J ULIA, M ITZI AND P ATRICK
IJ ulia, when she came into the room, and sat down in the chair vacated by Letitia Blacklock, had an air of composurethat Craddock for some reason found annoying. She fixed1 a limpid2 gaze on him and waited for his questions.
Miss Blacklock had tactfully left the room.
“Please tell me about last night, Miss Simmons.”
“Last night?” murmured Julia with a blank stare. “Oh, we all slept like logs. Reaction, I suppose.”
“I mean last night from six o’clock onwards.”
“Oh, I see. Well, a lot of tiresome3 people came—”
“They were?”
She gave him another limpid stare.
“Don’t you know all this already?”
“I’m asking the questions, Miss Simmons,” said Craddock pleasantly.
“My mistake. I always find repetitions so dreary4. Apparently5 you don’t … Well, there was Colonel and Mrs.
Easterbrook, Miss Hinchcliffe and Miss Murgatroyd, Mrs. Swettenham and Edmund Swettenham, and Mrs. Harmon,the Vicar’s wife. They arrived in that order. And if you want to know what they said—they all said the same thing inturn. ‘I see you’ve got your central heating on’ and ‘What lovely chrysanthemums6!’”
Craddock bit his lip. The mimicry7 was good.
“The exception was Mrs. Harmon. She’s rather a pet. She came in with her hat falling off and her shoelaces untiedand she asked straight out when the murder was going to happen. It embarrassed everybody because they’d all beenpretending they’d dropped in by chance. Aunt Letty said in her dry way that it was due to happen quite soon. And thenthat clock chimed and just as it finished, the lights went out, the door was flung open and a masked figure said, ‘Stick’em up, guys,’ or something like that. It was exactly like a bad film. Really quite ridiculous. And then he fired twoshots at Aunt Letty and suddenly it wasn’t ridiculous any more.”
“Where was everybody when this happened?”
“When the lights went out? Well, just standing8 about, you know. Mrs. Harmon was sitting on the sofa—Hinch(that’s Miss Hinchcliffe) had taken up a manly9 stance in front of the fireplace.”
“You were all in this room, or the far room?”
“Mostly, I think, in this room. Patrick had gone into the other to get the sherry. I think Colonel Easterbrook wentafter him, but I don’t really know. We were—well—as I said, just standing about.”
“Where were you yourself?”
“I think I was over by the window. Aunt Letty went to get the cigarettes.”
“On that table by the archway?”
“Yes—and then the lights went out and the bad film started.”
“The man had a powerful torch. What did he do with it?”
“Well, he shone it on us. Horribly dazzling. It just made you blink.”
“I want you to answer this very carefully, Miss Simmons. Did he hold the torch steady, or did he move it about?”
Julia considered. Her manner was now definitely less weary.
“He moved it,” she said slowly. “Like a spotlight10 in a dance hall. It was full in my eyes and then it went on roundthe room and then the shots came. Two shots.”
“And then?”
“He whirled round—and Mitzi began to scream like a siren from somewhere and his torch went out and there wasanother shot. And then the door closed (it does, you know, slowly, with a whining11 noise—quite uncanny) and there wewere all in the dark, not knowing what to do, and poor Bunny squealing12 like a rabbit and Mitzi going all out across thehall.”
“Would it be your opinion that the man shot himself deliberately13, or do you think he stumbled and the revolverwent off accidentally?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea. The whole thing was so stagey. Actually I thought it was still some silly joke—until Isaw the blood from Letty’s ear. But even if you were actually going to fire a revolver to make the thing more real,you’d be careful to fire it well above someone’s head, wouldn’t you?”
“You would indeed. Do you think he could see clearly who he was firing at? I mean, was Miss Blacklock clearlyoutlined in the light of the torch?”
“I’ve no idea. I wasn’t looking at her. I was looking at the man.”
“What I’m getting at is—do you think the man was deliberately aiming at her—at her in particular, I mean?”
Julia seemed a little startled by the idea.
“You mean deliberately picking on Aunt Letty? Oh, I shouldn’t think so … After all, if he wanted to take a pot shotat Aunt Letty, there would be heaps of more suitable opportunities. There would be no point in collecting all thefriends and neighbours just to make it more difficult. He could have shot her from behind a hedge in the good old Irishfashion any day of the week, and probably got away with it.”
And that, thought Craddock, was a very complete reply to Dora Bunner’s suggestion of a deliberate attack onLetitia Blacklock.
He said with a sigh, “Thank you, Miss Simmons. I’d better go and see Mitzi now.”
“Mind her fingernails,” warned Julia. “She’s a tartar!”
II
Craddock, with Fletcher in attendance, found Mitzi in the kitchen. She was rolling pastry14 and looked up suspiciouslyas he entered.
Her black hair hung over her eyes; she looked sullen15, and the purple jumper and brilliant green skirt she wore werenot becoming to her pasty complexion16.
“What do you come in my kitchen for, Mr. Policeman? You are police, yes? Always, always there is persecution—ah! I should be used to it by now. They say it is different here in England, but no, it is just the same. You come totorture me, yes, to make me say things, but I shall say nothing. You will tear off my fingernails, and put lightedmatches on my skin—oh, yes, and worse than that. But I will not speak, do you hear? I shall say nothing—nothing atall. And you will send me away to a concentration camp, and I shall not care.”
Craddock looked at her thoughtfully, selecting what was likely to be the best method of attack. Finally he sighedand said:
“O.K., then, get your hat and coat.”
“What is that you say?” Mitzi looked startled.
“Get your hat and coat and come along. I haven’t got my nail-pulling apparatus17 and the rest of the bag of trickswith me. We keep all that down at the station. Got the handcuffs handy, Fletcher?”
“Sir!” said Sergeant18 Fletcher with appreciation19.
“But I do not want to come,” screeched20 Mitzi, backing away from him.
“Then you’ll answer civil questions civilly. If you like, you can have a solicitor21 present.”
“A lawyer? I do not like a lawyer. I do not want a lawyer.”
She put the rolling pin down, dusted her hands on a cloth and sat down.
“What do you want to know?” she asked sulkily.
“I want your account of what happened here last night.”
“You know very well what happened.”
“I want your account of it.”
“I tried to go away. Did she tell you that? When I saw that in the paper saying about murder. I wanted to go away.
She would not let me. She is very hard—not at all sympathetic. She made me stay. But I knew—I knew what wouldhappen. I knew I should be murdered.”
“Well, you weren’t murdered, were you?”
“No,” admitted Mitzi grudgingly22.
“Come now, tell me what happened.”
“I was nervous. Oh, I was nervous. All that evening. I hear things. People moving about. Once I think someone isin the hall moving stealthily—but it is only that Mrs. Haymes coming in through the side door (so as not to dirty thefront steps, she says. Much she cares!). She is a Nazi23 herself, that one, with her fair hair and her blue eyes, so superiorand looking at me and thinking that I—I am only dirt—”
“Never mind Mrs. Haymes.”
“Who does she think she is? Has she had expensive university education like I have? Has she a degree inEconomics? No, she is just a paid labourer. She digs and mows24 grass and is paid so much every Saturday. Who is sheto call herself a lady?”
“Never mind Mrs. Haymes, I said. Go on.”
“I take the sherry and the glasses, and the little pastries25 that I have made so nice into the drawing room. Then thebell rings and I answer the door. Again and again I answer the door. It is degrading—but I do it. And then I go backinto the pantry and I start to polish the silver, and I think it will be very handy, that, because if someone comes to killme, I have there close at hand the big carving26 knife, all sharp.”
“Very foresighted of you.”
“And then, suddenly—I hear shots. I think: ‘It has come—it is happening.’ I run through the dining room (the otherdoor—it will not open). I stand a moment to listen and then there comes another shot and a big thud, out there in thehall, and I turn the door handle, but it is locked outside. I am shut in there like a rat in a trap. And I go mad with fear. Iscream and I scream and I beat upon the door. And at last—at last—they turn the key and let me out. And then I bringcandles, many many candles—and the lights go on, and I see blood—blood! Ach, Gott in Himmel, the blood! It is notthe first time I have seen blood. My little brother—I see him killed before my eyes—I see blood in the street—peopleshot, dying—I—”
“Yes,” said Inspector27 Craddock. “Thank you very much.”
“And now,” said Mitzi dramatically, “you can arrest me and take me to prison!”
“Not today,” said Inspector Craddock.
III
As Craddock and Fletcher went through the hall to the front door it was flung open and a tall handsome young manalmost collided with them.
“Sleuths as I live,” cried the young man.
“Mr. Patrick Simmons?”
“Quite right, Inspector. You’re the Inspector, aren’t you, and the other’s the Sergeant?”
“You are quite right, Mr. Simmons. Can I have a word with you, please?”
“I am innocent, Inspector. I swear I am innocent.”
“Now then, Mr. Simmons, don’t play the fool. I’ve a good many other people to see and I don’t want to waste time.
What’s this room? Can we go in here?”
“It’s the so-called study—but nobody studies.”
“I was told that you were studying?” said Craddock.
“I found I couldn’t concentrate on mathematics, so I came home.”
In a businesslike manner Inspector Craddock demanded full name, age, details of war service.
“And now, Mr. Simmons, will you describe what happened last night?”
“We killed the fatted calf28, Inspector. That is, Mitzi set her hand to making savoury pastries, Aunt Letty opened anew bottle of sherry—”
Craddock interrupted.
“A new bottle? Was there an old one?”
“Yes. Half full. But Aunt Letty didn’t seem to fancy it.”
“Was she nervous, then?”
“Oh, not really. She’s extremely sensible. It was old Bunny, I think, who had put the wind up her—prophesyingdisaster all day.”
“Miss Bunner was definitely apprehensive29, then?”
“Oh, yes, she enjoyed herself thoroughly30.”
“She took the advertisement seriously?”
“It scared her into fits.”
“Miss Blacklock seems to have thought, when she first read that advertisement, that you had had something to dowith it. Why was that?”
“Ah, sure, I get blamed for everything round here!”
“You didn’t have anything to do with it, did you, Mr. Simmons?”
“Me? Never in the world.”
“Had you ever seen or spoken to this Rudi Scherz?”
“Never seen him in my life.”
“It was the kind of joke you might have played, though?”
“Who’s been telling you that? Just because I once made Bunny an apple pie bed—and sent Mitzi a postcard sayingthe Gestapo was on her track—”
“Just give me your account of what happened.”
“I’d just gone into the small drawing room to fetch the drinks when, Hey Presto31, the lights went out. I turned roundand there’s a fellow standing in the doorway32 saying, ‘Stick your hands up,’ and everybody gasping33 and squealing, andjust when I’m thinking—can I rush him? he starts firing a revolver and then crash down he goes and his torch goes outand we’re in the dark again, and Colonel Easterbrook starts shouting orders in his barrack-room voice. ‘Lights,’ hesays, and will my lighter34 go on? No, it won’t as is the way of those cussed inventions.”
“Did it seem to you that the intruder was definitely aiming at Miss Blacklock?”
“Ah, how could I tell? I should say he just loosed off his revolver for the fun of the thing—and then found, maybe,he’d gone too far.”
“And shot himself?”
“It could be. When I saw the face of him, he looked like the kind of little pasty thief who might easily lose hisnerve.”
“And you’re sure you had never seen him before?”
“Never.”
“Thank you, Mr. Simmons. I shall want to interview the other people who were here last night. Which would bethe best order in which to take them?”
“Well, our Phillipa—Mrs. Haymes—works at Dayas Hall. The gates of it are nearly opposite this gate. After that,the Swettenhams are the nearest. Anyone will tell you.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
limpid
|
|
| adj.清澈的，透明的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
tiresome
|
|
| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
dreary
|
|
| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
chrysanthemums
|
|
| n.菊花( chrysanthemum的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
mimicry
|
|
| n.（生物）拟态，模仿 | |
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
manly
|
|
| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
spotlight
|
|
| n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
whining
|
|
| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
squealing
|
|
| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
deliberately
|
|
| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
pastry
|
|
| n.油酥面团，酥皮糕点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
sullen
|
|
| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
complexion
|
|
| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
apparatus
|
|
| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
sergeant
|
|
| n.警官，中士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
appreciation
|
|
| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
screeched
|
|
| v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
solicitor
|
|
| n.初级律师，事务律师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
grudgingly
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
Nazi
|
|
| n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
mows
|
|
| v.刈，割( mow的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
pastries
|
|
| n.面粉制的糕点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
carving
|
|
| n.雕刻品，雕花 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
inspector
|
|
| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
calf
|
|
| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
apprehensive
|
|
| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
presto
|
|
| adv.急速地；n.急板乐段；adj.急板的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
gasping
|
|
| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
lighter
|
|
| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |