As he proceeded to his office, accompanied by Alden and the officials in this case, his thought was running onthe motive1 of this heinous2 crime--the motive. And because of his youthful sexual deprivations3, his mind nowtended continually to dwell on that. And meditating4 on the beauty and charm of Roberta, contrasted with herpoverty and her strictly5 moral and religious upbringing, he was convinced that in all likelihood this man or boy,whoever he was, had seduced6 her and then later, finding himself growing tired of her, had finally chosen thisway to get rid of her--this deceitful, alleged7 marriage trip to the lake. And at once he conceived an enormouspersonal hate for the man. The wretched rich! The idle rich! The wastrel8 and evil rich--a scion9 or representativeof whom this young Clyde Griffiths was. If he could but catch him.
At the same time it now suddenly occurred to him that because of the peculiar10 circumstances attending this case-thisgirl cohabiting with this man in this way--she might be pregnant. And at once this suspicion was sufficient,not only to make him sexually curious in regard to all the details of the life and courtship that had led to this--butalso very anxious to substantiate11 for himself whether his suspicions were true. Immediately he began to think ofa suitable doctor to perform an autopsy--if not here, then in Utica or Albany--also of communicating to Heit hissuspicions in the connection, and of having this, as well as the import of the blows upon her face, determined13.
But in regard to the bag and its contents, which was the immediate12 matter before him, he was fortunate in findingone additional bit of evidence of the greatest importance. For, apart from the dresses and hats made by Roberta,her lingerie, a pair of red silk garters purchased at Braunstein's in Lycurgus and still in their original box, therewas the toilet set presented by Clyde to her the Christmas before. And with it the small, plain white card, onwhich Clyde had written: "For Bert from Clyde--Merry Xmas." But no family name. And the writing a hurriedscrawl, since it had been written at a time when Clyde was most anxious to be elsewhere than with her.
At once it occurred to Mason--how odd that the presence of this toilet set in this bag, together with the card,should not have been known to the slayer14. But if it were, and he had not removed the card, could it be possiblethat this same Clyde was the slayer? Would a man contemplating15 murder fail to see a card such as this, with hisown handwriting on it? What sort of a plotter and killer16 would that be? Immediately afterward17 he thought:
Supposing the presence of this card could be concealed18 until the day of the trial and then suddenly produced,assuming the criminal denied any intimacy19 with the girl, or having given her any toilet set? And for the presenthe took the card and put it in his pocket, but not before Earl Newcomb, looking at it carefully, had observed: "I'mnot positive, Mr. Mason, but that looks to me like the writing on the register up at Big Bittern." And at onceMason replied: "Well, it won't take long to establish the fact."He then signaled Heit to follow him into an adjoining chamber20, where once alone with him, free from theobservation and hearing of the others, he began: "Well, Fred, you see it was just as you thought. She did knowwho she was going with." (He was referring to his own advice over the telephone from Biltz that Mrs. Alden hadprovided him with definite information as to the criminal.) "But you couldn't guess in a thousand years unless Itold you." He leaned over and looked at Heit shrewdly.
"I don't doubt it, Orville. I haven't the slightest idea.""Well, you know of Griffiths & Company, of Lycurgus?""Not the collar people?""Yes, the collar people.""Not the son." Fred Heit's eyes opened wider than they had in years. His wide, brown hand grasped the end of hisbeard.
"No, not the son. A nephew!""Nephew! Of Samuel Griffiths? Not truly!" The old, moral-religious, politic-commercial coroner stroked hisbeard again and stared.
"The fact seems to point that way, Fred, now at least. I'm going down there yet to-night, though, and I hope toknow a lot more to-morrow. But this Alden girl--they're the poorest kind of farm people, you know--worked forGriffiths & Company in Lycurgus and this nephew, Clyde Griffiths, as I understand it, is in charge of thedepartment in which she worked.""Tst! Tst! Tst!" interjected the coroner.
"She was home for a month--SICK" (he emphasized the word) "just before she went on this trip last Tuesday.
And during that time she wrote him at least ten letters, and maybe more. I got that from the rural delivery man. Ihave his affidavit21 here." He tapped his coat. "All addressed to Clyde Griffiths in Lycurgus. I even have his housenumber. And the name of the family with whom she lived. I telephoned down there from Biltz. I'm going to takethe old man with me tonight in case anything comes up that he might know about.""Yes, yes, Orville. I understand. I see. But a Griffiths!" And once more he clucked with his tongue.
"But what I want to talk to you about is the inquest," now went on Mason quickly and sharply. "You know I'vebeen thinking that it couldn't have been just because he didn't want to marry her that he wanted to kill her. Thatdoesn't seem reasonable to me," and he added the majority of the thoughts that had caused him to conclude thatRoberta was pregnant. And at once Heit agreed with him.
