I
“Don’t suppose you got anything?” said the Chief Constable1.
“Nothing definite, sir,” said Huish. “And yet—the time wasn’t altogetherwasted.”
“Let’s hear about it all.”
“Well, our main times and premises2 are the same. Mrs. Argyle was alivejust before seven, talked with her husband and Gwenda Vaughan, wasseen afterwards downstairs by Hester Argyle. Three people can’t be in ca-hoots. Jacko Argyle is now accounted for, so it means that she could havebeen killed by her husband, any time between five past seven and halfpast, by Gwenda Vaughan at five minutes past seven on her way out, byHester just before that, by Kirsten Lindstrom when she came in later—justbefore half past seven, say. Durrant’s paralysis3 gives him an alibi4, but hiswife’s alibi depends on his word. She could have gone down and killed hermother if she wanted to between seven and half past if her husband wasprepared to back her up. Don’t see why she should, though. In fact, as faras I can see, only two people have got a real motive5 for the crime. LeoArgyle and Gwenda Vaughan.”
“You think it’s one of them—or both of them together?”
“I don’t think they were in it together. As I see it, it was an impulsivecrime—not a premeditated one. Mrs. Argyle comes into the library, tellsthem both about Jacko’s threats and demands for money. Put it that, later,Leo Argyle goes down to speak to her about Jacko, or about somethingelse. The house is quiet, nobody about. He goes into her sitting room.
There she is, her back to him, sitting at the desk. And there’s the poker6,still perhaps where Jacko threw it down after threatening her with it.
Those quiet, repressed men do break out sometimes. A handkerchief overhis hand so as not to leave prints, up with the poker, down with it on herhead and it’s done. Pull out a drawer or two to suggest a search for money.
Then upstairs again till someone finds her. Or put it that Gwenda Vaughanon her way out looks into the room, and the urge comes over her. Jackowill be the perfect scapegoat7, and the way to marriage with Leo Argyle isopen.”
Major Finney nodded thoughtfully.
“Yes. Could be. And of course they were careful not to announce an en-gagement too soon. Not till that poor little devil Jacko was safely convictedof murder. Yes, that seems fair enough. Crimes are very monotonous8. Hus-band and third party, or wife and third party—always the same old pat-tern. But what can we do about it, Huish, eh? What can we do about it?”
“I don’t see, sir,” said Huish slowly, “what we can do about it. We may besure—but where’s the evidence? Nothing to stand up in court.”
“No—no. But you are sure, Huish? Sure in your own mind?”
“Not as sure as I’d like to be,” said Superintendent9 Huish sadly.
“Ah! Why not?”
“The kind of man he is—Mr. Argyle, I mean.”
“Not the kind to do murder?”
“It’s not that so much—not the murder part of it. It’s the boy. I don’t seehim deliberately10 framing the boy.”
“It wasn’t his own son, remember. He may not have cared much for theboy—he may even have been resentful—of the affection his wife lavishedon him.”
“That may be so. Yet he seems to have been fond of all the children. Helooks fond of them.”
“Of course,” said Finney, thoughtfully. “He knew the boy wouldn’t behanged … That might make a difference.”
“Ah, you may have something there, sir. He may have thought that tenyears in prison which is what a life sentence amounts to, might have donethe boy no harm.”
“What about the young woman—Gwenda Vaughan?”
“If she did it,” said Huish, “I don’t suppose she’d have any qualms11 aboutJacko. Women are ruthless.”
“Anyway, you’re reasonably satisfied it’s between those two?”
“Reasonably satisfied, yes.”
“But no more?” the Chief Constable pressed him.
“No. There’s something going on. Undercurrents, as you might say.”
“Explain yourself, Huish.”
“What I’d really like to know is what they think themselves. About eachother.”
“Oh, I see, I get you now. You’re wondering if they themselves knowwho it was?”
“Yes. I can’t make up my mind about it. Do they all know? And are theyall agreed to keep it dark? I don’t think so. I think it’s even possible thatthey may all have different ideas. There’s the Swedish woman—she’s amass12 of nerves. Right on edge. That may be because she did it herself.
She’s the age when women go slightly off their rocker in one way or an-other. She may be frightened for herself or for somebody else. I’ve the im-pression, I may be wrong, it’s for somebody else.”
“Leo?”
“No, I don’t think it’s Leo she’s upset about. I think it’s the young one—Hester.”
“Hester, h’m? Any chance that it might have been Hester?”
“No ostensible13 motive. But she’s a passionate14, perhaps slightly unbal-anced type.”
“And Lindstrom probably knows a good deal more about the girl thanwe do.”
“Yes. Then there’s the little dark one who works in the County Library.”
“She wasn’t in the house that night, was she?”
“No. But I think she knows something. Knows who did it, maybe.”
“Guesses? Or knows?”
“She’s worried. I don’t think it’s only guessing.”
He went on: “And there’s the other boy. Micky. He wasn’t there, either,but he was out in a car, nobody with him. He says he was testing the carup towards the moor15 and Minchin Hill. We’ve only his word for it. Hecould have driven over, gone into the house, killed her and driven awayagain. Gwenda Vaughan said something that wasn’t in her original state-ment. She said a car passed her, just at the entrance to the private road.
There are fourteen houses in the road, so it might have been going to anyone of them and nobody will remember after two years—but it meansthere’s just a possibility that the car was Micky’s.”
“Why should he want to kill his adopted mother?”
“No reason that we know about—but there might be one.”
“Who would know?”
“They’d all know,” said Huish. “But they wouldn’t tell us. Not if theyknew they were telling us, that is.”
“I perceive your devilish intention,” said Major Finney. “Who are yougoing to work on?”
“Lindstrom, I think. If I can break down her defences. I also hope to findout if she herself had a grudge16 against Mrs. Argyle.
“And there’s the paralysed chap,” he added. “Philip Durrant.”
“What about him?”
“Well, I think he’s beginning to have a few ideas about it all. I don’t sup-pose he’ll want to share them with me, but I may be able to get an inklingof the way his mind is working. He’s an intelligent fellow, and I should saypretty observant. He may have noticed one or two rather interestingthings.”
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1
constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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2
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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3
paralysis
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| n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症) | |
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4
alibi
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| n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口 | |
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5
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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6
poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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7
scapegoat
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| n.替罪的羔羊，替人顶罪者；v.使…成为替罪羊 | |
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8
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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9
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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10
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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11
qualms
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| n.不安；内疚 | |
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12
amass
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| vt.积累，积聚 | |
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13
ostensible
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| adj.(指理由)表面的，假装的 | |
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14
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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15
moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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16
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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