Ted¹ and Amy Milner came to see the man who had shot and killed Amy's first husband, the well-known writer Morton Rainey, about three months after the events at Tashmore Lake.

They had seen the man at one other time during the three-month period, at the inquest, but that had been a formal situation, and Amy had not wanted to speak to him personally. Not there. She was grateful that he had saved her life ... but Mort had been her husband, and she had loved him for many years, and in her deepest heart she felt that Fred Evans's finger hadn't been the only one which pulled the trigger.

She would have come in time anyway, she suspected, in order to clarify it as much as possible in her mind. Her time might have been a year, or two, possibly even three. But things had happened in the meanwhile which made her move more quickly. She had hoped Ted would let her come to New York alone, but he was emphatic³. Not after the last time he had let her go someplace alone. That time she had almost gotten killed.

Amy pointed⁴ out with some asperity⁵ that it would have been hard for Ted to 'let her go,' since she had never told him she was going in the first place, but Ted only shrugged⁶. So they went to New York together, rode up to the fifty-third floor of a large skyscraper⁷ together, and were together shown to the small cubicle⁸ in the offices of the Consolidated⁹ Assurance Company which Fred Evans called home during the working day . unless he was in the field, of course.

She sat as far into the corner as she could get, and although the offices were quite warm, she kept her shawl wrapped around her.

Evans's manner was slow and kind - he seemed to her almost like the country doctor who had nursed her through her childhood illnesses - and she liked him. But that's something he'll never know, she thought. I might be able to summon up the strength to tell him, and he would nod, but his nod wouldn't indicate belief. He only knows that to me he will always be the man who shot Mort, and he had to watch me cry on Mort's chest until the ambulance came, and one of the paramedics had to give me a shot before I would let him go. And what he won't know is that I like him just the same.

点击收听单词发音  

1 ted
vt.翻晒，撒，撒开
参考例句：
The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。 She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

2 wan
(wide area network)广域网
参考例句：
The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。

3 emphatic
adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的
参考例句：
Their reply was too emphatic for anyone to doubt them.他们的回答很坚决，不容有任何人怀疑。 He was emphatic about the importance of being punctual.他强调严守时间的重要性。

4 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

5 asperity
n.粗鲁，艰苦
参考例句：
He spoke to the boy with asperity.他严厉地对那男孩讲话。 The asperity of the winter had everybody yearning for spring.严冬之苦让每个人都渴望春天。

6 shrugged
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。 She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 skyscraper
n.摩天大楼
参考例句：
The skyscraper towers into the clouds.那幢摩天大楼高耸入云。 The skyscraper was wrapped in fog.摩天楼为雾所笼罩。

8 cubicle
n.大房间中隔出的小室
参考例句：
She studies in a cubicle in the school library.她在学校图书馆的小自习室里学习。 A technical sergeant hunches in a cubicle.一位技术军士在一间小屋里弯腰坐着。

9 consolidated
a.联合的
参考例句：
With this new movie he has consolidated his position as the country's leading director. 他新执导的影片巩固了他作为全国最佳导演的地位。 Those two banks have consolidated and formed a single large bank. 那两家银行已合并成一家大银行。

10 longing
n.（for）渴望
参考例句：
Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。 His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

11 killer
n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者
参考例句：
Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。 The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

12 pall
v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕
参考例句：
Already the allure of meals in restaurants had begun to pall.饭店里的饭菜已经不像以前那样诱人。 I find his books begin to pall on me after a while.我发觉他的书读过一阵子就开始对我失去吸引力。

13 skidding
n.曳出，集材v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的现在分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区
参考例句：
All the wheels of the truck were tied up with iron chains to avoid skidding on the ice road. 大卡车的所有轮子上都捆上了铁链，以防止在结冰的路面上打滑。 来自《用法词典》 I saw the motorcycle skidding and its rider spilling in dust. 我看到摩托车打滑，骑车人跌落在地。 来自互联网

14 dispelled
v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
His speech dispelled any fears about his health. 他的发言消除了人们对他身体健康的担心。 The sun soon dispelled the thick fog. 太阳很快驱散了浓雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 ponderously
参考例句：
He turns and marches away ponderously to the right. 他转过身，迈着沉重的步子向右边行进。 来自互联网 The play was staged with ponderously realistic sets. 演出的舞台以现实环境为背景，很没意思。 来自互联网

16 sipping
v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 )
参考例句：
She sat in the sun, idly sipping a cool drink. 她坐在阳光下懒洋洋地抿着冷饮。 She sat there, sipping at her tea. 她坐在那儿抿着茶。

17 chunk
n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）
参考例句：
They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。 The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

18 wreckage
n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏
参考例句：
They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。 New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

19 champagne
n.香槟酒；微黄色
参考例句：
There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。 They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。

20 cocktail
n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物
参考例句：
We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。 At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

21 persuasive
adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的
参考例句：
His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。 The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

22 vice
n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的
参考例句：
He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。 They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

23 steer
vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶
参考例句：
If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。 It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

