“If inspired idiocy5 can help the law,” shouted Kerry, “the man who did this job is as good as dead!” He turned his fierce gaze in Gray's direction. “Thank you, sir. I need trouble you no further.”
“Do you wish me to remain?”
“But damn it all!” cried Gray, his pent-up emotions at last demanding an outlet7, “I won't submit to your infernal dragooning! Do you realize that while you're standing8 here, doing nothing—absolutely nothing—an unhappy woman is—”
“I realize,” snapped Kerry, showing his teeth in canine9 fashion, “that if you're not outside in ten seconds there's going to be a cloud of dust on the stairs!”
White with passion, Gray was on the point of uttering other angry and provocative10 words when Seton took his arm in a firm grip. “Gray!” he said sharply. “You leave with me now or I leave alone.”
The two walked from the room, followed by Whiteleaf. As they disappeared:
“Read out all the times mentioned in the last witness's evidence,” directed Kerry, undisturbed by the rencontre.
Sergeant Coombes smiled rather uneasily, consulting his notebook.
“'At about half-past six I drove to Bond Street,'” he began.
“I said the times,” rapped Kerry. “I know to what they refer. Just give me the times as mentioned.”
“Oh,” murmured Coombes, “Yes. 'About half-past six.'” He ran his finger down the page. “'A quarter to seven.' 'Seven o'clock.' 'Twenty-five minutes past seven.' 'Eight o'clock.'”
“Stop!” said Kerry. “That's enough.” He fixed11 a baleful glance upon Gunn, who from a point of the room discreetly12 distant from the terrible red man was watching with watery13 eyes. “Who's the smart in all the overcoats?” he demanded.
“My name is James Gunn,” replied this greatly insulted man in a husky voice.
“Who are you? What are you? What are you doing here?”
“I'm employed by Spinker's Agency, and—”
“Oh!” shouted Kerry, moving his shoulders. He approached the speaker and glared menacingly into his purple face. “Ho, ho! So you're one of the queer birds out of that roost, are you? Spinker's Agency! Ah, yes!” He fixed his gaze now upon the pale features of Brisley. “I've seen you before, haven't I?”
“Yes, Chief Inspector,” said Brisley, licking his lips. “Hayward's Heath. We have been retained by—”
“You have been retained!” shouted Kerry. “You have!”
He twisted round upon his heel, facing Monte Irvin. Angry words trembled on his tongue. But at sight of the broken man who sat there alone, haggard, a subtle change of expression crept into his fierce eyes, and when he spoke14 again the high-pitched voice was almost gentle. “You had employed these men, sir, to watch—”
He paused, glancing towards Whiteleaf, who had just entered again, and then in the direction of the inner room where the divisional surgeon was at work.
“To watch my wife, Inspector. Thank you, but all the world will know tomorrow. I might as well get used to it.”
Monte Irvin's pallor grew positively15 alarming. He swayed suddenly and extended his hands in a significant groping fashion. Kerry sprang forward and supported him.
“All right, Inspector—all right,” muttered Irvin. “Thank you. It has been a great shock. At first I feared—”
“You thought your wife had been attacked, I understand? Well—it's not so bad as that, sir. I am going to walk downstairs to the car with you.”
“But there is so much you will want to know—”
“It can keep until tomorrow. I've enough work in this peep-show here to have me busy all night. Come along. Lean on my arm.”
Monte Irvin rose unsteadily. He knew that there was cardiac trouble in his family, but he had never realized before the meaning of his heritage. He felt physically16 ill.
“Mrs. Irvin's disappearance18? Don't worry, sir. Without exactly having a theory I think I may say that in my opinion she will turn up presently.”
“God bless you,” murmured Irvin, as Kerry assisted him out on to the landing.
Inspector Whiteleaf held back the sliding door, the mechanism19 of which had been broken so that the door now automatically remained half closed.
“Funny, isn't it,” said Gunn, as the two disappeared and Inspector Whiteleaf re-entered, “that a man should be so upset about the disappearance of a woman he was going to divorce?”
“Damn funny!” said Whiteleaf, whose temper was badly frayed20 by contact with Kerry. “I should have a good laugh if I were you.”
He crossed the room, going in to where the surgeon was examining the victim of this mysterious crime. Gunn stared after him dismally21.
“A person doesn't get much sympathy from the police, Brisley,” he declared. “That one's almost as bad as him,” jerking his thumb in the direction of the landing.
Brisley smiled in a somewhat sickly manner.
“Red Kerry is a holy terror,” he agreed, sotto voce, glancing aside to where Coombes was checking his notes. “Look out! Here he comes.”
“Now,” cried Kerry, swinging into the room, “what's the game? Plotting to defeat the ends of justice?”
He stood with hands thrust in reefer pockets, feet wide apart, glancing fiercely from Brisley to Gunn, and from Gunn back again to Brisley. Neither of the representatives of Spinker's Agency ventured any remark, and:
“How long have you been watching Mrs. Monte Irvin?” demanded Kerry.
“Nearly a fortnight,” replied Brisley.
“Got your evidence in writing?”
“Yes.”
“Up to tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Dictate to Sergeant Coombes.”
He turned on his heel and crossed to the divan22 upon which his oilskin overall was lying. Rapidly he removed his reefer and his waistcoat, folded them, and placed them neatly23 beside his overall. He retained his bowler24 at its jaunty25 angle.
A cud of presumably flavorless chewing-gum he deposited in a brass26 bowl, and from a little packet which he had taken out of his jacket pocket he drew a fresh piece, redolent of mint. This he put into his mouth, and returned the packet to its resting-place. A slim, trim figure, he stood looking round him reflectively.
“Now,” he muttered, “what about it?”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
inspector
|
|
| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
testimony
|
|
| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
incurred
|
|
| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
wrath
|
|
| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
idiocy
|
|
| n.愚蠢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
sergeant
|
|
| n.警官，中士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
outlet
|
|
| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
canine
|
|
| adj.犬的，犬科的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
provocative
|
|
| adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
discreetly
|
|
| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
watery
|
|
| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
positively
|
|
| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
physically
|
|
| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
disappearance
|
|
| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
mechanism
|
|
| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
frayed
|
|
| adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
dismally
|
|
| adv.阴暗地，沉闷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
divan
|
|
| n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
neatly
|
|
| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
bowler
|
|
| n.打保龄球的人，（板球的）投（球）手 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
jaunty
|
|
| adj．愉快的，满足的；adv.心满意足地，洋洋得意地；n.心满意足；洋洋得意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
brass
|
|
| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |