Where was Odette Rider? That was a problem which had to be solved. She had disappeared as though the earth had opened and swallowed her up. Every police station in the country had been warned; all outgoing ships were being watched; tactful inquiries1 had been made in every direction where it was likely she might be found; and the house at Hertford was under observation day and night.
Tarling had procured2 an adjournment3 of the inquest; for, whatever might be his sentiments towards Odette Rider, he was, it seemed, more anxious to perform his duty to the State, and it was very necessary that no prurient-minded coroner should investigate too deeply into the cause and the circumstances leading up to Thornton Lyne's death, lest the suspected criminal be warned.
Accompanied by Inspector4 Whiteside, he reexamined the flat to which the bloodstained carpet pointed5 unmistakably as being the scene of the murder. The red thumb prints on the bureau had been photographed and were awaiting comparison with the girl's the moment she was apprehended6.
Carrymore Mansions7, where Odette Rider lived, were, as has been described, a block of good-class flats, the ground floor being given over to shops. The entrance to the flats was between two of these, and a flight of stairs led down to the basement. Here were six sets of apartments, with windows giving out to the narrow areas which ran parallel to the side streets on either side of the block.
The centre of the basement consisted of a large concrete store-room, about which were set little cubicles8 or cellars in which the tenants9 stored such of their baggage, furniture, etc., as they did not need. It was possible, he discovered, to pass from the corridor of the basement flat, into the store room, and out through a door at the back of the building into a small courtyard. Access to the street was secured through a fairly large door, placed there for the convenience of tenants who wished to get their coal and heavy stores delivered. In the street behind the block of flats was a mews, consisting of about a dozen shut-up stables, all of which were rented by a taxicab company, and now used as a garage.
If the murder was committed in the flat, it was by this way the body would have been carried to the mews, and here, too, a car would attract little attention. Inquiries made amongst employees of the cab company, some of whom occupied little rooms above their garages, elicited10 the important information that the car had been seen in the mews on the night of the murder--a fact, it seemed, which had been overlooked in the preliminary police investigations11.
The car was a two-seater Daimler with a yellow body and a hood12. This was an exact description of Thornton Lyne's machine which had been found near the place where his body was discovered. The hood of the car was up when it was seen in the mews and the time apparently13 was between ten and eleven on the night of the murder. But though he pursued the most diligent14 inquiries, Tarling failed to discover any human being who had either recognised Lyne or observed the car arrive or depart.
The hall porter of the flats, on being interviewed, was very emphatic15 that nobody had come into the building by the main entrance between the hours of ten and half-past. It was possible, he admitted, that they could have come between half-past ten and a quarter to eleven because he had gone to his "office," which proved to be a stuffy16 little place under the stairs, to change from his uniform into his private clothes before going home. He was in the habit of locking the front door at eleven o'clock. Tenants of the mansions had pass-keys to the main door, and of all that happened after eleven he would be ignorant. He admitted that he may have gone a little before eleven that night, but even as to this he was not prepared to swear.
"In fact," said Whiteside afterwards, "his evidence would lead nowhere. At the very hour when somebody might have come into the flat--that is to say, between half-past ten and a quarter to eleven--he admits he was not on duty."
Tarling nodded. He had made a diligent search of the floor of the basement corridor through the store-room into the courtyard, but had found no trace of blood. Nor did he expect to find any such trace, since it was clear that, if the murder had been committed in the flat and the night-dress which was wound about the dead man's body was Odette Rider's, there would be no bleeding.
"Of one thing I am satisfied," he said; "if Odette Rider committed this murder she had an accomplice17. It was impossible that she could have carried or dragged this man into the open and put him into the car, carried him again from the car and laid him on the grass."
"The daffodils puzzle me," said Whiteside. "Why should he be found with daffodils on his chest? And why, if he was murdered here, should she trouble to pay that tribute of her respect?"
Tarling shook his head. He was nearer a solution to the latter mystery than either of them knew.
His search of the flat completed, he drove to Hyde Park and, guided by Whiteside, made his way to the spot where the body was found. It was on a gravelled sidewalk, nearer to the grass than to the road, and Whiteside described the position of the body. Tarling looked round, and suddenly uttered an exclamation18.
"I wonder," he said, pointing to a flower-bed.
Whiteside stared, then laughed.
"That curious," he said. "We seem to see nothing but daffodils in this murder!"
The big bed to which Tarling walked was smothered19 with great feathery bells that danced and swayed in the light spring breezes.
"Humph!" said Tarling. "Do you know anything about daffodils, Whiteside?"
Whiteside shook his head with a laugh.
"All daffodils are daffodils to me. Is there any difference in them? I suppose there must be."
Tarling nodded.
"These are known as Golden Spurs," he said, "a kind which is very common in England. The daffodils in Miss Rider's flat are the variety known as the Emperor."
"Well?" said Whiteside.
"Well," said the other slowly, "the daffodils I saw this morning which were found on Lyne's chest were Golden Spurs."
He knelt down by the side of the bed and began pushing aside the stems, examining the ground carefully.
