rz.signoftheunicorn-第28部分

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　〃Oh　my！　That　is　a　thought。　It　hadn't　occurred　to　me。　All　their　records　here　would　show　is　that　one　time　you　apparently　were。　I　had　better　see　him　on　the　way　out。　I　have　a　copy　of　the　journal　entry　in　here；　too。　I　can　show　it　to　him。〃
　〃How　long　was　it　after　I　left　Greenwood　that　things　were　set　right　with　the　court？〃
　〃The　following　month；〃　he　said。　〃It　was　several　weeks　before　I　could　bring　myself　to　get　nosy。〃
　〃You　couldn't　know　how　happy　I　am　that　you　did；〃　I　said。　〃And　you　have　given　me　several　pieces　of　information　I　think　are　going　to　prove　extremely　important。〃
　〃It　is　nice　to　be　able　to　help　a　friend　sometime；〃　he　said；　closing　the　folder　and　replacing　it　in　his　briefcase。　〃One　thing。。。　When　this　is　all　over　…　whatever　you　are　doing　…　if　you　are　permitted　to　talk　about　it；　I　would　like　to　hear　the　story。〃
　〃I　can't　promise；〃　I　said。
　〃I　know。　Just　thought　I'd　mention　it。　By　the　way；　what　do　you　want　to　do　about　the　house？〃
　〃Mine？　Do　I　still　hold　title　to　it？〃
　〃Yes；　but　it　will　probably　be　sold　this　year　for　back　taxes　if　you　don't　do　anything　about　it。〃
　〃I'm　surprised　that　hasn't　already　happened。〃
　〃You　gave　the　bank　power　of　attorney　for　paying　your　bills。〃
　〃I　never　thought　of　that。　I'd　just　set　it　up　for　utilities　and　my　charge　accounts。　Stuff　like　that。〃
　〃Well；　the　account　is　nearly　empty　now；〃　he　said。　〃I　was　talking　to　McNally　over　there　the　other　day。　That　means　the　house　will　go　next　year　if　you　don't　do　anything。〃
　〃I've　got　no　use　for　it　now；〃　I　said。　〃They　can　do　whatever　they　want　with　it。〃
　〃Then　you　might　as　well　sell　it　and　realize　what　you　can。〃
　〃I　won't　be　around　that　long。〃
　〃I　could　handle　it　for　you。　Send　the　money　wherever　you　want。〃
　〃All　right；〃　I　said。　〃I'll　sign　anything　necessary。　Pay　my　hospital　bill　out　of　it　and　keep　the　rest。〃
　〃I　couldn't　do　that。〃
　I　shrugged。
　〃Do　whatever　you　think　best；　but　be　sure　and　take　a　good　fee。〃
　〃I'll　put　the　balance　in　your　account。〃
　〃All　right。　Thanks。　By　the　way；　before　I　forget；　would　you　look　in　the　drawer　of　that　table　and　see　if　there　is　a　deck　of　cards　there？　I　can't　reach　it　yet；　and　I'll　be　wanting　them　later。〃
　〃Surely。〃
　He　reached　over；　opened　it。
　〃A　big　brown　envelope；〃　he　said。　〃Kind　of　bulgy。　They　probably　put　whatever　was　in　your　pockets　in　it。〃
　〃Open　it。〃
　〃Yes；　here's　a　pack　of　cards；〃　he　said；　reaching　inside。　〃Say！　That's　a　beautiful　case！　May　I？〃
　〃I　…　〃　What　could　I　say？
　He　slipped　the　case。
　〃Lovely。。。〃　he　murmured。　〃Some　kind　of　tarots。。。　Are　they　antique？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Cold　as　ice。。。　I　never　saw　anything　like　these。　Say；　that's　you！　Dressed　up　like　some　kind　of　knight！　What's　their　purpose？〃
　〃A　very　plicated　game；〃　I　said。
　〃How　could　that　be　you　if　they　are　antique？〃
　〃I　didn't　say　it　was　me。　You　did。〃
　〃Yes；　so　I　did。　Ancestor？〃
　〃Sort　of。〃
　〃Now　that's　a　good…looking　gal！　But　so　is　the　redhead。。。〃
　〃I　think。。。〃
　He　squared　the　deck　and　replaced　it　in　the　case。　He　passed　it　to　me。
　〃Nice　unicorn；　too；〃　he　added。　〃I　shouldn't　have　looked　at　them；　should　I？〃
　〃That's　all　right。〃
　He　sighed　and　leaned　back　in　the　chair；　clasping　his　hands　behind　his　head。
　〃I　couldn't　help　it；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　just　that　there　is　something　very　strange　about　you；　Carl；　beyond　any　hush…hush　work　you　may　be　doing　…　and　mysteries　intrigue　me。　I've　never　been　this　close　to　a　real　puzzler　before。〃
　〃Because　you　just　slipped　yourself　a　cold　deck　of　tarots？〃　I　asked。
　〃No；　that　just　adds　atmosphere；〃　he　said。　〃While　what　you　have　been　doing　all　these　years　is　admittedly　none　of　my　business；　there　is　one　recent　incident　I　am　unable　to　prehend。〃
　〃What　is　that？〃
　〃After　I　brought　you　here　and　took　Alice　home　last　night；　I　went　back　to　your　place；　hoping　to　get　some　sort　of　idea　as　to　what　had　happened。　The　snow　had　let　up　by　then；　though　it　started　in　again　later；　and　your　track　was　still　clearly　visible；　going　around　the　house　and　down　the　front　yard。〃　I　nodded。
　〃But　there　were　no　tracks　going　in　…　nothing　to　indicate　your　arrival。　And　for　that　matter；　there　were　no　other　tracks　departing　…　nothing　to　show　the　flight　of　your　assailant。〃
