加勒比海之谜(英文版)-第24部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ortunately　her　unsatisfactory　husband　died；　drank　too　much　at　a　party　one　night　and　stepped　in　front　of　a　bus。　Esther　had　a　daughter　to　support　and　she　went　back　to　her　secretarial　job。　She's　been　with　me　five　years。　I　made　it　quite　clear　to　her　from　the　start　that　she　need　have　no　expectations　from　me　in　the　event　of　my　death。　I　paid　her　from　the　start　a　very　large　salary；　and　that　salary　I've　augmented　by　as　much　as　a　quarter　as　much　again　each　year。　However　decent　and　honest　people　are；　one　should　never　trust　anybody。　That's　why　I　told　Esther　quite　clearly　that　she'd　nothing　to　hope　for　from　my　death。　Every　year　I　live　she'll　get　a　bigger　salary。　If　she　puts　most　of　that　aside　every　yearand　that's　what　I　think　she　has　doneshe'll　be　quite　a　welltodo　woman　by　the　time　I　kick　the　bucket。　I've　made　myself　responsible　for　her　daughter's　schooling　and　I've　put　a　sum　in　trust　for　the　daughter　which　she'll　get　when　she　es　of　age。　So　Mrs。　Esther　Walters　is　very　fortably　placed。　My　death；　let　me　tell　you；　would　mean　a　serious　financial　loss　to　her。〃　He　looked　very　hard　at　Miss　Marple。　〃She　fully　realises　all　that。　She's　very　sensible；　Esther　is。〃

〃Do　she　and　Jackson　get　on？〃　asked　Miss　Marple。

Mr。　Rafiel　shot　a　quick　glance　at　her。　〃Noticed　something；　have　you？〃　he　said。　〃Yes；　I　think　Jackson's　done　a　bit　of　tomcatting　around；　with　an　eye　in　her　direction；　especially　lately。　He's　a　goodlooking　chap；　of　course；　but　he　hasn't　cut　any　ice　in　that　direction。　For　one　thing；　there's　class　distinction。　She's　just　a　cut　above　him。　Not　very　much。　If　she　was　really　a　cut　above　him　it　wouldn't　matter；　but　the　lower　middle　classthey're　very　particular。　Her　mother　was　a　schoolteacher　and　her　father　a　bank　clerk。　No；　she　won't　make　a　fool　of　herself　about　Jackson。　Dare　say　he's　after　her　little　nest　egg；　but　he　won't　get　it。〃

〃Hushshe's　ing　now！〃　said　Miss　Marple。

They　both　looked　at　Esther　Walters　as　she　came　along　the　hotel　path　towards　them。

〃She's　quite　a　goodlooking　girl；　you　know；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel；　〃but　not　an　atom　of　glamour。　I　don't　know　why；　she's　quite　nicely　turned　out。〃

Miss　Marple　sighed；　a　sigh　that　any　woman　will　give　however　old　at　what　might　be　considered　wasted　opportunities。　What　was　lacking　in　Esther　had　been　called　by　so　many　names　during　Miss　Marple's　span　of　existence；　〃Not　really　attractive　to　men。〃　〃No　S。A。〃　〃Lacks　ehither　in　her　eye。〃　Fair　hair；　good　plexion；　hazel　eyes；　quite　a　good　figure；　pleasant　smile；　but　lacking　that　something　that　makes　a　man's　head　turn　when　he　passes　a　woman　in　the　street。

〃She　ought　to　get　married　again；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　lowering　her　voice。

〃Of　course　she　ought。　She'd　make　a　man　a　good　wife。〃

Esther　Walters　joined　them　and　Mr。　Rafiel　said；　in　a　slightly　artificial　voice。　〃So　there　you　are　at　last！　What's　been　keeping　you？〃

〃Everyone　seemed　to　be　sending　cables　this　morning；〃　said　Esther。　〃What　with　that；　and　people　trying　to　check　out〃

〃Trying　to　check　out；　are　they？　A　result　of　this　murder　business？〃

〃I　suppose　so。　Poor　Tim　Kendal　is　worried　to　death。〃

〃And　well　he　might　be。　Bad　luck　for　that　young　couple；　I　must　say。〃

〃I　know。　I　gather　it　was　rather　a　big　undertaking　for　them　to　take　on　this　place。　They've　been　worried　about　making　a　success　of　it。　They　were　doing　very　well；　too。〃

〃They　were　doing　a　good　job；〃　agreed　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃He's　very　capable　and　a　damned　hard　worker。　She's　a　very　nice　girlattractive　too。　They've　both　worked　like　blacks；　though　that's　an　odd　term　to　use　out　here；　for　blacks　don't　work　themselves　to　death　at　all；　so　far　as　I　can　see。　Was　looking　at　a　fellow　shinning　up　a　coconut　tree　to　get　his　breakfast；　then　he　goes　to　sleep　for　the　rest　of　the　day。　Nice　life。〃

He　added；　〃We've　been　discussing　the　murder　here。〃

Esther　Walters　looked　slightly　startled。　She　turned　her　head　towards　Miss　Marple。

〃I've　been　wrong　about　her；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel；　with　characteristic　frankness。　〃Never　been　much　of　a　one　for　the　old　pussies。　All　knitting　wool　and　tittletattle。　But　this　one's　got　something。　Eyes　and　ears；　and　she　uses　them。〃

Esther　Walters　looked　apologetically　at　Miss　Marple；　but　Miss　Marple　did　not　appear　to　take　offence。

