Twenty COLIN LAMB’S NARRATIVE

Twenty COLIN LAMB’S NARRATIVE¹
I reported to Beck as soon as I got to London.
He waved his cigar at me.
“There might have been something in that idiotic² crescent idea of yours after all,” he allowed.
“I’ve turned up something at last, have I?”
“I won’t go as far as that, but I’ll just say that you may have. Our construction engineer, Mr.
Ramsay of 62, Wilbraham Crescent, is not all he seems. Some very curious assignments he’s takenon lately. Genuine firms, but firms without much back history, and what history they have, rather apeculiar one. Ramsay went off at a minute’s notice about five weeks ago. He went to Rumania.”
“That’s not what he told his wife.”
“Possibly not, but that’s where he went. And that’s where he is now. We’d like to know a bitmore about him. So you can stir your stumps³, my lad, and get going. I’ve got all the visas readyfor you, and a nice new passport. Nigel Trench⁴ it will be this time. Rub up your knowledge of rareplants in the Balkans. You’re a botanist⁵.”
“Any special instructions?”
“No. We’ll give you your contact when you pick up your papers. Find out all you can about ourMr. Ramsay.” He looked at me keenly. “You don’t sound as pleased as you might be.” He peeredthrough the cigar smoke.
“It’s always pleasant when a hunch⁶ pays off,” I said evasively.
“Right Crescent, wrong number. 61 is occupied by a perfectly⁷ blameless builder. Blameless inour sense, that is. Poor old Hanbury got the number wrong, but he wasn’t far off.”
“Have you vetted⁸ the others? Or only Ramsay?”
“Diana Lodge⁹ seems to be as pure as Diana. A long history of cats. McNaughton was vaguelyinteresting. He’s a retired¹⁰ professor, as you know. Mathematics. Quite brilliant, it seems. Resignedhis Chair quite suddenly on the grounds of ill-health. I suppose that may be true—but he seemsquite hale and hearty¹¹. He seems to have cut himself off from all his old friends, which is ratherodd.”
“The trouble is,” I said, “that we get to thinking that everything that everybody does is highlysuspicious.”
“You may have got something there,” said Colonel Beck. “There are times when I suspect you,Colin, of having changed over to the other side. There are times when I suspect myself of havingchanged over to the other side, and then having changed back again to this one! All a jolly mix-up.”
My plane left at ten p.m. I went to see Hercule Poirot first. This time he was drinking a sirop decassis (Black currant to you and me). He offered me some. I refused. George brought me whisky.
Everything as usual.
“You look depressed,” said Poirot.
“Not at all. I’m just off abroad.”
He looked at me. I nodded.
“So it is like that?”
“Yes, it is like that.”
“I wish you all success.”
“Thank you. And what about you, Poirot, how are you getting along with your homework?”
“Pardon?”
“What about the Crowdean Clocks Murder—Have you leaned back, closed your eyes and comeup with all the answers?”
“I have read what you left here with great interest,” said Poirot.
“Not much there, was there? I told you these particular neighbours were a wash-out—”
“On the contrary. In the case of at least two of these people very illuminating¹² remarks weremade—”
“Which of them? And what were the remarks?”
Poirot told me in an irritating fashion that I must read my notes carefully.
“You will see for yourself then—It leaps to the eye. The thing to do now is to talk to moreneighbours.”
“There aren’t any more.”
“There must be. Somebody has always seen something. It is an axiom.”
“It may be an axiom but it isn’t so in this case. And I’ve got further details for you. There hasbeen another murder.”
“Indeed? So soon? That is interesting. Tell me.”
I told him. He questioned me closely until he got every single detail out of me. I told him, too,of the postcard I had passed on to Hardcastle.
“Remember—four one three—or four thirteen,” he repeated. “Yes—it is the same pattern.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Poirot closed his eyes.
“That postcard lacks only one thing, a fingerprint¹³ dipped in blood.”
I looked at him doubtfully.
“What do you really think of this business?”
“It grows much clearer—as usual, the murderer cannot let well alone.”
“But who’s the murderer?”
Poirot craftily¹⁴ did not reply to that.
“Whilst you are away, you permit that I make a few researches?”
“Such as?”
“Tomorrow I shall instruct Miss Lemon to write a letter to an old lawyer friend of mine, Mr.
Enderby. I shall ask her to consult the marriage records at Somerset House. She will also send forme a certain overseas cable.”
“I’m not sure that’s fair,” I objected. “You’re not just sitting and thinking.”
“That is exactly what I am doing! What Miss Lemon is to do, is to verify for me the answersthat I have already arrived at. I ask not for information, but for confirmation¹⁵.”
“I don’t believe you know a thing, Poirot! This is all bluff¹⁶. Why, nobody knows yet who thedead man is—”
“I know.”
“What’s his name?”
“I have no idea. His name is not important. I know, if you can understand, not who he is butwho he is.”
“A blackmailer¹⁷?”
Poirot closed his eyes.
“A private detective?”
Poirot opened his eyes.
“I say to you a little quotation¹⁸. As I did last time. And after that I say no more.”
He recited with the utmost solemnity:
“Dilly, dilly, dilly—Come and be killed.”

1 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

2 idiotic   

adj.白痴的

参考例句：

• It is idiotic to go shopping with no money.去买东西而不带钱是很蠢的。
• The child's idiotic deeds caused his family much trouble.那小孩愚蠢的行为给家庭带来许多麻烦。

3 stumps   

（被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分

参考例句：

• Rocks and stumps supplied the place of chairs at the picnic. 野餐时石头和树桩都充当了椅子。
• If you don't stir your stumps, Tom, you'll be late for school again. 汤姆，如果你不快走，上学又要迟到了。

4 trench   

n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕

参考例句：

• The soldiers recaptured their trench.兵士夺回了战壕。
• The troops received orders to trench the outpost.部队接到命令在前哨周围筑壕加强防卫。

5 botanist   

n.植物学家

参考例句：

• The botanist introduced a new species of plant to the region.那位植物学家向该地区引入了一种新植物。
• I had never talked with a botanist before,and I found him fascinating.我从没有接触过植物学那一类的学者，我觉得他说话极有吸引力。

6 hunch   

n.预感，直觉

参考例句：

• I have a hunch that he didn't really want to go.我有这么一种感觉，他并不真正想去。
• I had a hunch that Susan and I would work well together.我有预感和苏珊共事会很融洽。

7 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

8 vetted   

v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的过去式和过去分词 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• The recruits were thoroughly vetted before they were allowed into the secret service. 情报机关招募的新成员要经过严格的审查。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All staff are vetted for links with extremist groups before being employed. 所有职员录用前均须审查是否与极端分子团体有关。 来自辞典例句

9 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

12 illuminating   

a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的

参考例句：

• We didn't find the examples he used particularly illuminating. 我们觉得他采用的那些例证启发性不是特别大。
• I found his talk most illuminating. 我觉得他的话很有启发性。

13 fingerprint   

n.指纹；vt.取...的指纹

参考例句：

• The fingerprint expert was asked to testify at the trial.指纹专家应邀出庭作证。
• The court heard evidence from a fingerprint expert.法院听取了指纹专家的证词。

14 craftily   

狡猾地，狡诈地

参考例句：

• He craftily arranged to be there when the decision was announced. 在决议宣布之时，他狡猾地赶到了那里。
• Strengthen basic training of calculation, get the kids to grasp the radical calculating ability craftily. 加强计算基本训练，通过分、小、百互化口算的练习，使学生熟练地掌握基本的计算技能。

15 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

16 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

17 blackmailer   

敲诈者，勒索者

参考例句：

• The blackmailer had a hold over him. 勒索他的人控制着他。
• The blackmailer will have to be bought off,or he'll ruin your good name. 得花些钱疏通那个敲诈者，否则他会毁坏你的声誉。

18 quotation   

n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情

参考例句：

• He finished his speech with a quotation from Shakespeare.他讲话结束时引用了莎士比亚的语录。
• The quotation is omitted here.此处引文从略。