‘That’s what I’m here to find out. We checked out all the listed employees at the New Vienna. There was the possibility that some of her fellow workers might have been involved. Carmody’s name was not included in the list of employees given to us by the restaurant. But after I received your telegram I revisited the place and they confirmed that he did in fact work there for a time. He was a troublemaker. He threatened to kill another kitchen worker, and according to Werner he stole money from the office.’

Pfaus nodded.

‘Ah, I see. I think I understand a little more now. Did the owners of the restaurant tell you why they did not have his name on the list of employees?’

‘They said they don’t keep details of casual workers. And in reality, it seems, that’s the practice in the hotels and restaurants in Dublin.’

Pfaus grinned.

‘They wouldn’t get away with that in Berlin, I promise you. The German Empire is strong and prosperous. One of the reasons is that our administration systems are very thorough. Your Mr Carmody had to be registered to work. That is how we knew who he is and where he came from.’

‘Your intelligence system must be very thorough,’ Swallow said.

Pfaus nodded.

‘So,’ he said, ‘will you tell me about the other cases?’

‘A young girl of about the same age, in this instance a fishmonger, was attacked and very badly injured in what looks like a similar attack a few nights later in another part of the city, perhaps twenty to thirty minutes’ walk from the first crime. She has survived, but she can tell us little beyond saying that her attacker was a big man. Again, we can’t identify any motive.’

‘And the other crime?’ Pfaus asked.

‘Somewhat different. A young prostitute was killed in the city centre in her room. A policeman saw a tall, well-built fellow running from the scene. And we may have identified a motive. It seems she had come into possession of some money, and some petty criminals may have known about it. As I said, random violence against women is rare in Dublin, so we’re keeping an open mind about possible connections.’

‘But you’ve got no connection for this Carmody to any of these crimes except the murder of the waitress?’

‘That’s true,’ Swallow conceded. ‘So tell me, Johann, what sort of man is he?’

‘Uneducated but not unintelligent, I would think. I’ve interrogated him myself. He gives very little away. He doesn’t frighten easily. Now it seems he thinks he has some information to trade, so he is, how would you say, a bit cocksure of himself.’

Swallow smiled again.

‘Your English is excellent, Kapitän Pfaus. Learned in America, I think?’