It takes about half an hour from Exhampton to Exeter by train. At fiveminutes to twelve Inspector2 Narracott was ringing the front door bell ofThe Laurels.
The Laurels was a somewhat dilapidated house, badly in need of a newcoat of paint. The garden round it was unkempt and weedy and the gatehung askew3 on its hinges.
“Not too much money about here,” thought Inspector Narracott to him-self. “Evidently hard up.”
He was a very fair-minded man, but inquiries4 seemed to indicate thatthere was very little possibility of the Captain’s having been done to deathby an enemy. On the other hand, four people, as far as he could make out,stood to gain a considerable sum by the old man’s death. The movementsof each of these four people had got to be inquired into. The entry in thehotel register was suggestive, but after all Pearson was quite a commonname. Inspector Narracott was anxious not to come to any decision toorapidly and to keep a perfectly5 open mind whilst covering the preliminaryground as rapidly as possible.
A somewhat slatternly-looking maid answered the bell.
“Good afternoon,” said Inspector Narracott. “I want to see Mrs. Gardner,please. It is in connection with the death of her brother, Captain Trev-elyan, at Exhampton.”
He purposely did not hand his official card to the maid. The mere6 fact ofhis being a police officer, as he knew by experience, would render herawkward and tongue-tied.
“She’s heard of her brother’s death?” asked the Inspector casually7 as themaid drew back to let him into the hall.
“Yes, got a telegram she did. From the lawyer, Mr. Kirkwood.”
“Just so,” said Inspector Narracott.
The maid ushered8 him into the drawing room—a room which, like theoutside of the house, was badly in need of a little money spent upon it, butyet had, with all that, an air of charm which the Inspector felt without be-ing able to particularize the why and wherefore of it.
“Must have been a shock to your mistress,” he observed.
The girl seemed a little vague about that, he noticed.
“She didn’t see much of him,” was her answer.
“Shut the door and come here,” said Inspector Narracott.
He was anxious to try the effect of a surprise attack.
“Did the telegram say that it was murder?” he asked.
“Murder!”
The girl’s eyes opened wide, a mixture of horror and intense enjoymentin them. “Murdered was he?”
“Ah!” said Inspector Narracott, “I thought you hadn’t heard that. Mr.
Kirkwood didn’t want to break the news too abruptly9 to your mistress, butyou see, my dear—what is your name, by the way?”
“Beatrice, sir.”
“Well, you see, Beatrice, it will be in the evening papers tonight.”
“Well, I never,” said Beatrice. “Murdered. ’orrible, isn’t it? Did they bashhis head in or shoot him or what?”
The Inspector satisfied her passion for detail, then added casually, “I be-lieve there was some idea of your mistress going over to Exhampton yes-terday afternoon. But I suppose the weather was too bad for her.”
“I never heard anything about it, sir,” said Beatrice. “I think you musthave made a mistake. The mistress went out in the afternoon to do someshopping and then she went to the Pictures.”
“What time did she get in?”
“About six o’clock.”
So that let Mrs. Gardner out.
“I don’t know much about the family,” he went on in a casual tone. “IsMrs. Gardner a widow?”
“Oh, no, sir, there’s master.”
“What does he do?”
“He doesn’t do anything,” said Beatrice staring. “He can’t. He’s an in-valid.”
“An invalid10, is he? Oh, I’m sorry. I hadn’t heard.”
“He can’t walk. He lies in bed all day. Got a nurse always in the housewe have. It isn’t every girl what stays on with an ’ospital nurse in thehouse the whole time. Always wanting trays carried up and pots of teamade.”
“Must be very trying,” said the Inspector soothingly11. “Now, will you goand tell your mistress, please, that I am here from Mr. Kirkwood of Ex-hampton?”
Beatrice withdrew, and a few minutes later the door opened and a tall,rather commanding woman came into the room. She had an unusual-looking face, broad about the brows, and black hair with a touch of grey atthe temples, which she wore combed straight back from her forehead. Shelooked at the Inspector inquiringly.
“You have come from Mr. Kirkwood at Exhampton?”
