A t the Pinewood Private Sanatorium, Inspector1 Neele, sitting in the visitors’ parlour, was facing a grey-haired, elderlylady. Helen MacKenzie was sixty-three, though she looked younger. She had pale blue, rather vacant-looking eyes,and a weak, indeterminate chin. She had a long upper lip which occasionally twitched2. She held a large book in her lapand was looking down at it as Inspector Neele talked to her. In Inspector Neele’s mind was the conversation he hadjust had with Dr. Crosbie, the head of the establishment.
“She’s a voluntary patient, of course,” said Dr. Crosbie, “not certified3.”
“She’s not dangerous, then?”
“Oh, no. Most of the time she’s as sane4 to talk to as you or me. It’s one of her good periods now so that you’ll beable to have a perfectly5 normal conversation with her.”
Bearing this in mind, Inspector Neele started his first conversational6 essay.
“It’s very kind of you to see me, madam,” he said. “My name is Neele. I’ve come to see you about a Mr. Fortescuewho has recently died. A Mr. Rex Fortescue. I expect you know the name.”
Mrs. MacKenzie’s eyes were fixed7 on her book. She said:
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Mr. Fortescue, madam. Mr. Rex Fortescue.”
“No,” said Mrs. MacKenzie. “No. Certainly not.”
Inspector Neele was slightly taken aback. He wondered whether this was what Dr. Crosbie called being completelynormal.
“I think, Mrs. MacKenzie, you knew him a good many years ago.”
“Not really,” said Mrs. MacKenzie. “It was yesterday.”
“I see,” said Inspector Neele, falling back upon this formula rather uncertainly. “I believe,” he went on, “that youpaid him a visit many years ago at his residence, Yewtree Lodge8.”
“A very ostentatious house,” said Mrs. MacKenzie.
“Yes. Yes, you might call it that. He had been connected with your husband, I believe, over a certain mine inAfrica. The Blackbird Mine, I believe it was called.”
“I have to read my book,” said Mrs. MacKenzie. “There’s not much time and I have to read my book.”
“Yes, madam. Yes, I quite see that.” There was a pause, then Inspector Neele went on, “Mr. MacKenzie and Mr.
Fortescue went out together to Africa to survey the mine.”
“It was my husband’s mine,” said Mrs. MacKenzie. “He found it and staked a claim to it. He wanted money tocapitalize it. He went to Rex Fortescue. If I’d been wiser, if I’d known more, I wouldn’t have let him do it.”
“No, I see that. As it was, they went out together to Africa, and there your husband died of fever.”
“I must read my book,” said Mrs. MacKenzie.
“Do you think Mr. Fortescue swindled your husband over the Blackbird Mine, Mrs. MacKenzie?”
Without raising her eyes from the book, Mrs. MacKenzie said:
“How stupid you are.”
“Yes, yes, I dare say . . . But you see it’s all a long time ago and making inquiries9 about a thing that is over a longtime ago is rather difficult.”
“Who said it was over?”
“I see. You don’t think it is over?”
“No question is ever settled until it is settled right. Kipling said that. Nobody reads Kipling nowadays, but he was agreat man.”
“Do you think the question will be settled right one of these days?”
“Rex Fortescue is dead, isn’t he? You said so.”
“He was poisoned,” said Inspector Neele.
Rather disconcertingly, Mrs. MacKenzie laughed.
“What nonsense,” she said, “he died of fever.”
“I’m talking about Mr. Rex Fortescue.”
“So am I.” She looked up suddenly and her pale blue eyes fixed his. “Come now,” she said, “he died in his bed,didn’t he? He died in his bed?”
“He died in St. Jude’s Hospital,” said Inspector Neele.
“Nobody knows where my husband died,” said Mrs. MacKenzie. “Nobody knows how he died or where he wasburied . . . All anyone knows is what Rex Fortescue said. And Rex Fortescue was a liar10!”
“Do you think there may have been foul11 play?”
“Foul play, foul play, fowls12 lay eggs, don’t they?”
“You think that Rex Fortescue was responsible for your husband’s death?”
“I had an egg for breakfast this morning,” said Mrs. MacKenzie. “Quite fresh, too. Surprising, isn’t it, when onethinks that it was thirty years ago?”
Neele drew a deep breath. It seemed unlikely that he was ever going to get anywhere at this rate, but he persevered13.
“Somebody put dead blackbirds on Rex Fortescue’s desk about a month or two before he died.”
“That’s interesting. That’s very, very interesting.”
“Have you any idea, madam, who might have done that?”
“Ideas aren’t any help to one. One has to have action. I brought them up for that, you know, to take action.”
“You’re talking about your children?”
She nodded her head rapidly.
“Yes. Donald and Ruby14. They were nine and seven and left without a father. I told them. I told them every day. Imade them swear it every night.”
