Twenty-seven NARRACOTT ACTS

Twenty-seven NARRACOTT ACTS

Two mornings later Emily was seated in Inspector¹ Narracott’s office. Shehad come over from Sittaford that morning.
Inspector Narracott looked at her appraisingly². He admired Emily’spluck, her courageous³ determination not to give in and her resolute⁴ cheer-fulness. She was a fighter, and Inspector Narracott admired fighters. Itwas his private opinion that she was a great deal too good for Jim Pearson,even if that young man was innocent of the murder.
“It’s generally understood in books,” he said, “that the police are intenton having a victim and don’t in the least care if that victim is innocent ornot as long as they have enough evidence to convict him. That’s not thetruth, Miss Trefusis, it’s only the guilty man we want.”
“Do you honestly believe Jim to be guilty, Inspector Narracott?”
“I can’t give you an official answer to that, Miss Trefusis. But I’ll tell youthis—that we are examining not only the evidence against him but theevidence against other people very carefully.”
“You mean against his brother—Brian?”
“A very unsatisfactory gentleman, Mr. Brian Pearson. Refused to answerquestions or to give any information about himself, but I think —” In-spector Narracott’s slow Devonshire smile widened, “I think I can make apretty good guess at some of his activities. If I am right I shall know in an-other half hour. Then there’s the lady’s husband, Mr. Dering.”
“You’ve seen him?” asked Emily curiously⁵.
Inspector Narracott looked at her vivid face, and felt tempted⁶ to relax of-ficial caution. Leaning back in his chair he recounted his interview withMr. Dering, then from a file at his elbow he took out a copy of the wirelessmessage he had dispatched to Mr. Rosenkraun. “That’s what I sent,” hesaid. “And here’s the reply.”
Emily read it.
Narracott 2 Drysdale Road Exeter. Certainly confirm Mr.
Dering’s statement. He was in my company all Friday af-ternoon. Rosenkraun.
“Oh!—bother,” said Emily, selecting a milder word than she had meantto use, knowing that the police force was old- fashioned and easilyshocked.
“Ye-es,” said Inspector Narracott reflectively. “It’s annoying, isn’t it?”
And his slow Devonshire smile broke out again.
“But I am a suspicious man, Miss Trefusis. Mr. Dering’s reasons soundedvery plausible—but I thought it a pity to play into his hands too com-pletely. So I sent another wireless⁷ message.”
Again he handed her two pieces of paper.
The first ran:
Information wanted re murder of Captain Trevelyan. Doyou support Martin Dering’s statement of alibi⁸ for Fridayafternoon. Divisional Inspector Narracott Exeter.
The return message showed agitation⁹ and a reckless disregard for ex-pense.
Had no idea it was criminal case did not see Martin Der-ing Friday Agreed support his statement as one friend toanother believed his wife was having him watched for di-vorce proceedings¹⁰.
“Oh,” said Emily. “Oh!—you are clever, Inspector.”
The Inspector evidently thought that he had been rather clever. Hissmile was gentle and contented¹¹.
“How men do stick together,” went on Emily looking over the telegrams.
“Poor Sylvia. In some ways I really think that men are beasts. That’s why,”
she added, “it’s so nice when one finds a man on whom one can reallyrely.”
And she smiled admiringly at the Inspector.
“Now, all this is very confidential¹², Miss Trefusis,” the Inspector warnedher. “I have gone further than I should in letting you know about this.”
“I think it’s adorable of you,” said Emily. “I shall never never forget it.”
“Well, mind,” the Inspector warned her. “Not a word to anybody.”
“You mean that I am not to tell Charles—Mr. Enderby.”
“Journalists will be journalists,” said Inspector Narracott. “However wellyou have got him tamed, Miss Trefusis—well, news is news, isn’t it?”
“I won’t tell him then,” said Emily. “I think I’ve got him muzzled¹³ allright, but as you say newspaper men will be newspaper men.”
“Never part with information unnecessarily. That’s my rule,” said In-spector Narracott.
A faint twinkle appeared in Emily’s eyes, her unspoken thought beingthat Inspector Narracott had infringed¹⁴ this rule rather badly during thelast half hour.
A sudden recollection came into her mind, not of course that it probablymattered now. Everything seemed to be pointing in a totally different dir-ection. But still it would be nice to know.
“Inspector Narracott!” she said suddenly. “Who is Mr. Duke?”
“Mr. Duke?”
She thought the Inspector was rather taken aback by her questions.
“You remember,” said Emily, “we met you coming out of his cottage inSittaford.”
“Ah, yes, yes, I remember. To tell you the truth, Miss Trefusis, I thought Iwould like to have an independent account of that table-turning business.
Major Burnaby is not a first-rate hand at description.”
“And yet,” said Emily thoughtfully, “if I had been you, I should havegone to somebody like Mr. Rycroft for it. Why Mr. Duke?”
There was a silence and then the Inspector said:
“Just a matter of opinion.”
“I wonder. I wonder if the police know something about Mr. Duke.”
Inspector Narracott didn’t answer. He had got his eyes fixed¹⁵ very stead-ily on the blotting¹⁶ paper.
“The man who leads a blameless life!” said Emily, “that seems to de-scribe Mr. Duke awfully¹⁷ accurately¹⁸, but perhaps he hasn’t always led ablameless life? Perhaps the police know that?”
She saw a faint quiver on Inspector Narracott’s face as he tried to con-ceal a smile.
“You like guessing, don’t you, Miss Trefusis?” he said amiably¹⁹.
“When people don’t tell you things you have to guess!” retaliated²⁰ Emily.
“If a man, as you say, is leading a blameless life,” Inspector Narracottsaid, “and if it would be an annoyance²¹ and an inconvenience for him tohave his past life raked up, well, the police are capable of keeping theirown counsel. We have no wish to give a man away.”
“I see,” said Emily, “but all the same—you went to see him, didn’t you?
That looks as though you thought, to begin with at any rate, that he mighthave had a hand in it. I wish—I wish I knew who Mr. Duke really was?
And what particular branch of criminology he indulged in in the past?”
She looked appealingly at Inspector Narracott but the latter preserved awooden face, and realizing that on this point she could not hope to movehim, Emily sighed and took her departure.
When she had gone the Inspector sat staring at the blotting pad, a traceof a smile still lingering on his lips. Then he rang the bell and one of hisunderlings entered.
“Well?” demanded Inspector Narracott.
“Quite right, sir. But it wasn’t the Duchy at Princetown, it was the hotelat Two Bridges.”
“Ah!” The Inspector took the papers the other handed to him.
“Well,” he said. “That settles it all right. Have you followed up the otheryoung chap’s movements on Friday?”
“He certainly arrived at Exhampton by the last train, but I haven’t foundout yet what time he left London. Inquiries²² are being made.”
Narracott nodded.
“Here is the entry from Somerset House, sir.”
Narracott unfolded it. It was the record of a marriage in 1894 betweenWilliam Martin Dering and Martha Elizabeth Rycroft.
“Ah!” said the Inspector, “anything else?”
“Yes, sir. Mr. Brian Pearson sailed from Australia on a Blue Funnel²³ Boat,the Phidias. She touched at Cape²⁴ Town but no passengers of the name ofWillett were aboard. No mother and daughter at all from South Africa.
There was a Mrs. and Miss Evans and a Mrs. and Miss Johnson from Mel-bourne—the latter answer the description of the Willetts.”
“H’m,” said the Inspector—“Johnson. Probably neither Johnson nor Wil-lett is the right name. I think I’ve got them taped out all right. Anythingmore?”
There was nothing else it seemed.
“Well,” said Narracott, “I think we have got enough to go on with.”

