II n his office at Much Benham, Colonel Melchett received and scrutinized1 the reports of his subordinates:
“… so it all seems clear enough, sir,” Inspector2 Slack was concluding: “Mrs. Bantry sat in the library after dinnerand went to bed just before ten. She turned out the lights when she left the room and, presumably, no one entered theroom afterwards. The servants went to bed at half-past ten and Lorrimer, after putting the drinks in the hall, went tobed at a quarter to eleven. Nobody heard anything out of the usual except the third housemaid, and she heard toomuch! Groans3 and a blood-curdling yell and sinister4 footsteps and I don’t know what. The second housemaid whoshares a room with her says the other girl slept all night through without a sound. It’s those ones that make up thingsthat cause us all the trouble.”
“What about the forced window?”
“Amateur job, Simmons says; done with a common chisel5—ordinary pattern—wouldn’t have made much noise.
Ought to be a chisel about the house but nobody can find it. Still, that’s common enough where tools are concerned.”
“Think any of the servants know anything?”
Rather unwillingly6 Inspector Slack replied:
“No, sir, I don’t think they do. They all seemed very shocked and upset. I had my suspicions of Lorrimer—reticent,he was, if you know what I mean—but I don’t think there’s anything in it.”
Melchett nodded. He attached no importance to Lorrimer’s reticence7. The energetic Inspector Slack often producedthat effect on people he interrogated9.
The door opened and Dr. Haydock came in.
“Thought I’d look in and give you the rough gist10 of things.”
“Yes, yes, glad to see you. Well?”
“Nothing much. Just what you’d think. Death was due to strangulation. Satin waistband of her own dress, whichwas passed round the neck and crossed at the back. Quite easy and simple to do. Wouldn’t have needed great strength—that is, if the girl were taken by surprise. There are no signs of a struggle.”
“What about time of death?”
“Say, between ten o’clock and midnight.”
“You can’t get nearer than that?”
Haydock shook his head with a slight grin.
“I won’t risk my professional reputation. Not earlier than ten and not later than midnight.”
“And your own fancy inclines to which time?”
“Depends. There was a fire in the grate—the room was warm—all that would delay rigor11 and cadaveric12 stiffening13.”
“Anything more you can say about her?”
“Nothing much. She was young—about seventeen or eighteen, I should say. Rather immature14 in some ways butwell developed muscularly. Quite a healthy specimen15. She was virgo intacta, by the way.”
And with a nod of his head the doctor left the room.
Melchett said to the Inspector:
“You’re quite sure she’d never been seen before at Gossington?”
“The servants are positive of that. Quite indignant about it. They’d have remembered if they’d ever seen her aboutin the neighbourhood, they say.”
“I expect they would,” said Melchett. “Anyone of that type sticks out a mile round here. Look at that young womanof Blake’s.”
“Pity it wasn’t her,” said Slack; “then we should be able to get on a bit.”
“It seems to me this girl must have come down from London,” said the Chief Constable17 thoughtfully. “Don’tbelieve there will be any local leads. In that case, I suppose, we should do well to call in the Yard. It’s a case for them,not for us.”
“Something must have brought her down here, though,” said Slack. He added tentatively: “Seems to me, Coloneland Mrs. Bantry must know something—of course, I know they’re friends of yours, sir—”
Colonel Melchett treated him to a cold stare. He said stiffly:
“You may rest assured that I’m taking every possibility into account. Every possibility.” He went on: “You’velooked through the list of persons reported missing, I suppose?”
Slack nodded. He produced a typed sheet.
“Got ’em here. Mrs. Saunders, reported missing a week ago, dark-haired, blue-eyed, thirty-six. ’Tisn’t her—and,anyway, everyone knows except her husband that she’s gone off with a fellow from Leeds — commercial. Mrs.
Barnard—she’s sixty-five. Pamela Reeves, sixteen, missing from her home last night, had attended Girl Guide rally,dark-brown hair in pigtail, five feet five—”
Melchett said irritably18:
“Don’t go on reading idiotic19 details, Slack. This wasn’t a schoolgirl. In my opinion—”
He broke off as the telephone rang. “Hallo—yes—yes, Much Benham Police Headquarters—what? Just a minute—”
He listened, and wrote rapidly. Then he spoke20 again, a new tone in his voice:
“Ruby21 Keene, eighteen, occupation professional dancer, five feet four inches, slender, platinum-blonde hair, blueeyes, retroussé nose, believed to be wearing white diamanté evening dress, silver sandal shoes. Is that right? What?