"Well, then that means an autopsy," Mason resumed. "As well as medical opinion as to the nature of thosewounds. We'll have to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, Fred, and before that body is taken away from here,whether that girl was killed before she was thrown out of that boat, or just stunned22 and then thrown out, or theboat upset. That's very vital to the case, as you know. We'll never be able to do anything unless we're positiveabout those things. But what about the medical men around here? Do you think any of them will be able to do allthese things in a shipshape way so that what they say will hold water in court."Mason was dubious23. Already he was building his case.
"Well, as to that, Orville," Heit replied slowly, "I can't say exactly. You'd be a better judge, maybe, than I would.
I've already asked Dr. Mitchell to step over to-morrow and take a look at her. Also Betts. But if there's any otherdoctor you'd rather have--Bavo or Lincoln of Coldwater--how about Bavo?""I'd rather have Webster, of Utica," went on Mason, "or Beemis, or both. Four or five opinions in a case like thiswon't be any too many."And Heit, sensing the importance of the great responsibility now resting on him, added: "Well, I guess you'reright, Orville. Maybe four or five would be better than one or two. That means, though, that the inquest will haveto be postponed24 for a day or two more, till we get these men here.""Quite right! Quite right," went on Mason, "but that will be a good thing, too, as long as I'm going down toLycurgus to-night to see what I can find out. You never can tell. I may catch up with him. I hope so, anyhow, orif not that, then I may come upon something that'll throw some extra light on this. For this is going to be a bigthing, Fred. I can see that--the most difficult case that ever came my way, or yours, either,--and we can't be toocareful as to how we move from now on. He's likely to be rich, you see, and if he is he'll fight. Besides there'sthat family down there to back him up."He ran a nervous hand through his shock of hair, then added: "Well, that's all right too. The next thing to do is toget Beemis and Webster of Utica--better wire them to-night, eh, or call them up. And Sprull of Albany, and then,to keep peace in the family around here, perhaps we'd better have Lincoln and Betts over here. And maybeBavo." He permitted himself the faintest shadow of a smile. "In the meantime, I'll be going along, Fred. Arrangeto have them come up Monday or Tuesday, instead of to-morrow. I expect to be back by then and if so I can bewith you. If you can, better get 'em up here, Monday--see--the quicker the better--and we'll see what we know bythen."He went to a drawer to secure some extra writs25. And then into the outer room to explain to Alden the trip thatwas before him. And to have Burleigh call up his wife, to whom he explained the nature of his work and hasteand that he might not be back before Monday.
And all the way down to Utica, which took three hours, as well as a wait of one hour before a train for Lycurguscould be secured, and an additional hour and twenty minutes on that train, which set them down at about seven,Orville Mason was busy extracting from the broken and gloomy Titus, as best he could, excerpts26 from his own aswell as Roberta's humble27 past--her generosity28, loyalty29, virtue30, sweetness of heart, and the places and conditionsunder which previously31 she had worked, and what she had received, and what she had done with the money--ahumble story which he was quite able to appreciate.
Arriving at Lycurgus with Titus by his side, he made his way as quickly as possible to the Lycurgus House,where he took a room for the father in order that he might rest. And after that to the office of the local districtattorney, from whom he must obtain authority to proceed, as well as an officer who would execute his will forhim here. And then being supplied with a stalwart detective in plain clothes, he proceeded to Clyde's room inTaylor Street, hoping against hope that he might find him there. But Mrs. Peyton appearing and announcing that Clyde lived there but that at present he was absent (having gone the Tuesday before to visit friends at TwelfthLake, she believed), he was rather painfully compelled to announce, first, that he was the district attorney ofCataraqui County, and, next, that because of certain suspicious circumstances in connection with the drowning ofa girl in Big Bittern, with whom they had reason to believe that Clyde was at the time, they would now becompelled to have access to his room, a statement which so astonished Mrs. Peyton that she fell back, anexpression of mixed amazement32, horror, and unbelief overspreading her features.
"Not Mr. Clyde Griffiths! Oh, how ridiculous! Why, he's the nephew of Mr. Samuel Griffiths and very wellknown here. I'm sure they can tell you all about him at their residence, if you must know. But anything like--oh,impossible!" And she looked at both Mason and the local detective who was already displaying his officialbadge, as though she doubted both their honesty and authority.
At the same time, the detective, being all too familiar with such circumstances, had already placed himselfbeyond Mrs. Peyton at the foot of the stairs leading to the floor above. And Mason now drew from his pocket awrit of search, which he had been careful to secure.
"I am sorry, Madam, but I am compelled to ask you to show us his room. This is a search warrant and this officeris here at my direction." And at once struck by the futility33 of contending with the law, she now nervouslyindicated Clyde's room, feeling still that some insane and most unfair and insulting mistake was being made.
But the two having proceeded to Clyde's room, they began to look here and there. At once both noted34 one smalland not very strong trunk, locked and standing35 in one corner, which Mr. Faunce, the detective, immediatelybegan to lift to decide upon its weight and strength, while Mason began to examine each particular thing in theroom--the contents of all drawers and boxes, as well as the pockets of all clothes. And in the chiffonier drawers,along with some discarded underwear and shirts and a few old invitations from the Trumbulls, Starks, Griffiths,and Harriets, he now found a memorandum36 sheet which Clyde had carried home from his desk and on which hehad written: "Wednesday, Feb. 20th, dinner at Starks"--and below that, "Friday, 22nd, Trumbulls"--and thishandwriting Mason at once compared with that on the card in his pocket, and being convinced by the similaritythat he was in the room of the right man, he took the invitations and then looked toward the trunk which thedetective was now contemplating.
"What about this, chief? Will you take it away or open it here?""I think," said Mason solemnly, "we'd better open that right here, Faunce. I'll send for it afterwards, but I want tosee what's in it now." And at once the detective extracted from his pocket a heavy chisel37, while he began lookingaround for a hammer.
"It isn't very strong," he said, "I think I can kick it open if you say so."At this point, Mrs. Peyton, most astounded38 by these developments, and anxious to avoid any such roughprocedure, exclaimed: "You can have a hammer if you wish, but why not wait and send for a key man? Why, Inever heard of such a thing in all my life."However, the detective having secured the hammer and jarred the lock loose, there lay revealed in a small top crate39 various unimportant odds40 and ends of Clyde's wardrobe--socks, collars, ties, a muffler, suspenders, adiscarded sweater, a pair of not too good high-top winter shoes, a cigarette holder41, a red lacquer ash tray, and apair of skates. But in addition among these, in the corner in one compact bundle, the final fifteen letters ofRoberta, written him from Biltz, together with a small picture of herself given him the year before, as well asanother small bundle consisting of all the notes and invitations written him by Sondra up to the time she haddeparted for Pine Point, The letters written from there Clyde had taken with him--laid next his heart. And, evenmore incriminating, a third bundle, consisting of eleven letters from his mother, the first two addressed to HarryTenet, care of general delivery, Chicago--a most suspicious circumstance on the surface--whereas the others ofthe bundle were addressed to Clyde Griffiths, not only care of the union League, Chicago, but to Lycurgus.
Without waiting further to see what else the trunk might contain, the district attorney began opening these andreading--first three from Roberta, after which the reason she had gone to Biltz was made perfectly42 plain--then thethree first letters from his mother, on most pathetically commonplace stationery43, as he could see, hinting at thefolly of the life as well as the nature of the accident that had driven him from Kansas City, and at the same timeadvising him most solicitously44 and tenderly as to the proper path for his feet in the future, the general effect ofwhich was to convey to a man of Mason's repressed temperament45 and limited social experience the impressionthat from the very beginning this individual had been of a loose, wayward and errant character.
At the same time, and to his surprise, he now learned that except for what his rich uncle might have done for himhere, Clyde was obviously of a poor, as well as highly religious, branch of the Griffiths family, and whileordinarily this might have influenced him in Clyde's favor a little, still now, in view of the notes of Sondra, aswell as the pathetic letters of Roberta and his mother's reference to some earlier crime in Kansas City, he wasconvinced that not only was Clyde of such a disposition46 as could plot such a crime but also one who couldexecute it in cold blood. That crime in Kansas City. He must wire the district attorney there for particulars.
And with this thought in mind, he now scanned more briefly47 but none the less sharply and critically the variousnotes or invitations or love messages from Sondra, all on heavily perfumed and monogrammed stationery, whichgrew more and more friendly and intimate as the correspondence progressed, until toward the last they invariablybegan:
"Clydie-Mydie," or "Sweetest Black Eyes," or "My sweetest boy," and were signed "Sonda," or "Your ownSondra." And some of them dated so recently as May 10th, May 15th, May 26th, or up to the very time at which,as he instantly noted, Roberta's most doleful letters began to arrive.
It was all so plain, now. One secretly betrayed girl in the background while he had the effrontery48 to ingratiatehimself into the affections of another, this time obviously one of much higher social position here.
Although fascinated and staggered by this interesting development, he at the same time realized that this was nohour in which to sit meditating. Far from it. This trunk must be transferred at once to his hotel. Later he must goforth to find out, if he could, exactly where this individual was, and arrange for his capture. And while heordered the detective to call up the police department and arrange for the transfer of the trunk to his room at theLycurgus House, he hurried next to the residence of Samuel Griffiths, only to learn that no member of the familywas then in the city. They were all at Greenwood Lake. But a telephone message to that place brought theinformation that in so far as they knew, this same Clyde Griffiths, their nephew, was at the Cranston lodge49 on Twelfth Lake, near Sharon, adjoining the Finchley lodge. The name Finchley, together with the town of Sharon,being already identified in Mason's mind with Clyde, he at once decided50 that if he were still anywhere in thisregion, he would be there--at the summer home perhaps of this girl who had written him the various notes andinvitations he had seen--this Sondra Finchley. Also had not the captain of the "Cygnus" declared that he had seenthe youth who had come down from Three Mile Bay debark51 there? Eureka! He had him!
And at once, after meditating sharply on the wisdom of his course, he decided to proceed to Sharon and PinePoint himself. But in the meantime being furnished with an accurate description of Clyde, he now furnished thisas well as the fact that he was wanted for murder, not only to the district attorney and the chief of police ofLycurgus, but to Newton Slack, the sheriff at Bridgeburg, as well as to Heit and his own assistant, urging allthree to proceed at once to Sharon, where he would meet them.
At the same time, speaking as though for Mrs. Peyton, he now called upon the long distance telephone theCranston lodge at Pine Point, and getting the butler on the wire, inquired whether Mr. Clyde Griffiths chanced tobe there. "Yes sir, he is, sir, but he's not here now, sir. I think he's on a camping party farther up the lake, sir. Anymessage, sir?" And in response to further inquiries52, he replied that he could not say exactly--a party had gone,presumably, to Bear Lake some thirty miles farther up, but when it would return he could not say--not likelybefore a day or two. But distinctly this same Clyde was with that party.
And at once Mason recalled the sheriff at Bridgeburg, instructing him to take four or five deputies with him sothat the searching party might divide at Sharon and seize this same Clyde wherever he chanced to be. And throwhim in jail at Bridgeburg, where he could explain, with all due process of law, the startling circumstances thatthus far seemed to unescapably point to him as the murderer of Roberta Alden.
梅森先生偕同奥尔登与一些办案官员去自己办公室时，却在反躬自问:
这一滔天大罪，动机究竟是什么。他年轻时因无女性交往而深感痛苦，所以此刻心里免不了考虑到那类问题。他想到罗伯达的姿色与魅力，另一方面，却是她的穷困和她历来严守道德。教规，因此，他就坚信，从一切迹象看来，这个成年男子或是年轻小伙子，不管他是谁吧，反正先是诱奸了她，后来却对她厌倦了，终于选择了这种方式，想把她甩脱掉……骗她去湖上旅行结婚。他一下子对这个人激起了无比的仇恨。这些卑鄙下流的有钱人!
这些游手好闲的有钱人!
这些窝囊。险恶的有钱人……而克莱德。格里菲思这个小子真不愧是他们这一伙孬种的代表。要是能逮住他就好了。
这时，梅森先生猛地想到:
根据这个案子的特殊情况判断……这个姑娘显然跟他同居……说不定她已有了身孕吧。这一疑心，足以使他不仅对造成这一后果的恋爱史全部细节马上萌发了好奇心，而且还急于闹清楚自己的怀疑是否正确无误。他立刻想到要找一位合适的医生……要是不在布里奇伯格，那就在尤蒂卡或是奥尔巴尼……进行尸体解剖;他还想到要把自己这一疑点告诉海特，要把这一点和她脸部伤痕究竟是什么性质都得查验清楚。
可是，目前梅森先生首先必须查看一下那只手提包和箱子里头的东西，他很侥幸从箱子里头找到了又一个极其重要的物证。原来除了罗伯达置备的那些衣服，她的内衣睡衣，以及在莱柯格斯布朗斯坦商店买的一副红色丝织吊袜带，仍然都放在原装那只盒子里以外，箱子里头还有克莱德在圣诞节前送给她的那套化妆用品。在盒子边上，用一条灰色缎带系上一张小小的普通白色卡片，克莱德在上面写着:
"克莱德赠给伯特……祝圣诞节快乐。"不过他没有写上自己的姓。字迹……在仓促之间写得很潦草，因为当时克莱德正急急乎想上别处去，压根儿不愿跟她在一起。
梅森转念一想，不免大吃一惊:
这凶手怎么不知道这套化妆用品连同卡片都在手提箱里?
不过，即使他明明知道，而且他也没有把卡片取走，那末，有没有这种可能性:
这个克莱德就是凶手呢?
一个阴谋杀人的人，会看不到这么一张卡片呢?