1 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

2 appraisingly   

adv.以品评或评价的眼光

参考例句：

• He looked about him appraisingly. 他以品评的目光环视四周。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She sat opposite him on the bench and studied him-wryly, appraisingly, curiously. 她坐在他对面的凳子上，仔细打量着他--带着嘲笑、揣摩和好奇的神情。 来自辞典例句

3 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

4 resolute   

adj.坚决的，果敢的

参考例句：

• He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。
• The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

5 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

6 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

7 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

8 alibi   

n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口

参考例句：

• Do you have any proof to substantiate your alibi? 你有证据表明你当时不在犯罪现场吗？
• The police are suspicious of his alibi because he already has a record.警方对他不在场的辩解表示怀疑，因为他已有前科。

9 agitation   

n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动

参考例句：

• Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
• These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

10 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

11 contented   

adj.满意的，安心的，知足的

参考例句：

• He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
• The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

12 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

13 muzzled   

给（狗等）戴口套( muzzle的过去式和过去分词 )； 使缄默，钳制…言论

参考例句：

• The newspapers were effectively muzzled by strict censorship laws. 严厉的新闻审查法有效地使那些报纸沉默了下来。
• Whenever in the street our dog is muzzled. 每当上街时，我们的狗总是戴上嘴套。

14 infringed   

v.违反（规章等）( infringe的过去式和过去分词 )；侵犯（某人的权利）；侵害（某人的自由、权益等）

参考例句：

• Wherever the troops went, they never infringed on the people's interests. 大军过处，秋毫无犯。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He was arrested on a charge of having infringed the Election Law. 他因被指控触犯选举法而被拘捕。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

16 blotting   

吸墨水纸

参考例句：

• Water will permeate blotting paper. 水能渗透吸水纸。
• One dab with blotting-paper and the ink was dry. 用吸墨纸轻轻按了一下，墨水就乾了。

17 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

18 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

19 amiably   

adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地

参考例句：

• She grinned amiably at us. 她咧着嘴向我们亲切地微笑。
• Atheists and theists live together peacefully and amiably in this country. 无神论者和有神论者在该国和睦相处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 retaliated   

v.报复，反击( retaliate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• When he once teased her for her inexperience, she retaliated. 有一次，他讥讽她没有经验，她便反唇相讥。 来自辞典例句
• The terrorists retaliated by killing three policemen. 恐怖分子以杀死三名警察相报复。 来自辞典例句

21 annoyance   

n.恼怒，生气，烦恼

参考例句：

• Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气？
• I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。

22 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

23 funnel   

n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集

参考例句：

• He poured the petrol into the car through a funnel.他用一个漏斗把汽油灌入汽车。
• I like the ship with a yellow funnel.我喜欢那条有黄烟囱的船。

24 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。