J. J. AFFLICK
IJ . J. Afflick, Daffodil Coaches, Devon & Dorset Tours, etc. had two numbers listed in the telephone book. An officeaddress in Exeter and a private address on the outskirts1 of that town.
An appointment was made for the following day.
Just as Giles and Gwenda were leaving in the car, Mrs. Cocker ran out and gesticulated. Giles put on the brake andstopped.
“It’s Dr. Kennedy on the telephone, sir.”
Giles got out and ran back. He picked up the receiver.
“Giles Reed here.”
“Morning. I’ve just received rather an odd letter. From a woman called Lily Kimble. I’ve been racking my brainsto remember who she is. Thought of a patient first—that put me off the scent2. But I rather fancy she must be a girl whowas in service once at your house. House-parlourmaid at the time we know of. I’m almost sure her name was Lily,though I don’t recollect3 her last name.”
“There was a Lily. Gwenda remembers her. She tied a bow on the cat.”
“Gwennie must have a very remarkable4 memory.”
“Oh, she has.”
“Well, I’d like to have a word with you about this letter—not over the phone. Will you be in if I come over?”
“We’re just on our way to Exeter. We could drop in on you, if you prefer, sir. It’s all on our way.”
“Good. That’ll do splendidly.”
“I don’t like to talk too much about all this over the phone,” explained the doctor when they arrived. “I always havean idea the local exchanges listen in. Here’s the woman’s letter.”
He spread the letter on the table. It was written on cheap lined paper in an uneducated hand.
Dear sir (Lily Kimble had written)
I’d be grateful if you could give me advise about the enclosed wot i cut out of paper. I been thinking and i talkedit over with mr. Kimble, but i don’t know wots best to do about it. Do you think as it means money or a rewardbecos i could do with the money im sure but woodnt want the police or anything like that, i often hav been thinkingabout that nite wen mrs. Halliday went away and i don’t think sir she ever did becos the clothes was wrong. i thortat first the master done it but now im not so sure becos of the car i saw out of the window. A posh car it was and iseen it before but i woodnt like to do anything without asking you first if it was all rite5 and not police becos i neverhav been mixed up with police and mr. Kimble woodnt like it. I could come and see you sir if i may next thursdayas its market day and mr. Kimble will be out. id be very grateful if you could.
yours respectfully,
Lily Kimble.
“It was addressed to my old house in Dillmouth,” said Kennedy, “and forwarded on to me here. The cutting is youradvertisement.”
“It’s wonderful,” said Gwenda. “This Lily—you see—she doesn’t think it was my father who did it!”
She spoke6 with jubilation7. Dr. Kennedy looked at her with tired, kindly8 eyes.
“Good for you, Gwennie,” he said gently. “I hope you’re right. Now this is what I think we’d better do. I’ll answerher letter and tell her to come here on Thursday. The train connection is quite good. By changing at DillmouthJunction she can get here shortly after 4.30. If you two will come over that afternoon, we can tackle her all together.”
“Splendid,” said Giles. He glanced at his watch. “Come on, Gwenda, we must hurry. We’ve got an appointment,”
he explained. “With Mr. Afflick of the Daffodil Coaches, and, so he told us, he’s a busy man.”
“Afflick?” Kennedy frowned. “Of course! Devon Tours in Daffodil Coaches, horrible great butter-coloured brutes9.
But the name seemed familiar in some other way.”
“Helen,” said Gwenda.
“My goodness—not that chap?”
“Yes.”
“But he was a miserable10 little rat. So he’s come up in the world?”
“Will you tell me something, sir?” said Giles. “You broke up some funny business between him and Helen. Wasthat simply because of his—well, social position?”
Dr. Kennedy gave him a dry glance.
“I’m old-fashioned, young man. In the modern gospel, one man is as good as another. That holds morally, nodoubt. But I’m a believer in the fact that there is a state of life into which you are born—and I believe you’re happieststaying in it. Besides,” he added, “I thought the fellow was a wrong ’un. As he proved to be.”
“What did he do exactly?”
“That I can’t remember now. It was a case, as far as I can recall, of his trying to cash in on some informationobtained through his employment with Fane. Some confidential11 matter relating to one of their clients.”
“Was he—sore about his dismissal?”
Kennedy gave him a sharp glance and said briefly12: “Yes.”
“And there wasn’t any other reason at all for your disliking his friendship with your sister? You didn’t think he was—well—odd in any way.”
“Since you have brought the matter up, I will answer you frankly13. It seemed to me, especially after his dismissalfrom his employment, that Jackie Afflick displayed certain signs of an unbalanced temperament14. Incipient15 persecutionmania, in fact. But that does not seem to have been borne out by his subsequent rise in life.”
“Who dismissed him? Walter Fane?”
“I have no idea if Walter Fane was concerned. He was dismissed by the firm.”
“And he complained that he had been victimized?”
Kennedy nodded.
“I see … Well, we must drive like the wind. Till Thursday, sir.”
II
The house was newly built. It was of Snowcrete, heavily curved, with a big expanse of window. They were shown inthrough an opulent hall to a study, half of which was taken up by a big chromium-plated desk.
Gwenda murmured nervously16 to Giles, “Really, I don’t know what we should have done without Miss Marple. Welean upon her at every turn. First her friends in Northumberland and now her Vicar’s wife’s Boys’ Club AnnualOuting.”
Giles raised an admonitory hand as the door opened and J. J. Afflick surged into the room.
He was a stout17 man of middle age, dressed in a rather violently checked suit. His eyes were dark and shrewd, hisface rubicund18 and good-natured. He looked like the popular idea of a successful bookmaker.
“Mr. Reed? Good morning. Pleased to meet you.”
Giles introduced Gwenda. She felt her hand taken in a rather over-zealous grip.
“And what can I do for you, Mr. Reed?”
Afflick sat down behind his huge desk. He offered cigarettes from an onyx box.
Giles entered upon the subject of the Boys’ Club Outing. Old friends of his ran the show. He was anxious toarrange for a couple of days’ touring in Devon.
Afflick replied promptly19 in a businesslike manner—quoting prices and making suggestions. But there was a faintlypuzzled look on his face.
Finally he said: “Well, that’s all clear enough, Mr. Reed, and I’ll send you a line to confirm it. But this is strictlyoffice business. I understood from my clerk that you wanted a private appointment at my private address.”
“We did, Mr. Afflick. There were actually two matters on which I wanted to see you. We’ve disposed of one. Theother is a purely20 private matter. My wife here is very anxious to get in touch with her stepmother whom she has notseen for many years, and we wondered if you could possibly help us.”
“Well, if you tell me the lady’s name—I gather that I’m acquainted with her?”
“You were acquainted with her at one time. Her name is Helen Halliday and before her marriage she was MissHelen Kennedy.”
Afflick sat quite still. He screwed up his eyes and tilted21 his chair slowly backwards22.
“Helen Halliday—I don’t recall … Helen Kennedy….”
“Formerly of Dillmouth,” said Gwenda.
The legs of Afflick’s chair came down sharply.
“Got it,” he said. “Of course.” His round rubicund face beamed with pleasure. “Little Helen Kennedy! Yes, Iremember her. But it’s a long time ago. Must be twenty years.”
“Eighteen.”
“Is it really? Time flies, as the saying goes. But I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed, Mrs. Reed. I haven’tseen anything of Helen since that time. Never heard of her, even.”
“Oh dear,” said Gwenda. “That’s very disappointing. We did so hope you could help.”
“What’s the trouble?” His eyes flickered23 quickly from one face to another. “Quarrel? Left home? Matter ofmoney?”
Gwenda said: “She went away—suddenly—from Dillmouth—eighteen years ago with—with someone.”
Jackie Afflick said amusedly: “And you thought she might have gone away with me? Now why?”
Gwenda spoke boldly: “Because we heard that you—and she—had once—been—well, fond of each other.”
“Me and Helen? Oh, but there was nothing in that. Just a boy and girl affair. Neither of us took it seriously.” Headded drily, “We weren’t encouraged to do so.”
“You must think us dreadfully impertinent,” began Gwenda, but he interrupted her.
“What’s the odds24? I’m not sensitive. You want to find a certain person and you think I may be able to help. Ask meanything you please—I’ve nought25 to conceal26.” He looked at her thoughtfully. “So you’re Halliday’s daughter?”
“Yes. Did you know my father?”
He shook his head.
“I dropped in to see Helen once when I was over at Dillmouth on business. I’d heard she was married and livingthere. She was civil enough—” he paused—“but she didn’t ask me to stay to dinner. No, I didn’t meet your father.”