〃That's　really　meant　to　be　a　pliment；　you　know；〃　Esther　explained。

〃I　quite　realise　that；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃I　realise；　too；　that　Mr。　Rafiel　is　privileged；　or　thinks　he　is。〃

〃What　do　you　meanprivileged？〃　asked　Mr。　Rafiel。

〃To　be　rude　if　you　want　to　be　rude；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃Have　I　been　rude？〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel；　surprised。　〃I'm　sorry　if　I've　offended　you。〃

〃You　haven't　offended　me；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃I　make　allowances。〃

〃Now；　don't　be　nasty。　Esther；　get　a　chair　and　bring　it　here。　Maybe　you　can　help。〃

Esther　walked　a　few　steps　to　the　balcony　of　the　bungalow　and　brought　over　a　light　basket　chair。

〃We'll　go　on　with　our　consultation；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃We　started　with　old　Palgrave；　deceased；　and　his　eternal　stories。〃

〃Oh　dear；〃　sighed　Esther。　〃I'm　afraid　I　used　to　escape　from　him　whenever　I　could。〃

〃Miss　Marple　was　more　patient；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃Tell　me；　Esther；　did　he　ever　tell　you　a　story　about　a　murderer？〃

〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Esther。　〃Several　times。〃

〃What　was　it　exactly？　Let's　have　your　recollection。〃

〃Well〃　Esther　paused　to　think。　〃The　trouble　is；〃　she　said　apologetically；　〃I　didn't　really　listen　very　closely。　You　see；　it　was　rather　like　that　terrible　story　about　the　lion　in　Rhodesia　which　used　to　go　on　and　on。　One　did　get　rather　in　the　habit　of　not　listening。〃

〃Well；　tell　us　what　you　do　remember。〃

〃I　think　it　arose　out　of　some　murder　case　that　had　been　in　the　papers。　Major　Palgrave　said　that　he'd　had　an　experience　not　every　person　had　had。　He'd　actually　met　a　murderer　face　to　face。〃

〃Met？〃　Mr。　Rafiel　exclaimed。　〃Did　he　actually　use　the　word　'Met'？〃

Esther　looked　confused。　〃I　think　so。〃　She　was　doubtful。　〃Or　he　may　have　said；　'I　can　point　you　out　a　murderer'。〃

〃Well；　which　was　it？　There's　a　difference。〃

〃I　can't　really　be　sure。。。　I　think　he　said　he'd　show　me　a　picture　of　someone。〃

〃That's　better。〃

〃And　then　he　talked　a　lot　about　Lucrezia　Bia。〃

〃Never　mind　about　Lucrezia　Bia。　We　know　all　about　her。〃

〃He　talked　about　poisoners　and　that　Lucrezia　was　very　beautiful　and　had　red　hair。　He　said　there　were　probably　far　more　women　poisoners　going　about　the　world　than　anyone　knew。〃

〃That　I　fear　is　quite　likely；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃And　he　talked　about　poison　being　a　woman's　weapon。〃

〃Seems　to　have　been　wandering　from　the　point　a　bit；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。

〃Well；　of　course；　he　always　did　wander　from　the　point　in　his　stories。　And　then　one　used　to　stop　listening　and　just　say　'Yes'　and　'Really？'　and　'You　don't　say　so'。〃

〃What　about　this　picture　he　was　going　to　show　you？〃

〃I　don't　remember。　It　may　have　been　something　he'd　seen　in　the　paper〃

〃He　didn't　actually　show　you　a　snapshot？〃

〃A　snapshot？　No。〃　She　shook　her　head。　〃I'm　quite　sure　of　that。　He　did　say　that　she　was　a　goodlooking　woman；　and　you'd　never　think　she　was　a　murderer　to　look　at　her。〃

〃She？〃

〃There　you　are；〃　exclaimed　Miss　Marple。　〃It　makes　it　all　so　confusing。〃

〃He　was　talking　about　a　woman？〃　Mr。　Rafiel　asked。

〃Oh　yes。〃

〃The　snapshot　was　a　snapshot　of　a　woman？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃It　can't　have　been！〃

〃But　it　was；〃　Esther　persisted。　〃He　said　'She's　here　in　this　island。　I'll　point　her　out；　and　then　I'll　tell　you　the　whole　story。'〃

Mr。　Rafiel　swore。　In　saying　what　he　thought　of　the　late　Major　Palgrave　he　did　not　mince　his　words。

〃The　probabilities　are；〃　he　finished；　〃that　not　a　word　of　anything　he　said　was　true！〃

〃One　does　begin　to　wonder；〃　Miss　Marple　murmured。

〃So　there　we　are；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃The　old　booby　started　telling　you　hunting　tales。　Pig　sticking；　tiger　shooting；　elephant　hunting；　narrow　escapes　from　lions。　One　or　two　of　them　might　have　been　fact。　Several　of　them　were　fiction；　and　others　had　happened　to　somebody　else！　Then　he　gets　on　to　the　subject　of　murder　and　he　tells　one　murder　story　to　cap　another　murder　story。　And　what's　more　he　tells　them　all　as　if　they'd　happened　to　him。　Ten　to　one　most　of　them　were　a　hash　up　of　what　he'd　read　in　the　paper；　or　seen　on　T。V。。〃

He　turned　accusingly　on　Esther。　〃You　admit　that　you　weren't　listening　closel