df.theedge-第47部分

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to　be　blamed；　see？'
　　I　did　see。
　　I　said；　'So　when　you　told　this　man　about　the　treats；　what　did　he　say？'
　　Lenny　looked　shattered。　'He　grinned　like　a　shark。。。　all　teeth。。。　and　he　says。。。　if　I　say　anything　about　him　to　anybody。。。　he'll　see　I　get。。。　I'll　get。。。　'He　finished　in　a　whisper；　'AIDS。'
　　I　sighed。　'Is　that　how　he　threatened　to　kill　you？'
　　He　nodded　weakly；　as　if　spent。
　　'What　did　he　look　like''　I　asked。
　　'Like　my　dad。'　He　paused。　'I　hated　my　dad。'
　　'Did　he　sound　like　your　dad？'　I　asked。
　　He　shook　his　head。　'He　wasn't　a　Brit。'
　　'Canadian？'
　　'Or　American。'
　　'Well；'　I　said；　running　out　of　questions；　'I'll　see　you　don't　get　AIDS。'　I　thought　things　over。　'Stay　in　the　car　until　we　get　to　Calgary。　Ms　Brown　will　get　one　of　the　other　grooms　to　bring　your　bag　here。　The　horse　car　is　going　to　be　unhitched　from　the　train；　and　the　horses　are　going　by　motor　van　to　some　stables　for　two　days。　All　the　grooms　are　going　with　them；　as　I　expect　you　know。　You　go　with　the　other　grooms　And　don't　worry。　Someone　will　e　to　find　you　and　take　you　away；　and　bring　another　groom　for　Icy。'　I　paused　to　see　if　he　understood；　but　it　seemed　he　did。　'Where　do　you　want　to　go　from　Calgary？'
　　'I　don't　know；'　he　said　dully。　'Have　to　think。'
　　'All　right。　When　the　someone　es　for　you；　tell　him　then　what　you　want　to　do。'
　　He　looked　at　me　with　a　sort　of　wonderment。　'Why　are　you　bothering？　'　he　asked。
　　'I　don't　like　frighteners。'
　　He　shuddered。　'My　dad　frightened　the　living　daylights　out　of　people。。。　and　me　and　Mum。。。　and　someone　stabbed　him；　killed　him。。。　served　him　right。'　He　paused。　'No　one　ever　helped　the　people　he　frightened。'　He　paused　again；　struggling　for　the　unaccustomed　word；　and　came　up　with　it；　'Thanks。'
　　With　tie　and　buttons　all　correctly　fastened；　Tommy　went　back　to　the　dining　car。　Zak　was　just　finishing　a　scene　in　which　old　Ben；　the　groom　who　had　been　importuning　Raoul　for　money　on　Toronto　station；　had　been　brought　in　from　the　racegoers'　part　of　the　train　to　give　damning　（false）　evidence　against　Raoul　for　having　doped　the　Bricknells'　horses；　a　charge　flatly　denied　by　Raoul　who　contrived　to　look　virtuous　and　possibly　guilty；　both　at　the　same　time。　Sympathy　on　the　whole　ended　on　Raoul's　side　because　of　Ben's　whining　nastiness；　and　Zak　told　everyone　that　a　Most　Important　Witness　would　be　ing　to　Chateau　Lake　Louise　that　evening　to　give　Damaging　Testimony。　Against　whom？　some　people　asked。　Ah；　said　Zak　mysteriously；　vanishing　towards　the　corridor；　only　time　would　tell。
　　Emil；　Oliver；　Cathy　and　I　set　the　tables　for　lunch　and　served　its　three　courses。　Filmer　didn't　materialize；　but　Daffodil　did；　still　shaken　and　angry　as　at　breakfast。　Her　suitcase　was　packed；　it　appeared；　and　she　was　adamant　about　leaving　the　party　at　Calgary。　No　one；　it　seemed；　had　been　able　to　find　out　from　her　exactly　what　the　matter　was；　and　the　lovers'　tiff　explanation　had　gained　ground。
　　I　served　wine　carefully　and　listened；　but　it　was　the　appealing　prospect　of　two　days　in　the　mountains　rather　than　Daffodil's　troubles　that　filled　most　of　the　minds。
　　When　Calgary　appeared　like　sharp　white　needles　on　the　prairie　horizon　and　everyone　began　pointing　excitedly；　I　told　Emil　I　would　do　my　best　to　return　for　the　dishwashing　and　sloped　off　up　the　train　to　George's　office。
　　Would　the　credit…card　telephone　work　in　Calgary？　Yes；　it　would。　He　waved　me　towards　it　as　the　train　slowed　and　told　me　I'd　got　fifty　minutes。　He　himself；　as　usual；　would　be　outside；　supervising。
　　I　got　through　to　Mrs　Baudelaire；　who　sounded　carefree　and　sixteen。
　　'Your　photograph　is　on　its　way；'　she　said　without　preamble。　'But　it　won't　get　to　Calgary　in　time。　Someone　will　be　driving　from　Calgary　to　Chateau　Lake　Louise　later　this　afternoon；　and　they　are　going　to　take　it　to　your　Miss　Richmond。'
　　'That's　great；'　I　said。　'Thank　you。'
　　'But　I'm　afraid　there's　been　no　word　from　Val　Catto　about　your　numbers。'
　　'It　can't　be　helped。'
　　'Anything　else？'　she　asked。
　　'Yes；'　I　said。　'I　need　to　talk　to　Bill　direct。'
