alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第49部分

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rifying　conclusions　inevitable。　From　the　silence　that　stretched　out　after　I　had　read　out　the　last　words；　I　knew　that　the　others　were　lost　in　the　same　staggering　speculations　as　myself。　It　was　Jackstraw　who　finally　broke　this　silence；　his　voice　abnormally　matter…of…fact。
　
　〃Well；　we　know　now　why　you　were　knocked　on　the　head。〃
　
　〃Knocked　on　the　head？〃　Zagero　took　him　up。　〃What　do　you…〃
　
　〃Night　before　last；〃　I　interrupted。　〃When　I　told　you　I'd　walked　into　a　lamp…post。〃　I　told　them　all　about　the　finding　of　the　cutting　and　its　subsequent　loss。
　
　〃Would　it　have　made　all　that　difference　even　if　you　had　read　it？〃　Zagero　asked。　〃I　mean…〃
　
　〃Of　course　it　would！〃　My　voice　was　harsh；　savage　almost；　but　the　savagery　was　directed　against　myself；　my　own　stupidity。　〃The　fact　of　finding　a　cutting　about　a　fatal　crash　which　occurred　in　strange　unexplained　circumstances　on　the　person　of　a　man　who　had　just　died　in　a　fatal　crash　in　equally　strange　and　unexplained　circumstances　would　have　made　even　me　suspicious。　When　I　heard　from　Hillcrest　that　something　highly　secret　was　being　carried　aboard　the　plane；　the　parallel　would　have　been　even　more　glaringly　obvious；　especially　as　the　cutting　was　found　on　the　man…an　army　officer…who　was　almost　certainly　the　courier；　the　carrier　of　this　secret。　Anything　larger　than　a　match…box　in　the　luggage　the　passengers　were　carrying　I'd　have　ripped　open　and　examined；　radio　and　tape…recorder　included。　Smallwood　knew　it。　He　didn't　know　what　was　in　the　cutting；　but　he…or　Corazzini…knew　it　was　a　cutting　and　they　were　taking　no　chances　at　all。〃
　
　〃You　weren't　to　know　this；〃　Levin　said　soothingly。　〃It's　not　your　fault…〃
　
　〃Of　course　it's　my　fault；〃　I　said　wearily。　〃All　my　fault。　I　don't　even　know　how　to　start　apologising。　You　first；　Zagero；　I　suppose；　you　and　Solly　Levin；　for　tying　you…〃
　
　〃Forget　it。〃　Zagero　was　curt　but　friendly。　〃We're　just　as　bad　…all　of　us。　All　the　facts　that　mattered　were　as　available　to　us　as　they　were　to　you…and　we　made　no　better　use　of　them：　less；　if　anything。〃　In　the　tiny　glow　from　the　torch　I　could　see　him　shaking　his　head。　〃Lordy；　lordy；　but　ain't　it　easy　to　understand　everything　when　it's　too　late。　Easy　enough　to　understand　now　why　we　crashed　in　the　middle　of　nowhere…the　plane　captain　must　have　been　in　on　it；　he　must　have　known　that　the　mechanism　was　aboard　and　thought　it　important　enough　to　put　the　passengers'　lives　second　and　crash…land　in　the　middle　of　the　ice…plateau；　where　Smallwood　could　never　reach　the　coast。〃
　
　〃Not　knowing　that　I　was　there　waiting　to　oblige　Smallwood；〃　I　said　bitterly。　I　shook　my　head　in　turn。　〃It's　obvious　now；　all　too　obvious。　How　Corazzini　damaged　his　hand　in　the　shack…not　by　saving　or　trying　to　save　the　radio　but　by　accelerating　its　fall　after　he'd　pushed　the　hinges　in。　How　and　why　he　lost　the　toss　and　had　to　sleep　on　the　floor…to　give　him　a　chance　to　smother　the　second　officer。〃
　
　〃What　you　might　call　a　good　loser；〃　Zagero　said　grimly。　Then　he　gave　a　short　laugh。　〃Remember　when　we　buried　the　second　officer？　I　wonder　what　Smallwood's　burial　service　would　have　sounded　like　if　we'd　really　been　close　enough　to　hear？〃
　
　〃I　missed　that；〃　I　nodded。　〃I　missed　the　suggestion　you　made　inside　the　plane　that　we　should　bury　the　murdered　men…if　you　had　been　guilty　you'd　never　have　dared　make　that　suggestion　for　then　the　way　these　men　died　would　almost　certainly　have　been　discovered。〃
　
　〃You　missed　it；〃　Zagero　said　feelingly。　〃How　about　me…/said　it；　and　I　never　even　thought　of　it　till　now。〃　He　snorted。　〃Boy；　am　I　disgusted　with　myself。　As　far　as　I　can　see　the　only　thing　I　knew　that　you　didn't　was　that　Corazzini　clouted　our　friend　Smallwood　back　in　the　pass　there　simply　in　order　to　throw　suspicion　on　me：　but；　then；　I　knew　that　even　trying　to　tell　you　that　would　have　been　crazy。〃
　
　There　was　a　long　moment's　silence；　while　we　listened　to　the　rise　and　fall　of　the　Citroen's　exhaust　note　in　the　gusting；　strengthening　wind；　then　Solly　Levin　spoke。
　
　The　plane；〃　he　said。　〃The　fire…how　e？〃
　
　〃There　was　enough　high…octane　fuel　in　its　tanks　to　take　Hillcrest's　Sno…Cat　a　couple　of　thousand　miles；〃　I　explained。　〃If　Hillcrest's　tanks　had　been　empty　when　he　arrived　back　at　base　and　if　he'd　found　out　right　away　that　the　spare　fuel　in　the　tunnel　had　been　doctored…well；　it　wouldn't　have　taken　him　long　to　siphon　out　the　stuff　in　the　plane。　So；　no　plane。〃
　
　The　silence　this　time　was　even　longer；　then　Zagero　cleared　his　throat；　as　if　uncertain　how　to　begin。
　
　〃Seeing　explanations　are　in　the　air…well；　I　guess　it's　time　we　made　one　too。〃　Zagero；　to　my　astonishment；　sounded　almost　embarrassed。　〃It's　about　the　phony　conduct　of　that　phony　character　to　your　left；　Doc；　one　Solly　Levin。　We'd　plenty　of　time　to　talk　about　it　when　we　were　lashed　to　this　damned　sledge　all　of　last　night　and…〃
　
　〃e　to　the　point；〃　I　interrupted　impatiently。
　
　〃Sorry。〃　He　leaned　across　to　Solly　Levin。　〃Want　I　should　make　a　formal　introduction；　Pop？〃
　
　I　stared　at　him　in　the　darkness。
　
　〃Did　I　hear…〃
　
　〃Sure　you　did；　Doc。〃　He　laughed　softly。　Top。　The　old　man。　The　paternal　parent。　Says　so　on　my　birth　certificate　and　everything。〃　He　was　enjoying　himself　vastly。　〃Confirmation　on　the　right　here。〃
　
　〃It's　perfectly　true；　Dr　Mason；〃　Solly　Levin　smiled。　The　dreadful　Bowery　accent　was　quite　'gone；　yielding　place　to　a　crisper；　more　decisive　version　of　Zagero's　cultured　drawl。　〃I'll　put　it　briefly。　I'm　the　owner　and　managing　director…or　was　till　I　retired　a　year　ago…of　a　plastics　factory　in　Trenton；　New　Jersey；　near　Princeton；　where　Johnny　managed　to　acquire　a　splendid　accent　and　very　little　else。　It　was　not；　I　might　add；　Princeton's　fault；　Johnny　spent　most　of　his　time　in　the　gymnasium；　nursing　his…ah…pugilistic　ambitions；　much　to　my　annoyance　as　I　wanted　him　to　take　over　from　me。〃
　
　〃Alas；〃　Zagero　put　in；　〃I　was　almost　as　stubborn　as　he　is　himself。〃
　
　〃A　great　deal　more　so；〃　his　father　said。　〃So　I　made　him　a　proposition。　I'd　give　him　two　years…it　seemed　enough；　he　was　already　amateur　heavyweight　champion…to　prove　himself；　and　at　the　end　of　that　time　if　he　hadn't　made　it　he　was　to　take　his　place　in　the　factory。　His　first　manager　was　as　corrupt　as　they　e　and　Johnny　literally　kicked　him　out　at　the　end　of　a　year。　So　I　took　over。　I'd　newly　retired；　I'd　time　on　my　hands；　I'd　a　very　strong　vested　interest　in　his　well…being　apart　from　the　fact　that　he　was　my　son…and；　quite　frankly；　I'd　begun　to　see　that　he　really　was　going　to　get　to　the　very　top。〃　He　broke　off　there…so　I　took　the　opportunity　to　interrupt。
　
　〃Zagero　or　Levin。　Which　is　it？〃
　
　〃Zagero；〃　the　elder　man　answered。
　
　〃Why　the　Levin？〃
　
　〃Some　state　and　national　boxing　missions　refuse　to　permit　a　close　relative　to　be　either　manager　or　second。　Especially　second。　So　I　used　an　alias。　A　practice　by　no　means　unmon；　and　officially　winked　at。　A　harmless　deception。〃
　
　〃Not　so　harmless；〃　I　said　grimly。　〃It　was　one　of　the　worst　acting　performances　I've　ever　seen；　and　that　was　one　of　the　primary　reasons　for　my　suspecting　your　son　and；　in　turn；　for　Corazzini　and　Smallwood　getting　away　with　what　they　did。　Had　you　e　clean　earlier　on；　I　would　have　known　that　they　were　bound；　even　in　the　absence　of　all　possible　evidence；　to　be　the　guilty　men。　But　with　Solly　Levin…I'll　find　it　very　difficult　to　think　of　you　as　Mr　Zagero；　I'm　afraid…with　Solly　Levin　sticking　out　like　a　sore　thumb　as　an　obvious　phony…well；　I　just　couldn't　leave　you　two　out　of　the　list　of　suspects。〃
　
　〃I　obviously　modelled　myself　on　the　wrong　person…or　type　of　person；〃　Levin　said　wryly。　〃Johnny　ribbed　me　about　it　all　the　time。　I'm　deeply　sorry　for　any　trouble　we　may　have　caused；　Or　Mason。　I　honestly　never　looked　at　it　from　your　point　of　view；　never　realised　the　dangers　involved　in　maintaining　the　impersonation…if　you　could　call　it　that。　Please　forgive　me。〃
　
　〃Nothing　to　forgive；〃　I　said　bitterly。　〃A　hundred　to　one　I'd　have　found　some　other　way　of　messing　things　up。〃
　
　Shortly　after　five　o'clock　in　the　evening　Corazzini　stopped　the　tractor…but　he　didn't　stop　the　engine。　He　came　down　from　the　driver's　seat　and　walked　round　to　the　cabin；　pushing　the　searchlight　slightly　to　one　side。　He　had　to