Nine
I found Brenda Leonides sitting exactly where I had left her. She lookedup sharply as I entered.
“Where’s Inspector¹ Taverner? Is he coming back?”
“Not just yet.”
“Who are you?”
At last I had been asked the question that I had been expecting all themorning.
I answered it with reasonable truth.
“I’m connected with the police, but I’m also a friend of the family.”
“The family! Beasts! I hate them all.”
She looked at me, her mouth working. She looked sullen² and frightenedand angry.
“They’ve been beastly to me always—always. From the very first. Whyshouldn’t I marry their precious father? What did it matter to them?
They’d all got loads of money. He gave it to them. They wouldn’t have hadthe brains to make any for themselves!”
She went on:
“Why shouldn’t a man marry again—even if he is a bit old? And hewasn’t really old at all—not in himself. I was very fond of him. I was fondof him.” She looked at me defiantly³.
“I see,” I said. “I see.”
“I suppose you don’t believe that—but it’s true. I was sick of men. Iwanted to have a home—I wanted someone to make a fuss of me and saynice things to me. Aristide said lovely things to me—and he could makeyou laugh—and he was clever. He thought up all sorts of smart ways to getround all these silly regulations. He was very, very clever. I’m not gladhe’s dead. I’m sorry.”
She leaned back on the sofa. She had rather a wide mouth; it curled upsideways in a queer, sleepy smile.
“I’ve been happy here. I’ve been safe. I went to all those posh dress-makers—the ones I’d read about. I was as good as anybody. And Aristidegave me lovely things.” She stretched out a hand, looking at the ruby⁴ on it.
Just for a moment I saw the hand and arm like an outstretched cat’sclaw, and heard her voice as a purr. She was still smiling to herself.
“What’s wrong with that?” she demanded. “I was nice to him. I madehim happy.” She leaned forward. “Do you know how I met him?”
She went on without waiting for an answer.
“It was in the Gay Shamrock. He’d ordered

分享到：