Inspector1 Narracott’s next move was to report to his superior, Superin-tendent Maxwell.
The latter listened with interest to the Inspector’s narrative2.
“It’s going to be a big case,” he said thoughtfully. “There’ll be headlinesin the papers over this.”
“I agree with you, sir.”
“We’ve got to be careful. We don’t want to make any mistake. But Ithink you’re on the right track. You must get after this James Pearson assoon as possible—find out where he was yesterday afternoon. As you say,it’s a common enough name, but there’s the Christian3 name as well. Ofcourse, his signing his own name openly like that shows there wasn’t anypremeditation about it. He’d hardly have been such a fool otherwise. Itlooks to me like a quarrel and a sudden blow. If it is the man, he musthave heard of his uncle’s death that night. And if so, why did he sneak4 offby the six train in the morning without a word to anyone? No, it looks bad.
Always granting that the whole thing’s not a coincidence. You must clearthat up as quickly as possible.”
“That’s what I thought, sir. I’d better take the 1:45 to town. Some time orother I want to have a word with this Willett woman who rented the Cap-tain’s house. There’s something fishy5 there. But I can’t get to Sittaford atpresent, the roads are impassable with snow. And anyway, she can’t haveany direct connection with the crime. She and her daughter were actually—well—table-turning at the time the crime was committed. And, by theway, rather a queer thing happened—”
The Inspector narrated6 the story he had heard from Major Burnaby.
“That’s a rum go,” ejaculated the Superintendent7. “Think this old fellowwas telling the truth? That’s the sort of story that gets cooked up after-wards by those believers in spooks and things of that kind.”
“I fancy it’s true all right,” said Narracott with a grin. “I had a lot of diffi-culty getting it out of him. He’s not a believer—just the opposite—old sol-dier, all damned nonsense attitude.”
The Superintendent nodded his comprehension.
“Well, it’s odd, but it doesn’t get us anywhere,” was his conclusion.
“Then I’ll take the 1:45 to London.”
The other nodded.
On arrival in town Narracott went straight to 21 Cromwell Street. Mr.
Pearson, he was told, was at the office. He would be back for certain aboutseven o’clock.
Narracott nodded carelessly as though the information were of no valueto him.
“I’ll call back if I can,” he said. “It’s nothing of importance,” and depar-ted quickly without leaving a name.
He decided8 not to go to the Insurance Office, but to visit Wimbledon in-stead and have an interview with Mrs. Martin Dering, formerly9 MissSylvia Pearson.
There were no signs of shabbiness about The Nook. “New and shoddy,”
was how Inspector Narracott described it to himself.
Mrs. Dering was at home. A rather pert-looking maid dressed in lilaccolour showed him into a rather overcrowded drawing room. He gave herhis official card to take to her mistress.
Mrs. Dering came to him almost immediately, his card in her hand.
“I suppose you have come about poor Uncle Joseph,” was her greeting.
“It’s shocking—really shocking! I am so dreadfully nervous of burglarsmyself. I had two extra bolts put on the back door last week, and new pat-ent catches on the windows.”
Sylvia Dering, the Inspector knew from Mrs. Gardner, was only twenty-five, but she looked considerably10 over thirty. She was small and fair andanaemic-looking, with a worried and harassed11 expression. Her voice hadthat faintly complaining note in it which is about the most annoying sounda human voice can contain. Still not allowing the Inspector to speak, shewent on:
“If there’s anything I can do to help you in any way, of course, I shall beonly too glad to do so, but one hardly ever saw Uncle Joseph. He wasn’t avery nice man—I am sure he couldn’t have been. Not the sort of personone could go to in trouble, always carping and criticizing. Not the sort ofman who had any knowledge of what literature meant. Success—true suc-cess is not always measured in terms of money, Inspector.”
At last she paused, and the Inspector, to whom those remarks hadopened certain fields of conjecture12, was given his turn to speak.
“You’ve heard of the tragedy very quickly, Mrs. Dering.”
“Aunt Jennifer wired it to me.”
“I see.”
“But I suppose it will be in the evening papers. Dreadful, isn’t it?”
“I gather you’ve not seen your uncle of late years.”
“I have only seen him twice since my marriage. On the second occasionhe was really very rude to Martin. Of course he was a regular philistine13 inevery way—devoted to sport. No appreciation14, as I said just now, of literat-ure.”
“Husband applied15 to him for a loan and got refused,” was Inspector Nar-racott’s private comment on the situation.
“Just as a matter of form, Mrs. Dering, will you tell me what your move-ments were yesterday afternoon?”
“My movements? What a very queer way of putting it, Inspector. Iplayed bridge most of the afternoon and a friend came in and spent theevening with me, as my husband was out.”
“Out, was he? Away from home altogether?”
