“S ounds like the wife to me,” said the assistant commissioner1. He had been listening attentively2 to Inspector3 Neele’sreport.
It had been an admirable précis of the case. Short, but with no relevant detail left out.
“Yes,” said the AC. “It looks like the wife. What do you think yourself, Neele, eh?”
Inspector Neele said that it looked like the wife to him too. He reflected cynically4 that it usually was the wife—orthe husband as the case might be.
“She had the opportunity all right. And motive5?” The AC paused. “There is motive?”
“Oh, I think so, sir. This Mr. Dubois, you know.”
“Think he was in it, too?”
“No, I shouldn’t say that, sir.” Inspector Neele weighed the idea. “A bit too fond of his own skin for that. He mayhave guessed what was in her mind, but I shouldn’t imagine that he instigated6 it.”
“No, too careful.”
“Much too careful.”
“Well, we mustn’t jump to conclusions, but it seems a good working hypothesis. What about the other two whohad opportunity?”
“That’s the daughter and the daughter-in-law. The daughter was mixed-up with a young man whom her fatherdidn’t want her to marry. And he definitely wasn’t marrying her unless she had the money. That gives her a motive.
As to the daughter-in-law, I wouldn’t like to say. Don’t know enough about her yet. But any of the three of them couldhave poisoned him, and I don’t see how anyone else could have done so. The parlourmaid, the butler, the cook, theyall handled the breakfast or brought it in, but I don’t see how any of them could have been sure of Fortescue himselfgetting the taxine and nobody else. That is, if it was taxine.”
The AC said: “It was taxine all right. I’ve just got the preliminary report.”
“That settles that, then,” said Inspector Neele. “We can go ahead.”
“Servants seem all right?”
“The butler and the parlourmaid both seem nervous. There’s nothing uncommon8 about that. Often happens. Thecook’s fighting mad and the housemaid was grimly pleased. In fact all quite natural and normal.”
“There’s nobody else whom you consider suspicious in any way?”
“No, I don’t think so, sir.” Involuntarily, Inspector Neele’s mind went back to Mary Dove and her enigmatic smile.
There had surely been a faint yet definite look of antagonism9. Aloud he said, “Now that we know it’s taxine, thereought to be some evidence to be got as to how it was obtained or prepared.”
“Just so. Well, go ahead, Neele. By the way, Mr. Percival Fortescue is here now. I’ve had a word or two with himand he’s waiting to see you. We’ve located the other son, too. He’s in Paris at the Bristol, leaving today. You’ll havehim met at the airport, I suppose?”
“Yes, sir. That was my idea. . . .”
“Well, you’d better see Percival Fortescue now.” The AC chuckled10. “Percy Prim11, that’s what he is.”
Mr. Percival Fortescue was a neat fair man of thirty odd, with pale hair and eyelashes and a slightly pedantic12 wayof speech.
“This has been a terrible shock to me, Inspector Neele, as you can well imagine.”
“It must have been, Mr. Fortescue,” said Inspector Neele.
“I can only say that my father was perfectly13 well when I left home the day before yesterday. This food poisoning,or whatever it was, must have been very sudden?”
“It was very sudden, yes. But it wasn’t food poisoning, Mr. Fortescue.”
Percival stared and frowned.
“No? So that’s why—” he broke off.
“Your father,” said Inspector Neele, “was poisoned by the administration of taxine.”
“Taxine? I’ve never heard of it.”
“Very few people have, I should imagine. It is a poison that takes effect very suddenly and drastically.”
The frown deepened.
“Are you telling me, Inspector, that my father was deliberately14 poisoned by someone?”
“It would seem so, yes, sir.”
“That’s terrible!”
“Yes indeed, Mr. Fortescue.”
Percival murmured: “I understand now their attitude in the hospital—their referring me here.” He broke off. After apause he went on, “The funeral?” He spoke15 interrogatively.
“The inquest is fixed16 for tomorrow after the postmortem. The proceedings17 at the inquest will be purely18 formal andthe inquest will be adjourned19.”
“I understand. That is usually the case?”
“Yes, sir. Nowadays.”
“May I ask, have you formed any ideas, any suspicions of who could—Really, I—” again he broke off.
“It’s rather early days for that, Mr. Fortescue,” murmured Neele.
“Yes, I suppose so.”
“All the same it would be helpful to us, Mr. Fortescue, if you could give us some idea of your father’s testamentarydispositions. Or perhaps you could put me in touch with his solicitor21.”
“His solicitors22 are Billingsby, Horsethorpe & Walters of Bedford Square. As far as his will goes, I think I can moreor less tell you its main dispositions20.”