Yes, not a doubt of it, I should say. I’ll send Slack over at once.”
He rang off and looked at his subordinate with rising excitement. “We’ve got it, I think. That was the GlenshirePolice” (Glenshire was the adjoining county). “Girl reported missing from the Majestic22 Hotel, Danemouth.”
“Danemouth,” said Inspector Slack. “That’s more like it.”
Danemouth was a large and fashionable watering-place on the coast not far away.
“It’s only a matter of eighteen miles or so from here,” said the Chief Constable. “The girl was a dance hostess orsomething at the Majestic. Didn’t come on to do her turn last night and the management were very fed up about it.
When she was still missing this morning one of the other girls got the wind up about her, or someone else did. Itsounds a bit obscure. You’d better go over to Danemouth at once, Slack. Report there to Superintendent23 Harper, andcooperate with him.”
II
Activity was always to Inspector Slack’s taste. To rush off in a car, to silence rudely those people who were anxious totell him things, to cut short conversations on the plea of urgent necessity. All this was the breath of life to Slack.
In an incredibly short time, therefore, he had arrived at Danemouth, reported at police headquarters, had a briefinterview with a distracted and apprehensive24 hotel manager, and, leaving the latter with the doubtful comfort of—“gotto make sure it is the girl, first, before we start raising the wind”—was driving back to Much Benham in company withRuby Keene’s nearest relative.
He had put through a short call to Much Benham before leaving Danemouth, so the Chief Constable was preparedfor his arrival, though not perhaps for the brief introduction of: “This is Josie, sir.”
Colonel Melchett stared at his subordinate coldly. His feeling was that Slack had taken leave of his senses.
The young woman who had just got out of the car came to the rescue.
“That’s what I’m known as professionally,” she explained with a momentary25 flash of large, handsome white teeth.
“Raymond and Josie, my partner and I call ourselves, and, of course, all the hotel know me as Josie. JosephineTurner’s my real name.”
Colonel Melchett adjusted himself to the situation and invited Miss Turner to sit down, meanwhile casting a swift,professional glance over her.
She was a good-looking young woman of perhaps nearer thirty than twenty, her looks depending more on skilfulgrooming than actual features. She looked competent and good-tempered, with plenty of common sense. She was notthe type that would ever be described as glamorous26, but she had nevertheless plenty of attraction. She was discreetlymade-up and wore a dark tailor-made suit. Though she looked anxious and upset she was not, the Colonel decided,particularly grief-stricken.
As she sat down she said: “It seems too awful to be true. Do you really think it’s Ruby?”
“That, I’m afraid, is what we’ve got to ask you to tell us. I’m afraid it may be rather unpleasant for you.”
Miss Turner said apprehensively27:
“Does she—does she—look very terrible?”
“Well—I’m afraid it may be rather a shock to you.” He handed her his cigarette case and she accepted onegratefully.
“Do—do you want me to look at her right away?”
“It would be best, I think, Miss Turner. You see, it’s not much good asking you questions until we’re sure. Best getit over, don’t you think?”
“All right.”
They drove down to the mortuary.
When Josie came out after a brief visit, she looked rather sick.
“It’s Ruby all right,” she said shakily. “Poor kid! Goodness, I do feel queer. There isn’t”—she looked roundwistfully—“any gin?”
Gin was not available, but brandy was, and after gulping28 a little down Miss Turner regained29 her composure. Shesaid frankly30:
“It gives you a turn, doesn’t it, seeing anything like that? Poor little Rube! What swine men are, aren’t they?”
“You believe it was a man?”
Josie looked slightly taken aback.
“Wasn’t it? Well, I mean—I naturally thought—”
“Any special man you were thinking of?”
She shook her head vigorously.
“No—not me. I haven’t the least idea. Naturally Ruby wouldn’t have let on to me if—”
“If what?”
Josie hesitated.
“Well—if she’d been—going about with anyone.”
Melchett shot her a keen glance. He said no more until they were back at his office. Then he began:
“Now, Miss Turner, I want all the information you can give me.”
“Yes, of course. Where shall I begin?”
“I’d like the girl’s full name and address, her relationship to you and all you know about her.”
Josephine Turner nodded. Melchett was confirmed in his opinion that she felt no particular grief. She was shockedand distressed31 but no more. She spoke readily enough.
“Her name was Ruby Keene—her professional name, that is. Her real name was Rosy32 Legge. Her mother was mymother’s cousin. I’ve known her all my life, but not particularly well, if you know what I mean. I’ve got a lot ofcousins—some in business, some on the stage. Ruby was more or less training for a dancer. She had some goodengagements last year in panto and that sort of thing. Not really classy, but good provincial33 companies. Since thenshe’s been engaged as one of the dancing partners at the Palais de Danse in Brixwell—South London. It’s a nicerespectable place and they look after the girls well, but there isn’t much money in it.” She paused.
Colonel Melchett nodded.
“Now this is where I come in. I’ve been dance and bridge hostess at the Majestic in Danemouth for three years. It’sa good job, well paid and pleasant to do. You look after people when they arrive—size them up, of course—some liketo be left alone and others are lonely and want to get into the swing of things. You try to get the right people togetherfor bridge and all that, and get the young people dancing with each other. It needs a bit of tact16 and experience.”
Again Melchett nodded. He thought that this girl would be good at her job; she had a pleasant, friendly way withher and was, he thought, shrewd without being in the least intellectual.
“Besides that,” continued Josie, “I do a couple of exhibition dances every evening with Raymond. Raymond Starr—he’s the tennis and dancing pro8. Well, as it happens, this summer I slipped on the rocks bathing one day and gavemy ankle a nasty turn.”
Melchett had noticed that she walked with a slight limp.
“Naturally that put the stop to dancing for a bit and it was rather awkward. I didn’t want the hotel to get someoneelse in my place. That’s always a danger”—for a minute her good-natured blue eyes were hard and sharp; she was thefemale fighting for existence—“that they may queer your pitch, you see. So I thought of Ruby and suggested to themanager that I should get her down. I’d carry on with the hostess business and the bridge and all that. Ruby would justtake on the dancing. Keep it in the family, if you see what I mean?”
Melchett said he saw.
“Well, they agreed, and I wired to Ruby and she came down. Rather a chance for her. Much better class thananything she’d ever done before. That was about a month ago.”
Colonel Melchett said:
“I understand. And she was a success?”
“Oh, yes,” Josie said carelessly, “she went down quite well. She doesn’t dance as well as I do, but Raymond’sclever and carried her through, and she was quite nice-looking, you know—slim and fair and baby-looking. Overdidthe makeup34 a bit—I was always on at her about that. But you know what girls are. She was only eighteen, and at thatage they always go and overdo35 it. It doesn’t do for a good-class place like the Majestic. I was always ticking her offabout it and getting her to tone it down.”
Melchett asked: “People liked her?”
“Oh, yes. Mind you, Ruby hadn’t got much comeback. She was a bit dumb. She went down better with the oldermen than with the young ones.”
“Had she got any special friend?”
The girl’s eyes met his with complete understanding.
“Not in the way you mean. Or, at any rate, not that I knew about. But then, you see, she wouldn’t tell me.”
Just for a moment Melchett wondered why not—Josie did not give the impression of being a strict disciplinarian.
But he only said: “Will you describe to me now when you last saw your cousin.”
“Last night. She and Raymond do two exhibition dances—one at 10:30 and the other at midnight. They finished thefirst one. After it, I noticed Ruby dancing with one of the young men staying in the hotel. I was playing bridge withsome people in the lounge. There’s a glass panel between the lounge and the ballroom36. That’s the last time I saw her.
Just after midnight Raymond came up in a terrible taking, said where was Ruby, she hadn’t turned up, and it was timeto begin. I was vexed37, I can tell you! That’s the sort of silly thing girls do and get the management’s backs up and thenthey get the sack! I went up with him to her room, but she wasn’t there. I noticed that she’d changed. The dress she’dbeen dancing in—a sort of pink, foamy38 thing with full skirts—was lying over a chair. Usually she kept the same dresson unless it was the special dance night—Wednesdays, that is.
“I’d no idea where she’d got to. We got the band to play one more foxtrot—still no Ruby, so I said to Raymond I’ddo the exhibition dance with him. We chose one that was easy on my ankle and made it short—but it played up myankle pretty badly all the same. It’s all swollen39 this morning. Still Ruby didn’t show up. We sat about waiting up forher until two o’clock. Furious with her, I was.”
Her voice vibrated slightly. Melchett caught the note of real anger in it. Just for a moment he wondered. Thereaction seemed a little more intense than was justified40 by the facts. He had a feeling of something deliberately41 leftunsaid. He said:
“And this morning, when Ruby Keene had not returned and her bed had not been slept in, you went to the police?”
He knew from Slack’s brief telephone message from Danemouth that that was not the case. But he wanted to hearwhat Josephine Turner would say.
She did not hesitate. She said: “No, I didn’t.”
“Why not, Miss Turner?”
Her eyes met his frankly. She said:
“You wouldn’t—in my place!”
“You think not?”
Josie said:
“I’ve got my job to think about. The one thing a hotel doesn’t want is scandal—especially anything that brings inthe police. I didn’t think anything had happened to Ruby. Not for a minute! I thought she’d just made a fool of herselfabout some young man. I thought she’d turn up all right—and I was going to give her a good dressing43 down when shedid! Girls of eighteen are such fools.”
Melchett pretended to glance through his notes.
“Ah, yes, I see it was a Mr. Jefferson who went to the police. One of the guests staying at the hotel?”
Josephine Turner said shortly:
“Yes.”
Colonel Melchett asked:
“What made this Mr. Jefferson do that?”
Josie was stroking the cuff44 of her jacket. There was a constraint45 in her manner. Again Colonel Melchett had afeeling that something was being withheld46. She said rather sullenly47:
“He’s an invalid48. He—he gets all het up rather easily. Being an invalid, I mean.”
Melchett passed on from that. He asked:
“Who was the young man with whom you last saw your cousin dancing?”
“His name’s Bartlett. He’d been there about ten days.”
“Were they on very friendly terms?”
“Not specially42, I should say. Not that I knew, anyway.”
Again a curious note of anger in her voice.
“What does he have to say?”
“Said that after their dance Ruby went upstairs to powder her nose.”
“That was when she changed her dress?”
“I suppose so.”
“And that is the last thing you know? After that she just—”
“Vanished,” said Josie. “That’s right.”
“Did Miss Keene know anybody in St. Mary Mead49? Or in this neighbourhood?”
“I don’t know. She may have done. You see, quite a lot of young men come into Danemouth to the Majestic fromall round about. I wouldn’t know where they lived unless they happened to mention it.”
“Did you ever hear your cousin mention Gossington?”
“Gossington?” Josie looked patently puzzled.
“Gossington Hall.”
She shook her head.
“Never heard of it.” Her tone carried conviction. There was curiosity in it too.
“Gossington Hall,” explained Colonel Melchett, “is where her body was found.”
“Gossington Hall?” She stared. “How extraordinary!”
Melchett thought to himself: “Extraordinary’s the word!” Aloud he said:
“Do you know a Colonel or Mrs. Bantry?”
Again Josie shook her head.
“Or a Mr. Basil Blake?”
She frowned slightly.
“I think I’ve heard that name. Yes, I’m sure I have—but I don’t remember anything about him.”
The diligent50 Inspector Slack slid across to his superior officer a page torn from his notebook. On it was pencilled:
“Col. Bantry dined at Majestic last week.”
Melchett looked up and met the Inspector’s eye. The Chief Constable flushed. Slack was an industrious51 and zealousofficer and Melchett disliked him a good deal. But he could not disregard the challenge. The Inspector was tacitlyaccusing him of favouring his own class—of shielding an “old school tie.”
He turned to Josie.
“Miss Turner, I should like you, if you do not mind, to accompany me to Gossington Hall.”
Coldly, defiantly52, almost ignoring Josie’s murmur53 of assent54, Melchett’s eyes met Slack’s.
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1
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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chisel
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| n.凿子；v.用凿子刻，雕，凿 | |
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unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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pro
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| n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者 | |
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interrogated
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| v.询问( interrogate的过去式和过去分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询 | |
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gist
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| n.要旨；梗概 | |
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rigor
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| n.严酷，严格，严厉 | |
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cadaveric
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| 尸体的 | |
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stiffening
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| n. (使衣服等)变硬的材料, 硬化 动词stiffen的现在分词形式 | |
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immature
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| adj.未成熟的，发育未全的，未充分发展的 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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irritably
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| ad.易生气地 | |
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idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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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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ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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glamorous
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| adj.富有魅力的；美丽动人的；令人向往的 | |
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apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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gulping
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的现在分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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provincial
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| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
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makeup
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| n.组织；性格；化装品 | |
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overdo
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| vt.把...做得过头，演得过火 | |
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ballroom
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| n.舞厅 | |
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vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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foamy
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| adj.全是泡沫的，泡沫的，起泡沫的 | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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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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cuff
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| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
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constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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withheld
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| withhold过去式及过去分词 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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mead
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| n.蜂蜜酒 | |
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diligent
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| adj.勤勉的，勤奋的 | |
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industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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