　I　chuckled。
　〃You　think　the　wound　was　self…inflicted？〃
　〃No；　of　course　not。　There　wasn't　even　a　weapon　in　sight。　I　followed　the　bloodstains　back　to　the　bedroom；　to　your　bed。　I　had　only　my　flashlight　to　see　by；　of　course；　but　what　I　saw　gave　me　an　eerie　feeling。　It　seemed　as　if　you　had　just　suddenly　appeared　there　on　the　bed；　bleeding；　and　then　gotten　up　and　made　your　way　out。〃
　〃Impossible；　of　course。〃
　〃I　wonder　about　the　lack　of　tracks；　though。〃
　〃The　wind　must　have　blown　snow　over　them。〃
　〃And　not　the　others？〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃No；　I　don't　think　so。　I　just　want　to　go　on　the　record　as　interested　in　the　answer　to　that　one　too；　if　you　ever　do　want　to　tell　me　about　things。〃
　〃I　will　remember；〃　I　said。
　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　wonder。。。　I've　a　peculiar　feeling　that　I　may　never　see　you　again。　It　is　as　if　I　were　one　of　those　minor　characters　in　a　melodrama　who　gets　shuffled　offstage　without　ever　learning　how　things　turn　out。〃
　〃I　can　appreciate　the　feeling；〃　I　said。　〃My　own　role　sometimes　makes　me　want　to　strangle　the　author。　But　look　at　it　this　way：　inside　stories　seldom　live　up　to　one's　expectations。　Usually　they　are　grubby　little　things；　reducing　down　to　the　basest　of　motives　when　all　is　known。　Conjectures　and　illusions　are　often　the　better　possessions。〃
　He　smiled。
　〃You　talk　the　same　as　always；〃　he　said；　〃yet　I　have　known　occasions　when　you　have　been　tempted　to　virtue。　Several　of　them。。。〃
　〃How　did　we　get　from　the　footprints　to　me？〃　I　said。　〃I　was　about　to　tell　you　that　I　suddenly　recalled　having　approached　the　house　by　exactly　the　same　route　as　I　left　it。　My　departure　obviously　obliterated　the　signs　of　my　arrival。〃
　〃Not　bad；〃　he　said。　〃And　your　attacker　followed　the　same　route？〃
　〃Must　have。〃
　〃Pretty　good；〃　he　acknowledged。　〃You　know　how　to　raise　a　reasonable　doubt。　But　I　still　feel　that　the　preponderance　of　evidence　indicates　the　weird。〃
　〃Weird？　No。　Peculiar；　perhaps。　A　matter　of　interpretation。〃
　〃Or　semantics。　Have　you　read　the　police　report　on　your　accident？〃
　〃No。　Have　you？〃
　〃Uh…huh。　What　if　it　was　more　than　peculiar？　Then　will　you　grant　me　my　word；　as　I　used　it：　'weird'？〃
　〃Very　well。〃
　〃。。。　And　answer　one　question？〃
　〃I　don't　know。。。〃
　〃A　simple　yes…or…no　question。　That's　all。〃
　〃Okay；　it's　a　deal。　What　did　it　say？〃
　〃It　said　that　they　received　report　of　the　accident　and　a　patrol　car　proceeded　to　the　scene。　There　they　encountered　a　strangely　garbed　man　in　the　process　of　giving　you　first　aid。　He　stated　that　he　had　pulled　you　from　the　wrecked　car　in　the　lake。　This　seemed　believable　in　that　he　was　also　soaking　wet。　Average　height；　light　build；　red　hair。　He　had　on　a　green　outfit　that　one　of　the　officers　said　looked　like　something　out　of　a　Robin　Hood　movie。　He　refused　to　identify　himself；　to　acpany　them　or　to　give　a　statement　of　any　sort。　When　they　insisted　that　he　do　so；　he　whistled　and　a　white　horse　came　trotting　up。　He　leaped　onto　its　back　and　rode　off。　He　was　not　seen　again。〃
　I　laughed。　It　hurt；　but　I　couldn't　help　it。
　〃I'll　be　damned！〃　I　said。　〃Things　are　starting　to　make　sense。〃
　Bill　just　stared　at　me　for　a　moment。　Then；　〃Really？〃　he　said。
　〃Yes；　I　think　so。　It　may　well　have　been　worth　getting　stabbed　and　ing　back　for　what　I　learned　today。〃
　〃You　put　the　two　in　peculiar　order；〃　he　said；　massaging　his　chin。
　〃Yes；　I　do。　But　I　am　beginning　to　see　some　order　where　I　had　seen　nothing　before。　This　one　may　have　been　worth　the　price　of　admission；　all　unintended。〃
　〃All　because　of　a　guy　on　a　white　horse？〃
　〃Partly；　partly。。。　Bill；　I　am　going　to　be　leaving　here　soon。〃
　〃You　are　not　going　anywhere　for　a　while。〃
　〃Just　the　same　…　those　papers　you　mentioned。。。　I　think　I　had　better　get　them　signed　today。〃
　〃All　right。　I'll　get　them　over　this　afternoon。　But　I　don't　want　you　doing　anything　foolish。〃
　〃I　grow　more　cautious　by　the　moment；〃　I　said；　〃believe　me。〃
　〃I　hope　so；〃　he　said；　snapping　his　briefcase　shut　and　rising。　〃Well；　get　your　rest。　I'll　clear　things　up　with　the　doctor　and　have　those　papers　sent　over　today。〃
　〃Thanks　again。〃　I　shook　hi