W e were rather silent on our way down to the police station. Haydock drew behind a little and murmured to me:
“You know I don’t like the look of this. I don’t like it. There’s something here we don’t understand.”
He looked thoroughly1 worried and upset.
Inspector2 Slack was at the police station and presently we found ourselves face to face with Lawrence Redding.
He looked pale and strained but quite composed—marvellously so, I thought, considering the circumstances.
Melchett snorted and hummed, obviously nervous.
“Look here, Redding,” he said, “I understand you made a statement to Inspector Slack here. You state you went tothe Vicarage at approximately a quarter to seven, found Protheroe there, quarrelled with him, shot him, and cameaway. I’m not reading it over to you, but that’s the gist3 of it.”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to ask a few questions. You’ve already been told that you needn’t answer them unless you choose. Yoursolicitor—”
Lawrence interrupted.
“I’ve nothing to hide. I killed Protheroe.”
“Ah! well—” Melchett snorted. “How did you happen to have a pistol with you?”
Lawrence hesitated. “It was in my pocket.”
“You took it with you to the Vicarage?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I always take it.”
He had hesitated again before answering, and I was absolutely sure that he was not speaking the truth.
“Why did you put the clock back?”
“The clock?” He seemed puzzled.
“Yes, the hands pointed4 to 6:22.”
A look of fear sprang up in his face.
“Oh! that—yes. I—I altered it.”
Haydock spoke5 suddenly.
“Where did you shoot Colonel Protheroe?”
“In the study at the Vicarage.”
“I mean in what part of the body?”
“Oh!—I—through the head, I think. Yes, through the head.”
“Aren’t you sure?”
“Since you know, I can’t see why it is necessary to ask me.”
It was a feeble kind of bluster6. There was some commotion7 outside. A constable8 without a helmet brought in anote.
“For the Vicar. It says very urgent on it.”
I tore it open and read:
“Please—please—come to me. I don’t know what to do. It is all too awful. I want to tell someone. Pleasecome immediately, and bring anyone you like with you. Anne Protheroe.”
I gave Melchett a meaning glance. He took the hint. We all went out together. Glancing over my shoulder, I had aglimpse of Lawrence Redding’s face. His eyes were riveted9 on the paper in my hand, and I have hardly ever seen sucha terrible look of anguish10 and despair in any human being’s face.
I remembered Anne Protheroe sitting on my sofa and saying:
“I’m a desperate woman,” and my heart grew heavy within me. I saw now the possible reason for LawrenceRedding’s heroic self-accusation. Melchett was speaking to Slack.
“Have you got any line on Redding’s movements earlier in the day? There’s some reason to think he shot Protheroeearlier than he says. Get on to it, will you?”
He turned to me and without a word I handed him Anne Protheroe’s letter. He read it and pursed up his lips inastonishment. Then he looked at me inquiringly.
“Is this what you were hinting at this morning?”
“Yes. I was not sure then if it was my duty to speak. I am quite sure now.” And I told him of what I had seen thatnight in the studio.
The Colonel had a few words with the Inspector and then we set off for Old Hall. Dr. Haydock came with us.
A very correct butler opened the door, with just the right amount of gloom in his bearing.
“Good morning,” said Melchett. “Will you ask Mrs. Protheroe’s maid to tell her we are here and would like to seeher, and then return here and answer a few questions.”
The butler hurried away and presently returned with the news that he had despatched the message.
“Now let’s hear something about yesterday,” said Colonel Melchett. “Your master was in to lunch?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And in his usual spirits?”
“As far as I could see, yes, sir.”
“What happened after that?”
“After luncheon11 Mrs. Protheroe went to lie down and the Colonel went to his study. Miss Lettice went out to atennis party in the two-seater. Colonel and Mrs. Protheroe had tea at four thirty, in the drawing room. The car wasordered for five-thirty to take them to the village. Immediately after they had left Mr. Clement12 rang up”—he bowed tome—“I told him they had started.”
“H’m,” said Colonel Melchett. “When was Mr. Redding last here?”
“On Tuesday afternoon, sir.”
“I understand that there was a disagreement between them?”
“I believe so, sir. The Colonel gave me orders that Mr. Redding was not to be admitted in future.”
“Did you overhear the quarrel at all?” asked Colonel Melchett bluntly.
“Colonel Protheroe, sir, had a very loud voice, especially when it was raised in anger. I was unable to helpoverhearing a few words here and there.”
“Enough to tell you the cause of the dispute?”
“I understood, sir, that it had to do with a portrait Mr. Redding had been painting—a portrait of Miss Lettice.”
Melchett grunted13.
“Did you see Mr. Redding when he left?”
“Yes, sir, I let him out.”
“Did he seem angry?”
“No, sir; if I may say so, he seemed rather amused.”
“Ah! He didn’t come to the house yesterday?”
“No, sir.”
“Anyone else come?”
“Not yesterday, sir.”
“Well, the day before?”
“Mr. Dennis Clement came in the afternoon. And Dr. Stone was here for some time. And there was a lady in theevening.”
“A lady?” Melchett was surprised. “Who was she?”
The butler couldn’t remember her name. It was a lady he had not seen before. Yes, she had given her name, andwhen he told her that the family were at dinner, she had said that she would wait. So he had shown her into the littlemorning room.
She had asked for Colonel Protheroe, not Mrs. Protheroe. He had told the Colonel and the Colonel had gone to themorning room directly dinner was over.
How long had the lady stayed? He thought about half an hour. The Colonel himself had let her out. Ah! Yes, heremembered her name now. The lady had been a Mrs. Lestrange.
This was a surprise.
“Curious,” said Melchett. “Really very curious.”
But we pursued the matter no further, for at that moment a message came that Mrs. Protheroe would see us.
Anne was in bed. Her face was pale and her eyes very bright. There was a look on her face that puzzled me—akind of grim determination. She spoke to me.
“Thank you for coming so promptly,” she said. “I see you’ve understood what I meant by bringing anyone youliked with you.” She paused.
“It’s best to get it over quickly, isn’t it?” she said. She gave a queer, half-pathetic little smile. “I suppose you’re theperson I ought to say it to, Colonel Melchett. You see, it was I who killed my husband.”
Colonel Melchett said gently:
“My dear Mrs. Protheroe—”
“Oh! It’s quite true. I suppose I’ve said it rather bluntly, but I never can go into hysterics over anything. I’ve hatedhim for a long time, and yesterday I shot him.”
She lay back on the pillows and closed her eyes.
“That’s all. I suppose you’ll arrest me and take me away. I’ll get up and dress as soon as I can. At the moment I amfeeling rather sick.”
“Are you aware, Mrs. Protheroe, that Mr. Lawrence Redding has already accused himself of committing thecrime?”
Anne opened her eyes and nodded brightly.
“I know. Silly boy. He’s very much in love with me, you know. It was frightfully noble of him—but very silly.”
“He knew that it was you who had committed the crime?”
“Yes.”
“How did he know?”
She hesitated.
“Did you tell him?”
Still she hesitated. Then at last she seemed to make up her mind.
“Yes—I told him….”
She twitched14 her shoulders with a movement of irritation15.
“Can’t you go away now? I’ve told you. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“Where did you get the pistol, Mrs. Protheroe?”
“The pistol! Oh, it was my husband’s. I got it out of the drawer of his dressing16 table.”
“I see. And you took it with you to the Vicarage?”
“Yes. I knew he would be there—”
“What time was this?”
“It must have been after six—quarter—twenty past—something like that.”
“You took the pistol meaning to shoot your husband?”
“No—I—meant it for myself.”
“I see. But you went to the Vicarage?”
“Yes. I went along to the window. There were no voices. I looked in. I saw my husband. Something came over me—and I fired.”
“And then?”
“Then? Oh, then I went away.”
“And told Mr. Redding what you had done?”
Again I noticed the hesitation17 in her voice before she said “Yes.”
“Did anybody see you entering or leaving the Vicarage?”
“No—at least, yes. Old Miss Marple. I talked to her for a few minutes. She was in her garden.”
She moved restlessly on the pillows.
“Isn’t that enough? I’ve told you. Why do you want to go on bothering me?”
Dr. Haydock moved to her side and felt her pulse.
He beckoned18 to Melchett.
“I’ll stay with her,” he said in a whisper, “whilst you make the necessary arrangements. She oughtn’t to be left.
Might do herself a mischief19.”
Melchett nodded.
We left the room and descended20 the stairs. I saw a thin, cadaverous-looking man come out of the adjoining roomand on impulse I remounted the stairs.
“Are you Colonel Protheroe’s valet?”
The man looked surprised. “Yes, sir.”
“Do you know whether your late master kept a pistol anywhere?”
“Not that I know of, sir.”
“Not in one of the drawers of his dressing table? Think, man.”
The valet shook his head decisively.
“I’m quite sure he didn’t, sir. I’d have seen it if so. Bound to.”
I hurried down the stairs after the others.
Mrs. Protheroe had lied about the pistol.
Why?
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1
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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gist
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| n.要旨；梗概 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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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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bluster
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| v.猛刮；怒冲冲的说；n.吓唬，怒号；狂风声 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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9
riveted
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| 铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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clement
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| adj.仁慈的；温和的 | |
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13
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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descended
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