　　'What　a　shame。　I've　been　enjoying　this。'
　　'Oh；'　I　said。　'Please。。。　so　have　I。　It's　only　that　it's　more　than　a　message　and　question　and　answer。　It's　long。。。　and　plicated。'
　　'My　dear　young　man；　don't　apologize。　Bill　was　still　in　Winnipeg　ten　minutes　ago。　I'll　call　him　straight　away。　Do　you　have　a　number？'
　　'Um；　yes。'　I　read　her　the　number　on　the　train's　handset。　'The　sooner　the　better；　would　you　tell　him？'
　　'Talk　to　you　later；'　she　said；　and　went　away。
　　I　waited　restlessly　through　ten　wasted　minutes　before　the　phone　rang。
　　Bill's　deep　voice　reverberated　in　my　ear。　'Where　are　you？'
　　'On　the　train　in　Calgary　station。'
　　'My　mother　says　it's　urgent。'
　　'Yes；　but　chiefly　because　this　cellular　telephone　is　in　the　Conductor's　office　and　only　works　in　cities。'
　　'Understood；'　he　said。　'Fire　away。'
　　I　told　him　about　Daffodil's　departure　and　Lenny　Higgs's　frightened　collapse；　about　what　she　had　not　said；　and　he　had。
　　Bill　Baudelaire　at　length　demanded；　'Have　I　got　this　straight？　This　Lenny　Higgs　said　Daffodil　Quentin　got　him　to　give　her　horse　something　to　eat；　from　which　the　horse　got　colic　and　died？'
　　'Strong　supposition　of　cause　and　effect；　but　unprovable；　I　should　think。'
　　'Yes。　They　had　an　autopsy　and　couldn't　find　what　caused　the　colic。　It　was　the　third　of　her　dead　horses。　The　insurers　were　very　suspicious；　but　they　had　to　pay。'
　　'Lenny　says　she　told　him　she　would　never　do　any　harm　to　her　darling　horses；　but　she　gave　him　a　hundred　dollars　to　keep　quiet。'
　　Bill　groaned。
　　'But；'　I　said；　'it　might　have　been　because　she'd　had　two　dead　horses　already　and　she　was　afraid　everyone　would　think　exactly　what　they　did　think　anyway。'
　　'I　suppose　so；'　he　said。　'So　where　are　we　now？'
　　'Going　on　past　experience；'　I　said；　'I　would　think…and　this　is　just　guessing…that　after　midnight　last　night；　our　quarry　told　Daffodil　that　her　groom　had　spilled　the　beans；　and　would　spill　them　again　to　order　in　public；　and　that　he　would　see　she　was　warned　off　at　the　very　least　if　she　didn't　sell　him。。。　or　give　him。。。　her　remaining　share　in　Laurentide　Ice。'
　　He　said　gloomily；　'You　all　know　him　better　than　I　do；　but　on　form　I'd　think　you　may　be　right　We'll　know　for　sure；　won't　we；　if　he　applies　to　change　the　partnership　registration　before　the　Vancouver　race。'
　　'Mm；'　I　agreed。　'Well；　if　you…the　Ontario　Racing　mission…feel　like　giving　Daffodil　the　benefit　of　the　doubt　over　her　horses。。。　and　of　course　you　know　her　better　than　I　do；　but　it　seems　to　me　she　may　not　be　intentionally　wicked；　but　more　silly。。。　I　mean　there's　something　immature　about　her；　for　all　her　fifty　years　or　so。。。　and　some　people　don't　think　it's　all　that　wicked　to　defraud　insurance　panies；　perfectly　respectable　people　sometimes　do　it。。。　and　I　believe　all　three　horses　would　have　been　put　down　sooner　than　later；　wouldn't　they？　Anyway；　I'm　not　excusing　her　if　she's　guilty；　but　explaining　how　she　might　feel　about　it。。。'
　　'You've　got　to　know　her　remarkably　well。'
　　'Er。。。　I've　just。。。　noticed。。。'
　　'Mm；'　he　said　dryly。　'Val　Catto　said　you　notice　things。'
　　'Well。。。　I；　er；　don't　know　how　you　feel　about　this；　but　I　thought　that　if　we　spirited　Lenny　Higgs　away；　sort　of；　he　wouldn't　be　around　to　be　threatened；　or　to　be　a　threat　to　Daffodil；　and　if　you　could　tell　her　somehow　that　Lenny　Higgs　had　vanished　and　will　not　be　spilling　any　beans　whatsoever。。。　if　you　could　square　it　with　your　conscience　to　do　that。。。　then　she　doesn't　need　to　part　with　her　half…share　and　we　will　have　foiled　at　least　one　of　our　quarry's　rotten　schemes。　And　that's　my　brief；　isn't　it？'
　　He　breathed　out　lengthily；　as　a　whistle。　I　held　the　line　and　waited。
　　'Is　Lenny　Higgs　still　on　the　train？'　he　asked　eventually。
　　'Unless　he　panics；　he's　going　with　the　other　grooms　and　horses　to　their　stabling　here。　I　told　him　someone　would　e　to　fetch　him　and　look　after　him　and　give　him　a　free　ticket　to　wherever　he　wants　to　go。'
　　'Now；　hold　on。。。'
　　'It's　the　least　we　can　do。　But　I　think　we　should　follow　it　up；　and　positively　know　his　exact　ultimate　destination；　even　fix　him　up　with　a　job；　because　we　in　our　turn　may　want　him　to　give　evidence　ag