“Not exactly, Mrs. Gardner. I put it that way to your maid. Your brother,Captain Trevelyan, was murdered yesterday afternoon and I am Divi-sional Inspector Narracott in charge of the case.”
Whatever else Mrs. Gardner might be she was certainly a woman ofiron nerve. Her eyes narrowed and she drew in her breath sharply, thenmotioning the Inspector to a chair and sitting down herself she said:
“Murdered! How extraordinary! Who in the world would want tomurder Joe?”
“That is what I’m anxious to find out, Mrs. Gardner.”
“Of course. I hope I shall be able to help you in some way, but I doubt it.
My brother and I have seen very little of each other in the last ten years. Iknow nothing of his friends or of any ties he has formed.”
“You’ll excuse me, Mrs. Gardner, but had you and your brother quar-relled?”
“No—not quarrelled. I think estranged12 would be a better word to de-scribe the position between us. I don’t want to go into family details, butmy brother rather resented my marriage. Brothers, I think, seldom ap-prove of their sisters’ choice, but usually, I fancy, they conceal13 it betterthan my brother did. My brother, as perhaps you know, had a large for-tune left him by an aunt. Both my sister and myself married poor men.
When my husband was invalided14 out of the army after the war with shellshock, a little financial assistance would have been a wonderful relief—would have enabled me to give him an expensive course of treatmentwhich was otherwise denied to him. I asked my brother for a loan whichhe refused. That, of course, he was perfectly entitled to do. But since thenwe have met at very rare intervals15, and hardly corresponded at all.”
It was a clear succinct16 statement.
An intriguing17 personality, this Mrs. Gardner’s, the Inspector thought.
Somehow, he couldn’t quite make her out. She seemed unnaturally19 calm,unnaturally ready with her recital20 of facts. He also noticed that, with allher surprise, she asked for no details of her brother’s death. That struckhim as extraordinary.
“I don’t know if you want to hear what exactly occurred—at Exhamp-ton,” he began.
She frowned.
“Must I hear it? My brother was killed—painlessly, I hope.”
“Quite painlessly, I should say.”
“Then please spare me any revolting details.”
“Unnatural18,” thought the Inspector, “decidedly unnatural.”
As though she had read his mind she used the word that he had spokento himself.
“I suppose you think that very unnatural, Inspector, but—I have heard agood many horrors. My husband has told me things when he has had oneof his bad turns—” she shivered. “I think you would understand if youknew my circumstances better.”
“Oh! quite so, quite so, Mrs. Gardner. What I really came for was to get afew family details from you.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know how many relatives living your brother has besides your-self?”
“Of near relations, only the Pearsons. My sister Mary’s children.”
“And they are?”
“James, Sylvia and Brian.”
“James?”
“He is the eldest21. He works in an Insurance Office.”
“What age is he?”
“Twenty-eight.”
“Is he married?”
“No, but he is engaged—to a very nice girl, I believe. I’ve not yet mether.”
“And his address?”
“21 Cromwell Street, S.W.3.”
The Inspector noted22 it down.
“Yes, Mrs. Gardner?”
“Then there’s Sylvia. She’s married to Martin Dering—you may haveread his books. He’s a moderately successful author.”
“Thank you, and their address?”
“The Nook, Surrey Road, Wimbledon.”
“Yes?”
“And the youngest is Brian—but he is out in Australia. I am afraid Idon’t know his address, but either his brother or sister would know.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Gardner. Just a matter of form, do you mind my askingyou how you spent yesterday afternoon?”
She looked surprised.
“Let me see. I did some shopping—yes—then I went to the Pictures. Icame home about six and lay down on my bed until dinner, as the Pictureshad given me rather a headache.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Gardner.”
“Is there anything else?”
“No, I don’t think I have anything further to ask you. I will now get intocommunication with your nephew and niece. I don’t know if Mr. Kirk-wood has informed you of the fact yet, but you and the three young Pear-sons are the joint23 inheritors of Captain Trevelyan’s money.”
The colour came into her face in a slow, rich blush.
