that I would go and talk to the porter when I left the police station.

I sat back in the chair and looked at my watch. The time was nearly four o’clock.

Then I remembered that Helen Garfield was coming to my office at five o’clock. I would not be there to meet her.

But there was something else that was worrying me. It wasn’t anything important. It was quite a small thing. But I couldn’t remember what it was.

Suddenly, the door opened and a policeman came in.

‘Stand up,’ shouted the policeman. ‘Follow me.’

I stood up and followed the policeman out of the room and along a corridor. The policeman stopped, knocked on a door and opened it.

‘Are you ready to see the private detective’ asked the policeman, as he put his head around the door.

Without waiting for an answer, the policeman opened the door wide and pushed me into the room. The policeman came into the room and closed the door behind him.

In the room, there was a man sitting behind a desk. He was completely bald - he had no hair at all. He was about fifty-five years old and his name was Sergeant Murphy. Sergeant Murphy had spent all his life in the police and he didn’t like private detectives.

Sergeant Murphy sat looking at me. He looked at me for about five minutes, without saying anything. I was standing in front of his desk, looking straight back at him.

The silence didn’t worry me. In fact, I quite liked it. The silence was much nicer than questions about what I’d been doing in Benny Greep’s apartment.

‘What were you doing in Benny Greep’s apartment’ asked Sergeant Murphy suddenly.

‘I wanted to talk to him,’ I replied.

‘Why did you kill Benny Greep’ shouted Sergeant Murphy suddenly.

‘I didn’t kill him,’ I replied, and I told Sergeant Murphy the same story that I had told the policemen in Benny Greep’s apartment.

‘I don’t believe a word of what you’ve told me,’ said the sergeant. ‘Who are you working for?’

‘I’m sorry,’ I replied, ‘I can’t tell you who I’m working for. As far as I know, Benny Greep’s death has nothing to do with me or with the person I’m working for.’

I stopped and looked at the sergeant. I knew that what I had just said wasn’t true. In fact, I thought Benny Greep’s death was connected with Elaine Garfield’s disappearance. But I couldn’t tell the police. Helen Garfield had said that she didn’t want the police to know about her sister’s disappearance.

Sergeant Murphy looked me straight in the eyes.

‘I hate all private detectives,’ he said slowly, ‘and you are the private detective that I hate the most. I don’t think you are telling me the truth. I think you are hiding things from me. I think you know more about Benny Greep’s death than you say you do. And you are going to tell me all you know - now.’

‘I’ve already told you all I know,’ I replied quietly.

Sergeant Murphy’s face went red. The red colour went up until it covered all of his bald head.

‘Don’t try to play, games with me,’ he shouted. ‘Now get out.’

‘Can I go home now’ I asked.

‘No,’ said Sergeant Murphy.

The sergeant told the policeman at the door to take me back to the small room and lock me up again.

I went with the policemen and didn’t argue. I don’t like arguing with policemen. When I was alone in the room again, I sat down. I tried to remember the other thing that had been worrying me earlier. Someone had said something important, but I could not remember what it was.