There had been, as the Chief and the Boss had hinted at in their conversation, a wave of hysteria which had swept over the city only a short time before regarding what had come to be called the "poisoned needle" cases. Personally I had doubted them and I had known many doctors and scientists as well as vice1 and graft2 investigators3 who had scouted4 them, too.
"Garrick," I said at length, "do you really think that we have to deal with anything in this case but just plain attempted kidnapping of the old style?"
He shook his head doubtfully. I knew him to be anything but an alarmist and waited impatiently for him to speak.
"I wouldn't think so," he said at length slowly, "except for one thing."
"What's that?" I asked eagerly.
"His mention of the 'sleepmakers' and Paris," he replied briefly5.
Garrick had risen and walked over to a cabinet in the corner of his room. When he returned it was with something gleaming in the morning sunshine as he rolled it back and forth6 on a piece of paper, just a shining particle. He picked it up carefully.
I bent7 over to look at it more closely and there, in Garrick's hand, was a tiny bit of steel, scarcely three-eighths of an inch long, a mere8 speck9. It was like nothing of which I had ever heard or read. Yet Garrick himself seemed to regard the minute thing with a sort of awe10. As for me, I knew not what to make of it. I wondered whether it might not be some new peril11.
"What is it?" I asked at length, seeing that Garrick might be disposed to talk, if I prompted him.
"Well," he answered laconically12, holding it up to the light so that I could see that it was in reality a very minute, pointed13 hollow tube, "what would you say if I told you it was the point of a new—er—poisoned needle?"
He said it in such a simple tone that I reacted from it toward my own preconceived notions of the hysterical14 newspaper stories.
"I've heard about all the poisoned needle stories," I returned. "I've investigated some of them and written about them for my paper, Guy. And I must say still that I doubt them. Now in the first place, the mere insertion of a hypodermic needle—of course, you've had it done, Guy—is something so painful that anyone in his senses would cry aloud. Then to administer a drug that way requires a great deal of skill and knowledge of anatomy15, if it is to be done with full and quick effect."
Garrick said nothing, but continued to regard the hollow point which he had obtained somewhere, perhaps on a previous case.
"Why, such an injection," I continued, recalling the result of my former careful investigations16 on the subject, "couldn't act instantaneously anyhow, as it must if they are to get away with it. After the needle is inserted, the plunger has to be pushed down, and the whole thing would take at least thirty seconds. And then, the action of the drug. That would take time, too. It seems to me that in no case could it be done without the person's being instantly aware of it and, before lapsing17 into unconsciousness, calling for help or—"
"On the contrary," interrupted Garrick quietly, "it is absurdly easy. Waiving18 the question whether they might not be able to get Violet Winslow in such a situation where even the old hypodermic method which you know would serve as well as any other, why, Marshall, just the hint that fellow dropped tells me that he could walk up to her on the street or anywhere else, and—"
He did not finish the sentence, but left it to my imagination. It was my turn, now, to remain silent.
"You are right, though, Tom, in one respect," he resumed a moment later. "It is not easy by the old methods that everyone now knows. For instance, take the use of chloral-knock-out drops, you know. That is crude, too. Hypodermics and knock-out drops may answer well enough, perhaps, for the criminals whose victims are found in cafes and dives of a low order. But for the operations of an aristocratic criminal of to-day—and our friend the Chief seems to belong to the aristocracy of the underworld—far more subtle methods are required. Let me show you something."
Carefully, from the back of a drawer in the cabinet, where it was concealed19 in a false partition, he pulled out a little case. He opened it, and in it displayed a number of tiny globes and tubes of thin glass, each with a liquid in it, some lozenges, some bonbons20, and several cigars and cigarettes.
"I'm doing this," he remarked, "to show you, Tom, that I'm not unduly21 magnifying the danger that surrounds Violet Winslow, after hearing what I did over that detectaphone. Perhaps it didn't impress you, but I think I know something of what we're up against."
From another part of the case he drew a peculiar22 looking affair and handed to me without a word. It consisted of a glass syringe about two inches long, fitted with a glass plunger and an asbestos washer. On the other end of the tube was a hollow point, about three-eighths of an inch long—just a shiny little bit of steel such as he had already showed me.
I looked at it curiously23 and, in spite of my former assurance, began to wonder whether, after all, the possibility of a girl being struck down suddenly, without warning, in a public place and robbed—or worse—might not take on the guise24 of ghastly reality.
"What do you make of it?" asked Garrick, evidently now enjoying the puzzled look on my face.
I could merely shrug25 my shoulders.
"Well," he drawled, "that is a weapon they hinted at last night. The possibilities of it are terrifying. Why, it could easily be plunged26 through a fur coat, without breaking."
He took the needle and made an imaginary lunge at me.
"When people tell you that the hypodermic needle cannot be employed in a case like this that they are planning," he continued, "they are thinking of ordinary hypodermics. Those things wouldn't be very successful usually, anyhow, under such circumstances. But this is different. The very form of this needle makes it particularly effective for anyone who wishes to use it for crime. For instance—take it on a railroad or steamship27 or in a hotel. Draw back the plunger—so—one quick jab—then drop it on the floor and grind it under your heel. The glass is splintered into a thousand bits. All evidence of guilt28 is destroyed, unless someone is looking for it practically with a microscope."
"Yes," I persisted, "that is all right—but the pain and the moments before the drug begins to work?"
With one hand Garrick reached into the case, selecting a little thin glass tube, and with the other he pulled out his handkerchief.
"Smell that!" he exclaimed, bending over me so that I could see every move and be prepared for it.
Yet it was done so quickly that I could not protect myself.
"Ugh!" I ejaculated in surprise, as Garrick manipulated the thing with a legerdemain29 swiftness that quite baffled me, even though he had given me warning to expect something.
Everyone has seen freak moving picture films where the actor suddenly bobs up in another place, without visibly crossing the intervening space. The next thing I knew, Garrick was standing30 across the room, in just that way. The handkerchief was folded up and in his pocket.
It couldn't have been done possibly in less than a minute. What had happened? Where had that minute or so gone? I felt a sickening sensation.
"Smell it again?" Garrick laughed, taking a step toward me.
I put up my hand and shook my head negatively, slowly comprehending.
"You mean to tell me," I gasped31, "that I was—out?"
"I could have jabbed a dozen needles into you and you would never have known it," asserted Garrick with a quiet smile playing over his face.
"What is the stuff?" I asked, quite taken aback.
"Kelene—ethyl chloride. Whiff!—and you are off almost in a second. It is an anaesthetic of nearly unbelievable volatility32. It comes in little hermetically sealed tubes, with a tiny capillary33 orifice, to prevent its too rapid vaporising, even when opened for use. Such a tube may be held in the palm of the hand and the end crushed off. The warmth of the hand alone is sufficient to start a veritable spray. It acts violently on the senses, too. But kelene anaesthesia lasts only a minute or so. The fraction of time is long enough. Then comes the jab with the real needle—perhaps another whiff of kelene to give the injection a chance. In two or three minutes the injection itself is working and the victim is unconscious, without a murmur—perhaps, as in your case, without any clear idea of how it all happened—even without recollection of a handkerchief, unable to recall any sharp pain of a needle or anything else."
He was holding up a little bottle in which was a thick, colorless syrup34.
"And what is that?" I asked, properly tamed and no longer disposed to be disputatious.
"Hyoscine."
"Is it powerful?"
"One one-hundredth of a grain of this strength, perhaps less, will render a person unconscious," replied Garrick. "The first symptom is faintness; the pupils of the eyes dilate35; speech is lost; vitality36 seems to be floating away, and the victim lapses37 into unconsciousness. It is derived38 from henbane, among ether things, and is a rapid, energetic alkaloid, more rapid than chloral and morphine. And, preceded by a whiff of kelene, not even the sensations I have described are remembered."
I could only stare at the outfit39 before me, speechless.
"In Paris, where I got this," continued Garrick, "they call these people who use it, 'endormeurs'—sleepmakers. That must have been what the Chief meant when he used that word. I knew it."
"Sleepmakers," I repeated in horror at the very idea of such a thing being attempted on a young girl like Violet Winslow.
"Yes. The standard equipment of such a criminal consists of these little thin glass globes, a tiny glass hypodermic syringe with a sharp steel point, doped cigars and cigarettes. They use various derivatives40 of opium41, like morphine and heroin42, also codeine, dionin, narcein, ethyl chloride and bromide, nitrite of amyl, amylin,—and the skill that they have acquired in the manipulation of these powerful drugs stamps them as the most dangerous coterie43 of criminals in existence. Now," he concluded, "doubt it or not, we have to deal with a man who is a proficient44 student of these sleepmakers. Who is he, where is he, and when will he strike?"
Garrick was now pacing excitedly up and down the room.
"You see," he added, "the police of Europe by their new scientific methods are driving such criminals out of the various countries. Thank heaven, I am now prepared to meet them if they come to America."
"Then you think this is a foreigner?" I asked meekly45.
"I didn't say so," Garrick replied. "No. I think this is a criminal exceptionally wide awake, one who studies and adopts what he sees whenever he wants it. If you recall, I warned you to have a wholesome46 respect for this man at the very start, when we were looking at that empty cartridge47."
I could restrain my admiration48 of him no longer. "Guy," I exclaimed, heartily49, astounded50 by what I had seen, "you—you are a wonder!"
"No," he laughed, "not wonderful, Tom,—only very ordinary. I've had a chance to learn some things abroad, fortunately. I've taken the time to show you all this because I want you to appreciate what it is we are up against in this case of Violet Winslow. You can understand now why I was so particular about instructing Warrington not to let her go anywhere unattended by friends. There's nothing inherently impossible in these poisoned needle stories—given the right conjunction of circumstances. What we have to guard against principally is letting her get into any situation where the circumstances make such a thing possible. I've almost a notion to let the New York end of this case go altogether for a while and take a run up to Tuxedo51 to warn her and Mrs. de Lancey personally. Still, I think I put it strongly enough with Warrington so that—"
Our telephone tinkled52 insistently53.
"Hello," answered Garrick. "Yes, this is Garrick. Who is this?
Warrington? In Tuxedo? Why, my dear boy, you needn't have gone
personally. Are you sure you're strong enough for such exertion54?
What—what's that? Warrington—it—it isn't—not to New York?"
Garrick's face was actually pale as he fairly started back from the telephone and caught my eye.
"Tom," he exclaimed huskily to me, "Violet Winslow left for New York on the early train this morning!"
I felt my heart skip a beat, then pound away like a sledge-hammer at my ribs55 as the terrible possibilities of the situation were seared into my brain.
"Yes, Warrington—a letter to her? Read it—quick," I heard Garrick's tense voice repeating. "I see. Her maid Lucille was taken very ill a few days ago and she allowed her to go to her brother who lives on Ninth Street. I understand. Now—the letter."
I could not hear what was said over the telephone, but later Garrick repeated it to me and I afterwards saw the letter itself which I may as well reproduce here. It said:
"Since I left you, mademoiselle, I am very ill here at the home of my brother. I have a nice room in the back of the house on the first floor and now that I am getting better I can sit up and look out of the window.
"I am very ill yet, but the worst is past and some time when you are in New York I wish I could see you. You have always been so good to me, mademoiselle, that I hope I may soon be back again, if you have not a maid better than your poor Lucille.
"Your faithful servant,
"LUCILLE DE VEAU."