Had there, Gwenda wondered, been a trace of rancour in that “She didn’t ask me to stay to dinner?”
“Did she—if you remember—seem happy?”
Afflick shrugged27 his shoulders.
“Happy enough. But there, it’s a long time ago. I’d have remembered if she’d looked unhappy.”
He added with what seemed a perfectly28 natural curiosity: “Do you mean to say you’ve never heard anything of hersince Dillmouth eighteen years ago?”
“Nothing.”
“No—letters?”
“There were two letters,” said Giles. “But we have some reason to think that she didn’t write them.”
“You think she didn’t write them?” Afflick seemed faintly amused. “Sounds like a mystery on the flicks29.”
“That’s rather what it seems like to us.”
“What about her brother, the doctor chap, doesn’t he know where she is?”
“No.”
“I see. Regular mystery, isn’t it? Why not advertise?”
“We have.”
Afflick said casually30: “Looks as though she’s dead. You mightn’t have heard.”
Gwenda shivered.
“Cold, Mrs. Reed?”
“No. I was thinking of Helen dead. I don’t like to think of her dead.”
“You’re right there. I don’t like to think of it myself. Stunning31 looks she had.”
Gwenda said impulsively32: “You knew her. You knew her well. I’ve only got a child’s memory of her. What wasshe like? What did people feel about her? What did you feel?”
He looked at her for a moment or two.
“I’ll be honest with you, Mrs. Reed. Believe it or not, as you like. I was sorry for the kid.”
“Sorry?” She turned a puzzled stare on him.
“Just that. There she was—just home from school. Longing33 for a bit of fun like any girl might, and there was thatstiff middle-aged34 brother of hers with his ideas about what a girl could do and couldn’t do. No fun at all, that kidhadn’t. Well, I took her about a bit—showed her a bit of life. I wasn’t really keen on her and she wasn’t really keen onme. She just liked the fun of being a daredevil. Then of course they found out we were meeting and he put a stop to it.
Don’t blame him, really. Cut above me, she was. We weren’t engaged or anything of that kind. I meant to marrysometime—but not till I was a good bit older. And I meant to get on and to find a wife who’d help me get on. Helenhadn’t any money, and it wouldn’t have been a suitable match in any way. We were just good friends with a bit offlirtation thrown in.”
“But you must have been angry with the doctor—”
Gwenda paused and Afflick said: “I was riled, I admit. You don’t fancy being told you’re not good enough. Butthere, it’s no good being thin-skinned.”
“And then,” said Giles, “you lost your job.”
Afflick’s face was not quite so pleasant.
“Fired, I was. Out of Fane and Watchman’s. And I’ve a very good idea who was responsible for that.”
“Oh?” Giles made his tone interrogative, but Afflick shook his head.
“I’m not saying anything. I’ve my own ideas. I was framed—that’s all—and I’ve a very fair idea of who did it. Andwhy!” The colour suffused35 his cheeks. “Dirty work,” he said. “Spying on a man—laying traps for him—lying abouthim. Oh, I’ve had my enemies all right. But I’ve never let them get me down. I’ve always given as good as I got. And Idon’t forget.”
He stopped. Suddenly his manner changed back again. He was genial36 once more.
“So I can’t help you, I’m afraid. A little bit of fun between me and Helen—that was all. It didn’t go deep.”
Gwenda stared at him. It was a clear enough story—but was it true? she wondered. Something jarred—it came tothe surface of her mind what that something was.
“All the same,” she said, “you looked her up when you came to Dillmouth later.”
He laughed.
“You’ve got me there, Mrs. Reed. Yes, I did. Wanted to show her perhaps that I wasn’t down and out just becausea long-faced lawyer had pushed me out of his office. I had a nice business and I was driving a posh car and I’d donevery well for myself.”
“You came to see her more than once, didn’t you?”
He hesitated a moment.
“Twice—perhaps three times. Just dropped in.” He nodded with sudden finality. “Sorry I can’t help you.”
Giles got up.
“We must apologize for taking up so much of your time.”
“That’s all right. Quite a change to talk about old times.”
The door opened and a woman looked in and apologized swiftly.
“Oh, I’m so sorry—I didn’t know you had anyone—”
“Come in, my dear, come in. Meet my wife. This is Mr. and Mrs. Reed.”
Mrs. Afflick shook hands. She was a tall, thin, depressed-looking woman, dressed in rather unexpectedly well-cutclothes.