“A literary dinner,” explained Mrs. Dering with importance. “Helunched with an American publisher and had this dinner in the evening.”
“I see.”
That seemed quite fair and aboveboard. He went on.
“Your younger brother is in Australia, I believe, Mrs. Dering?”
“Yes.”
“You have his address?”
“Oh, yes, I can find it for you if you wish—rather a peculiar16 name—I’veforgotten it for the minute. Somewhere in New South Wales.”
“And now, Mrs. Dering, your elder brother?”
“Jim?”
“Yes. I shall want to get in touch with him.”
Mrs. Dering hastened to supply him with the address—the same as thatwhich Mrs. Gardner had already given him.
Then, feeling there was no more to be said on either side, he cut the in-terview short.
Glancing at his watch, he noted17 that by the time he had returned totown it would be seven o’clock—a likely time, he hoped, for finding Mr.
James Pearson at home.
The same superior-looking, middle-aged18 woman opened the door of No.
21. Yes, Mr. Pearson was at home now. It was on the second floor, if thegentleman would walk up.
She preceded him, tapped at a door, and in a murmured and apologeticvoice said: “The gentleman to see you, sir.” Then, standing19 back, she al-lowed the Inspector to enter.
A young man in evening dress was standing in the middle of the room.
He was good- looking, indeed handsome, if you took no account of therather weak mouth and the irresolute20 slant21 of the eye. He had a haggard,worried look and an air of not having had much sleep of late.
He looked inquiringly at the Inspector as the latter advanced.
“I am Detective Inspector Narracott,” he began—but got no further.
With a hoarse22 cry the young man dropped onto a chair, flung his armsout in front of him on the table, bowing his head on them and muttering:
“Oh! my God! It’s come.”
After a minute or two he lifted his head and said, “Well, why don’t youget on with it, man?”
Inspector Narracott looked exceedingly stolid23 and unintelligent.
“I am investigating the death of your uncle, Captain Joseph Trevelyan.
May I ask you, sir, if you have anything to say?”
The young man rose slowly to his feet and said in a low strained voice:
“Are you—arresting me?”
“No, sir, I am not. If I was arresting you I would give you the customarycaution. I am simply asking you to account for your movements yesterdayafternoon. You may reply to my questions or not as you see fit.”
“And if I don’t reply to them—it will tell against me. Oh, yes, I knowyour little ways. You’ve found out then that I was down there yesterday?”
“You signed your name in the hotel register, Mr. Pearson.”
“Oh, I suppose there’s no use denying it. I was there—why shouldn’t Ibe?”
“Why indeed?” said the Inspector mildly.
“I went down there to see my uncle.”
“By appointment?”
“What do you mean, by appointment?”
“Did your uncle know you were coming?”
“I—no—he didn’t. It—it was a sudden impulse.”
“No reason for it?”
“I—reason? No—no, why should there be? I—I just wanted to see myuncle.”
“Quite so, sir. And you did see him?”
There was a pause—a very long pause. Indecision was written on everyfeature of the young man’s face. Inspector Narracott felt a kind of pity ashe watched him. Couldn’t the boy see that his palpable indecision was asgood as an admission of the fact?
At last Jim Pearson drew a deep breath. “I—I suppose I had better makea clean breast of it. Yes—I did see him. I asked at the station how I couldget to Sittaford. They told me it was out of the question. The roads wereimpassable for any vehicle. I said it was urgent.”
“Urgent?” murmured the Inspector.
“I—I wanted to see my uncle very much.”
“So it seems, sir.”
“The porter continued to shake his head and say that it was impossible. Imentioned my uncle’s name and at once his face cleared up, and he toldme my uncle was actually in Exhampton, and gave me full directions as tohow to find the house he had rented.”
“This was at what time, sir?”
“About one o’clock, I think. I went to the Inn — the Three Crowns —booked a room and had some lunch there. Then afterwards I—I went outto see my uncle.”
“Immediately afterwards?”
“No, not immediately.”
“What time was it?”
“Well, I couldn’t say for certain.”
“Half past three? Four o’clock? Half past four?”
“I—I—” he stammered24 worse than ever. “I don’t think it could have beenas late as that.”
“Mrs. Belling, the proprietress, said you went out at half past four.”
“Did I? I—I think she’s wrong. It couldn’t have been as late as that.”
“What happened next?”
“I found my uncle’s house, had a talk with him and came back to theInn.”
“How did you get into your uncle’s house?”
“I rang the bell and he opened the door to me himself.”
“Wasn’t he surprised to see you?”
“Yes—yes—he was rather surprised.”
“How long did you remain with him, Mr. Pearson?”
“A quarter of an hour—twenty minutes. But look here, he was perfectlyall right when I left him. Perfectly25 all right. I swear it.”
“And what time did you leave him?”