“If you will be kind enough to do so, Mr. Fortescue. It’s a routine that has to be gone through, I’m afraid.”
“My father made a new will on the occasion of his marriage two years ago,” said Percival precisely23. “My father leftthe sum of ?100,000 to his wife absolutely and ?50,000 to my sister, Elaine. I am his residuary legatee. I am already,of course, a partner in the firm.”
“There was no bequest24 to your brother, Lancelot Fortescue?”
“No, there is an estrangement25 of long standing26 between my father and my brother.”
Neele threw a sharp glance at him—but Percival seemed quite sure of his statement.
“So as the will stands,” said Inspector Neele, “the three people who stand to gain are Mrs. Fortescue, Miss ElaineFortescue and yourself?”
“I don’t think I shall be much of a gainer.” Percival sighed. “There are death duties, you know, Inspector. And oflate my father has been—well, all I can say is, highly injudicious in some of his financial dealings.”
“You and your father have not seen eye to eye lately about the conduct of the business?” Inspector Neele threw outthe question in a genial27 manner.
“I put my point of view to him, but alas—” Percival shrugged28 his shoulders.
“Put it rather forcibly, didn’t you?” Neele inquired. “In fact, not to put too fine a point on it, there was quite a rowabout it, wasn’t there?”
“I should hardly say that, Inspector.” A red flush of annoyance29 mounted to Percival’s forehead.
“Perhaps the dispute you had was about some other matter then, Mr. Fortescue?”
“There was no dispute, Inspector.”
“Quite sure of that, Mr. Fortescue? Well, no matter. Did I understand that your father and brother are stillestranged?”
“That is so.”
“Then perhaps you can tell me what this means?”
Neele handed him the telephone message Mary Dove had jotted30 down.
Percival read it and uttered an exclamation31 of surprise and annoyance. He seemed both incredulous and angry.
“I can’t understand it, I really can’t. I can hardly believe it.”
“It seems to be true, though, Mr. Fortescue. Your brother is arriving from Paris today.”
“But it’s extraordinary, quite extraordinary. No, I really can’t understand it.”
“Your father said nothing to you about it?”
“He certainly did not. How outrageous32 of him. To go behind my back and send for Lance.”
“You’ve no idea, I suppose, why he did such a thing?”
“Of course I haven’t. It’s all on a par7 with his behaviour lately—Crazy! Unaccountable. It’s got to be stopped—I—”
Percival came to an abrupt33 stop. The colour ebbed34 away again from his pale face.
“I’d forgotten—” he said. “For the moment I’d forgotten that my father was dead—”
Inspector Neele shook his head sympathetically.
Percival Fortescue prepared to take his departure—as he picked up his hat he said:
“Call upon me if there is anything I can do. But I suppose—” he paused—“you will be coming down to YewtreeLodge?”
“Yes, Mr. Fortescue—I’ve got a man in charge there now.”
Percival shuddered36 in a fastidious way.
“It will all be most unpleasant. To think such a thing should happen to us—”
He sighed and moved towards the door.
“I shall be at the office most of the day. There is a lot to be seen to here. But I shall get down to Yewtree Lodge35 thisevening.”
“Quite so, sir.”
Percival Fortescue went out.
“Percy Prim,” murmured Neele.
Sergeant37 Hay who was sitting unobtrusively by the wall looked up and said “Sir?” interrogatively.
Then as Neele did not reply, he asked, “What do you make of it all, sir?”
“I don’t know,” said Neele. He quoted softly, “ ‘They’re all very unpleasant people.’ ”
Sergeant Hay looked somewhat puzzled.
“Alice in Wonderland,” said Neele. “Don’t you know your Alice, Hay?”
“It’s a classic, isn’t it, sir?” said Hay. “Third Programme stuff. I don’t listen to the Third Programme.”
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1
commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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cynically
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| adv.爱嘲笑地，冷笑地 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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6
instigated
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| v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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par
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| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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antagonism
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| n.对抗，敌对，对立 | |
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10
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prim
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| adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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12
pedantic
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| adj.卖弄学问的；迂腐的 | |
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13
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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15
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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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dispositions
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| 安排( disposition的名词复数 )； 倾向； （财产、金钱的）处置； 气质 | |
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21
solicitor
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| n.初级律师，事务律师 | |
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solicitors
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| 初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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bequest
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| n.遗赠；遗产，遗物 | |
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estrangement
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| n.疏远，失和，不和 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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30
jotted
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| v.匆忙记下( jot的过去式和过去分词 )；草草记下，匆匆记下 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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ebbed
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| （指潮水）退( ebb的过去式和过去分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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