Anthony said nothing. He continued to stare out of the window. Superin-tendent Battle looked for some time at his motionless back.
“Well, goodnight, sir,” he said at last, and moved to the door.
Anthony stirred.
“Wait a minute, Battle.”
The superintendent1 halted obediently. Anthony left the window. Hedrew out a cigarette from his case and lighted it. Then, between two puffsof smoke, he said:
“You seem very interested in this business at Staines?”
“I wouldn’t go as far as that, sir. It’s unusual, that’s all.”
“Do you think the man was shot where he was found, or do you think hewas killed elsewhere and the body brought to that particular spot after-wards?”
“I think he was shot somewhere else, and the body brought there in acar.”
“I think so too,” said Anthony.
Something in the emphasis of his tone made the dectective look upsharply.
“Any ideas of your own, sir? Do you know who brought him there?”
“Yes,” said Anthony. “I did.”
He was a little annoyed at the absolutely unruffled calm preserved bythe other.
“I must say you take these shocks very well, Battle,” he remarked.
“ ‘Never display emotion.’ That was a rule that was given to me once,and I’ve found it very useful.”
“You live up to it, certainly,” said Anthony. “I can’t say I’ve ever seen youruffled. Well, do you want to hear the whole story?”
“If you please, Mr. Cade.”
Anthony pulled up two of the chairs, both men sat down, and Anthonyrecounted the events of the preceding Thursday night.
Battle listened immovably. There was a far-off twinkle in his eyes as An-thony finished.
“You know, sir,” he said, “you’ll get into trouble one of these days.”
“Then, for the second time, I’m not to be taken into custody2?”
“We always like to give a man plenty of rope,” said SuperintendentBattle.
“Very delicately put,” said Anthony. “Without unduly3 stressing the endof the proverb.”
“What I can’t make out, sir,” said Battle, “is why you decided4 to comeacross with this now?”
“It’s rather difficult to explain,” said Anthony. “You see, Battle, I’ve cometo have really a very high opinion of your abilities. When the momentcomes, you’re always there. Look at tonight. And it occurred to me that, inwithholding this knowledge of mine, I was seriously cramping5 your style.
You deserve to have access to all the facts. I’ve done what I could, and upto now I’ve made a mess of things. Until tonight, I couldn’t speak for Mrs.
Revel6’s sake. But now that those letters have been definitely proved tohave nothing whatever to do with her, any idea of her complicity becomesabsurd. Perhaps I advised her badly in the first place, but it struck me thather statement of having paid this man money to suppress the letters,simply as a whim7, might take a bit of believing.”
“It might, by a jury,” agreed Battle. “Juries never have any imagination.”
“But you accept it quite easily?” said Anthony, looking curiously8 at him.
“Well, you see, Mr. Cade, most of my work has lain amongst thesepeople. What they call the upper classes, I mean. You see, the majority ofpeople are always wondering what the neighbours will think. But trampsand aristocrats9 don’t—they just do the first thing that comes into theirheads, and they don’t bother to think what anyone thinks of them. I’m notmeaning just the idle rich, the people who give big parties, and so on. Imean those that have had it born and bred in them for generations thatnobody else’s opinion counts but their own. I’ve always found the upperclasses the same—fearless, truthful10, and sometimes extraordinarily11 fool-ish.”
“This is a very interesting lecture, Battle. I suppose you’ll be writingyour reminiscences one of these days. They ought to be worth readingtoo.”
The detective acknowledged the suggestion with a smile, but said noth-ing.
“I’d like rather to ask you one question,” continued Anthony. “Did youconnect me at all with the Staines affair? I fancied, from your manner,that you did.”
“Quite right. I had a hunch12 that way. But nothing definite to go upon.
Your manner was very good, if I may say so, Mr. Cade. You never overdidthe carelessness.”
“I’m glad of that,” said Anthony. “I’ve a feeling that ever since I met youyou’ve been laying little traps for me. On the whole I’ve managed to avoidfalling into them, but the strain has been acute.”
Battle smiled grimly.
“That’s how you get a crook13 in the end, sir. Keep him on the run, to andfro, turning and twisting. Sooner or later, his nerve goes, and you’ve gothim.”
“You’re a cheerful fellow, Battle. When will you get me, I wonder?”
“Plenty of rope, sir,” quoted the superintendent, “plenty of rope.”
“In the meantime,” said Anthony. “I am still the amateur assistant?”
“That’s it, Mr. Cade.”
“Watson to your Sherlock, in fact?”
“Detective stories are mostly bunkum,” said Battle unemotionally. “Butthey amuse people,” he added, as an afterthought. “And they’re usefulsometimes.”
“In what way?” asked Anthony curiously.
“They encourage the universal idea that the police are stupid. When weget an amateur crime, such as a murder, that’s very useful indeed.”
Anthony looked at him for some minutes in silence. Battle sat quite still,blinking now and then, with no expression whatsoever14 on his square pla-cid face. Presently he rose.
“Not much good going to bed now,” he observed. “As soon as he’s up, Iwant to have a few words with his lordship. Anyone who wants to leavethe house can do so now. At the same time I should be much obliged to hislordship if he’ll extend an informal invitation to his guests to stay on.
You’ll accept it, sir, if you please, and Mrs. Revel also.”
“Have you ever found the revolver?” asked Anthony suddenly.
“You mean the one Prince Michael was shot with? No, I haven’t. Yet itmust be in the house or grounds. I’ll take a hint from you, Mr. Cade, andsend some boys up bird’s-nesting. If I could get hold of the revolver, wemight get forward a bit. That, and the bundle of letters. You say that a let-ter with the heading ‘Chimneys’ was amongst them? Depend upon it thatwas the last one written. The instructions for finding the diamond arewritten in code in that letter.”
“What’s your theory of the killing15 of Giuseppe?” asked Anthony.
“I should say he was a regular thief, and that he was got hold of, eitherby King Victor or by the Comrades of the Red Hand, and employed bythem. I shouldn’t wonder at all if the Comrades and King Victor aren’tworking together. The organization has plenty of money and power, but itisn’t very strong in brain. Giuseppe’s task was to steal the memoirs—theycouldn’t have known that you had the letters—it’s a very odd coincidencethat you should have, by the way.”
“I know,” said Anthony. “It’s amazing when you come to think of it.”
“Giuseppe gets hold of the letters instead. Is at first vastly chagrined16.
Then sees the cutting from the paper and has the brilliant idea of turningthem to account on his own by blackmailing17 the lady. He has, of course, noidea of their real significance. The Comrades find out what he is doing, be-lieve that he is deliberately18 double-crossing them, and decree his death.
They’re very fond of executing traitors19. It has a picturesque20 elementwhich seems to appeal to them. What I can’t quite make out is the revolverwith ‘Virginia’ engraved21 upon it. There’s too much finesse22 about that forthe Comrades. As a rule, they enjoy plastering their Red Hand sign about—in order to strike terror into other would-be traitors. No, it looks to me asthough King Victor had stepped in there. But what his motive23 was, I don’tknow. It looks like a very deliberate attempt to saddle Mrs. Revel with themurder, and, on the surface, there doesn’t seem any particular point inthat.”
“I had a theory,” said Anthony. “But it didn’t work out according toplan.”
He told Battle of Virginia’s recognition of Michael. Battle nodded hishead.
“Oh, yes, no doubt as to his identity. By the way, that old Baron24 has avery high opinion of you. He speaks of you in most enthusiastic terms.”
“That’s very kind of him,” said Anthony. “Especially as I’ve given himfull warning that I mean to do my utmost to get hold of the missing mem-oirs before Wednesday next.”
“You’ll have a job to do that,” said Battle.
“Y-es. You think so? I suppose King Victor and Co. have got the letters.”
Battle nodded.
“Pinched them off Giuseppe that day in Pont Street. Prettily25 plannedpiece of work, that. Yes, they’ve got ’em all right, and they’ve decodedthem, and they know where to look.”
Both men were on the point of passing out of the room.
“In here?” said Anthony, jerking his head back.
“Exactly, in here. But they haven’t found the prize yet, and they’re goingto run a pretty risk trying to get it.”
“I suppose,” said Anthony. “That you’ve got a plan in that subtle head ofyours?”
Battle returned no answer. He looked particularly stolid26 and unintelli-gent. Then, very slowly, he winked27.
“Want my help?” asked Anthony.
“I do. And I shall want someone else’s.”
“Who is that?”
“Mrs. Revel’s. You may have noticed it, Mr. Cade, but she’s a lady whohas a particularly beguiling28 way with her.”
“I’ve noticed it all right,” said Anthony.
He glanced at his watch.
“I’m inclined to agree with you about bed, Battle. A dip in the lake and ahearty breakfast will be far more to the point.”
He ran lightly upstairs to his bedroom. Whistling to himself, he dis-carded, his evening clothes, and picked up a dressing29 gown and a bathtowel.
Then suddenly he stopped dead in front of the dressing table, staring atthe object that reposed30 demurely31 in front of the looking glass.
For a moment he could not believe his eyes. He took it up, examined itclosely. Yes, there was no mistake.
It was the bundle of letters signed Virginia Revel. They were intact. Notone missing.
Anthony dropped into a chair, the letters in his hand.
“My brain must be cracking,” he murmured. “I can’t understand aquarter of what is going on in this house. Why should the letters reappearlike a damned conjuring32 trick? Who put them on my dressing table?
Why?”
And to all these very pertinent33 questions he could find no satisfactoryreply.
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收听单词发音
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1
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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unduly
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| adv.过度地，不适当地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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cramping
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| 图像压缩 | |
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revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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aristocrats
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| n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 ) | |
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truthful
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| adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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12
hunch
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| n.预感，直觉 | |
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crook
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| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
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whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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15
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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16
chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17
blackmailing
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| 胁迫，尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的现在分词 ) | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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finesse
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| n.精密技巧，灵巧，手腕 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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prettily
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| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
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stolid
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| adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的 | |
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winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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beguiling
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| adj.欺骗的，诱人的v.欺骗( beguile的现在分词 )；使陶醉；使高兴；消磨（时间等） | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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conjuring
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| n.魔术 | |
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pertinent
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| adj.恰当的；贴切的；中肯的；有关的；相干的 | |
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