而且上面还有他自己的笔迹?
这算是哪一号阴谋杀人的凶手呀?
梅森先生继而又想到:
不妨先把这张卡片藏起来，一直到受审的那天，假如说这罪犯否认跟这姑娘有过任何密切的关系，或是否认送过她化妆用品的话，那时就突然出示这张卡片得了。于是，他拿起卡片，放进自己的口袋，不过，在这以前，厄尔。
纽科姆仔细地看了一下，说:
"我可不能完全肯定，梅森先生。不过，我觉得，好象这笔迹跟大比腾湖客栈登记簿上的非常相象。"梅森马上回答说:
"得了，这事要不了多久，就可以闹清楚了。"稍后，梅森先生招呼海特跟他一块到隔壁房间去，那儿谁都看不到或听不见他们。他说:
"哦，弗雷德，知道吧，一切跟您猜想的一模一样。她知道她女儿是跟谁一块走的。"(他这是指来自比尔茨的电话里所说的，就是奥尔登太太已把有关凶手的确切情况告诉他了)"不过，我要是不告诉您，您就是猜上一千年，也包管猜不到。"他把身子凑过来，机灵地直瞅着海特。
"那当然罗，奥维尔。我可一点儿也猜不到。""哦，您知道莱柯格斯的那个格里菲思公司吗?
""不就是做领子的那一伙人吗?
""是啊，就是做领子的那伙人。""不是那个儿子吗?
"弗雷德。海特眼睛睁得大大的，那是他这么多年来从来没有过的。他那只黝黑的大手抓住了自己长胡子。
"不，不是儿子。而是那个侄子!
""那个侄子!
塞缪尔。格里菲思的?
不可能吧!
"这个上了年纪的验尸官，既严守道德。教规，可对政治。生意又感兴趣，捋了一下自己长胡子，两眼直瞪着梅森先生。
"至少目下，事实好象已指明了这一点，弗雷德。不管怎么说，今儿晚上我就去莱柯格斯，希望明天我了解到更多情况。可是，您瞧，这个奥尔登姑娘……人家是赤贫如洗的庄稼人，知道吧……是给莱柯格斯的格里菲思公司做工的，而这个侄子克莱德。格里菲思，据我了解，就是主管她工作的那个部门的。
""Ｔｓｔ!
Ｔｓｔ!
Ｔｓｔ!
"验尸官突然插嘴。
"就在上星期二她动身去旅行以前，她在家里待了一个月……病了，"(他说到这个词儿，特别加重了语气)"而在那一段时间里，她给他至少写过十封信，也许比这些还多哩。我是从那个邮递员那儿了解到的。我这儿还有他的佐证誓词。
"他轻轻地拍了一下自己的外套。"全都是写给莱柯格斯的克莱德。格里菲思的。
甚至他的住处门牌号码我都有。还有这姑娘她寄住的那户人家姓啥名啥的，我也都知道。我已在比尔茨跟那儿打过电话了。今儿晚上，我打算带那位老人家跟我一块去莱柯格斯，万一发现什么，也许他多少会知道呢。""是啊，是啊，奥维尔。我懂了。我明白了。敢情是格里菲思家的!
"海特又卷起舌头咯咯地说。
"不过，我想跟您谈的，是有关验尸的事，"这时，梅森干脆利索地说。"您知道，我心里一直在琢磨，他之所以杀死她，不可能仅仅是因为他不愿意跟她结婚。依我看，这好象不合情理。"接着，他给海特说出了许多想法，使他作出了罗伯达已经怀孕的结论。他的意见马上得到海特的同意。
"哦，那就是说，需要进行尸体解剖，"海特继续说下去。"还得对这些伤痕的性质作出医学上的结论。在尸体从这儿运走以前，我们必须了解得一清二楚，连一点儿怀疑的影儿都没有，弗雷德;而且还得了解清楚:
那个姑娘到底是先被杀死，随后从船上甩出去呢，还是刚刚昏倒，然后被甩出去的，还是仅仅因为翻了船。这对本案关系极端重要，您自个儿也明白。我们要是对这些事实了解得都不够，那简直就什么也办不成了。不过，这儿医学界的人士怎么样?
您觉得他们里头谁有能耐，条分缕析，说明所有这些问题，因此，他们出庭时所说的话，叫谁都驳不倒。"梅森对此犹豫不决。他已经在拟定起诉方案了。
"是啊，关于那件事，奥维尔，"海特慢条斯理地回答说。"我可还说不准。
也许您的判断要比我高明。我已经请米切尔大夫明天过来看看她。也还请了贝茨。不过，要是还有其他医生您认为满意的……巴沃，或是科德沃特的林肯……那末，巴沃您觉得怎么样?
""依我看，还是尤蒂卡的韦伯斯特好，"梅森接着说。"要不然就是比米斯，或是干脆他们二位都请来。象这么一个案子，听听四五个专家的意见，不算太多吧。"这时，海特感到自己肩上的责任重大，找补着说:
"哦，我看您的主意不错，奥维尔。也许四五个人比一两个人会更好些。不过，这么说来，验尸就得推迟一两天，要等我们把这些医生请到这儿来以后才进行。""您说得对!
您说得对!
"梅森继续说道。"不过，那样一来也好，因为我今儿晚上就要去莱柯格斯，也许还能发现些什么。事前这就很难说了。说不定我在那儿能抓住他。至少我希望能这样。要不然，也许我碰巧发现什么新线索，使这个案子的脉络显得更清晰些。因为我觉得这会变成轰动一时的大事，弗雷德。
我知道……这是我……同时也是您……接办最棘手的一个案子，而且，从今以后，我们每一步怎么个走法，非得慎之再慎不可。看来此人很有钱，知道了吧。
要是这样的话，他就会反击。除此以外，还有他那家亲戚会支持他。
"他用自己不安的手拢了一下乱蓬蓬的头发，便接下去说:
"得了，那样一来也好。第二件事，就是去请尤蒂卡的比米斯和韦伯斯特……最好今儿晚上打个电报给他们，嗯，或者打个电话给他们。还有奥尔巴尼的斯普鲁尔。而为了不要伤了自己人和气，也许最好还得把本地医生林肯和贝茨也请来。也许还有巴沃，"他脸上勉强露出一丝笑容。"得了，弗雷德，我该走了。设法要让他们不是在明天来，而是到星期一或是星期二来。也许到时候我可以回来了，我又跟你们在一块了。要是可能的话，您最好星期一把他们请到这儿来……知道吧，越早越好……到时候，再看看我们究竟了解清楚了哪些问题。"他走到抽屉跟前，又取出了几张传票。随后到外间通知奥尔登一会儿他们就要动身走了。再关照伯利打个电话给梅森太太。伯利就向她说明梅森先生匆匆忙忙出差去了，星期一前可能回不来。
他们到尤蒂卡一共花了三个钟头，再等了一个钟头，才搭上开往莱柯格斯的火车。而在火车上又花去了一小时又二十分钟，大约在七点钟光景，他们终于到达莱柯格斯。一路上，奥维尔。梅森拚命从这个沮丧的。阴郁的泰特斯那儿搜集有关他和罗伯达过去卑微生活的片断回忆……她的慷慨大方，她的百依百顺，她的德行贞操，她的心地善良，还有往昔她工作过的那些地方和工作环境，当时她挣过多少钱，她挣来的钱又是怎么花的……这些事情虽然都很微不足道，可梅森还是深受感动。
梅森跟泰特斯一起到达莱柯格斯以后，就马上赶到莱柯格斯旅馆，给这个老人定了个房间，让他就在那儿歇息。稍后，他前往地方检察官办公室，因为他必须得到该处授权，方才可以在他的地区进行检察工作，此外还可得到一名警官受他调遣。后来又配备了一名身强力壮的便衣侦探，于是，他径直向泰勒街克莱德的住处走去，心里恨不得就在那儿逮住他。殊不知出来接见他们的是佩顿太太，说克莱德住是住在这儿，只不过眼下人不在(上星期二走的……据她估摸……是上第十二号湖访客去了)。因此，梅森碰了一鼻子灰，只好开门见山地说:
第一，他是卡塔拉基县地方检察官;第二，因为在大比腾湖淹死了一位姑娘，其中有不少疑点，足以使他们相信克莱德那时是跟那姑娘在一块的。所以，现在他非得进克莱德房间不可。佩顿太太听他这么一说，简直吓了一跳，马上往后退缩，脸上露出惊愕。骇怕而又不肯相信的神色。
"不是克莱德。格里菲思先生吧!
啊，多滑稽!
怎么搞的，他是塞缪尔。格里菲思先生的亲侄子，在这儿谁都认得他。要是您一定要了解有关他的情况，我想，他们府上当然会告诉你们的。不过，象这类事……啊，恐怕是不可能的!
"她两眼直望着梅森和那个给她看过证章的本地侦探，好象怀疑他们两人是不是老实，是不是持有这一权力的。
这时，对这种情况司空见惯的那个侦探，早已站到佩顿太太背后通往楼上的楼梯脚下。梅森就从口袋里把他一直细心妥善保管的搜捕证掏了出来。
"非常抱歉，太太。不过，我不能不请您领我们去看看他的房间。这儿是搜查证，而这儿的警官就是听我指挥的。"她马上明白跟法律斗是白搭，便用她抖抖索索的手指了一下克莱德的房间，但在她心里依然觉得这是非常愚蠢。很不公道和侮辱性的错误。
但是他们两人一进入克莱德的房间，便开始这儿看看，那儿瞧瞧。他们一下子发觉有一只不很牢靠的小箱子，上了锁，置放在一个角落里。侦探方斯马上把它掂量了一下，看看它有多大份量;梅森则开始察看房间里每一件东西……所有抽屉里。盒子里，所有衣服口袋里的东西。在五斗柜抽屉里，除了有几件扔掉的内衣。衬衫，以及特朗布尔家。斯塔克家。格里菲思家。哈里特家一些过时的请柬以外，他还发现有一页是在记事本上的，克莱德从自己办公桌上带回家的，上面写着:
"二月二十日，星期三，斯塔克家晚饭"……下面是:
"二十二日，星期五，特朗布尔家"……梅森马上把这些笔迹跟他口袋里那张卡片上的笔迹比较了一下，笔迹完全相同，从而深信自己确实来到了他所要追缉的那个人的房间，便把请柬带走，随后望了一眼那只箱子。这时，那个侦探也在琢磨着怎么对付这只箱子。
"这个该怎么办，长官?
您要一块带走，还是就在这儿打开?
""我想，"梅森严肃地说。"我们最好就在这儿打开，方斯。回头我再把它取走。不过，现在我倒要了解一下，里头有些什么东西。"侦探立刻从口袋里掏出一把很沉的凿子，又向四处张望，再想寻摸一把锤子。
"这箱子并不很坚固，"他说，"我想，只要您说句话，我就一下子把它踢开。
"这时，佩顿太太一见此状，惊呆了，心里按捺不住，真巴望他们不要采取这么粗暴行动，便大声喊道:
"如果你们要锤子，我是可以给的。不过，为什么不可以等一下，找个铜匠师傅来呀?
啊，我可一辈子从没听说过这种事。"可是侦探一拿到锤子，把锁撬开之后，只见箱子顶上面那一小格里，有一些克莱德不重要的零星衣饰用品……短袜。领子。领带。一条围巾。吊袜带。
一件扔掉的球衫。一双不怎么好的冬天穿的长统皮靴。一只烟嘴。一只红漆烟灰缸，还有一双溜冰鞋。不过，除了这些以外，角落里有一包捆得紧紧的东西，里头有罗伯达最后从比尔茨写给他的十五封信，还有她去年送给他的一帧小照;另外有一个小包，里头有桑德拉给他的全部信件和请柬，一直到她动身去松树岬以前所写的信也都有。至于桑德拉从那儿写来的信……克莱德则带在身边，紧贴在他的胸口。而那第三个包里的东西(更能说明他的犯罪行为)，里头有他母亲写来的十一封信，头两封寄到芝加哥邮局留交哈里。特纳特……这一看就令人感到非常可疑……而包里还有一些信，则是寄给克莱德。格里菲思的，不仅有寄到芝加哥联谊俱乐部转交的，而且也有寄到莱柯格斯的。
地方检察官不再看箱子里头还有什么东西，而是马上把这些信打开来看了……他一开头看完了罗伯达寄来的头三封信……他一看这廉价信纸怪可怜的……她在信里暗示克莱德在堪萨斯城生活放荡和那次不幸事故，才逼得他从堪萨斯城出逃的，同时还非常关切而又温情脉脉地规劝他以后该怎样走正道……一句话，使平素克制自己，社会经验有限的梅森得到这么一个总的印象，就是:
此人自幼起即染有放荡不羁。误入歧途的劣根性。
同时，梅森才惊奇地获悉，克莱德尽管在这里可以得到有钱的伯父的照顾，显然还是属于格里菲思家族中贫困而又笃信宗教的一分支。要是在平常的情况下，这也许就能让梅森对克莱德多少表示同情。但是，这时，由于受到桑德拉的短信，罗伯达那些令人动怜的信，以及他母亲提到他昔日在堪萨斯城作奸犯科的影响，梅森便深信，就克莱德这种本性来说，他不仅能暗中策划这类罪行，而且还能惨无人道地付诸实施。至于在堪萨斯城的罪行，梅森必须给该城的地方检察官拍发电报，索取详细材料。
他心里一面琢磨着这些问题，一面开始看桑德拉的那些便条。请柬，或是情书，虽然看时一目十行，但还是很尖锐。敏感。所有这些信都写在洒着浓郁香水。印有她芳名开头英文字母缩写的那些个人专用信纸上，信一次比一次写得更亲密，到后来，总是这么开头:
"克莱德，我的心肝宝贝"，或是"最甜蜜的黑眼睛"，或是"我最最亲爱的小伙子"，下款签名是"桑达"，或是"属于你的桑德拉"。而且，里头有好几封是最近才写的，比如，五月十日。五月十五日。五月二十六日的信，或是象梅森刚才发觉到的，正当罗伯达那些最悲切的信开始寄到的时候写的。
如今，一切都已昭然若揭了。克莱德一面偷偷地诱惑玩弄一个姑娘，一面又厚颜无耻，骗取另一个显然属于本地上流社会姑娘的爱情。
梅森被这惊人的发现所吸引，又瞠目结舌了。他同时又意识到，现在决不是坐着沉思默想的时候。断断乎不是。这只箱子必须马上送到莱柯格斯旅馆去。
随后，只要可能的话，他必须去侦查出这个人确切下落，再设法拘捕他。他一面下令侦探打电话给警察局，设法将箱子送到他在莱柯格斯旅馆的房间，一面急忙赶到塞缪尔。格里菲思的住邸，但是发现他们全家人一个都不在城里。他们通通到格林伍德湖上去了。不过，跟格林伍德湖那儿通了电话获悉，就他们所知，这个克莱德。格里菲思，他们的侄子，这会儿正在第十二号湖畔。在沙隆附近克兰斯顿家别墅里，隔邻就是芬奇利家别墅。梅森心里早把芬奇利这个名字。沙隆这个小镇与克莱德联系在一起了，于是，他马上得出结论:
只要他还在那一带转悠，那他一定是在那里……说不定就在寄给他这许多信和请柬(刚才他已看过了)的那个姑娘桑德拉。芬奇利的避暑别墅里。而且，天鹅号船长不是说过，他看见那个来自三英里湾的年轻人是在那儿上岸了吗?
啊，我知道了!
我把他抓住了!
梅森仔细考虑过他下一步行动方案后，便决定亲自到沙隆和松树岬去。现在他既然已得知克莱德的外貌特征，就把这些材料，连同克莱德是这一谋杀案的嫌疑犯。应予逮捕一事，通知了莱柯格斯地方检察官和警察局长。此外，他还通知了布里奇伯格执法官牛顿。斯莱克，以及海特和他自己的助手，敦促他们三位马上去沙隆，他将在那儿跟他们会面。
同时，他装得好象是替佩顿太太代劳似的，跟松树岬克兰斯顿家的别墅通了一个长途电话。接电话的是那儿的一个男管家，梅森向他打听克莱德。格里菲思会不会碰巧在他们那儿。"是的，先生，他是在这儿，先生。不过，这会儿他不在，先生。我看，也许他上湖的那头露营去了，先生。有什么话要转告吗，先生?
"然后，他回答梅森继续提出的一些问题，说他连自个儿也都说不准……恐怕他们一拨人上大约三十英里远的熊湖玩儿去了，不过，什么时候回来，他可说不上来……一两天内恐怕回不来。不过，这个克莱德肯定是跟他们那拨人在一块的。
梅森马上又一次跟布里奇伯格执法官通话，要他带上四五个人跟他一起去。
这样，他们可以在沙隆分头追捕，不管他在哪儿，就在那儿逮住他。然后把他关在布里奇伯格监狱里，依照法定的程序，他可以把这些惊人的事实招供出来，因此，迄至今日，看来杀害罗伯达。奥尔登的凶手肯定是他了。
收听单词发音 |
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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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heinous
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| adj.可憎的，十恶不赦的 | |
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deprivations
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| 剥夺( deprivation的名词复数 )； 被夺去； 缺乏； 匮乏 | |
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meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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seduced
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| 诱奸( seduce的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾引； 诱使堕落； 使入迷 | |
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alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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wastrel
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| n.浪费者；废物 | |
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scion
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| n.嫩芽，子孙 | |
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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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substantiate
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| v.证实；证明...有根据 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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slayer
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| n. 杀人者，凶手 | |
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contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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killer
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| n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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affidavit
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| n.宣誓书 | |
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stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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writs
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| n.书面命令，令状( writ的名词复数 ) | |
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excerpts
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| n.摘录，摘要( excerpt的名词复数 )；节选（音乐，电影）片段 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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futility
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| n.无用 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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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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memorandum
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| n.备忘录，便笺 | |
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chisel
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| n.凿子；v.用凿子刻，雕，凿 | |
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astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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41
holder
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| n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物 | |
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42
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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43
stationery
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| n.文具；(配套的)信笺信封 | |
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solicitously
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| adv.热心地，热切地 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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48
effrontery
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| n.厚颜无耻 | |
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49
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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50
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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51
debark
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| v.卸载；下船，下飞机，下车 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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