rs.inthebestfamelies-第9部分

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　　With　the　flashlight　I　had　no　trouble　finding　my　way。　This　time；　as　I　approached；　the　livestock　barked　plenty；　and；　hoping　the　kennel　doors　were　all　closed　tight；　I　had　my　gun　out　as　I　passed　the　runs　and　the　buildings。
　　Nothing　attacked　me　but　noise；　and　that　stopped　when　I　had　entered　the　house　and　dosed　the　door。　Apparently　if　an　enemy　once　got　inside　it　was　then　up　to　the　master。
　　Nobby　was　still　there　on　the　bench；　and　the　knife　was　still　in　him。　With　only　a　glance　at　him　in　passing；　I　made　for　the　little　living　room；　where　I　had　previously　seen　a　phone　on　a　table；　fumed　on　a　light；　went　to　the　phone；　and　got　the　operator　and　gave　her　a　number。　As　I　waited　a　look　at　my　wristwatch　showed　me　five　minutes　past　midnight。　I　hoped　Wolfe　hadn't　forgotten　to　plug　in　the　line　to　his　room　when　he　went　up　to　bed。　He　hadn't。　After　the　ring　signal　had　e　five　times　I　had　his　voice。
　　〃Nero　Wolfe　speaking。〃
　　〃Archie。　Sorry　to　wake　you　up；　but　I　need　orders。　We're　minus　a　client。Mrs。　Rackham。　This　is　a　quick　guess；　but　it　looks　as　if　someone　stabbed　her　with　a　knife　and　then　stuck　the　knife　in　a　dog。　Anyhow；　she's　dead。　I've　just…〃
　　〃What　is　this？〃　It　was　almost　a　bellow。　〃Flummery？〃
　　〃No；　sir。　I've　just　e　from　where　she's　lying　in　the　woods。　Leeds　and　I　found　her。　The　dog's　dead　too；　here　on　a　bench。　I　don't…〃
　　〃Archie！〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　　〃This　is　insupportable。　In　the　circumstances。〃
　　〃Yes；　sir；　all　of　that。〃
　　〃Is　Mr。　Rackham　out　of　it？〃
　　〃Not　as　far　as　I　know。　I　told　you　we　just　found　her。〃
　　〃Where　are　you？〃
　　〃At　Leed's　place；　alone。　I'm　here　guarding　the　knife　in　the　dog。　Leeds　went　to　Birchvale　to　get　a　doctor　and　the　cops　and　maybe　to　kill　somebody。
　　I　can't　help　it。　I've　got　all　the　time　in　the　world。　How　much　do　you　want？〃
　　〃Anything　that　might　help。〃
　　〃Okay；　but　in　case　I　get　interrupted　here's　a　question　first。　On　two　counts；　because　I'm　here　working　for　you　and　because　I　helped　find　the　body；　they're　going　to　be　damn　curious。　How　much　do　I　spill？　There's　no　one　on　this　line　unless　the　operator's　listening　in。〃
　　A　grunt　and　a　pause。　〃On　what　I　know　now；　everything　about　Mrs。　Rackham's　talk　with　me　and　the　purpose　of　your　trip　there。　About　Mrs。　Rackham　and　Mr。　Leeds　and　what　you　have　seen　and　heard　there；　everything。　But　you　will　of　course　confine　yourself　strictly　to　that。〃
　　〃Nothing　about　sausage？〃
　　〃Absolutely　nothing。　The　question　is　idiotic。〃
　　〃Yeah；　I　just　asked。　Okay。　Well；　I　got　here　and　met　dogs　and　people。　Leed's　place　is　on　a　er　of　Mrs。　Rackham's　property；　and　we　walked　through　the　woods　for　dinner　at　Birchvale。　There　were　eight　of　us　at　dinner。　。　。〃
　　I'm　fairly　good　with　a　billiard　cue；　and　only　Saul　Panzer　can　beat　me　at　tailing　a　man　or　woman　in　New　York；　but　what　I　am　best　at　is　reporting　a　plicated　event　to　Nero　Wolfe。　With；　I　figured；　a　probable　maximum　of　ten　minutes　for　it；　I　covered　all　the　essentials　in　eight；　leaving　him　two　for　questions。　He　had　some；　of　course。　But　I　think　he　had　the　picture　well　enough　to　sleep　on　when　I　saw　the　light　of　a　car　through　the　window；　told　him　goodby；　and　hung　up。　I　stepped　from　the　living　room　into　the　little　hall；　opened　the　outside　door；　and　was　standing　on　the　stone　slab　as　a　car　with　STATE　POLICE　painted　on　it　came　down　the　narrow　drive　and　stopped。
　　Two　uniformed　public　servants　piled　out　and　made　for　me。　I　only　hoped　neither　of　them　was　my　pet　Westchester　hate；　Lieutenant　Con　Noonan；　and　had　my　hope　granted。　They　were　both　rank…and…file。
　　One　of　them　spoke。　〃Your　name　Goodwin？〃
　　I　conceded　it。　Dogs　had　started　to　bark。
　　〃After　finding　a　dead　body　you　went　off　and　came　here　to　rest　your　feet？〃
　　〃I　didn't　find　the　body。　A　dog　did。　As　for　my　feet；　do　you　mind　stepping　inside？〃
　　I　held　the　door　open；　and　they　crossed　the　threshold。　With　a　thumb　I　called　their　attention　to　Nobby；　on　the　bench。
　　〃That's　another　dog。　It　had　just　crawled　here　to　die；　there　on　the　doorstep。　It　struck　me　that　Mrs。　Rackham　might　have　been　killed　with　that　knife　before　it　was　used　on　the　dog；　and　that　you　guys　would　be　interested　in　the　knife　as　is；　before　somebody　took　it　to　slice　bread　with；　for　instance。　So　when　Leeds　went　to　the　house　to　phone　I　came　here。　I　have　no　corns。〃
　　One　of　them　had　stepped　to　the　bench　to　look　down　at　Nobby。　He　asked；　〃Have　you　touched　the　knife？〃
　　〃No。〃
　　〃Was　Leeds　here　with　you？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃Did　he　touch　the　knife？〃
　　〃I　don't　think　so。　If　he　did　I　didn't　see　him。〃
　　The　cop　turned　to　his　colleague。　〃We　won't　move　it；　not　now。　You'd　better　stick　here。　Right？〃
　　〃Right〃
　　〃You'll　be　getting　word。　e　along；　Goodwin。〃
　　He　marched　to　the　door　and　opened　it　and　let　me　pass　through　first。　Outdoors　he　crossed　to　his　car；　got　in　behind　the　wheel；　and　told　me；　〃Hop　in。〃
　　I　stood。　〃Where　to？〃
　　〃Where　I'm　going。〃
　　〃I'm　sorry；〃　I　said　regretfully；　〃but　I　like　to　know　where。　If　it's　White　Plains　or　a　barracks；　I　would　need　a　different　kind　of　invitation。　Either　that　or　physical　help。〃
　　〃Oh；　you're　a　lawyer。〃
　　〃No；　but　I　know　a　lawyer。〃
　　〃Congratulations。〃　He　leaned　toward　me　and　spoke　through　his　nose。
　　〃Mr。　Goodwin；　I'm　driving　to　Mrs。　Rackham's　house；　Birchvale。　Would　you　care　to　join　me？〃
　　〃I'd　love　to；　thanks　so　much；〃　I　said　warmly；　and　climbed　in。
　　
　　5
　　THE　rest　of　that　night；　more　than　six　hours；　from　half…past　midnight　until　well　after　sunrise；　I　might　as　well　have　been　in　bed　asleep　for　all　I　got　out　of　it。　I　learned　only　one　thing；　that　the　sun　rises　on　April　ninth　at　5：39；　and　even　that　wasn't　reliable　because　I　didn't　know　whether　it　was　a　true　horizon。　Lieutenant　Con　Noonan　was　at　Birchvale；　among　others；　but　his　style　was　cramped。
　　Even　after　the　arrival　of　District　Attorney　Cleveland　Archer　himself；　the　atmosphere　was　not　one　of　single…minded　devotion　to　the　service　of　justice。
　　Not　that　they　weren't　all　for　justice；　but　they　had　to　keep　it　in　perspective；　and　that's　not　so　easy　when　a　prominent　wealthy　taxpayer　like　Mrs。　Barry　Rackham　has　been　murdered　and　your　brief　list　of　suspects　includes　（a）　her　husband；　now　a　widower；　who　may　himself　now　be　a　prominent　wealthy　taxpayer；　（b）　an　able　young　politician　who　has　been　elected　to　the　state　assembly；　（c）　the　dead　woman's　daughter…in…law；　who　may　possibly　be　more　of　a　prominent　wealthy　taxpayer　than　the　widower；　and　（d）　a　vice…president　of　a　billion…dollar　New　York　bank。　They're　all　part　of　the　perspective；　though　you　wish　to　God　they　weren't　so　you　could　concentrate　on　the　other　three　suspects：　（e）　the　dead　woman's　cousin；　a　breeder　of　dogs　which　don't　make　friends；　（f）　her　secretary；　a　mere　employee；　and　（g）　a　private　dick　from　New　York　whose　tongue　has　needed　bobbing　for　some　time。　With　a　setup　like　that　you　can't　just　take　them　all　down　to　White　Plains　and　tell　the　boys　to　start　chipping　and　save　the　pieces。
　　Except　for　fifteen　minutes　alone　with　Con　Noonan；　I　spent　the　first　two　hours　in　the　big　living　room　where　we　had　looked　at　television；　having　for　pany　the　members　of　the　family；　the　guests；　five　members　of　the　domestic　staff；　and　two　or　more　officers　of　the　law。　It　wasn't　a　bit　jolly。　Two　of　the　female　servants　wept　intermittently。　Barry　Rackham　walked　up　and　down；　sitting　occasionally　and　then　starting　up　again；　speaking　to　no　one。　Oliver　Pierce　and　Una　Darrow　sat　on　a　couch　conversing　in　undertones；　spasmodically；　with　him　doing　most　of　the　talking。　Dana　Hammond；　the　banker；　was　jumpy。　Mostly　he　sat　slumped；　with　his　chin　down　and　his　eyes　closed；　but　now　and　then　he　would　arise　slowly　as　if　something　hurt　and　go　to　say　something　to　one　of　the　others；　usually　Annabel　or　Leeds。　Leeds　had　been　getting　a　blaze　started　in　the　fireplace　when　I　was　ushered　in；　and　it　continued　to　be　his　chief　concern。　He　got　the　fire　so　hot　that　Annabel　moved　away；　to　the　other　side　of　the　room。　She　was　the　quietest　of　them；　but　from　the　way　she　kept　her　jaw　clamped　I　guessed　that　it　wasn't　because　she　was　the　least　moved。
　　One　by　one　they　were　escorted　from　the　room　for　a　private　talk　and　brought　back　again。　It　was　when　my　turn　came；　not　long　after　I　had　arrived；　that　I　found　Lieutenant　Noonan　was　around。　He　was　in　a　smaller　room　d