I
“I want to talk to you, Kirsty,” said Philip.
“Yes, of course, Philip.”
Kirsten Lindstrom paused in her task. She had just brought in somewashing which she was putting away in the chest of drawers.
“I want to talk to you about all this business,” said Philip. “You don’tmind, do you?”
“There is too much talk already,” said Kirsten. “That is my view.”
“But it would be as well, wouldn’t it,” said Philip, “to come to some con-clusion among ourselves. You know what’s going on at present, don’tyou?”
“Things are going wrong everywhere,” said Kirsten.
“Do you think Leo and Gwenda will ever get married now?”
“Why not?”
“Several reasons,” said Philip. “First of all, perhaps, because Leo Argylebeing an intelligent man, realizes that a marriage between him andGwenda will give the police what they want. A perfectly1 good motive2 forthe murder of his wife. Or, alternatively, because Leo suspects thatGwenda is the murderer. And being a sensitive man, he doesn’t really liketaking as a second wife the woman who killed his first wife. What do yousay to that?” he added.
“Nothing,” said Kirsten, “what should I say?”
“Playing it very close to your chest, aren’t you, Kirsty?”
“I don’t understand you.”
“Who are you covering up for, Kirsten?”
“I am not ‘covering up,’ as you call it, for anyone. I think there should beless talk and I think people should not stay on in this house. It is not goodfor them. I think you, Philip, should go home with your wife to your ownhome.”
“Oh, you do, do you? Why, in particular?”
“You are asking questions,” said Kirsten. “You are trying to find outthings. And your wife does not want you to do it. She is wiser than youare. You might find out something you did not want to find out, or that shedid not want you to find out. You should go home, Philip. You should gohome very soon.”
“I don’t want to go home,” said Philip. He spoke3 rather like a petulantsmall boy.
“That is what children say,” said Kirsten. “They say I don’t want to dothis and I don’t want to do that, but those who know more of life, who seebetter what is happening, have to coax4 them to do what they do not wantto do.”
“So this is your idea of coaxing5, is it?” said Philip. “Giving me orders.”
“No, I do not give you orders. I only advise you.” She sighed. “I wouldadvise all of them the same way. Micky should go back to his work as Tinahas gone back to her library. I am glad Hester has gone. She should besomewhere where she is not continually reminded of all this.”
“Yes,” said Philip. “I agree with you there. You’re right about Hester. Butwhat about you yourself, Kirsten? Oughtn’t you to go away too?”
“Yes,” said Kirsten with a sigh. “I ought to go away.”
“Why don’t you?”
“You would not understand. It is too late for me to go away.”
Philip looked at her thoughtfully. Then he said:
“There are so many variations, aren’t there — variations on a singletheme. Leo thinks Gwenda did it, Gwenda thinks Leo did it. Tina knowssomething that makes her suspect who did it. Micky knows who did it butdoesn’t care. Mary thinks Hester did it.” He paused and then went on, “Butthe truth is, Kirsty, that those are only variations on a theme as I said. Weknow who did it quite well, don’t we, Kirsty. You and I?”
She shot a quick, horrified6 glance at him.
“I thought as much,” said Philip exultantly7.
“What do you mean?” said Kirsten. “What are you trying to say?”
“I don’t really know who did it,” said Philip. “But you do. You don’t onlythink you know who did it, you actually do know. I’m right, aren’t I?”
Kirsten marched to the door. She opened it, then turned back and spoke.
“It is not a polite thing to say, but I will say it. You are a fool, Philip.
What you are trying to do is dangerous. You understand one kind ofdanger. You have been a pilot. You have faced death up there in the sky.
Can you not see that if you get anywhere near the truth, you are in just asgreat danger as you ever were in the war?”
“And what about you, Kirsty? If you know the truth, aren’t you indanger too?”
“I can take care of myself,” said Kirsten grimly. “I can be on my guard.
But you, Philip, are in an invalid8 chair and helpless. Think of that! Be-sides,” she added, “I do not air my views. I am content to let things be—be-cause I honestly think that that is best for everyone. If everyone would goaway and attend to their own business, then there would be no furthertrouble. If I am asked, I have my official view. I say still that it was Jacko.”
“Jacko?” Philip stared.
“Why not? Jacko was clever. Jacko could plan a thing and be sure hewould not suffer from the consequences. Often he did that as a child. Afterall, to fake an alibi9. Is that not done every day?”
“He couldn’t have faked this one. Dr. Calgary—”
“Dr. Calgary—Dr. Calgary,” said Kirsten with impatience10, “because he iswell known, because he has a famous name, you say, ‘Dr. Calgary’ asthough he were God! But let me tell you this. When you have had concus-sion as he had concussion11, things may be quite a different day—a differenttime—a different place!”
Philip looked at her, his head slightly on one side.
“So that’s your story,” he said. “And you’re sticking to it. A very credit-able attempt. But you don’t believe it yourself, do you, Kirsty?”
“I’ve warned you,” said Kirsten, “I can’t do more.”
She turned away, then popped her head in again to say in her usualmatter-of-fact voice:
“Tell Mary I have put the clean washing away in the second drawerthere.”
Philip smiled a little at the anti-climax, then the smile died away….
His sense of inner excitement grew. He had a feeling he was getting verynear indeed. His experiment with Kirsten had been highly satisfactory,but he doubted that he would get any more out of her. Her solicitude12 forhim irritated him. Just because he was a cripple did not mean that he wasas vulnerable as she made out. He, too, could be on his guard—and forheaven’s sake, wasn’t he watched over incessantly13? Mary hardly ever lefthis side.
He drew a sheet of paper towards him and began to write. Brief notes,names, question marks … A vulnerable spot to probe….
Suddenly he nodded his head and wrote: Tina….
He thought about it….
Then he drew another sheet of paper towards him.
When Mary came in, he hardly looked up.
“What are you doing, Philip?”
“Writing a letter.”
“To Hester?”
“Hester? No. I don’t even know where she’s staying. Kirsty just had apostcard from her with London written at the top, that was all.”
He grinned at her.
“I believe you’re jealous, Polly. Are you?”
Her eyes, blue and cold, looked into his.
“Perhaps.”
He felt a little uncomfortable.
“Who are you writing to?” She came a step nearer.
“The Public Prosecutor,” said Philip cheerfully, though within him a coldanger stirred. “Couldn’t a fellow write a letter, even, without being ques-tioned about it?”
Then he saw her face and he relented.
“Only a joke, Polly. I’m writing to Tina.”
“To Tina? Why?”
“Tina’s my next line of attack. Where are you going, Polly?”
“To the bathroom,” said Mary as she went out of the room.
Philip laughed. To the bathroom, as on the night of the murder … Helaughed again as he remembered their conversation about it.
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1
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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2
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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3
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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4
coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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5
coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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6
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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exultantly
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| adv.狂欢地，欢欣鼓舞地 | |
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8
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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9
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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10
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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11
concussion
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| n.脑震荡；震动 | |
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12
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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