“Been talking over old times, we have,” said Mr. Afflick. “Old times before I met you, Dorothy.”
He turned to them.
“Met my wife on a cruise,” he said. “She doesn’t come from this part of the world. Cousin of Lord Polterham’s,she is.”
He spoke with pride—the thin woman flushed.
“They’re very nice, these cruises,” said Giles.
“Very educational,” said Afflick. “Now, I didn’t have any education to speak of.”
“I always tell my husband we must go on one of those Hellenic cruises,” said Mrs. Afflick.
“No time. I’m a busy man.”
“And we mustn’t keep you,” said Giles. “Good-bye and thank you. You’ll let me know about the quotation37 for theouting?”
Afflick escorted them to the door. Gwenda glanced back over her shoulder. Mrs. Afflick was standing38 in thedoorway of the study. Her face, fastened on her husband’s back, was curiously40 and rather unpleasantly apprehensive41.
Giles and Gwenda said good-bye again and went towards their car.
“Bother, I’ve left my scarf,” said Gwenda.
“You’re always leaving something,” said Giles.
“Don’t looked martyred. I’ll get it.”
She ran back into the house. Through the open door of the study she heard Afflick say loudly: “What do you wantto come butting42 in for? Never any sense.”
“I’m sorry, Jackie. I didn’t know. Who are those people and why have they upset you so?”
“They haven’t upset me. I—” He stopped as he saw Gwenda standing in the doorway39.
“Oh, Mr. Afflick, did I leave a scarf?”
“Scarf? No, Mrs. Reed, it’s not here.”
“Stupid of me. It must be in the car.”
She went out again.
Giles had turned the car. Drawn43 up by the kerb was a large yellow limousine44 resplendent with chromium.
“Some car,” said Giles.
“‘A posh car,’” said Gwenda. “Do you remember, Giles? Edith Pagett when she was telling us what Lily said? Lilyhad put her money on Captain Erskine, not ‘our mystery man in the flashy car.’ Don’t you see, the mystery man in theflashy car was Jackie Afflick?”
“Yes,” said Giles. “And in her letter to the doctor Lily mentioned a ‘posh car.’”
They looked at each other.
“He was there—‘on the spot,’ as Miss Marple would say—on that night. Oh Giles, I can hardly wait until Thursdayto hear what Lily Kimble says.”
“Suppose she gets cold feet and doesn’t turn up after all?”
“Oh, she’ll come. Giles, if that flashy car was there that night—”
“Think it was a yellow peril45 like this?”
“Admiring my bus?” Mr. Afflick’s genial voice made them jump. He was leaning over the neatly46 clipped hedgebehind them. “Little Buttercup, that’s what I call her. I’ve always liked a nice bit of bodywork. Hits you in the eye,doesn’t she?”
“She certainly does,” said Giles.
“Fond of flowers, I am,” said Mr. Afflick. “Daffodils, buttercups, calceolarias—they’re all my fancy. Here’s yourscarf, Mrs. Reed. It had slipped down behind the table. Good-bye. Pleased to have met you.”
“Do you think he heard us calling his car a yellow peril?” asked Gwenda as they drove away.
“Oh, I don’t think so. He seemed quite amiable47, didn’t he?”
Giles looked slightly uneasy.
“Ye-es—but I don’t think that means much … Giles, that wife of his—she’s frightened of him, I saw her face.”
“What? That jovial48 pleasant chap?”
“Perhaps he isn’t so jovial and pleasant underneath49 … Giles, I don’t think I like Mr. Afflick … I wonder how longhe’d been there behind us listening to what we were saying … Just what did we say?”
“Nothing much,” said Giles.
But he still looked uneasy.
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1
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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rite
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| n.典礼，惯例，习俗 | |
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6
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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jubilation
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| n.欢庆，喜悦 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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12
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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14
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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incipient
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| adj.起初的，发端的，初期的 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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rubicund
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| adj.(脸色)红润的 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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nought
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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27
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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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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29
flicks
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的第三人称单数 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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30
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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stunning
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| adj.极好的；使人晕倒的 | |
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32
impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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suffused
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| v.（指颜色、水气等）弥漫于，布满( suffuse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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quotation
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| n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情 | |
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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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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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42
butting
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| 用头撞人（犯规动作） | |
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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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limousine
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| n.豪华轿车 | |
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45
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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47
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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48
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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49
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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