On the day following the inquest Mrs. Blenkensop and Mr. Meadowesmet to compare notes.
“Exit Vanda Polonska and a blank wall as usual,” said Tommy gloomily.
Tuppence nodded.
“Yes, they seal up both ends, don’t they? No papers, no hints of any kindas to where the money came from that she and her cousins had, no recordof whom they had dealings with.”
“Too damned efficient,” said Tommy.
He added: “You know, Tuppence, I don’t like the look of things.”
Tuppence assented1. The news was indeed far from reassuring2.
The French Army was in retreat and it seemed doubtful if the tide couldbe turned. Evacuation from Dunkirk was in progress. It was clearly a mat-ter of a few days only before Paris fell. There was a general dismay at therevelation of lack of equipment and of material for resisting the Germans’
great mechanised units.
Tommy said:
“Is it only our usual muddling3 and slowness? Or has there been deliber-ate engineering behind this?”
“The latter, I think, but they’ll never be able to prove it.”
“No. Our adversaries4 are too damned clever for that.”
“We are combing out a lot of the rot now.”
“Oh, yes, we’re rounding up the obvious people, but I don’t believewe’ve got at the brains that are behind it all. Brains, organisation5, a wholecarefully thought-out plan—a plan which uses our habits of dilatoriness,and our petty feuds6, and our slowness for its own ends.”
Tuppence said:
“That’s what we’re here for—and we haven’t got results.”
“We’ve done something,” Tommy reminded her.
“Carl von Deinim and Vanda Polonska, yes. The small fry.”
“You think they were working together?”
“I think they must have been,” said Tuppence thoughtfully. “RememberI saw them talking.”
“Then Carl von Deinim must have engineered the kidnapping?”
“I suppose so.”
“But why?”
“I know,” said Tuppence. “That’s what I keep thinking and thinkingabout. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Why kidnap that particular child? Who are the Sprots? They’ve nomoney—so it isn’t ransom7. They’re neither of them employed by Govern-ment in any capacity.”
“I know, Tommy. It just doesn’t make any sense at all.”
“Hasn’t Mrs. Sprot any idea herself?”
“That woman,” said Tuppence scornfully, “hasn’t got the brains of a hen.
She doesn’t think at all. Just says it’s the sort of thing the wicked Germanswould do.”
“Silly ass,” said Tommy. “The Germans are efficient. If they send one oftheir agents to kidnap a brat8, it’s for some reason.”
“I’ve a feeling, you know,” said Tuppence, “that Mrs. Sprot could get atthe reason if only she’d think about it. There must be something—somepiece of information that she herself has inadvertently got hold of, per-haps without knowing what it is exactly.”
“Say nothing. Wait for instructions,” Tommy quoted from the note foundon Mrs. Sprot’s bedroom floor. “Damn it all, that means something.”
“Of course it does—it must. The only thing I can think of is that Mrs.
Sprot, or her husband, has been given something to keep by someone else—given it, perhaps, just because they are such humdrum9 ordinary peoplethat no one would ever suspect they had it—whatever ‘it’ may be.”
“It’s an idea, that.”
“I know—but it’s awfully10 like a spy story. It doesn’t seem real some-how.”
“Have you asked Mrs. Sprot to rack her brains a bit?”
“Yes, but the trouble is that she isn’t really interested. All she caresabout is getting Betty back—that, and having hysterics because she’s shotsomeone.”
“Funny creatures, women,” mused11 Tommy. “There was that woman,went out that day like an avenging12 fury, she’d have shot down a regimentin cold blood without turning a hair just to get her child back, and then,having shot the kidnapper13 by a perfectly14 incredible fluke, she breaksdown and comes all over squeamish about it.”
“The coroner exonerated15 her all right,” said Tuppence.
“Naturally. By Jove, I wouldn’t have risked firing when she did.”
Tuppence said:
“No more would she, probably, if she’d known more about it. It wassheer ignorance of the difficulty of the shot that made her bring it off.”
Tommy nodded.
“Quite Biblical,” he said. “David and Goliath.”
“Oh!” said Tuppence.
“What is it, old thing?”
“I don’t quite know. When you said that something twanged somewherein my brain, and now it’s gone again!”
“Very useful,” said Tommy.
“Don’t be scathing16. That sort of thing does happen sometimes.”
“Gentlemen who draw a bow at a venture, was that it?”
“No, it was—wait a minute—I think it was something to do with So-lomon.”
“Cedars, temples, a lot of wives and concubines?”
“Stop,” said Tuppence, putting her hands to her ears. “You’re making itworse.”
“Jews?” said Tommy hopefully. “Tribes of Israel?”
But Tuppence shook her head. After a minute or two she said:
“I wish I could remember who it was that woman reminded me of.”
“The late Vanda Polonska?”
“Yes. The first time I saw her, her face seemed vaguely17 familiar.”
“Do you think you had come across her somewhere else?”
“No, I’m sure I hadn’t.”
“Mrs. Perenna and Sheila are a totally different type.”
“Oh, yes, it wasn’t them. You know, Tommy, about those two. I’ve beenthinking.”
“To any good purpose?”
“I’m not sure. It’s about that note—the one Mrs. Sprot found on the floorin her room when Betty was kidnapped.”
“Well?”
“All that about its being wrapped round a stone and thrown through thewindow is rubbish. It was put there by someone—ready for Mrs. Sprot tofind—and I think it was Mrs. Perenna who put it there.”
“Mrs. Perenna, Carl, Vanda Polonska—all working together.”
“Yes. Did you notice how Mrs. Perenna came in just at the critical mo-ment and clinched18 things—not to ring up the police? She took command ofthe whole situation.”
“So she’s still your selection for M.”
“Yes, isn’t she yours?”
“I suppose so,” said Tommy slowly.
“Why, Tommy, have you got another idea?”
“It’s probably an awfully dud one.”
“Tell me.”
“No, I’d rather not. I’ve nothing to go on. Nothing whatever. But if I’mright, it’s not M we’re up against, but N.”
He thought to himself.
“Bletchley. I suppose he’s all right. Why shouldn’t he be? He’s a trueenough type—almost too true, and after all, it was he who wanted to ringup the police. Yes, but he could have been pretty sure that the child’smother couldn’t stand for the idea. The threatening note made sure ofthat. He could afford to urge the opposite point of view—”
And that brought him back again to the vexing19, teasing problem towhich as yet he could find no answer.
Why kidnap Betty Sprot?
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1
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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3
muddling
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| v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的现在分词 )；使糊涂；对付，混日子 | |
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4
adversaries
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| n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 ) | |
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5
organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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6
feuds
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| n.长期不和，世仇( feud的名词复数 ) | |
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7
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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8
brat
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| n.孩子；顽童 | |
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9
humdrum
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| adj.单调的，乏味的 | |
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10
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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11
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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12
avenging
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| adj.报仇的，复仇的v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 )；为…报复 | |
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13
kidnapper
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| n.绑架者，拐骗者 | |
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14
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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15
exonerated
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| v.使免罪，免除( exonerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
scathing
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| adj.（言词、文章）严厉的，尖刻的；不留情的adv.严厉地，尖刻地v.伤害，损害（尤指使之枯萎）( scathe的现在分词) | |
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17
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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18
clinched
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| v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的过去式和过去分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议） | |
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vexing
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| adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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