alistairmaclean.bearisland-第61部分

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　am　her　doctor；　I　can't　permit　it。〃
　〃And　as　a　doctor；　my　dear　fellow；　you　should　understand　the　necessity　for　immediacy。　I　have　worked　myself　up　to　this；　screwed　myself；　as　it　were；　to　the　sticking　point。　Another　few　hours；　as　you　say；　and　it　may　be　too　late。　The　Lonnie　Gilbert　you　see　before　you　will　almost　certainly　have　reverted　to　the　bad　old；　cowardly　old；　selfish　old；　clay…souled　Lonnie　of　yore；　the　Lonnie　we　all　know　so　well。　And　then　it　will　always　be　too　late。〃
　He　paused　and　switched　his　argument。　〃Sedatives；　you　say。　How　long　do　the　effects　of　those　last？〃
　〃Varies　from　person　to　person。　Four　hours；　six　hours；　maybe　as　much　as　eight。〃
　〃Well；　there　you　are；　then。　Poor　girl's　probably　been　lying　awake　for　hours；　just　longing　for　some　pany　although　not；　in　all　likelihood；　that　of　Lonnie　Gilbert。　Or　has　it　escaped　your　attention　that　close　on　twelve　hours　have　elapsed　since　you　administered　that　sedative？〃
　It　had。　But　what　had　not　escaped　my　attention　was　that　Lonnie's　relationship　vis…a…vis　Judith　Haynes　had　been　intriguing　me　considerably　for　some　time。　It　might；　I　thought；　be　very　helpful　and；　with　regards　to　a　deeper　penetration　of　the　fog　of　mystery　surrounding　us；　more　than　a　little　constructive　if　I　could　learn　something　of　the　burden　of　what　Lonnie　had　in　mind　to　say　to　Judith　Haynes。　I　said：　〃Let　me　go　and　see　her。　If　she's　awake　and　I　think　she's　fit　to　talk；　then　OK。〃
　He　nodded。　I　went　to　Judith　Haynes's　room　and　entered　without　knocking。　The　oil　lamp　was　turned　up　and　she　was　awake；　stretched　out　under　the　covers　with　only　her　face　showing。　She　looked　ghastly；　which　was　the　way　I　had　expected　her　to　look；　with　the　Titian　hair　emphasising　the　drawn　pallor　of　her　face。　The　usually　striking　green　eyes　were　glazed　and　lacklustre　and　her　cheeks　were　smudged　and　streaked　with　tears。　She　looked　at　me　indifferently　as　I　pulled　up　a　stool；　then　looked　as　indifferently　away。
　〃I　hope　you　slept　well；　Miss　Haynes；〃　I　said。　〃How　are　you　feeling？〃
　〃Do　you　usually　e　calling　on　patients　in　the　middle　of　the　night？〃
　Her　voice　was　as　dull　as　her　eyes。
　〃I　don't　make　a　practice　of　it。　But　we're　taking　turns　keeping　watch　tonight；　and　this　happens　to　be　my　turn。　Is　there　anything　that　you　want？〃
　〃No。　Have　you　found　out　who　killed　my　husband？〃　She　was　so　preternaturally　calm；　under　such　seemingly　iron　control；　that　I　suspected　it　to　be　the　prelude　to　another　uncontrollable　hysterical　outburst。
　〃No。　Am　I　to　take　it　from　that；　Miss　Haynes；　that　you　no　longer　think　that　young　Allen　did？〃
　I　don't　think　so。　I've　been　lying　here　for　hours；　just　thinking；　and　I　don't　think　so。〃　From　the　lifeless　voice　and　the　lifeless　face　I　was　pretty　sure　she　was　still　under　the　influence　of　the　sedative。　〃You　will　get　him；　won't　you？　The　man　who　killed　Michael。　Michael　wasn't　as　bad　as　people　thought；　Dr。　Marlowe；　no　he　really　wasn't。〃　For　the　first　time　a　trace　of　expression；　just　the　weary　suggestion　of　a　smile。　I　don't　say　he　was　a　kind　man　or　a　good　one　or　a　gentle　one；　for　he　wasn't：　but　he　was　the　man　for　me。〃
　〃I　know；〃　I　said；　as　if　I　understood；　which　I　only　partially　did。　〃I　hope　we　get　the　man　responsible。　I　think　we　will。　Do　you　have　any　ideas　that　could　help？〃
