1L ewis Serrocold went away and Inspector1 Curry2 sat down and gave Miss Marple a rather peculiar3 smile.
“So Mr. Serrocold has been asking you to act as watchdog,” he said.
“Well, yes,” she added apologetically. “I hope you don’t mind—”
“I don’t mind. I think it’s a very good idea. Does Mr. Serrocold know just how well qualified4 you are for the post?”
“I don’t quite understand, Inspector.”
“I see. He thinks you’re just a very nice, elderly lady who was at school with his wife.” He shook his head at her.
“We know you’re a bit more than that, Miss Marple, aren’t you? Crime is right down your street. Mr. Serrocold onlyknows one aspect of crime—the promising5 beginners. Makes me a bit sick, sometimes. Daresay I’m wrong and old-fashioned. But there are plenty of good decent lads about, lads who could do with a start in life. But there, honesty hasto be its own reward—millionaires don’t leave trust funds to help the worthwhile. Well—well, don’t pay any attentionto me. I’m old-fashioned. I’ve seen boys—and girls—with everything against them, bad homes, bad luck, everydisadvantage, and they’ve had the grit6 to win through. That’s the kind I shall leave my packet to, if I ever have one.
But then, of course, that’s what I never shall have. Just my pension and a nice bit of garden.”
He nodded his head at Miss Marple.
“Superintendent Blacker told me about you last night. Said you’d had a lot of experience of the seamy side ofhuman nature. Well now, let’s have your point of view. Who’s the nigger in the woodpile? The G.I. husband?”
“That,” said Miss Marple, “would be very convenient for everybody.”
Inspector Curry smiled softly to himself.
“A G.I. pinched my best girl,” he said reminiscently. “Naturally, I’m prejudiced. His manner doesn’t help. Let’shave the amateur point of view. Who’s been secretly and systematically7 poisoning Mrs. Serrocold?”
“Well,” said Miss Marple judicially8, “one is always inclined, human nature being what it is, to think of thehusband. Or if it’s the other way round, the wife. That’s the first assumption, don’t you think, in a poisoning case?”
“I agree with you every time,” said Inspector Curry.
“But really — in this case —” Miss Marple shook her head. “No, frankly9 — I cannot seriously consider Mr.
Serrocold. Because you see, Inspector, he really is devoted10 to his wife. Naturally he would make a parade of being so—but it isn’t a parade. It’s very quiet, but it’s genuine. He loves his wife, and I’m quite certain he wouldn’t poisonher.”
“To say nothing of the fact that he wouldn’t have any motive11 for doing so. She’s made over her money to himalready.”
“Of course,” said Miss Marple primly12, “there are other reasons for a gentleman wanting his wife out of the way. Anattachment to a young woman, for instance. But I really don’t see any signs of it in this case. Mr. Serrocold does notact as though he had any romantic preoccupation. I’m really afraid,” she sounded quite regretful about it, “we shallhave to wash him out.”
“Regrettable, isn’t it?” said the Inspector. He grinned. “And anyway, he couldn’t have killed Gulbrandsen. It seemsto me that there’s no doubt that the one thing hinges on the other. Whoever is poisoning Mrs. Serrocold killedGulbrandsen to prevent him spilling the beans. What we’ve got to get at now is who had an opportunity to killGulbrandsen last night. And our prize suspect—there’s no doubt about it—is young Walter Hudd. It was he whoswitched on a reading lamp which resulted in a fuse going, thereby13 giving him the opportunity to leave the Hall and goto the fuse box. The fuse box is in the kitchen passage which opens off from the main corridor. It was during hisabsence from the Great Hall that the shot was heard. So that’s suspect No 1 perfectly14 placed for committing thecrime.”
“And suspect No 2?” asked Miss Marple.
“Suspect 2 is Alex Restarick who was alone in his car between the lodge15 and the house and took too long gettingthere.”
“Anybody else?” Miss Marple leaned forward eagerly—remembering to add, “It’s very kind of you to tell me allthis.”
“It’s not kindness,” said Inspector Curry. “I’ve got to have your help. You put your finger on the spot when yousaid ‘Anybody else?’ Because there I’ve got to depend on you. You were there, in the Hall last night, and you can tellme who left it….”
“Yes—yes, I ought to be able to tell you … but can I? You see—the circumstances—”
“You mean that you were all listening to the argument going on behind the door of Mr. Serrocold’s study.”
Miss Marple nodded vehemently16.
“Yes, you see we were all really very frightened. Mr. Lawson looked—he really did—quite demented. Apart fromMrs. Serrocold who seemed quite unaffected, we all feared that he would do a mischief17 to Mr. Serrocold. He wasshouting, you know, and saying the most terrible things—we could hear them quite plainly—and what with that andwith most of the lights being out—I didn’t really notice anything else.”
“You mean that whilst that scene was going on, anybody could have slipped out of the Hall, gone along thecorridor, shot Mr. Gulbrandsen, and slipped back again?”
“I think it would have been possible….”
“Could you say definitely that anybody was in the Great Hall the whole time?”
Miss Marple considered.
“I could say that Mrs. Serrocold was—because I was watching her. She was sitting quite close to the study door,and she never moved from her seat. It surprised me, you know, that she was able to remain so calm.”
“And the others?”
“Miss Bellever went out—but I think—I am almost sure—that that was after the shot. Mrs. Strete? I really don’tknow. She was sitting behind me, you see. Gina was over by the far window. I think she remained there the wholetime but, of course, I cannot be sure. Stephen was at the piano. He stopped playing when the quarrel began to getheated—”
“We mustn’t be misled by the time you heard the shot,” said Inspector Curry. “That’s a trick that’s been donebefore now, you know. Fake up a shot so as to fix the time of a crime, and fix it wrong. If Miss Bellever had cooked upsomething of that kind (farfetched—but you never know) then she’d leave as she did, openly, after the shot was heard.
No, we can’t go by the shot. The limits are between when Christian18 Gulbrandsen left the Hall to the moment whenMiss Bellever found him dead, and we can only eliminate those people who were known not to have had opportunity.
That gives us Lewis Serrocold and young Edgar Lawson in the study, and Mrs. Serrocold in the Hall. It’s veryunfortunate, of course, that Gulbrandsen should be shot on the same evening that this schemozzle happened betweenSerrocold and this young Lawson.”
“Just unfortunate, you think?” murmured Miss Marple.
“Oh? What do you think?”
“It occurred to me,” murmured Miss Marple, “that it might have been contrived19.”
“So that’s your idea?”
“Well, everybody seems to think it very odd that Edgar Lawson should quite suddenly have a relapse, so to speak.
He’d got this curious complex, or whatever the term is, about his unknown father. Winston Churchill and ViscountMontgomery—all quite likely in his state of mind. Just any famous man he happened to think of. But supposesomebody puts it into his head that it’s Lewis Serrocold who is really his father, that it’s Lewis Serrocold who hasbeen persecuting20 him—that he ought, by rights, to be the crown prince, as it were, of Stonygates. In his weak mentalstate he’ll accept the idea—work himself up into a frenzy21, and sooner or later will make the kind of scene he did make.
And what a wonderful cover that will be! Everybody will have their attention fixed22 on the dangerous situation that isdeveloping—especially if somebody has thoughtfully supplied him with a revolver.”
“Hm, yes. Walter Hudd’s revolver.”
“Oh yes,” said Miss Marple, “I’d thought of that. But you know, Walter is uncommunicative and he’s certainlysullen and ungracious, but I don’t really think he’s stupid.”
“So you don’t think it’s Walter?”
“I think everybody would be very relieved if it was Walter. That sounds very unkind, but it’s because he is anoutsider.”
“What about his wife?” asked Inspector Curry. “Would she be relieved?”
Miss Marple did not answer. She was thinking of Gina and Stephen Restarick standing23 together as she had seenthem on her first day. And she thought of the way Alex Restarick’s eyes had gone straight to Gina as he had enteredthe Hall last night. What was Gina’s own attitude?
2Two hours later Inspector Curry tilted24 back his chair, stretched himself, and sighed.
“Well,” he said, “we’ve cleared a good deal of ground.”
Sergeant25 Lake agreed.
“The servants are out,” he said. “They were together all through the critical period—those that sleep here. The onesthat don’t live in had gone home.”
Curry nodded. He was suffering from mental fatigue26.
He had interviewed physiotherapists, members of the teaching staff, and what he called to himself, the “two younglags” whose turn it had been to dine with the family that night. All their stories dovetailed and checked. He could writethem off. Their activities and habits were communal27. There were no lonely souls among them. Which was useful forthe purposes of alibis28. Curry had kept Dr. Maverick29 who was, as far as he could judge, the chief person in charge ofthe Institute, to the end.
“But we’ll have him in now, Lake.”
So the young doctor bustled30 in, neat and spruce and rather inhuman-looking behind his pince-nez.
Maverick confirmed the statements of his staff, and agreed with Curry’s findings. There had been no slackness, noloophole in the College impregnability. Christian Gulbrandsen’s death could not be laid to the account of the “youngpatients” as Curry almost called them—so hypnotized had he become by the fervent31 medical atmosphere.
“But patients is exactly what they are, Inspector,” said Dr. Maverick with a little smile.
It was a superior smile, and Inspector Curry would not have been human if he had not resented it just a little.
He said professionally:
“Now as regards your own movements, Dr. Maverick? Can you give me an account of them?”
“Certainly. I have jotted32 them down for you with the approximate times.”
Dr. Maverick had left the Great Hall at fifteen minutes after nine with Mr. Lacy and Mr. Baumgarten. They hadgone to Mr. Baumgarten’s rooms where they had all three remained discussing certain courses of treatment until MissBellever had come hurrying in and asked Dr. Maverick to go to the Great Hall. That was at approximately half pastnine. He had gone at once to the Hall and had found Edgar Lawson in a state of collapse33.
Inspector Curry stirred a little.
“Just a minute, Dr. Maverick. Is this young man, in your opinion, definitely a mental case?”
Dr. Maverick smiled the superior smile again.
“We are all mental cases, Inspector Curry.”
Tomfool answer, thought the Inspector. He knew quite well he wasn’t a mental case, whatever Dr. Maverick mightbe!
“Is he responsible for his actions? He knows what he is doing, I suppose?”
“Perfectly.”
“Then when he fired that revolver at Mr. Serrocold it was definitely attempted murder.”
“No, no, Inspector Curry. Nothing of that kind.”
“Come now, Dr. Maverick. I’ve seen the two bullet holes in the wall. They must have gone dangerously near toMr. Serrocold’s head.”
“Perhaps. But Lawson had no intention of killing34 Mr. Serrocold or even of wounding him. He is very fond of Mr.
Serrocold.”
“It seems a curious way of showing it.”
Dr. Maverick smiled again. Inspector Curry found that smile very trying.
“Everything one does is intentional35. Every time you, Inspector, forget a name or a face it is because, unconsciously,you wish to forget it.”
Inspector Curry looked unbelieving.
“Every time you make a slip of the tongue, that slip has a meaning. Edgar Lawson was standing a few feet awayfrom Mr. Serrocold. He could easily have shot him dead. Instead, he missed him. Why did he miss him? Because hewanted to miss him. It is as simple as that. Mr. Serrocold was never in any danger—and Mr. Serrocold himself wasquite aware of that fact. He understood Edgar’s gesture for exactly what it was—a gesture of defiance36 and resentmentagainst a universe that has denied him the simple necessities of a child’s life—security and affection.”
“I think I’d like to see this young man.”
“Certainly if you wish. His outburst last night has had a cathartic37 effect. There is a great improvement today. Mr.
Serrocold will be very pleased.”
Inspector Curry stared hard at him, but Dr. Maverick was serious as always.
Curry sighed.
“Do you have any arsenic38?” he asked.
“Arsenic?” The question took Dr. Maverick by surprise. It was clearly unexpected. “What a very curious question.
Why arsenic?”
“Just answer the question, please.”
“No, I have no arsenic of any kind in my possession.”
“But you have some drugs?”
“Oh certainly. Sedatives39. Morphia—the barbiturates. The usual things.”
“Do you attend Mrs. Serrocold?”
“No. Dr. Gunter of Market Kimble is the family physician. I hold a medical degree, of course, but I practice purelyas a psychiatrist40.”
“I see. Well, thank you very much, Dr. Maverick.”
As Dr. Maverick went out, Inspector Curry murmured to Lake that psychiatrists41 gave him a pain in the neck.
“We’ll get on to the family now,” he said. “I’ll see young Walter Hudd first.”
Walter Hudd’s attitude was cautious. He seemed to be studying the police officer with a slightly wary42 expression.
But he was quite cooperative.
There was a good deal of defective43 wiring in Stonygates—the whole electric system was very old-fashioned. Theywouldn’t stand for a system like that in the States.
“It was installed, I believe, by the late Mr. Gulbrandsen when electric light was a novelty,” said Inspector Currywith a faint smile.
“I’ll say that’s so! Sweet old feudal44 English and never been brought up to date.”
The fuse which controlled most of the lights in the Great Hall had gone, and he had gone out to the fuse box to seeabout it. In due course he got it repaired and came back.
“How long were you away?”
“Why, that I couldn’t say for sure. The fuse box is in an awkward place. I had to get steps and a candle. I wasmaybe ten minutes—perhaps a quarter of an hour.”
“Did you hear a shot?”
“Why no, I didn’t hear anything like that. There are double doors through to the kitchen quarters, and one of themis lined with a kind of felt.”
“I see. And when you came back into the Hall, what did you see?”
“They were all crowded round the door into Mr. Serrocold’s study. Mrs. Strete said that Mr. Serrocold had beenshot—but actually that wasn’t so. Mr. Serrocold was quite all right. The boob had missed him.”
“You recognised the revolver?”
“Sure I recognised it! It was mine.”
“When did you see it last?”
“Two or three days ago.”
“Where did you keep it?”
“In the drawer in my room.”
“Who knew that you kept it there?”
“I wouldn’t know who knows what in this house.”
“What do you mean by that, Mr. Hudd?”
“Aw, they’re all nuts!”
“When you came into the Hall, was everybody else there?”
“What d’you mean by everybody?”
“The same people who were there when you went to repair the fuse.”
“Gina was there … and the old lady with white hair—and Miss Bellever … I didn’t notice particularly—but Ishould say so.”
“Mr. Gulbrandsen arrived quite unexpectedly the day before yesterday, did he not?”
“I guess so. It wasn’t his usual routine, I understand.”
“Did anyone seem upset by his arrival?”
Walter Hudd took a moment or two before he answered, “Why no, I wouldn’t say so.”
Once more there was a touch of caution in his manner.
“Have you any idea why he came?”
“Their precious Gulbrandsen Trust I suppose. The whole setup here is crazy.”
“You have these ‘setups’ as you call it, in the States.”
“It’s one thing to endow a scheme, and another to give it the personal touch as they do here. I had enough ofpsychiatrists in the army. This place is stiff with them. Teaching young thugs to make raffia baskets and carve piperacks. Kids’ games! It’s sissy!”
Inspector Curry did not comment on this criticism. Possibly he agreed with it.
He said, eyeing Walter carefully:
“So you have no idea who could have killed Mr Gulbrandsen?”
“One of the bright boys from the College practising his technique, I’d say.”
“No, Mr. Hudd, that’s out. The College, in spite of its carefully produced atmosphere of freedom, is none the less aplace of detention45 and is run on those lines. Nobody can run in and out of it after dark and commit murders.”
“I wouldn’t put it past them! Well—if you want to fix it nearer home, I’d say your best bet was Alex Restarick.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He had the opportunity. He drove up through the grounds alone in his car.”
“And why should he kill Christian Gulbrandsen?”
Walter shrugged46 his shoulders.
“I’m a stranger. I don’t know the family setups. Maybe the old boy had heard something about Alex and was goingto spill the beans to the Serrocolds.”
“With what result?”
“They might cut off the dough47. He can use dough—uses a good deal of it by all accounts.”
“You mean—in theatrical48 enterprises?”
“That’s what he calls it?”
“Do you suggest it was otherwise?”
Again Walter Hudd shrugged his shoulders.
“I wouldn’t know,” he said.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
inspector
|
|
| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
curry
|
|
| n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
qualified
|
|
| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
promising
|
|
| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
grit
|
|
| n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
systematically
|
|
| adv.有系统地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
judicially
|
|
| 依法判决地，公平地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
frankly
|
|
| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
motive
|
|
| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
primly
|
|
| adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
thereby
|
|
| adv.因此，从而 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
lodge
|
|
| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
vehemently
|
|
| adv. 热烈地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
mischief
|
|
| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
Christian
|
|
| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
contrived
|
|
| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
persecuting
|
|
| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的现在分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
frenzy
|
|
| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
tilted
|
|
| v. 倾斜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
sergeant
|
|
| n.警官，中士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
fatigue
|
|
| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
communal
|
|
| adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
alibis
|
|
| 某人在别处的证据( alibi的名词复数 )； 不在犯罪现场的证人； 借口； 托辞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
maverick
|
|
| adj.特立独行的；不遵守传统的；n.持异议者，自行其是者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
bustled
|
|
| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
fervent
|
|
| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
jotted
|
|
| v.匆忙记下( jot的过去式和过去分词 )；草草记下，匆匆记下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
collapse
|
|
| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
killing
|
|
| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
intentional
|
|
| adj.故意的，有意（识）的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
defiance
|
|
| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
cathartic
|
|
| adj.宣泄情绪的；n.泻剂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
arsenic
|
|
| n.砒霜，砷；adj.砷的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
sedatives
|
|
| n.镇静药，镇静剂( sedative的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
psychiatrist
|
|
| n.精神病专家；精神病医师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
psychiatrists
|
|
| n.精神病专家，精神病医生( psychiatrist的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
wary
|
|
| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
defective
|
|
| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
feudal
|
|
| adj.封建的，封地的，领地的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
detention
|
|
| n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
dough
|
|
| n.生面团；钱，现款 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
theatrical
|
|
| adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |