N EMESIS
IW hatever the alarms and excursions of the night, Mr. Rafiel had not heard them.
He was fast asleep in bed, a faint thin snore coming from his nostrils1, when he was taken by the shoulders andshaken violently.
“Eh—what—what the devil’s this?”
“It’s me,” said Miss Marple, for once ungrammatical, “though I should put it a little more strongly than that. TheGreeks, I believe, had a word for it. Nemesis2, if I am not wrong.”
Mr. Rafiel raised himself on his pillows as far as he could. He stared at her. Miss Marple, standing3 there in themoonlight, her head encased in a fluffy4 scarf of pale pink wool, looked as unlike a figure of Nemesis as it was possibleto imagine.
“So you’re Nemesis, are you?” said Mr. Rafiel after a momentary5 pause.
“I hope to be—with your help.”
“Do you mind telling me quite plainly what you’re talking about like this in the middle of the night.”
“I think we may have to act quickly. Very quickly. I have been foolish. Extremely foolish. I ought to have knownfrom the very beginning what all this was about. It was so simple.”
“What was simple, and what are you talking about?”
“You slept through a good deal,” said Miss Marple. “A body was found. We thought at first it was the body ofMolly Kendal. It wasn’t, it was Lucky Dyson. Drowned in the creek6.”
“Lucky, eh?” said Mr. Rafiel. “And drowned? In the creek. Did she drown herself or did somebody drown her?”
“Somebody drowned her,” said Miss Marple.
“I see. At least I think I see. That’s what you mean by saying it’s so simple, is it? Greg Dyson was always the firstpossibility, and he’s the right one. Is that it? Is that what you’re thinking? And what you’re afraid of is that he may getaway with it.”
Miss Marple took a deep breath.
“Mr. Rafiel, will you trust me? We have got to stop a murder being committed.”
“I thought you said it had been committed.”
“That murder was committed in error. Another murder may be committed any moment now. There’s no time tolose. We must prevent it happening. We must go at once.”
“It’s all very well to talk like that,” said Mr. Rafiel. “We, you say? What do you think I can do about it? I can’teven walk without help. How can you and I set about preventing a murder? You’re about a hundred and I’m a broken-up old crock.”
“I was thinking of Jackson,” said Miss Marple. “Jackson will do what you tell him, won’t he?”
“He will indeed,” said Mr. Rafiel, “especially if I add that I’ll make it worth his while. Is that what you want?”
“Yes. Tell him to come with me and tell him to obey any orders I give him.”
Mr. Rafiel looked at her for about six seconds. Then he said:
“Done. I expect I’m taking the biggest risk of my life. Well, it won’t be the first one.” He raised his voice.
“Jackson.” At the same time he picked up the electric bell that lay beside his hand and pressed the button.
Hardly thirty seconds passed before Jackson appeared through the connecting door to the adjoining room.
“You called and rang, sir? Anything wrong?” He broke off, staring at Miss Marple.
“Now, Jackson, do as I tell you. You will go with this lady, Miss Marple. You’ll go where she takes you and you’lldo exactly as she says. You’ll obey every order she gives you. Is that understood?”
“I—”
“Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And for doing that,” said Mr. Rafiel, “you won’t be the loser. I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Come along, Mr. Jackson,” said Miss Marple. She spoke7 over her shoulder to Mr. Rafiel. “We’ll tell Mrs. Waltersto come to you on your way. Get her to get you out of bed and bring you along.”
“Bring me along where?”
“To the Kendals’ bungalow,” said Miss Marple. “I think Molly will be coming back there.”
II
Molly came up the path from the sea. Her eyes stared fixedly8 ahead of her. Occasionally, under her breath, she gave alittle whimper….
She went up the steps of the loggia, paused a moment, then pushed open the window and walked into the bedroom.
The lights were on, but the room itself was empty. Molly went across to the bed and sat down. She sat for someminutes, now and again passing her hand over her forehead and frowning. Then, after a quick surreptitious glanceround, she slipped her hand under the mattress9 and brought out the book that was hidden there. She bent10 over it,turning the pages to find what she wanted.
Then she raised her head as a sound of running footsteps came from outside. With a quick guilty movement shepushed the book behind her back.
Tim Kendal, panting and out of breath, came in, and uttered a great sigh of relief at the sight of her.
“Thank God. Where have you been, Molly? I’ve been searching everywhere for you.”
“I went to the creek.”
“You went—” he stopped.
“Yes. I went to the creek. But I couldn’t wait there. I couldn’t. There was someone in the water—and she wasdead.”
“You mean—Do you know I thought it was you. I’ve only just found out it was Lucky.”
“I didn’t kill her. Really, Tim, I didn’t kill her. I’m sure I didn’t. I mean—I’d remember if I did, wouldn’t I?”
Tim sank slowly down on the end of the bed.
“You didn’t—Are you sure that—? No. No, of course you didn’t!” He fairly shouted the words. “Don’t startthinking like that, Molly. Lucky drowned herself. Of course she drowned herself. Hillingdon was through with her.
She went and lay down with her face in the water—”
“Lucky wouldn’t do that. She’d never do that. But I didn’t kill her. I swear I didn’t.”
“Darling, of course you didn’t!” He put his arms round her but she pulled herself away.
“I hate this place. It ought to be all sunlight. It seemed to be all sunlight. But it isn’t. Instead there’s a shadow—abig black shadow … And I’m in it—and I can’t get out—”
Her voice had risen to a shout.
“Hush11, Molly. For God’s sake, hush!” He went into the bathroom, came back with a glass.
“Look. Drink this. It’ll steady you.”
“I—I can’t drink anything. My teeth are chattering12 so.”
“Yes you can, darling. Sit down. Here, on the bed.” He put his arm round her. He approached the glass to her lips.
“There you are now. Drink it.”
A voice spoke from the window.
“Jackson,” said Miss Marple clearly. “Go over. Take that glass from him and hold it tightly. Be careful. He’s strongand he may be pretty desperate.”
There were certain points about Jackson. He was a man with a great love for money, and money had been promisedhim by his employer, that employer being a man of stature13 and authority. He was also a man of extreme musculardevelopment heightened by his training. His not to reason why, his but to do.
Swift as a flash he had crossed the room. His hand went over the glass that Tim was holding to Molly’s lips, hisother arm had fastened round Tim. A quick flick14 of the wrist and he had the glass. Tim turned on him wildly, butJackson held him firmly.
“What the devil—let go of me. Let go of me. Have you gone mad? What are you doing?”
Tim struggled violently.
“Hold him, Jackson,” said Miss Marple.
“What’s going on? What’s the matter here?”
Supported by Esther Walters, Mr. Rafiel came through the window.
“You ask what’s the matter?” shouted Tim. “Your man’s gone mad, stark15, staring mad, that’s what’s the matter.
Tell him to let go of me.”
“No,” said Miss Marple.
Mr. Rafiel turned to her.
“Speak up, Nemesis,” he said. “We’ve got to have chapter and verse of some kind.”
“I’ve been stupid and a fool,” said Miss Marple, “but I’m not being a fool now. When the contents of that glass thathe was trying to make his wife drink have been analysed, I’ll wager16—yes, I’ll wager my immortal17 soul that you’ll findit’s got a lethal18 dose of narcotic19 in it. It’s the same pattern, you see, the same pattern as in Major Palgrave’s story. Awife in a depressed20 state, and she tries to do away with herself, husband saves her in time. Then the second time shesucceeds. Yes, it’s the right pattern. Major Palgrave told me the story and he took out a snapshot and then he lookedup and saw—”
“Over your right shoulder—” continued Mr. Rafiel.
“No,” said Miss Marple, shaking her head. “He didn’t see anything over my right shoulder.”
“What are you talking about? You told me….”
“I told you wrong. I was completely wrong. I was stupid beyond belief. Major Palgrave appeared to me to belooking over my right shoulder, glaring, in fact, at something—But he couldn’t have seen anything, because he waslooking through his left eye and his left eye was his glass eye.”
“I remember—he had a glass eye,” said Mr. Rafiel. “I’d forgotten—or I took it for granted. You mean he couldn’tsee anything?”
“Of course he could see,” said Miss Marple. “He could see all right, but he could only see with one eye. The eye hecould see with was his right eye. And so, you see, he must have been looking at something or someone not to the rightof me but to the left of me.”
“Was there anyone on the left of you?”
“Yes,” said Miss Marple. “Tim Kendal and his wife were sitting not far off. Sitting at a table just by a big hibiscusbush. They were doing accounts there. So you see the Major looked up. His glass left eye was glaring over myshoulder, but what he saw with his other eye was a man sitting by a hibiscus bush and the face was the same, onlyrather older, as the face in the snapshot. Also by a hibiscus bush. Tim Kendal had heard the story the Major had beentelling and he saw that the Major had recognized him. So, of course, he had to kill him. Later, he had to kill the girl,Victoria, because she’d seen him putting a bottle of tablets in the Major’s room. She didn’t think anything of it at firstbecause of course it was quite natural on various occasions for Tim Kendal to go into the guests’ bungalows21. He mighthave just been returning something to it that had been left on a restaurant table. But she thought about it and then sheasked him questions and so he had to get rid of her. But this is the real murder, the murder he’s been planning allalong. He’s a wife-killer, you see.”
“What damned nonsense, what—” Tim Kendal shouted.
There was a sudden cry, a wild angry cry. Esther Walters detached herself from Mr. Rafiel, almost flinging himdown, and rushed across the room. She pulled vainly at Jackson.
“Let go of him—let go of him. It’s not true. Not a word of it’s true. Tim—Tim darling, it’s not true. You couldnever kill anyone, I know you couldn’t. I know you wouldn’t. It’s that horrible girl you married. She’s been telling liesabout you. They’re not true. None of them are true. I believe in you. I love you and trust in you. I’ll never believe aword anyone says. I’ll—”
Then Tim Kendal lost control of himself.
“For God’s sake, you damned bitch,” he said, “shut up, can’t you? D’you want to get me hanged? Shut up, I tellyou. Shut that big, ugly mouth of yours.”
“Poor silly creature,” said Mr. Rafiel softly. “So that’s what’s been going on, is it?”
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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nemesis
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| n.给以报应者，复仇者，难以对付的敌手 | |
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standing
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fluffy
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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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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fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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mattress
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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flick
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| n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动 | |
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stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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wager
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| n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌 | |
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immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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lethal
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| adj.致死的；毁灭性的 | |
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narcotic
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| n.麻醉药，镇静剂；adj.麻醉的，催眠的 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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bungalows
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| n.平房( bungalow的名词复数 )；单层小屋，多于一层的小屋 | |
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