"And she's already in the city?" asked Garrick of Warrington as he finished reading the letter. "Mrs. de Lancey has gone with her—to do some shopping. I see. That will take all day, she said? She is going to call on Lucille—to-night—that's what she told her new maid there? To-night? That's all right, my boy. I just wanted to be sure. Don't worry. We'll look out for her here, all right. Now, Warrington, you just keep perfectly56 quiet. No relapses, you know, old fellow. We can take care of everything. I'm glad you told me. Good-bye."
Garrick had finished up his conversation with Warrington in a confident and reassuring57 tone, quite the opposite to that with which he had started and even more in contrast with the expression on his face as he talked.
"I didn't want to alarm the boy unnecessarily," he explained to me, as he hung up the receiver. "I could tell that he was very weak yet and that the trip up to Tuxedo had almost done him up. It seems that she thought a good deal of Lucille—there's the address—99 Ninth. You can never tell about these maids, though. Lucille may be all right—or the other maid may be all bad, or vice versa. There's no telling. The worst of it is that she and her aunt are somewhere in the city, perhaps shopping. It only needs that they become separated for something, anything, to happen. There's been no time to warn her, either, and she's just as likely to visit that Lucille to-night alone as not. Gad—I'm glad I didn't fly off up there to Tuxedo, after all. She'll need someone here to protect her."
Garrick was considering hastily what was to be done. Quickly he mapped out his course of action.
"Come, Tom," he said hurriedly to me, as he wrapped up a little cedar58 box which he took from the cabinet where he kept the endormeur outfit. "Come—let's investigate that Ninth Street address while we have time."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
vice
|
|
| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
graft
|
|
| n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
investigators
|
|
| n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
scouted
|
|
| 寻找，侦察( scout的过去式和过去分词 )； 物色（优秀运动员、演员、音乐家等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
briefly
|
|
| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
speck
|
|
| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
awe
|
|
| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
peril
|
|
| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
laconically
|
|
| adv.简短地，简洁地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
hysterical
|
|
| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
anatomy
|
|
| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
investigations
|
|
| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
lapsing
|
|
| v.退步( lapse的现在分词 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
waiving
|
|
| v.宣布放弃( waive的现在分词 )；搁置；推迟；放弃（权利、要求等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
concealed
|
|
| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
bonbons
|
|
| n.小糖果( bonbon的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
unduly
|
|
| adv.过度地，不适当地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
curiously
|
|
| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
guise
|
|
| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
shrug
|
|
| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
plunged
|
|
| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
steamship
|
|
| n.汽船，轮船 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
guilt
|
|
| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
legerdemain
|
|
| n.戏法，诈术 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
volatility
|
|
| n.挥发性，挥发度，轻快，（性格）反复无常 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
capillary
|
|
| n.毛细血管；adj.毛细管道；毛状的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
syrup
|
|
| n.糖浆，糖水 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
dilate
|
|
| vt.使膨胀，使扩大 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
vitality
|
|
| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
lapses
|
|
| n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
derived
|
|
| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
outfit
|
|
| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
derivatives
|
|
| n.衍生性金融商品；派生物，引出物( derivative的名词复数 )；导数 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
opium
|
|
| n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
heroin
|
|
| n.海洛因 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
coterie
|
|
| n.(有共同兴趣的)小团体，小圈子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
proficient
|
|
| adj.熟练的，精通的；n.能手，专家 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
meekly
|
|
| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
wholesome
|
|
| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
cartridge
|
|
| n.弹壳，弹药筒；(装磁带等的)盒子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
admiration
|
|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
heartily
|
|
| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
astounded
|
|
| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
tuxedo
|
|
| n.礼服，无尾礼服 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
tinkled
|
|
| （使）发出丁当声，（使）发铃铃声( tinkle的过去式和过去分词 )； 叮当响着发出，铃铃响着报出 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
insistently
|
|
| ad.坚持地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
exertion
|
|
| n.尽力，努力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
ribs
|
|
| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
reassuring
|
|
| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
cedar
|
|
| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |