加勒比海之谜(英文版)-第18部分

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〃Of　course；〃　said　Greg。　〃I　don't　know　what　time　the　girl　was　actually　killed？〃

There　was　a　faint　semblance　of　a　question　in　the　words。　Lieutenant　Weston；　however；　did　not　appear　to　notice　it。

〃Mrs。　Kendal　found　her；　I　understand？　Must　have　been　a　very　nasty　shock　for　her。〃

〃Yes。　Dr。　Robertson　had　to　give　her　a　sedative。〃

〃This　was　quite　late；　wasn't　it；　when　most　people　had　trundled　off　to　bed？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Had　she　been　dead　long？　When　Mrs。　Kendal　found　her；　I　mean？〃

〃We're　not　quite　certain　of　the　exact　time　yet；〃　said　Weston　smoothly。

〃Poor　little　Molly。　It　must　have　been　a　nasty　shock　for　her。　Matter　of　fact；　I　didn't　notice　her　about　last　night。　Thought　she　might　have　a　headache　or　something　and　was　lying　down。〃

〃When　was　the　last　time　you　did　see　Mrs。　Kendal？〃

〃Oh；　quite　early；　before　I　went　to　change。　She　was　playing　about　with　some　of　the　table　decorations　and　things。　Rearranging　the　knives。〃

〃I　see。〃

〃She　was　quite　cheerful　then；〃　said　Greg。　〃Kidding　and　all　that。　She's　a　great　girl。　We're　all　very　fond　of　her。　Tim's　a　lucky　fellow。〃

〃Well；　thank　you；　Mr。　Dyson。　You　can't　remember　anything　more　than　you've　told　us　about　what　the　girl　Victoria　said　when　she　returned　the　tablets？〃

〃No。。。　It　was　just　as　I　say。　Asked　me　were　these　the　tablets　I'd　been　asking　for。　Said　she'd　found　them　in　old　Palgrave's　room。〃

〃She'd　no　idea　who　put　them　there？〃

〃Don't　think　socan't　remember；　really。〃

〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Dyson。〃

Gregory　went　out。

〃Very　thoughtful　of　him；〃　said　Weston；　gently　tapping　the　paper　with　his　fingernail；　〃to　be　so　anxious　to　want　us　to　know　for　sure　exactly　where　he　was　last　night。〃

〃A　little　overanxious　do　you　think？〃　asked　Daventry。

〃That's　very　difficult　to　tell。　There　are　people；　you　know；　who　are　naturally　nervous　about　their　own　safety；　about　being　mixed　up　with　anything。　It　isn't　necessarily　because　they　have　any　guilty　knowledge。　On　the　other　hand　it　might　be　just　that。〃

〃What　about　opportunity？　Nobody's　really　got　much　of　an　alibi；　what　with　the　band　and　the　dancing　and　the　ing　and　going。　People　are　getting　up；　leaving　their　tables；　ing　back。　Women　go　to　powder　their　noses。　Men　take　a　stroll。　Dyson　could　have　slipped　away。　Anybody　could　have　slipped　away。　But　he　does　seem　rather　anxious　to　prove　that　he　didn't。〃　He　looked　thoughtfully　down　at　the　paper。　〃So　Mrs。　Kendal　was　rearranging　knives　on　the　table；〃　he　said。　〃I　rather　wonder　if　he　dragged　that　in　on　purpose。〃

〃Did　it　sound　like　it　to　you？〃

The　other　considered。　〃I　think　it's　possible。〃

Outside　the　room　where　the　two　men　were　sitting；　a　noise　had　arisen。　A　high　voice　was　demanding　admittance　shrilly。　〃I've　got　something　to　tell。　I've　got　something　to　tell。　You　take　me　in　to　where　the　gentlemen　are。　You　take　me　in　to　where　the　policeman　is。〃

A　uniformed　policeman　pushed　open　the　door。

〃It's　one　of　the　cooks　here；〃　he　said；　〃very　anxious　to　see　you。　Says　he's　got　something　you　ought　to　know。〃

A　frightened　dark　man　in　a　cook's　cap　pushed　past　him　and　came　into　the　room。　It　was　one　of　the　minor　cooks。　A　Cuban；　not　a　native　of　St。　Honorй。　〃I　tell　you　something。　I　tell　you；〃　he　said。　〃She　e　through　my　kitchen；　she　did；　and　she　had　a　knife　with　her。　A　knife；　I　tell　you。　She　had　a　knife　in　her　hand。　She　e　through　my　kitchen　and　out　of　the　door。　Out　into　the　garden。　I　saw　her。〃

〃Now　calm　down；〃　said　Daventry；　〃calm　down。　Who　are　you　talking　about？〃

〃I　tell　you　who　I'm　talking　about。　I'm　talking　about　the　boss's　wife。　Mrs　Kendal。　I'm　talking　about　her。　She　have　a　knife　in　her　hand　and　she　go　out　into　the　dark。　Before　dinner　that　wasand　she　didn't　e　back〃



Chapter　15

INQUIRY　CONTINUED



〃Can　we　have　a　word　with　you；　Mr。　Kendal？〃

〃Of　course。〃　Tim　looked　up　from　his　desk。　He　pushed　some　papers　aside　and　indicated　chairs。　His　face　was　drawn　and　miserable。　〃How　are　you　getting　on？　Got　any　forwarder？　There　seems　to　be　a　doom　in　this　place。　People　are　wanting　to　leave；　you　know；　asking　about　air　passages。　Just　when　it　seemed　everything　was　being　a　success。　Oh　lord；　you　don't　know　what　it　means；　this　place；　to　me　and　to　Molly。　We　staked　everything　on　it。〃

〃It's　very　hard　on　you；　I　know；〃　said　Inspector　Weston。　〃Don't　think　that　we　don't　sympathise。〃

〃If　it　all　could　be　cleared　up　quickly；〃　said　Tim。　〃This　wretched　girl　Victoria　Oh！　I　oughtn't　to　talk　about　her　like　that。　She　was　quite　a　good　sort；　Victoria　was。　Butbut　there　must　be　some　quite　simple　reason；　some　kind　of　intrigue；　or　love　affair　she　had。　Perhaps　her　husband〃

〃Jim　Ellis　wasn't　her　husband；　and　they　seemed　a　settled　sort　of　couple。〃

〃If　it　could　only　be　cleared　up　quickly；〃　said　Tim　again。　〃I'm　sorry。　You　wanted　to　talk　to　me　about　something；　ask　me　something。〃

〃Yes。　It　was　about　last　night。　According　to　medical　evidence　Victoria　was　killed　some　time　between　10。30　P。M。　and　midnight。　Alibis　under　the　circumstances　that　prevail　here；　are　not　very　easy　to　prove。　People　are　moving　about；　dancing；　walking　away　from　the　terrace；　ing　back。　It's　all　very　difficult。〃

〃I　suppose　so。　But　does　that　mean　that　you　definitely　consider　Victoria　was　killed　by　one　of　the　guests　here？〃

〃Well；　we　have　to　examine　that　possibility；　Mr。　Kendal。　What　I　want　to　ask　you　particularly　about；　is　a　statement　made　by　one　of　your　cooks。〃

〃Oh？　Which　one？　What　does　he　say？〃

〃He's　a　Cuban；　I　understand。〃

〃We've　got　two　Cubans　and　a　Puerto　Rican。〃

〃This　man　Enrico　states　that　your　wife　passed　through　the　kitchen　on　her　way　from　the　dining　room；　and　went　out　into　the　garden　and　that　she　was　carrying　a　knife。〃

Tim　stared　at　him。

〃Molly；　carrying　a　knife？　Well；　why　shouldn't　she？　I　meanwhyyou　don't　thinkwhat　are　you　trying　to　suggest？〃

〃I　am　talking　of　the　time　before　people　had　e　into　the　dining　room。　It　would　be；　I　suppose；　some　time　about　8。30。　You　yourself　were　in　the　dining　room　talking　to　the　head　waiter；　Fernando；　I　believe。〃

〃Yes。〃　Tim　cast　his　mind　back。　〃Yes；　I　remember。〃

〃And　your　wife　came　in　from　the　terrace？〃

〃Yes；　she　did；〃　Tim　agreed。　〃She　always　went　out　to　look　over　the　tables。　Sometimes　the　boys　set　things　wrong；　fot　some　of　the　cutlery；　things　like　that。　Very　likely　that's　what　it　was。　She　may　have　been　rearranging　cutlery　or　something。　She　might　have　had　a　spare　knife　or　a　spoon；　something　like　that　in　her　hand。〃

〃And　she　came　from　the　terrace　into　the　dining　room。　Did　she　speak　to　you？〃

〃Yes；　we　had　a　word　or　two　together。〃

〃What　did　she　say？　Can　you　remember？〃

〃I　think　I　asked　her　who　she'd　been　talking　to。　I　heard　her　voice　out　there。〃

〃And　who　did　she　say　she'd　been　talking　to？〃

〃Gregory　Dyson。〃

〃Ah。　Yes。　That　is　what　he　said。〃

Tim　went　on；　〃He'd　been　making　a　pass　at　her　I　understand。　He　was　a　bit　given　to　that　kind　of　thing。　It　annoyed　me　and　I　said　'Blast　him'　and　Molly　laughed　and　said　she　could　do　all　the　blasting　that　needed　to　be　done。　Molly's　a　very　clever　girl　that　way。　It's　not　always　an　easy　position；　you　know。　You　can't　offend　guests；　and　so　an　attractive　girl　like　Molly　has　to　pass　things　off　with　a　laugh　and　a　shrug。　Gregory　Dyson　finds　it　difficult　to　keep　his　hands　off　any　goodlooking　woman。〃

〃Had　there　been　any　altercation　between　them？〃

〃No；　I　don't　think　so。　I　think；　as　I　say；　she　just　laughed　it　off　as　usual。〃

〃You　can't　say　definitely　whether　she　had　a　knife　in　her　hand　or　not？〃

〃I　can't　remember。　I'm　almost　sure　she　didn't。　In　fact　quite　sure　she　didn't。〃

〃But　you　said　just　now。。。〃

〃Look　here；　what　I　meant　was　that　if　she　was　in　the　dining　room　or　in　the　kitchen　it's　quite　likely　she　might　have　picked　up　a　knife　or　had　one　in　her　hand。　Matter　of　fact　I　can　remember　quite　well；　she　came　in　from　the　dining　room　and　she　had　nothing　in　her　hand。　Nothing　at　all。　That's　definite。〃

〃I　see；〃　said　Weston。

Tim　looked　at　him　uneasily。

〃What　on　earth　is　this　you're　getting　at？　What　did　that　damn。　fool　EnricoManuelwhichever　it　wassay？〃

〃He　said　your　wife　came　out　into　the　kitchen；　that　she　looked　upset；　that　she　had　a　knife　in　her　hand。〃

〃He's　just　dramatising。〃

〃Did　you　have　any　further　conversation　with　your　wife　during　dinner　or　after？〃

〃No；　I　don't　think　I　did　really。　Matter　of　fact　I　was　rather　busy。