df.theedge-第33部分

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　　'No　one　you　now　know　was　a　stranger？'
　　'No。'
　　Mrs　Young；　intelligent　besides　forting；　asked；　'Do　you　mean　it's　possible　to　uncouple　a　car　while　you're　actually　on　the　train？　You　don't　have　to　be　on　the　ground　to　do　it？'
　　The　investigator　gave　her　his　attention　and　everyone　leaned　forward　slightly　to　hear　the　answer。
　　'It's　possible。　It　can　be　done　also　while　the　train　is　moving；　which　is　why　we　want　to　know　if　there　was　anyone　in　the　dome　car　who　was　unknown　to　you　all。　Unknown　to　any　of　you；　I　should　say。'
　　There　was　a　long；　respectful；　understanding　silence。
　　Nell　said；　'I　suppose　I　know　most　of　our　passengers　by　sight　by　now。　I　identified　them　all　at　Toronto　station　when　I　was　allocating　their　sleeping　quarters。　I　didn't　see　anyone　yesterday　evening　who　puzzled　me。'
　　'You　don't　think；'　Mrs　Young　said；　putting　her　finger　unerringly　on　the　implication；　'that　the　car　was　unhitched　by　someone　in　our　party'？'
　　'We're　investigating　all　possibilities；'　the　investigator　said　without　pompousness。　He　looked　around　at　the　ranks　of　worried　faces　and　his　slightly　severe　expression　softened。　'The　private　car　was　deliberately　uncoupled；'　he　said；　'but　we're　of　the　preliminary　opinion　that　it　was　an　act　of　mischief　mitted　by　someone　in　Carder；　the　last　place　you　stopped　before　Miss　Lorrimore　found　the　car　was　missing。　But　we　do　have　to　ask　if　the　saboteur　could　have　been　on　the　train；　just　in　case　any　of　you　noticed　anything　wrong。'
　　A　man　at　the　back　of　the　crowd　said；　'I　was　sitting　in　the　dome　car　lounge　when　Xanthe　came　through；　and　I　can　tell　you　that　no　one　had　e　the　other　way。　I　mean；　we　all　knew　that　only　the　Lorrimores'　car　was　behind　the　dome　car。　If　anyone　except　the　Lorrimores　had　gone　that　way　and　e　back　again。。。　well。。。　we　would　have　noticed。'
　　Another　nodding　of　heads。　People　noticed　everything　to　do　with　the　Lorrimores。
　　I　was　watching　the　scene　from　the　kitchen　end　of　the　dining　car；　standing　just　behind　Emil；　Cathy　and　Oliver。　I　could　see　Xanthe's　troubled　face　clearly；　and　also　Filmer's　beside　her。　He　seemed　to　me　to　be　showing　diminishing　interest　in　the　enquiry；　turning　his　tidily　brushed　head　away　to　look　out　of　the　window　instead。　There　was　no　tension　in　him：　when　he　was　tense　there　was　a　rigidity　in　his　neck　muscles；　a　rigidity　I'd　watched　from　the　depths　of　the　crowd　during　the　brief　day　of　his　trial　and　seen　a　few　times　since；　as　at　Nottingham。　When　Filmer　felt　tense；　it　showed。
　　Even　as　I　watched　him；　his　neck　went　rigid。
　　I　looked　out　of　a　window　to　see　what　he　was　looking　at；　but　there　seemed　to　be　nothing　of　great　note；　only　the　racegoing　passengers　streaming　off　their　forward　carriages　en　route　to　write　postcards　home　from　the　station。
　　Filmer　looked　back　towards　Xanthe　and　the　investigator　and　made　a　small　gesture　of　impatience；　and　it　seemed　to　trigger　a　response　from　the　investigator　because　he　said　that　if　anyone　remembered　any　helpful　detail；　however　small；　would　they　please　tell　him　or　one　of　his　colleagues；　but　meanwhile　everyone　was　free　to　go。
　　There　was　a　munal　sigh　as　the　real…life　investigation　broke　up。　Zak；　I　thought；　would　be　finding　the　petition　too　stiff；　the　fiction　an　anti…climax　after　the　fact。　He　hadn't　appeared　for　this　scene：　none　of　the　actors　had。
　　Most　of　the　passengers　went　off　to　don　coats　against　what　appeared　to　be　a　cold　wind　outside；　but　Filmer　climbed　down　from　the　door　of　the　dome…car　end　of　the　dining　car　without　more　protection　than　his　carefully　casual　shirt　and　aristocratic　tweed　jacket。　He　paused　irresolutely；　not　scrunching；　as　the　others　were　beginning　to；　across　the　two　sets　of　rails　between　our　train　and　the　station　but　meandering　at　an　angle　forwards　in　the　direction　of　the　engine。
　　Inside；　I　followed　him；　easily　keeping　pace　with　his　slow　step。　I　thought　at　first　that　he　was　merely　taking　an　open…air　path　to　his　own　bedroom；　but　he　went　straight　past　the　open　door　at　the　end　of　his　sleeping　car；　and　straight　on　past　the　next　car　also。　Going　to　see　his　horse；　no　doubt。　I　went　on　following：　it　had　bee　a　habit。
　　At　the　end　of　the　third　car；　just　past　George　Burley's　office；　he　stopped；　because　someone　was　ing　out　from　the　station　to　meet　him：　a　gaunt　man　in　a　padded　short　coat　with　a　fur　collar；　with　grey　hair　blowing　in　disarray　in　the　wind。
　　They　met　between　George's　window　and　the　open　door　at　the　end　of　the　car　and　although　at　first　they　looked　moderately　at　peace　with　each　other；　the　encounter　deteriorated　rapidly。
　　I　risked　them　seeing　me　so　as　to　try　to　hear；　but　in　fact　by　the　time　I　could　hear　them　they　were　shouting；　which　meant　I　could　listen　through　the　doorway　without　seeing　them　or　being　seen。
　　Filmer　was　yelling　furiously；　'I　said　before　Vancouver。'
　　The　gaunt　man　with　a　snarl　in　his　Canadian　voice　said；　'You　said　before　Winnipeg；　and　I've　done　it　and　I　want　my　money。'
　　'Cooee'　trilled　Daffodil；　teetering　towards　them　in　chinchillas　and　high…heeled　boots。　'Are　we　going　to　see　Laurentide　Ice？'
　　
　　
　　
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　　Blast　her；　I　thought　intensely。　Triple　bloody　shit；　and　several　other　words　to　that　effect。
　　I　watched　through　George's　window　as　Filmer　made　great　efforts　to　go　towards　her　with　a　smile；　drawing　attention　away　from　the　gaunt…faced　man；　who　returned　to　the　station。
　　Before　Winnipeg；　before　Vancouver。　Julius　Apollo　had　mixed　them　up　yet　again。　'You　said　before　Winnipeg；　and　I've　done　it。　I　want　my　money。'　Heavy　words；　full　of　threat。
　　What　before　Winnipeg？　What　had　he　done？
　　What　indeed。
　　It　couldn't　have　been　the　Lorrimores'　car；　I　thought。　Filmer　had　shown　no　interest　and　no　tension；　had　been　obviously　uninvolved。　But　then　he　would　have　been　calm；　I　supposed；　if　he　hadn't　been　expecting　anything　to　happen　except　before　Vancouver。　He　hadn't　been　expecting　the　Lorrimores'　car　to　be　uncoupled　before　either　city；　of　that　I　was　certain。　He　had　instead　been　cultivating　his　acquaintanceship　with　Mercer；　a　game　plan　that　would　have　e　to　an　abrupt　end　if　the　Lorrimores　had　deserted　the　trip；　which　they　would　have　done　at　once　if　the　Canadian　had　ploughed　into　their　home…from…home。
　　If　not　the　Lorrimore's　car；　what　else　had　happened？　What　had　happened　before　Winnipeg　that　Filmer　had　intended　to　happen　before　Vancouver？　In　what　way　had　the　gaunt　man　already　earned　his　money？
　　Anyone's　guess；　I　thought。
　　He　could　have　robbed　someone；　bribed　a　stable　lad；　nobbled　a　horse。。。
　　Nobbled　a　horse　that　was　going　to　run　at　Winnipeg；　instead　of　one　running　at　Vancouver？
　　From　the　fury　in　their　voices；　the　mistake　had　been　devastating。
　　Only　Flokati　and　Upper　Gumtree　were　due　to　run　at　Winnipeg。。。　Laurentide　Ice　was　running　at　Vancouver　against　Voting　Right　and　Sparrowgrass。。。。　Could　Filmer　have　been　so　stupid　as　to　get　the　horses'　names　wrong　in　addition　to　the　cities？　No；　he　couldn't。
　　Impasse。　Yet。。。　gaunt…face　had　done　something。
　　Sighing；　I　watched　the　Youngs　walk　past　the　window　en　route；　I　supposed；　to　the　horse　car。　Soon　after；　the　Unwins　followed。　I　would　have　liked　to　have　checked　at　once　on　the　state　of　the　horses；　but　I　supposed　if　there　were　something　wrong　with　any　of　them　I　would　hear　soon　enough。
　　I　wished　I'd　been　able　to　take　a　photograph　of　gaunt…face；　but　I'd　been　more　keen　to　listen。
　　If　he'd　done　something　to　or　around　the　horses；　I　thought；　then　he　had　to　have　travelled　with　us　on　the　train。　He　hadn't　just　met　us　in　Thunder　Bay。　If　he'd　been　on　the　train　and　had　walked　with　the　other　racegoers　towards　the　station；　Filmer　could　have　seen　him　through　the　window　。。。　and　just　the　sight　of　him　had　caused　the　tensing　of　the　neck　muscles。。。　and　if　Filmer　hadn't　yet　paid　him　for　whatever。。。　then　he　would　e　back　to　the　train。。。
　　I　left　George's　office　and　went　two　doors　along　to　my　roomette　to　dig　my　telescopic…lens　binoculars…camera　out　of　Tommy's　holdall；　and　I　sat　and　waited　by　the　window　for　gaunt…face's　return。
　　What　happened　instead　was　that　after　a　while　Filmer　and　Daffodil　appeared　in　my　view；　making　a　diagonal　course　towards　the　station　buildings；　and　pretty　soon　afterwards；　acpanied　by　a　lot　of　bell…ringing　and　warning　hooters；　a　huge　bright　yellow　diesel　engine　cam