The young man lowered his eyes. Again, the hesitation26 was palpable inhis tone, “I don’t know exactly.”
“I think you do, Mr. Pearson.”
The assured tone had its effect. The boy replied in a low tone.
“It was a quarter past five.”
“You returned to the Three Crowns at a quarter to six. At most it couldonly take you seven or eight minutes to walk over from your uncle’shouse.”
“I didn’t go straight back. I walked about the town.”
“In that icy weather—in the snow!”
“It wasn’t actually snowing then. It came on to snow later.”
“I see. And what was the nature of your conversation with your uncle?”
“Oh! nothing in particular. I—I just wanted to talk to the old boy, lookhim up, that sort of thing, you know.”
“He’s a poor liar,” thought Inspector Narracott to himself. “Why, I couldmanage better than that myself.”
Aloud he said:
“Very good, sir. Now, may I ask you why, on hearing of your uncle’smurder, you left Exhampton without disclosing your relationship to themurdered man?”
“I was scared,” said the young man frankly27. “I heard he had beenmurdered round about the time I left him. Now, dash it all, that’s enoughto scare anyone, isn’t it? I got the wind up and left the place by the firstavailable train. Oh, I daresay I was a fool to do anything of the sort. Butyou know what it is when you are rattled28. And anyone might have beenrattled under these circumstances.”
“And that’s all you have to say, sir?”
“Yes—yes, of course.”
“Then, perhaps you’ll have no objection, sir, to coming round with meand having this statement taken down in writing, after which you willhave it read over to you, and you will sign it.”
“Is—is that all?”
“I think it possible, Mr. Pearson, that it may be necessary to detain youuntil after the inquest.”
“Oh! my God,” said Jim Pearson. “Can nobody help me?”
At that moment the door opened and a young woman walked into theroom.
She was, as the observant Inspector Narracott noted at once, a very ex-ceptional kind of young woman. She was not strikingly beautiful, but shehad a face which was arresting and unusual, a face that having once seenyou could not forget. There was about her an atmosphere of commonsense29, savoir faire, invincible30 determination and a most tantalizing31 fascin-ation.
“Oh! Jim,” she exclaimed. “What’s happened?”
“It’s all over, Emily,” said the young man. “They think I murdered myuncle.”
“Who thinks so?” demanded Emily.
The young man indicated his visitor by a gesture.
“This is Inspector Narracott,” he said, and he added with a dismal32 at-tempt at introduction, “Miss Emily Trefusis.”
“Oh!” said Emily Trefusis.
She studied Inspector Narracott with keen hazel eyes.
“Jim,” she said, “is a frightful33 idiot. But he doesn’t murder people.”
The Inspector said nothing.
“I expect,” said Emily, turning to Jim, “that you’ve been saying the mostfrightfully imprudent things. If you read the papers a little better than youdo, Jim, you would know that you must never talk to policemen unless youhave a strong solicitor34 sitting beside you making objections to every word.
What’s happened? Are you arresting him, Inspector Narracott?”
Inspector Narracott explained technically35 and clearly exactly what hewas doing.
“Emily,” cried the young man, “you won’t believe I did it? You never willbelieve it, will you?”
“No, darling,” said Emily kindly36. “Of course not.” And she added in agentle meditative37 tone, “You haven’t got the guts38.”
“I don’t feel as if I had a friend in the world,” groaned39 Jim.
“Yes, you have,” said Emily. “You’ve got me. Cheer up, Jim, look at thewinking diamonds on the third finger of my left hand. Here stands thefaithful fiancée. Go with the Inspector and leave everything to me.”
Jim Pearson rose, still with a dazed expression on his face. His overcoatwas lying over a chair and he put it on. Inspector Narracott handed him ahat which was lying on a bureau near by. They moved towards the doorand the Inspector said politely:
“Good evening, Miss Trefusis.”
“Au revoir, Inspector,” said Emily sweetly.
And if he had known Miss Emily Trefusis better he would have knownthat in these three words lay a challenge.
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1
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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5
fishy
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| adj. 值得怀疑的 | |
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6
narrated
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| v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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8
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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9
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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11
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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12
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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13
philistine
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| n.庸俗的人；adj.市侩的，庸俗的 | |
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14
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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15
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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17
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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18
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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19
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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irresolute
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| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
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slant
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| v.倾斜，倾向性地编写或报道；n.斜面，倾向 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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stolid
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| adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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commonsense
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| adj.有常识的；明白事理的；注重实际的 | |
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invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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tantalizing
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| adj.逗人的；惹弄人的；撩人的；煽情的v.逗弄，引诱，折磨( tantalize的现在分词 ) | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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34
solicitor
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| n.初级律师，事务律师 | |
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technically
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| adv.专门地，技术上地 | |
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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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meditative
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| adj.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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guts
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| v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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