24 ulcers
n.溃疡( ulcer的名词复数 )；腐烂物；道德败坏；腐败
参考例句：
Detachment of the dead cells produces erosions and ulcers. 死亡细胞的脱落，产生糜烂和溃疡。 来自辞典例句 75% of postbulbar ulcers occur proximal to the duodenal papilla. 75％的球后溃疡发生在十二指肠乳头近侧。 来自辞典例句

25 subscribe
vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助
参考例句：
I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。 The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

26 testimony
n.证词；见证，证明
参考例句：
The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。 He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

27 arsonist
n.纵火犯
参考例句：
You're pretty sure you can identify a single arsonist?你确信你能鉴别出一个特定的纵火者？ The arsonist confessed that he set fire to six businesses.那纵火犯承认他给6家商场纵过火。

28 literally
adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实
参考例句：
He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。 Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

29 housekeeper
n.管理家务的主妇，女管家
参考例句：
A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。 She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

30 tempted
v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）
参考例句：
I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。 I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

31 alibi
n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口
参考例句：
Do you have any proof to substantiate your alibi? 你有证据表明你当时不在犯罪现场吗？ The police are suspicious of his alibi because he already has a record.警方对他不在场的辩解表示怀疑，因为他已有前科。

32 alibis
某人在别处的证据( alibi的名词复数 )； 不在犯罪现场的证人； 借口； 托辞
参考例句：
The suspects all had alibis for the day of the robbery. 嫌疑人均有证据证明抢劫当天不在犯罪现场。 I'm not trying to beat your alibis any more than I'm trying to prove 'em. 我并不是不让你辩护，我只是想把那个人找出来。

33 motive
n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的
参考例句：
The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。 He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

34 fingerprints
n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。 They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套，以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 charred
v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦
参考例句：
the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸 The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 physically
adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律
参考例句：
He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。 Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

37 sediment
n.沉淀，沉渣，沉积(物)
参考例句：
The sediment settled and the water was clear.杂质沉淀后，水变清了。 Sediment begins to choke the channel's opening.沉积物开始淤塞河道口。

38 canvassed
v.（在政治方面）游说( canvass的过去式和过去分词 )；调查（如选举前选民的）意见；为讨论而提出（意见等）；详细检查
参考例句：
He canvassed the papers, hunting for notices of jobs. 他仔细查阅报纸，寻找招工广告。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 The stirring event was well canvassed. 那桩惊人的事情已经是满城风雨。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

39 peculiar
adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的
参考例句：
He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。 He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

40 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

41 deposition
n.免职，罢官；作证；沉淀；沉淀物
参考例句：
It was this issue which led to the deposition of the king.正是这件事导致了国王被废黜。 This leads to calcium deposition in the blood-vessels.这导致钙在血管中沉积。

42 compartment
n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间
参考例句：
We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴，整个客车隔间由我们独享。 The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。

43 eyebrows
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。 His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

44 speculation
n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机
参考例句：
Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。 There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

45 investigator
n.研究者，调查者，审查者
参考例句：
He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。 The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

46 psychiatrist
n.精神病专家；精神病医师
参考例句：
He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。 The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。

47 breakdown
n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌
参考例句：
She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。 The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

48 plagiarism
n.剽窃，抄袭
参考例句：
Teachers in America fight to control cheating and plagiarism.美国老师们努力对付欺骗和剽窃的问题。 Now he's in real trouble.He's accused of plagiarism.现在他是真遇到麻烦了。他被指控剽窃。

49 obsessing
v.时刻困扰( obsess的现在分词 )；缠住；使痴迷；使迷恋
参考例句：
Why is everyone obsessing over system specs right now? 为啥现在人人都对系统配置情有独钟？ 来自互联网 A nitpicker, obsessing over dimes, is too stiff to place orders. 一个连一毛钱都舍不得亏的人，因太过拘谨而不能下单。 来自互联网

50 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

51 scout
n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索
参考例句：
He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵，受了重伤。 The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。

52 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

53 wagon
n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车
参考例句：
We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。 The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

54 hearsay
n.谣传，风闻
参考例句：
They started to piece the story together from hearsay.他们开始根据传闻把事情的经过一点点拼湊起来。 You are only supposing this on hearsay.You have no proof.你只是根据传闻想像而已，并没有证据。

55 rummage
v./n.翻寻，仔细检查
参考例句：
He had a good rummage inside the sofa.他把沙发内部彻底搜寻了一翻。 The old lady began to rummage in her pocket for her spectacles.老太太开始在口袋里摸索，找她的眼镜。

56 texture
n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理
参考例句：
We could feel the smooth texture of silk.我们能感觉出丝绸的光滑质地。 Her skin has a fine texture.她的皮肤细腻。

57 halfway
adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途
参考例句：
We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。 In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

58 scrawl
vt.潦草地书写；n.潦草的笔记，涂写
参考例句：
His signature was an illegible scrawl.他的签名潦草难以辨认。 Your beautiful handwriting puts my untidy scrawl to shame.你漂亮的字体把我的潦草字迹比得见不得人。