Crossing the hall. Superintendent1 Battle was waylaid2 by Mary Aldin.
"Can I speak to you a minute. Superintendent?""Certainly, Miss Aldin. Shall we come in here?"He threw open the dining-room door. Lunch had been cleared away by Hurstall.
"I want to ask you something, Superintendent. Surely you don't, you can't still think that this - this awful crime was done by one of us? It must have been someone from outside! Some maniac3!""You may not be far wrong there. Miss Aldin. Maniac is a word that describes this criminal very well, if I'm not mistaken. But not an outsider."Her eyes opened very wide.
"Do you mean that someone in this house is - is mad?""You're thinking," said the Superintendent, "of someone foaming5 at the mouth and rolling their eyes. Mania4 isn't like that. Some of the most dangerous criminal lunatics have looked as sane6 as you or I. It's a question, usually, of having an obsession7. One idea, preying8 on the mind, gradually distorting it. Pathetic, reasonable people who come up to you and explain how they're being persecuted9 and how everyone is spying on them - and you sometimes feel it must all be true.""I'm sure nobody here has any idea of being persecuted.""I only gave that as an instance. There are other forms of insanity10. But I believe whoever committed this crime was under the domination of one fixed11 idea - an idea on which they had brooded until literally12 nothing else mattered or had any importance."Mary shivered. She said: "There's something I think you ought to know."Concisely13 and clearly she told him of Mr. Treves' visit to dinner and of the story he had told. Superintendent Battle was deeply interested.
"He said he could recognise this person? Man or woman - by the way?""I took it that it was a boy the story was about - but it's true, Mr. Treves didn't actually say so - in fact, I remember now - he distinctly stated he would not give any particulars as to sex or age.""Did he? Rather significant, perhaps. And he said there was a definite physical peculiarity14 by which he could be sure of knowing this child anywhere?""Yes."
"A scar, perhaps - has anybody here got a scar?"He noticed the faint hesitation15 before Mary Aldin replied: "Not that I have noticed.""Come now. Miss Aldin," he smiled. "You have noticed something. If so, don't you think that I shall be able to notice it, too?"She shook her head.
"I -I haven't noticed anything of the kind."But he saw that she was startled and upset. His words had obviously suggested a very unpleasant train of thought to her. He wished he knew just what it was, but his experience made him aware that to press her at this minute would not yield any result.
He brought the conversation back to old Mr. Treves. Mary told him of the tragic16 sequel to the evening.
Battle questioned her at some length. Then he said quietly: "That's a new one on me. Never come across that before.""What do you mean?"
"I've never come across a murder committed by the simple expedient17 of hanging a placard on a lift."She looked horrified18. "You don't really think -""That it was murder? Of course it was! Quick, resourceful murder. It might not have come off, of course - but it did come off.""Just because Mr. Treves knew -"
"Yes. Because he would have been able to direct our attention to one particular person in this house. As it is, we've started in the dark. But we've got a glimmer19 of light now, and every minute the case is getting clearer. I'll tell you this. Miss Aldin, this murder was very carefully planned beforehand down to the smallest detail. And I want to impress one thing on your mind - don't let anybody know that you've told me what you have. That is important. Don't tell anyone, mind."Mary nodded. She was still looking dazed.
Superintendent Battle went out of the room and proceeded to do what he had been about to do when Mary Aldin intercepted21 him. He was a methodical man. He wanted certain information, and a new and promising22 hare did not distract him from the orderly performance of his duties, however tempting23 this new hare might be.
He tapped on the library door, and Nevile Strange's voice called "Come in."Battle was introduced to Mr. Trelawny, a tall, distinguished-looking man with a keen, dark eye.
"Sorry if I am butting24 in," said Superintendent Battle apologetically. "But there's something I haven't got clear. You, Mr. Strange, inherit half the late Sir Matthew's estate, but who inherits the other half?"Nevile looked surprised.
"I told you. My wife."
"Yes. But -" Battle coughed in a deprecating manner, "which wife, Mr. Strange?""Oh, I see. Yes, I expressed myself badly. The money goes to Audrey, who was my wife at the time the will was made. That's right, Mr. Trelawny?"The lawyer assented25.
"The bequest26 is quite clearly worded. The estate is to be divided between Sir Matthew's ward27, Nevile Henry Strange, and his wife, Audrey Elizabeth Strange, nee Standish. The subsequent divorce makes no difference whatever.""That's clear, then," said Battle. "I take it Mrs. Audrey Strange is fully20 aware of these facts?""Certainly," said Mr. Trelawny. "And the present Mrs. Strange?""Kay?" Nevile looked slightly surprised. "Oh, I suppose so. At least - I've never talked much about it with her -""I think you'll find," said Battle, "that she's under a misapprehension. She thinks that the money on Lady Tressilian's death comes to you and your present wife. At least, that's what she gave me to understand this morning. That's why I came along to find out how the position really lay.""How extraordinary!" said Nevile. "Still, I suppose it might have happened quite easily. She has said once or twice, now that I think about it, ‘We come into that money when Camilla dies,’ but I suppose I assumed that she was just associating herself with me in my share of it.""It's extraordinary," said Battle, "the amount of misunderstandings there are even between two people who discuss a thing quite often - both of them assuming different things and neither of them discovering the discrepancy28.""I suppose so," said Nevile, not sounding very interested. "It doesn't matter much in this case, anyway. It's not as though we're short of money at all. I'm very glad for Audrey. She has been very hard up and this will make a big difference to her."Battle said bluntly: "But surely, sir, at the time of the divorce, she was entitled to an allowance from you?"Nevile flushed. He said in a constrained29 voice: "There is such a thing as - as pride. Superintendent. Audrey has always persistently30 refused to touch a penny of the allowance I wished to make her.""A very generous allowance," put in Mr. Trelawny. "But Mrs. Strange has always returned it and refused to accept it.""Very interesting," said Battle, and went out before anyone could ask him to elaborate that comment.
He went out and found his nephew.
"On its face value," he said, "there's a nice monetary31 motive32 for nearly everybody in this case. Nevile Strange and Audrey Strange get a cool fifty thousand each. Kay Strange thinks she's entitled to fifty thousand. Mary Aldin gets an income that frees her from having to earn her living. Thomas Royde, I'm bound to say, doesn't gain. But we can include Hurstall and even Barrett if we admit that she'd take the risk of finishing herself off to avoid suspicion. Yes, as I say, there are no lack of money motives33. And yet, if I'm right, money doesn't enter into this at all. If there's such a thing as a murder for pure hate, this is it. And if no one comes along and throws a spanner into the works, I'm going to get the person who did it!"
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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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waylaid
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| v.拦截，拦路( waylay的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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mania
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| n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好 | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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6
sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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7
obsession
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| n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感) | |
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preying
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| v.掠食( prey的现在分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生 | |
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persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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10
insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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11
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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13
concisely
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| adv.简明地 | |
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peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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intercepted
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| 拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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butting
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| 用头撞人（犯规动作） | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bequest
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| n.遗赠；遗产，遗物 | |
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ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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discrepancy
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| n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾 | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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persistently
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| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
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31
monetary
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| adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的 | |
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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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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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