Inspector Neele leant forward.
“What did you make them swear?”
“That they’d kill him, of course.”
“I see.”
Inspector Neele spoke15 as though it was the most reasonable remark in the world.
“Did they?”
“Donald went to Dunkirk. He never came back. They sent me a wire saying he was dead: ‘Deeply regret killed inaction.’ Action, you see, the wrong kind of action.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, madam. What about your daughter?”
“I haven’t got a daughter,” said Mrs. MacKenzie.
“You spoke of her just now,” said Neele. “Your daughter, Ruby.”
“Ruby. Yes, Ruby.” She leaned forward. “Do you know what I’ve done to Ruby?”
“No, madam. What have you done to her?”
She whispered suddenly:
“Look here at the Book.”
He saw then that what she was holding in her lap was a Bible. It was a very old Bible and as she opened it, on thefront page, Inspector Neele saw that various names had been written. It was obviously a family Bible in which the old-fashioned custom had been continued of entering each new birth. Mrs. MacKenzie’s thin forefinger16 pointed17 to the twolast names. “Donald MacKenzie” with the date of his birth, and “Ruby MacKenzie” with the date of hers. But a thickline was drawn18 through Ruby MacKenzie’s name.
“You see?” said Mrs. MacKenzie. “I struck her out of the Book. I cut her off forever! The Recording19 Angel won’tfind her name there.”
“You cut her name out of the book? Now, why, madam?”
Mrs. MacKenzie looked at him cunningly.
“You know why,” she said.
“But I don’t. Really, madam, I don’t.”
“She didn’t keep faith. You know she didn’t keep faith.”
“Where is your daughter now, madam?”
“I’ve told you. I have no daughter. There isn’t such a person as Ruby MacKenzie any longer.”
“You mean she’s dead?”
“Dead?” The woman laughed suddenly. “It would be better for her if she were dead. Much better. Much, muchbetter.” She sighed and turned restlessly in her seat. Then her manner reverting20 to a kind of formal courtesy, she said:
“I’m so sorry, but really I’m afraid I can’t talk to you any longer. You see, the time is getting very short, and I mustread my book.”
To Inspector Neele’s further remarks Mrs. MacKenzie returned no reply. She merely made a faint gesture ofannoyance and continued to read her Bible with her finger following the line of the verse she was reading.
Neele got up and left. He had another brief interview with the superintendent21.
“Do any of her relations come to see her?” he asked. “A daughter, for instance?”
“I believe a daughter did come to see her in my predecessor’s time, but her visit agitated22 the patient so much thathe advised her not to come again. Since then everything is arranged through solicitors23.”
“And you’ve no idea where this Ruby MacKenzie is now?”
The superintendent shook his head.
“No idea whatsoever24.”
“You’ve no idea whether she’s married, for instance?”
“I don’t know, all I can do is to give you the address of the solicitors who deal with us.”
Inspector Neele had already tracked down those solicitors. They were unable, or said they were unable, to tell himanything. A trust fund had been established for Mrs. MacKenzie which they managed. These arrangements had beenmade some years previously25 and they had not seen Miss MacKenzie since.
Inspector Neele tried to get a description of Ruby MacKenzie but the results were not encouraging. So manyrelations came to visit patients that after a lapse26 of years they were bound to be remembered dimly, with theappearance of one mixed-up with the appearance of another. The matron who had been there for many years seemedto remember that Miss MacKenzie was small and dark. The only other nurse who had been there for any length oftime recalled that she was heavily built and fair.
“So there we are, sir,” said Inspector Neele as he reported to the assistant commissioner27. “There’s a whole crazysetup and it fits together. It must mean something.”
The AC nodded thoughtfully.
“The blackbirds in the pie tying up with the Blackbird Mine, rye in the dead man’s pocket, bread and honey withAdele Fortescue’s tea—(not that that is conclusive28. After all, anyone might have had bread and honey for tea!) Thethird murder, that girl strangled with a stocking and a clothes-peg nipped onto her nose. Yes, crazy as the setup is, itcertainly can’t be ignored.”
“Half a minute, sir,” said Inspector Neele.
“What is it?”
Neele was frowning.
“You know, what you’ve just said. It didn’t ring true. It was wrong somewhere.” He shook his head and sighed.
“No. I can’t place it.”
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1
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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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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certified
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| a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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conversational
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| adj.对话的，会话的 | |
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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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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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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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12
fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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persevered
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| v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ruby
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| n.红宝石，红宝石色 | |
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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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forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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recording
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| n.录音，记录 | |
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reverting
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| 恢复( revert的现在分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
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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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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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solicitors
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| 初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
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whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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commissioner
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| n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员 | |
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conclusive
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| adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的 | |
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