A visitor to the museum
She was a small woman, not unattractive and was silently escorted into the museum’s office by three detectives. Serious men, mute with intent, hoping that this episode will signal the end of the Somerton Man Mystery. Over six months old now and dozens claiming to have known him during that time. All eliminated.
Two individuals await her entrance. Paul Lawson and a bone white hairless plaster bust of a man’s head and shoulders. Lawson’s work. He said earlier he had trouble with the ears.
Her eyes settled on the bust before she looked away. Looked down at the office floor as the questions started. Three detectives, all eager to be the one to break her silence, to say something other than no to their questions.
She buckled slightly, a faint unsteadiness, four men around her, watching, evaluating, questioning, exchanging glances with each other. Paul Lawson seemingly the only one aware of her silent distress.
No. No. No, to every question. And her eyes remained fixed on the floor throughout her ordeal.
Later the detectives would ask each other where she knew him from, knowing she did given her reaction.
Work? She was an unqualified nurse working from home. Family? If so they would have expected some emotion other than shock. Friend? If so they would have expected some emotion other than shock. Patient? Surely she would have been more forthcoming, if only from a sense of duty.
Not family, not a friend but someone she knew well. A visitor to her home perhaps, a regular visitor. Someone who came by regularly to see someone other than her.
Three detectives. None of them interested in Prosper Thomson, the man who shared her bed and used her phone.
The Somerton Man .. 
The ROK was found with the number of a local black market dealer who used his partner, a nurses name in his various dealings to cover his tracks. Passing her of as his wife despite not being married to her or the father of her child.
She can’t have known what she was about to see when she walked into the museum. Her reaction speaks volumes.
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I cannot believe that the detectives did not interview Prosper, you could give them the benefit of the doubt, that they ‘overlooked’ Prosper. But, with his history etc, surely it cannot have been a mistake not to interview him. Whatever his involvement in this case, the police have kept a tight lid on it.
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Who knows, maybe the local police used his expertise in the illegal interstate used car market ..
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So, Prosper bought his silence, so to speak, and tipped the police about certain transactions amongst interstate car dealers?
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Maybe could be, but whose idea was it to hide the TS slip and dump the coded RoK? That’s if SM died suddenly of natural causes, he had plenty wrong with him.
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Ive no doubt that whatever SM s business in Adelaide was he was traveling off the radar and incognito.
Here’s a curly one. Some of the plods surmised on inspection of the suitcase that SM could be a gay man. There were multiple reasons given one being the bathrobe and slippers were quite feminine from memory.
Then you’ve got Prosper who apparently slept in a separate bedroom to Jess.
Same sex relationships being not at all kosher back in 1949. Could the romantic angle be just as possible but Prosper was the former lover he was calling in on ???
Maybe Jess even knew but turned a blind eye what with Proper taking her in with child in a marriage of convenience. Then when she sees the bust her world comes crumbling down.
I don’t know but I’m pretty sure someone said “question everything”
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If the SM suddenly died, thanks to Prosper and/or natural causes, I’m trying to think what state of mind Prosper found himself in? What’s the betting that it was little Jessie, who organized the RoK slip to be hidden in the trousers and, dumped the RoK in the car? Whether she realized her telephone number was pencilled in on the book is another question.
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or. …. she was deliberately implicated, now all we need to know is why, and by who?
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Or, could it have been that Prosper dumped the RoK knowing full well that the telephone number was pencilled in on the book? He knew with her name being linked to that telephone number, she would be the most likely, out of the two, to be questioned by the police. Following the police visit to the house, Jessie realised who had dumped the book and, took it as a sign from Prosper, to keep mum.
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