Battle and Leach1 stood in the doorway2 of the well-furnished handsome bedroom. On the floor in front of them a police officer was carefully testing for fingerprints3 the handle of a golf club - a heavy niblick. The head of the club was blood-stained and had one or two white hairs sticking to it.
By the bed Dr. Lazenby, who was police surgeon for the district, was bending over the body of Lady Tressilian.
He straightened up with a sigh.
"Perfectly straightforward4. She was hit from in front with terrific force. First blow smashed in the bone and killed her, but the murderer struck again to make sure. I won't give you fancy terms - just the plain horse sense of it.""How long has she been dead?" asked Leach. "I'd put it between ten o'clock and midnight." "You can't go nearer than that?""I'd rather not. All sorts of factors to take into account. We don't hang people on rigor5 mortis nowadays. Not earlier than ten, not later than midnight.""And she was hit with this niblick?" The doctor glanced over at it.
"Presumably. Luck, though, that the murderer left it behind. I couldn't have deduced a niblick from the wound. As it happens, the sharp end of the club didn't touch the head - it was the angled back of the club that must have hit her.""Wouldn't that have been rather difficult to do?" asked Leach.
"If it had been done on purpose, yes," agreed the doctor. "I can only suppose that by a rather odd chance it just happened that way."Leach was raising his hands, instinctively6 trying to re-construct the blow. "Awkward," he commented.
"Yes," said the doctor thoughtfully. "The whole thing was awkward. She was struck, you see, on the right temple - but whoever did it must have stood on the right-hand side of the bed - facing the head of the bed - there's no room on the left, the angle from the wall is too small."Leach pricked7 up his ears. "Left-handed?" he queried8.
"You won't get me to commit myself on that point," said Lazenby. "Far too many snags. I'll say, if you like, that the easiest explanation is that the murderer was left-handed - but there are other ways of accounting9 for it. Suppose, for instance, the old lady had turned her head slightly to the left just as the man hit. Or he may have previously10 moved the bed out, stood on the left of it and afterwards moved the bed back.""Not very likely- that last.""Perhaps not, but it might have happened. I've had some experience in these things, and I can tell you, my boy, deducing that a murderous blow was struck left-handed is full of pitfalls11."Detective Sergeant12 Jones from the floor remarked, "This golf club is the ordinary right-handed kind."Leach nodded. "Still, it mayn't have belonged to the man who used it. It was a man, I suppose, doctor?""Not necessarily. If the weapon was that heavy niblick a woman could have landed a terrible swipe with it."Superintendent13 Battle said in his quiet voice: "But you couldn't swear that that was the weapon, could you, doctor?"Lazenby gave him a quick, interested glance.
"No. I can only swear that it might have been the weapon, and that presumably it was the weapon. I'll analyse the blood on it, make sure that it's the same blood group - also the hairs.""Yes," said Battle approvingly. "It's always as well to be thorough."Lazenby asked curiously14: "Got any doubts about that golf club yourself. Superintendent?"Battle shook his head.
"Oh, no, no. I'm a simple man. Like to believe the things I see with my eyes. She was hit with something heavy - that's heavy. It has blood and hair on it, therefore presumably her blood and hair. Ergo - that was the weapon used."Leach asked: "Was she awake or asleep when she was hit?""In my opinion, awake. There's astonishment15 on her face. I'd say - this is just a private personal opinion - that she didn't expect what was going to happen. There's no sign of any attempt to fight - and no horror or fear. I'd say offhand16 that either she had just woken up from sleep and was hazy17 and didn't take things in - or else she recognised her assailant as someone who could not possibly wish to harm her.""The bedside lamp was on and nothing else," said Leach thoughtfully.
"Yes, that cuts either way. She may have turned it on when she was suddenly woken up by someone entering her room. Or it may have been on already."Detective Sergeant Jones rose to his feet. He was smiling appreciatively. "Lovely set of prints on that club," he said. "Clear as anything!" Leach gave a deep sigh. "That ought to simplify things.""Obliging chap," said Dr. Lazenby. "Left the weapon - left his fingerprints on it -wonder he didn't leave his visiting card!""It might be," said Superintendent Battle, "that he just lost his head. Some do."The doctor nodded.
"True enough. Well, I must go and look after my other patient.""What patient?" Battle sounded suddenly interested.
"I was sent for by the butler before this was discovered. Lady Tressilian's maid was found in a coma18 this morning.""What was wrong with her?""Heavily doped with one of the barbiturates. She's pretty bad, but she'll pull round.""The maid?" said Battle. His rather ox-like eyes went heavily to the big bell-pull, the tassel19 of which rested on the pillow near the dead woman's hand.
Lazenby nodded.
"Exactly. That's the first thing Lady Tressilian would have done if she'd cause to feel alarm - pull that bell and summon the maid. Well, she could have pulled it till all was blue. The maid wouldn't have heard.""That was taken care of, was it?" said Battle. "You're sure of that? She wasn't in the habit of taking sleeping draughts20?""I'm positive she wasn't. There's not a sign of such a thing in her room. And I've found out how it was given to her. Senna pods. She drank off a brew21 of senna pods every night. The stuff was in that."Superintendent Battle scratched his chin.
"H'm," he said. "Someone knew all about this house. You know, doctor, this is a very odd sort of murder.""Well," said Lazenby, "that's your business.""He's a good man, our doctor," said Leach when Lazenby had left the room.
The two men were alone now. The photographs had been taken, and measurements recorded. The two police officers knew every fact that was to be known about the room where the crime had been committed.
Battle nodded in answer to his nephew's remark. He seemed to be puzzling over something.
"Do you think anyone could have handled that club - with gloves on, say, after those fingerprints were made?"Leach shook his head.
"I don't, and no more do you. You couldn't grasp that club - not use it, I mean, without smearing22 those prints. They weren't smeared23. They were as clear as clear. You saw for yourself."Battle agreed.
"And now we ask very nicely and politely if everyone will allow us to take their fingerprints - no compulsion, of course. And everyone will say yes - and then one of two things will happen. Either none of these fingerprints will agree, or else -""Or else we'll have got our man?""I suppose so. Or our woman, perhaps."
Leach shook his head. "No, not a woman. Those prints on the club were a man's. Too big for a woman's. Besides, this isn't a woman's crime.""No," agreed Battle. "Quite a man's crime. Brutal24, masculine, rather athletic25 and slightly stupid. Know anybody in the house like that?""I don't know anyone in the house yet. They're all together in the dining-room." Battle moved towards the door.
"We'll go and have a look at them." He glanced over his shoulder at the bed, shook his head and remarked: "I don't like that bell-pull.""What about it?""It doesn't fit."
He added as he opened the door: "Who wanted to kill her, I wonder? A lot of cantankerous26 old ladies about just asking for a tap on the skull27. She doesn't look that sort. I should think she was liked." He paused a minute and then asked: "Well off, wasn't she? Who gets her money?"Leach answered the implication of the words: "You've hit it! That will be the answer. It's one of the first things to find out."As they went downstairs together Battle glanced at the list in his hand. He read out: "Miss Aldin, Mr. Royde, Mr. Strange, Mrs. Strange, Mrs. Audrey Strange. H'm, seems a lot of the Strange family.""Those are his two wives, I understand."Battle's eyebrows28 rose and he murmured: "Bluebeard, is he?"The family were assembled round the dining-room table, where they had made a pretence29 of eating.
Superintendent Battle glanced keenly at the faces turned to him. He was sizing them up after his own peculiar30 methods. His view of them might have surprised them had they known it. It was a sternly biased31 view. No matter what the law pretends as to regarding people as innocent until they are proved guilty, Superintendent Battle always regarded everyone connected with a murder case as a potential murderer.
He glanced from Mary Aldin, sitting upright and pale at the head of the table, to Thomas Royde, filling a pipe beside her, to Audrey sitting with her chair pushed back, a coffee cup and saucer in her right hand, a cigarette in her left, to Nevile, looking dazed and bewildered, trying with a shaking hand to light a cigarette, to Kay, with her elbows on the table and the pallor of her face showing through her make-up.
These were Superintendent Battle's thoughts: Suppose that's Miss Aldin. Cool customer - competent woman, I should say. Won't catch her off her guard easily. Man next to her is a dark horse - got a groggy32 arm - poker33 face - got an inferiority complex, as likely as not. That's one of these wives, I suppose - she's scared to death - yes, she's scared all right. Funny about that coffee cup. That's Strange; I've seen him before somewhere. He's got the jitters34 all right - nerves shot to pieces. Red-headed girl's a tartar - devil of a temper. Brains as well as temper, though.
Whilst he was thus sizing them up Inspector35 Leach was making a stiff little speech. Mary Aldin mentioned everyone present by name.
She ended up: "It has been a terrible shock to us, of course, but we are anxious to help you in any way we can.""To begin with," said Leach, holding it up, "does anybody know anything about this golf club?"With a little cry, Kay said, "How horrible! Is that what -" and stopped.
Nevile Strange got up and came round the table.
"Looks like one of mine. Can I just see?""It's quite all right now," said Inspector Leach. "You can handle it."That little significant "now" did not seem to produce any reaction in the onlookers36. Nevile examined the club.
"I think it's one of the niblicks out of my bag," he said. "I can tell you for sure in a minute or two. If you will just come with me." They followed him to a big cupboard under the stairs. He flung open the door of it and to Battle's confused eyes it seemed literally37 crowded with tennis racquets. At the same time, he remembered where he had seen Nevile Strange before. He said quickly: "I've seen you play at Wimbledon, sir."Nevile half turned his head. "Oh, yes, have you?"He was throwing aside some of the racquets. There were two golf bags in the cupboard leaning up against fishing tackle.
"Only my wife and I play golf," explained Nevile. "And that's a man's club. Yes, that's right - it's mine."He had taken out his bag, which contained at least fourteen clubs.
Inspector Leach thought to himself: "These athletic chaps certainly take themselves seriously. Wouldn't like to be his caddy."Nevile was saying: "It's one of Walter Hudosn's niblicks from St. Esbert's." "Thank you, Mr. Strange. That settles one question."Nevile said: "What beats me is that nothing was taken. And the house doesn't seem to have been broken into?" His voice was bewildered - but it was also frightened.
Battle said to himself: "They've been thinking it out, all of them ..." "The servants," said Nevile, "are absolutely harmless.""I shall talk to Miss Aldin about the servants," said Inspector Leach smoothly38. "In the meantime, I wonder if you could give me any idea who Lady Tressilian's solicitors39 are?""Askwith & Trelawny," replied Nevile promptly40. "St. Loo.""Thank you, Mr. Strange. We shall have to find out from them all about Lady Tressilian's property.""Do you mean," asked Nevile, "who inherits her money?" "That's right, sir. Her will, and all that.""I don't know about her will," said Nevile. "She had not very much of her own to leave, so far as I know. I can tell you about the bulk of her property.""Yes, Mr. Strange?""It comes to me and my wife under the will of the late Sir Matthew Tressilian. Lady Tressilian only had a life interest in it.""Indeed, is that so?" Inspector Leach looked at Nevile with the interested attention of someone who spots a possibly valuable addition to his pet collection. The look made Nevile wince41 nervously42. Inspector Leach went on, and his voice was impossibly genial43: "You've no idea of the amount, Mr. Strange?""I couldn't tell you offhand. In the neighbourhood of a hundred thousand pounds, I believe.""In-deed. To each of you?" "No, divided between us." "I see. A very considerable sum."Nevile smiled. He said quietly: "I've got plenty to live on of my own, you know, without hankering to step into dead people's shoes."Inspector Leach looked shocked at having such ideas attributed to him.
They went back into the dining-room and Leach said his next little piece. This was on the subject of fingerprints - a matter of routine - elimination44 of those of the household in the dead woman's bedroom.
Everyone expressed willingness - almost eagerness - to have their fingerprints taken. They were shepherded into the library for that purpose, where Detective Sergeant Jones was waiting for them with his little roller.
Battle and Leach began on the servants.
Nothing very much was to be got from them. Hurstall explained his system of locking up the house and swore that he had found it untouched in the morning. There were no signs of any entry by an intruder. The front door, he explained, had been left on the latch45. That is to say, it was not bolted, but could be opened from outside with a key. It was left like that because Mr. Nevile had gone over to Easterhead Bay and would be back late.
"Do you know what time he came in?"
"Yes, sir. I think it was about half-past two. Someone came back with him, I think. I heard voices and then a car drive away and then I heard the door close and Mr. Nevile come upstairs.""What time did he leave here last night for Easterhead Bay?" "About twenty past ten. I heard the door close."Leach nodded. There did not seem to be much more to be got from Hurstall at the moment. He interviewed the others. They were all disposed to be nervous and frightened, but no more so than was natural under the circumstances.
Leach looked questioningly at his uncle as the door closed behind the slightly hysterical46 kitchen-maid, who had tailed the procession.
Battle said: "Have the housemaid back - not the pop-eyed one - the tall thin bit of vinegar. She knows something."Emma Wales was clearly uneasy. It alarmed her that this time it was the big square elderly man who took upon himself the task of questioning her.
"I'm just going to give you a bit of advice. Miss Wales," he said pleasantly. "It doesn't do, you know, to hold anything back from the police. Makes them look at you unfavourably, if you understand what I mean -"Emma Wales protested indignantly, but uneasily: "I'm sure I never -""Now, now." Battle held up a large, square hand. "You saw something or else you heard something - what was it?""I didn't exactly hear it -I mean, I couldn't help hearing it - Mr. Hurstall, he heard it, too. And I don't think, not for a moment I don't, that it had anything to do with the murder.""Probably not, probably not. Just tell us what it was.""Well, I was going up to bed. Just after ten it was - and I'd slipped along first to put Miss Aldin's hot-water bottle in her bed. Summer or winter she always has one, and so of course I had to pass by her ladyship's door.""Go on," said Battle.
"And I heard her and Mr. Nevile going at it hammer and tongs47. Voices right up. Shouting, he was. Oh, it was a proper quarrel!""Remember exactly what was said?""Well, I wasn't really listening, as you might say.""No. But still you must have heard some of the words.""Her ladyship was saying as she wouldn't have something or other going on in her house, and Mr. Nevile was saying, 'Don't you dare say anything against her.' All worked up he was."Battle, with an expressionless face, tried once more, but he could get no more out of her. In the end he dismissed the woman.
He and Jim looked at each other. Leach said, after a minute or two: "Jones ought to be able to tell us something about those prints by now."Battle asked: "Who's doing the rooms?""Williams. He's a good man. He won't miss anything.""You're keeping the occupants out of them?""Yes, until Williams has finished."The door opened at that minute and young Williams put his head in.
"There's something I'd like you to see. In Mr. Nevile Strange's room."They got up and followed him to the suite48 on the west side of the house.
Williams pointed49 to a heap on the floor. A dark blue coat, trousers and waistcoat.
Leach said sharply: "Where did you find this?""Bundled down into the bottom of the wardrobe. Just look at this, sir."He picked up the coat and showed the edges of the dark blue cuffs50.
"See those dark stains? That's blood, sir, or I'm a Dutchman. And see here, it's spattered all up the sleeve.""H'm." Battle avoided the other's eager eyes. "Looks bad for young Nevile, I must say. Any other suit in the room?""Dark grey pinstripe hanging over a chair. Lot of water on the floor here by the wash-basin.""Looking as though he washed the blood off himself in the devil of a hurry? Yes. It's near the open window, though, and the rain has come in a good deal.""Not enough to make those pools on the floor, sir. They're not dried up yet."Battle was silent. A picture was forming itself before his eyes. A man with blood on his hands and sleeves, flinging off his clothes, bundling the bloodstained garments into the cupboard, sluicing51 water furiously over his hands and bare arms.
He looked across at the door in the other wall.
Williams answered the look.
"Mrs. Strange's room, sir. The door is locked.""Locked? On this side?""No. On the other."
"On her side, eh?"
Battle was reflective for a minute or two. He said at last: "Let's see that old butler again."Hurstall was nervous. Leach said crisply: "Why didn't you tell us, Hurstall, that you overheard a quarrel between Mr. Strange and Lady Tressilian last night?"The old man blinked.
"I really didn't think twice about it, sir. I don't imagine it was what you'd call a quarrel - just an amicable52 difference of opinion."Resisting the temptation to say: "Amicable difference of opinion, my foot!" Leach went on: "What suit was Mr. Strange wearing last night at dinner?"Hurstall hesitated. Battle said quietly: "Dark blue suit or grey pinstripe? I dare say someone else can tell us if you don't remember."Hurstall broke his silence.
"I remember now, sir. It was his dark blue. The family," he added, anxious not to lose prestige, "have not been in the habit of changing into evening dress during the summer months. They frequently go out after dinner - sometimes in the garden, sometimes down to the quay53."Battle nodded. Hurstall left the room. He passed Jones in the doorway. Jones looked excited.
He said: "It's a cinch, sir. I've got all their prints. There's only one lot fits the bill. Of course, I've only been able to make a rough comparison as yet, but I'll bet they're the right ones.""Well?" said Battle.
"The prints on that niblick handle, sir, were made by Mr. Nevile Strange."Battle leant back in his chair.
"Well," he said, "that seems to settle it, doesn't it?"
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1
leach
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| v.分离，过滤掉；n.过滤；过滤器 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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fingerprints
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| n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 ) | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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rigor
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| n.严酷，严格，严厉 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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accounting
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| n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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pitfalls
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| （捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误 | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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14
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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offhand
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| adj.临时，无准备的；随便，马虎的 | |
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hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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coma
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| n.昏迷，昏迷状态 | |
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tassel
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| n.流苏，穗；v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须 | |
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draughts
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| n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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brew
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| v.酿造，调制 | |
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smearing
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| 污点，拖尾效应 | |
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smeared
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| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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cantankerous
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| adj.爱争吵的，脾气不好的 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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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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biased
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| a.有偏见的 | |
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groggy
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| adj.体弱的；不稳的 | |
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poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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jitters
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| n.pl.紧张(通常前面要有the) | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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onlookers
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| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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solicitors
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| 初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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wince
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| n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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elimination
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| n.排除，消除，消灭 | |
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latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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47
tongs
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| n.钳；夹子 | |
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suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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cuffs
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| n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) | |
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51
sluicing
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| v.冲洗( sluice的现在分词 )；（指水）喷涌而出；漂净；给…安装水闸 | |
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52
amicable
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| adj.和平的，友好的；友善的 | |
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quay
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| n.码头，靠岸处 | |
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