I was sitting on the front step of Hardcastle’s house, and rose out of the gloom to greet him whenhe got home on the following evening.
“Hallo, Colin? Is that you? So you’ve appeared out of the blue again, have you?”
“If you called it out of the red, it would be much more appropriate.”
“How long have you been here, sitting on my front doorstep?”
“Oh, half an hour or so.”
“Sorry you couldn’t get into the house.”
“I could have got into the house with perfect ease,” I said indignantly. “You don’t know ourtraining!”
“Then why didn’t you get in?”
“I wouldn’t like to lower your prestige in any way,” I explained. “A detective inspector1 ofpolice would be bound to lose face if his house were entered burglariously with complete ease.”
Hardcastle took his keys from his pocket and opened the front door.
“Come on in,” he said, “and don’t talk nonsense.”
He led the way into the sitting room, and proceeded to supply liquid refreshment2.
“Say when.”
I said it, not too soon, and we settled ourselves with our drinks.
“Things are moving at last,” said Hardcastle. “We’ve identified our corpse3.”
“I know. I looked up the newspaper files—who was Harry4 Castleton?”
“A man of apparently5 the utmost respectability and who made his living by going through aform of marriage or merely getting engaged to well-to-do credulous6 women. They entrusted7 theirsavings to him, impressed by his superior knowledge of finance and shortly afterwards he quietlyfaded into the blue.”
“He didn’t look that kind of man,” I said, casting my mind back.
“That was his chief asset.”
“Wasn’t he ever prosecuted8?”
“No—we’ve made inquiries9 but it isn’t easy to get much information. He changed his namefairly often. And although they think at the Yard that Harry Castleton, Raymond Blair, LawrenceDalton, Roger Byron were all one and the same person, they never could prove it. The women,you see, wouldn’t tell. They preferred to lose their money. The man was really more of a namethan anything—cropping up here and there—always the same pattern—but incredibly elusive10.
Roger Byron, say, would disappear from Southend, and a man called Lawrence Dalton wouldcommence operations in Newcastle on Tyne. He was shy of being photographed—eluded his ladyfriends’ desire to snapshot him. All this goes quite a long time back—fifteen to twenty years.
About that time he seemed really to disappear. The rumour11 spread about that he was dead—butsome people said he had gone abroad—”
“Anyway, nothing was heard of him until he turned up, dead, on Miss Pebmarsh’s sitting roomcarpet?” I said.
“Exactly.”
“It certainly opens up possibilities.”
“It certainly does.”
“A woman scorned who never forgot?” I suggested.
“It does happen, you know. There are women with long memories who don’t forget—”
“And if such a woman were to go blind—a second affliction on top of the other—”
“That’s only conjecture12. Nothing to substantiate13 it as yet.”
“What was the wife like—Mrs—what was it?—Merlina Rival? What a name! It can’t be herown.”
“Her real name is Flossie Gapp. The other she invented. More suitable for her way of life.”
“What is she? A tart14?”
“Not a professional.”
“What used to be called, tactfully, a lady of easy virtue15?”
“I should say she was a good-natured woman, and one willing to oblige her friends. Describedherself as an ex-actress. Occasionally did ‘hostess’ work. Quite likeable.”
“Reliable?”
“As reliable as most. Her recognition was quite positive. No hesitation16.”
“That’s a blessing17.”
“Yes. I was beginning to despair. The amount of wives I’ve had here! I’d begun to think it’s awise woman who knows her own husband. Mind you, I think Mrs. Rival might have known a littlemore about her husband than she lets on.”
“Has she herself ever been mixed up in criminal activities?”
“Not for the record. I think she may have had, perhaps still has, some shady friends. Nothingserious—just fiddles—that kind of thing.”
“What about the clocks?”
“Didn’t mean a thing to her. I think she was speaking the truth. We’ve traced where they camefrom—Portobello Market. That’s the ormolu and the Dresden china. And very little help that is!
You know what it’s like on a Saturday there. Bought by an American lady, the stall keeper thinks—but I’d say that’s just a guess. Portobello Market is full of American tourists. His wife says itwas a man bought them. She can’t remember what he looked like. The silver one came from asilversmith in Bournemouth. A tall lady who wanted a present for her little girl! All she canremember about her is she wore a green hat.”
“And the fourth clock? The one that disappeared?”
“No comment,” said Hardcastle.
I knew just what he meant by that.
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收听单词发音
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1
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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2
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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3
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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4
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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5
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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6
credulous
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| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
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7
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
prosecuted
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| a.被起诉的 | |
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9
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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10
elusive
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| adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的 | |
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11
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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12
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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13
substantiate
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| v.证实；证明...有根据 | |
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14
tart
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| adj.酸的；尖酸的，刻薄的；n.果馅饼；淫妇 | |
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15
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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16
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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17
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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