“That will be wonderful,” she said quietly. “It has been so difficult—soterribly difficult—always skimping24 and saving and wishing.”
She started up as a man’s rather querulous voice came floating downthe stairs.
“Jennifer, Jennifer, I want you.”
“Excuse me,” she said.
As she opened the door the call came again, louder and more imperi-ously.
“Jennifer, where are you? I want you, Jennifer.”
The Inspector had followed her to the door. He stood in the hall lookingafter her as she ran up the stairs.
“I am coming, dear,” she called.
A hospital nurse who was coming down the stairs stood aside to let herpass up.
“Please go to Mr. Gardner, he is getting very excited. You always man-age to calm him.”
Inspector Narracott stood deliberately25 in the nurse’s way as she reachedthe bottom of the stairs.
“May I speak to you for a moment?” he said. “My conversation with Mrs.
Gardner was interrupted.”
The nurse came with alacrity26 into the drawing room.
“The news of the murder has upset my patient,” she explained, adjustinga well- starched27 cuff28. “That foolish girl, Beatrice, came running up andblurted it all out.”
“I am sorry,” said the Inspector. “I am afraid that was my fault.”
“Oh, of course, you couldn’t be expected to know,” said the nurse gra-ciously.
“Is Mr. Gardner dangerously ill?” inquired the Inspector.
“It’s a sad case,” said the nurse. “Of course, in a manner of speaking,there’s nothing the matter with him really. He’s lost the use of his limbsentirely through nervous shock. There’s no visible disability.”
“He had no extra strain or shock yesterday afternoon?” inquired the In-spector.
“Not that I know of,” the nurse looked somewhat surprised.
“You were with him all the afternoon?”
“I intended to be, but, well—as a matter of fact, Captain Gardner wasvery anxious for me to change two books for him at the library. He hadforgotten to ask his wife before she went out. So, to oblige him I went outwith them, and he asked me at the same time to get one or two little thingsfor him—presents for his wife as a matter of fact. Very nice about it hewas, and told me I was to have tea at his expense at Boots. He said nursesnever liked missing their tea. His little joke, you know. I didn’t get out un-til past four, and what with the shops being so full just before Christmas,and one thing and another, I didn’t get back until after six, but the poorfellow had been quite comfortable. In fact, he told me he had been asleepmost of the time.”
“Mrs. Gardner was back by then?”
“Yes, I believe she was lying down.”
“She’s very devoted29 to her husband, isn’t she?”
“She worships him. I really do believe that woman would do anything inthe world for him. Quite touching30, and very different from some of thecases I have attended. Why, only last month—”
But Inspector Narracott fended31 off the impending32 scandal of last monthwith considerable skill. He glanced at his watch and gave a loud exclama-tion.
“Goodness gracious,” he cried, “I shall miss my train. The station is notfar away, is it?”
“St. David’s is only three minutes’ walk, if it’s St. David’s you want, ordid you mean Queen Street?”
“I must run,” said the Inspector, “tell Mrs. Gardner I am sorry not tohave seen her to say good-bye. Very pleased to have had this little chatwith you, nurse.”
The nurse bridled33 ever so slightly.
“Rather a good-looking man,” she said to herself as the front door shutafter the Inspector. “Really quite good-looking. Such a nice sympatheticmanner.”
And with a slight sigh she went upstairs to her patient.
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1
laurels
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| n.桂冠，荣誉 | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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askew
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| adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的 | |
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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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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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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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ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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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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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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estranged
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| adj.疏远的，分离的 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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invalided
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| 使伤残（invalid的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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succinct
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| adj.简明的，简洁的 | |
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intriguing
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| adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心 | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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unnaturally
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| adv.违反习俗地；不自然地；勉强地；不近人情地 | |
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recital
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| n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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skimping
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| v.少用( skimp的现在分词 )；少给；克扣；节省 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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starched
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| adj.浆硬的，硬挺的，拘泥刻板的v.把（衣服、床单等）浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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cuff
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| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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fended
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| v.独立生活，照料自己( fend的过去式和过去分词 )；挡开，避开 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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bridled
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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