Anthony said nothing. He continued to stare out of the window. Superintendent1 Battle looked for some time at his motionless back.
“Well, good night, sir,” he said at last, and moved to the door.
Anthony stirred.
“Wait a minute, Battle.”
The superintendent halted obediently. Anthony left the window. He drew out a cigarette from his case and lighted it. Then, between two puffs2 of smoke, he said:
“You seem very interested in this business at Staines?”
“I wouldn’t go as far as that, sir. It’s unusual, that’s all.”
“Do you think the man was shot where he was found, or do you think he was killed elsewhere and the body brought to that particular spot afterwards?”
“I think he was shot somewhere else, and the body brought there in a car.”
“I think so too,” said Anthony.
Something in the emphasis of his tone made the detective look up sharply.
“Any ideas of your own, sir? Do you know who brought him there?”
“Yes,” said Anthony. “I did.”
He was a little annoyed at the absolutely unruffled calm preserved by the other.
“I must say you take these shocks very well, Battle,” he remarked.
[Pg 182]
“‘Never display emotion.’ That was a rule that was given to me once, and I’ve found it very useful.”
“You live up to it, certainly,” said Anthony. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen you ruffled3. Well, do you want to hear the whole story?”
“If you please, Mr. Cade.”
Anthony pulled up two of the chairs, both men sat down, and Anthony recounted the events of the preceding Thursday night.
Battle listened immovably. There was a far-off twinkle in his eyes as Anthony finished.
“You know, sir,” he said, “You’ll get into trouble one of these days.”
“We always like to give a man plenty of rope,” said Superintendent Battle.
“What I can’t quite make out, sir,” said Battle, “is why you decided6 to come across with this now?”
“It’s rather difficult to explain,” said Anthony. “You see, Battle, I’ve come to have really a very high opinion of your abilities. When the moment comes, you’re always there. Look at to-night. And it occurred to me that, in withholding7 this knowledge of mine, I was seriously cramping8 your style. You deserve to have access to all the facts. I’ve done what I could, and up to now I’ve made a mess of things. Until to-night, I couldn’t speak for Mrs. Revel9’s sake. But now that those letters have been definitely proved to have nothing whatever to do with her, any idea of her complicity becomes absurd. Perhaps I advised her badly in the first place, but it struck me that her statement of having paid this man money to suppress the letters, simply as a whim10, might take a bit of believing.”
“It might, by a jury,” agreed Battle. “Juries never have any imagination.”
[Pg 183]
“Well, you see, Mr. Cade, most of my work has lain amongst these people. What they call the upper classes, I mean. You see, the majority of people are always wondering what the neighbours will think. But tramps and aristocrats12 don’t—they just do the first thing that comes into their heads, and they don’t bother to think what anyone thinks of them. I’m not meaning just the idle rich, the people who give big parties, and so on, I mean those that have had it born and bred in them for generations that nobody else’s opinion counts but their own. I’ve always found the upper classes the same—fearless, truthful13 and sometimes extraordinarily14 foolish.”
“This is a very interesting lecture, Battle. I suppose you’ll be writing your Reminiscences one of these days. They ought to be worth reading too.”
The detective acknowledged the suggestion with a smile, but said nothing.
“I’d rather like to ask you one question,” continued Anthony. “Did you connect me at all with the Staines affair? I fancied, from your manner, that you did.”
“Quite right. I had a hunch15 that way. But nothing definite to go upon. Your manner was very good, if I may say so, Mr. Cade. You never overdid16 the carelessness.”
“I’m glad of that,” said Anthony. “I’ve a feeling that ever since I met you you’ve been laying little traps for me. On the whole I’ve managed to avoid falling into them, but the strain has been acute.”
Battle smiled grimly.
“That’s how you get a crook17 in the end, sir. Keep him on the run, to and fro, turning and twisting. Sooner or later, his nerve goes, and you’ve got him.”
“You’re a cheerful fellow, Battle. When will you get me, I wonder?”
“Plenty of rope, sir,” quoted the superintendent, “plenty of rope.”
[Pg 184]
“In the meantime,” said Anthony, “I am still the amateur assistant?”
“That’s it, Mr. Cade.”
“Watson to your Sherlock, in fact?”
“Detective stories are mostly bunkum,” said Battle unemotionally. “But they amuse people,” he added, as an afterthought. “And they’re useful sometimes.”
“In what way?” asked Anthony curiously.
“They encourage the universal idea that the police are stupid. When we get an amateur crime, such as a murder, that’s very useful indeed.”
Anthony looked at him for some minutes in silence. Battle sat quite still, blinking now and then, with no expression whatsoever18 on his square placid19 face. Presently he rose.
“Not much good going to bed now,” he observed. “As soon as he’s up, I want to have a few words with his lordship. Anyone who wants to leave the house can do so now. At the same time I should be much obliged to his lordship if he’ll extend an informal invitation to his guests to stay on. You’ll accept it, sir, if you please, and Mrs. Revel also.”
“Have you ever found the revolver?” asked Anthony suddenly.
“You mean the one Prince Michael was shot with? No, I haven’t. Yet it must be in the house or grounds. I’ll take a hint from you, Mr. Cade, and send some boys up bird’s-nesting. If I could get hold of the revolver, we might get forward a bit. That, and the bundle of letters. You say that a letter with the heading, Chimneys, was amongst them? Depend upon it that was the last one written. The instructions for finding the diamond are written in code in that letter.”
“I should say he was a regular thief, and that he was got hold of, either by King Victor or by the Comrades of the Red Hand, and employed by them. I shouldn’t[Pg 185] wonder at all if the Comrades and King Victor aren’t working together. The organization has plenty of money and power, but it isn’t very strong in brains. Giuseppe’s task was to steal the Memoirs21—they couldn’t have known that you had the letters—it’s a very odd coincidence that you should have, by the way.”
“I know,” said Anthony. “It’s amazing when you come to think of it.”
“Giuseppe gets hold of the letters instead. Is at first vastly chagrined22. Then sees the cutting from the paper and has the brilliant idea of turning them to account on his own by blackmailing23 the lady. He has, of course, no idea of their real significance. The Comrades find out what he is doing, believe that he is deliberately24 double crossing them, and decree his death. They’re very fond of executing traitors25. It has a picturesque26 element which seems to appeal to them. What I can’t quite make out is the revolver with ‘Virginia’ engraved27 upon it. There’s too much finesse28 about that for the Comrades. As a rule, they enjoy plastering their Red Hand sign about—in order to strike terror into other would-be traitors. No, it looks to me as though King Victor had stepped in there. But what his motive29 was, I don’t know. It looks like a very deliberate attempt to saddle Mrs. Revel with the murder, and, on the surface, there doesn’t seem any particular point in that.”
“I had a theory,” said Anthony. “But it didn’t work out according to plan.”
He told Battle of Virginia’s recognition of Michael. Battle nodded his head.
“Oh, yes, no doubt as to his identity. By the way, that old Baron30 has a very high opinion of you. He speaks of you in most enthusiastic terms.”
“That’s very kind of him,” said Anthony. “Especially as I’ve given him full warning that I mean to do my utmost to get hold of the missing Memoirs before Wednesday next.”
“You’ll have a job to do that,” said Battle.
[Pg 186]
“Y—es. You think so? I suppose King Victor and Co. have got the letters.”
Battle nodded.
“Pinched them off Giuseppe that day in Pont Street. Prettily31 planned piece of work, that. Yes, they’ve got ’em all right, and they’ve decoded32 them, and they know where to look.”
Both men were on the point of passing out of the room.
“In here?” said Anthony, jerking his head back.
“Exactly, in here. But they haven’t found the prize yet, and they’re going to run a pretty risk trying to get it.”
“I suppose,” said Anthony, “that you’ve got a plan in that subtle head of yours?”
Battle returned no answer. He looked particularly stolid33 and unintelligent. Then, very slowly, he winked34.
“Want my help?” asked Anthony.
“I do. And I shall want some one else’s.”
“Who is that?”
“Mrs. Revel’s. You may not have noticed it, Mr. Cade, but she’s a lady who has a particularly beguiling35 way with her.”
“I’ve noticed it all right,” said Anthony.
He glanced at his watch.
“I’m inclined to agree with you about bed, Battle. A dip in the lake and a hearty36 breakfast will be far more to the point.”
He ran lightly upstairs to his bedroom. Whistling to himself, he discarded his evening clothes, and picked up a dressing-gown and a bath towel.
Then suddenly he stopped dead in front of the dressing-table, staring at the object that reposed37 demurely38 in front of the looking-glass.
For a moment he could not believe his eyes. He took it up, examined it closely. Yes, there was no mistake.
It was the bundle of letters signed Virginia Revel. They were intact. Not one was missing.
Anthony dropped into a chair, the letters in his hand.
[Pg 187]
“My brain must be cracking,” he murmured. “I can’t understand a quarter of what is going on in this house. Why should the letters reappear like a damned conjuring39 trick? Who put them on my dressing-table? Why?”
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收听单词发音
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1
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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2
puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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3
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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4
custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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unduly
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| adv.过度地，不适当地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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7
withholding
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| 扣缴税款 | |
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8
cramping
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| 图像压缩 | |
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9
revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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10
whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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11
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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12
aristocrats
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| n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 ) | |
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13
truthful
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| adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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15
hunch
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| n.预感，直觉 | |
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16
overdid
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| v.做得过分( overdo的过去式 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度 | |
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17
crook
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| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
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18
whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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19
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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21
memoirs
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| n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
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22
chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
blackmailing
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| 胁迫，尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的现在分词 ) | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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26
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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28
finesse
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| n.精密技巧，灵巧，手腕 | |
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29
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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30
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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31
prettily
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| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
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32
decoded
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| v.译（码），解（码）( decode的过去式和过去分词 )；分析及译解电子信号 | |
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33
stolid
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| adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的 | |
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34
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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35
beguiling
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| adj.欺骗的，诱人的v.欺骗( beguile的现在分词 )；使陶醉；使高兴；消磨（时间等） | |
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36
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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37
reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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39
conjuring
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| n.魔术 | |
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40
pertinent
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| adj.恰当的；贴切的；中肯的；有关的；相干的 | |
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