"Here you are," he said.
He pointed to a dozen jagged stems.
"That is where the daffodils were plucked, I'd like to swear to that. Look, they were all pulled together by one hand. Somebody leaned over and pulled a handful."
"Mischievous21 boys sometimes do these things."
"Only in single stalks," said Tarling, "and the regular flower thieves are careful to steal from various parts of the bed so that the loss should not be reported by the Park gardeners."
"Then you suggest--"
"I suggest that whoever killed Thornton Lyne found it convenient, for some reason best known to himself or herself, to ornament22 the body as it was found, and the flowers were got from here."
"Not from the girl's flat at all?"
"I'm sure of that," replied Tarling emphatically. "In fact, I knew that this morning when I'd seen the daffodils which you had taken to Scotland Yard."
Whiteside scratched his nose in perplexity.
"The further this case goes, the more puzzled I am," he said. "Here is a man, a wealthy man, who has apparently no bitter enemies, discovered dead in Hyde Park, with a woman's silk night-dress wound round his chest, with list slippers23 on his feet, and a Chinese inscription24 in his pocket--and further, to puzzle the police, a bunch of daffodils on the chest. That was a woman's act, Mr. Tarling," he said suddenly.
Tarling started. "How do you mean?" he asked.
"It was a woman's act to put flowers on the man," said Whiteside quietly. "Those daffodils tell me of pity and compassion25, and perhaps repentance26."
A slow smile dawned on Tarling's face.
"My dear Whiteside," he said, "you are getting sentimental27! And here," he added, looking up, "attracted to the spot, is a gentleman I seem to be always meeting--Mr. Milburgh, I think."
Milburgh had stopped at the sight of the detective, and looked as if he would have been glad to have faded away unobserved. But Tarling had seen him, and Milburgh came forward with his curious little shuffling28 walk, a set smile on his face, the same worried look in his eyes, which Tarling had seen once before.
"Good morning, gentlemen," he said, with a flourish of his top hat. "I suppose, Mr. Tarling, nothing has been discovered?"
"At any rate, I didn't expect to discover _you_ here this morning!" smiled Tarling. "I thought you were busy at the Stores."
Milburgh shifted uneasily.
"The place has a fascination29 for me," he said huskily, "I--I can't keep away from it."
He dropped his eyes before Tarling's keen gaze and repeated the question.
"Is there any fresh news?"
"I ought to ask you that," said Tarling quietly.
The other looked up.
"You mean Miss Rider?" he asked. "No, sir, nothing has been found to her detriment30 and I cannot trace her present address, although I have pursued the most diligent inquiries. It is very upsetting."
There was a new emphasis in his voice. Tarling remembered that when Lyne had spoken to Milburgh before, and had suggested that the girl had been guilty of some act of predation, Milburgh had been quick to deny the possibility. Now his manner was hostile to the girl--indefinitely so, but sufficiently32 marked for Tarling to notice it.
"Do you think that Miss Rider had any reason for running away?" asked the detective.
Milburgh shrugged33 his shoulders.
"In this world," he said unctuously34, "one is constantly being deceived by people in whom one has put one's trust."
"In other words, you suspect Miss Rider of robbing the firm?"
Up went Mr. Milburgh's plump hands.
"I would not say that," he said. "I would not accuse a young woman of such an act of treachery to her employers, and I distinctly refuse to make any charges until the auditors35 have completed their work. There is no doubt," he added carefully, "that Miss Rider had the handling of large sums of money, and she of all people in the business, and particularly in the cashier's department would have been able to rob the firm without the knowledge of either myself or poor Mr. Lyne. This, of course, is confidential36." He laid one hand appealingly on Tarling's arm, and that worthy37 nodded.
"Have you any idea where she would be?"
Again Milburgh shook his head.
"The only thing--" he hesitated and looked into Tarling's eyes.
"Well?" asked the detective impatiently.
"There is a suggestion, of course, that she may have gone abroad. I do not offer that suggestion, only I know that she spoke31 French very well and that she had been to the Continent before."
Tarling stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"To the Continent, eh?" he said softly. "Well, in that case I shall search the Continent; for on one thing I am determined38, and that is to find Odette Rider," and, beckoning39 to his companion, he turned on his heel and left the obsequious40 Mr. Milburgh staring after him.
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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adjournment
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| 休会； 延期； 休会期； 休庭期 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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apprehended
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| 逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解 | |
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mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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cubicles
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| n.小卧室，斗室( cubicle的名词复数 ) | |
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tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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diligent
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| adj.勤勉的，勤奋的 | |
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emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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stuffy
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| adj.不透气的，闷热的 | |
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accomplice
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| n.从犯，帮凶，同谋 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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detriment
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| n.损害；损害物，造成损害的根源 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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unctuously
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| adv.油腻地，油腔滑调地；假惺惺 | |
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auditors
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| n.审计员，稽核员( auditor的名词复数 )；（大学课程的）旁听生 | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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obsequious
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| adj.谄媚的，奉承的，顺从的 | |
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