　〃My　ideas　are　not　worth　much；　Doctor。　My　mind　doesn't　seem　to　be　very　clear。〃
　〃Do　you　think　you　could　talk　for　a　bit；　Miss　Haynes？　It　wouldn't　be　too　tiring？〃
　I　am　talking。〃
　〃Not　to　me。　To　Lonnie　Gilbert。　He　seems　terribly　anxious　to　speak　to　you。
　〃Speak　to　me？〃　Tired　surprise　but　not　outright　rejection　of　the　idea。
　〃Why　should　Lonnie　Gilbert　wish　to　speak　to　me？〃
　I　don't　know。　Lonnie　doesn't　believe　in　confiding　in　doctors。　All　I　gather　is　that　he　feels　that　he's　done　you　some　great　wrong　and　he　wants　to　say　〃sorry；〃　I　think。〃
　〃Lonnie　say　〃sorry〃　to　me！〃　Astonishment　had　driven　the　flat　hopelessness　from　her　voice。　〃Apologise　to　me？　No；　not　to　me。〃　She　was　silent　for　a　bit；　then　she　said：　〃Yes；　I'd　very　much　like　to　see　him　now。〃
　I　concealed　my　own　astonishment　as　best　I　could；　went　back　to　the　main　cabin；　told　an　equally　astonished　Lonnie　that　Judith　Haynes　was　more　than　prepared　to　meet　him　and　watched　him　as　he　went　along　the　passage；　entered　her　room　and　closed　the　door　behind　him。　I　glanced　at　Luke。　He　appeared；　if　anything；　to　be　more　soundly　asleep　than　ever；　absurdly　young　to　be　in　this　situation；　a　pleased　smile　on　his　face：　he　was　probably　dreaming　of　golden　discs。　I　walked　quietly　along　the　passage　to　Judith　Haynes's　room：　there　was　nothing　in　the　Hippocratic　oath　against　doctors　listening　at　dosed　doors。
　It　was　clear　that　I　was　going　to　have　to　listen　very　closely　indeed　for　although　the　door　was　only　made　of　bonded　ply；　the　voices　in　the　room　were　being　kept　low　and　I　could　hear　little　more　than　a　confused　murmur。　I　dropped　to　my　knees　and　applied　my　car　to　the　keyhole。　The　audibility　factor　improved　quite　remarkably。
　〃You！〃　Judith　Haynes　said。　There　was　a　catch　in　her　voice；　I　wouldn't　have　believed　her　capable　of　any；　of　the　more　kindly　emotions。　〃You！　To　apologise　to　me！　Of　all　people；　you！〃
　〃Me；　my　dear；　me。　All　those　years；　all　those　years。〃　His　voice　fell　away　and　I　couldn't　catch　his　next　few　words。　Then　he　said：　〃Despicable；　despicable。　For　any　man　to　go　through　life；　nurturing　the　animosity；　nay；　my　dear；　the　hatred…〃　He　broke　off。　and　there　was　silence　for　some　moments。　He　went　on：　〃No　forgiveness；　no　forgiveness。　I　know　he　can't！　I　know　he　couldn't　have　been　so　bad；　or　even　really　bad　at　all；　you　loved　him　and　no　one　can　love　a　person　who　is　bad　all　through；　but　even　if　his　sins　had　been　black　as　the　midnight　shades…'
　〃Lonnie！〃　The　interruption　was　sharp；　even　forceful。　I　know　I　wasn't　married　to　any　angel；　but　I　wasn't　married　to　any　devil；　either。〃
　I　know　that；　my　dear；　I　know　that。　I　was　merely　saying…〃
　〃Will　you　listen〃　Lonnie；　Michael　wasn't　in　that　car　that　night。　Michael　was　never　near　that　car。〃
　I　strained　for　the　answer　but　none　came。　Judith　Haynes　went　on：　〃Neither　was　I；　Lonnie。〃
　There　was　a　prolonged　silence；　then　Lonnie　said　in　a　voice　so　low　that　it　was　a　barely　heard　whisper：　〃That's　not　what　I　was　told。〃
　〃Tra　sure　it　wasn't；　Unnic。　lly　car；　yes。　But　I　wasn't　driving　it。　Michael　wasn't　driving　it。〃
　〃But…you　won't　deny　that　my　daughters　were…well；　incapable；　that　night。　And　that　you　were　too。　And　that　you　made　them　that　way？〃
　〃Ttn　not　denying　anything。　We　all　had　too　much　to　drink　that　night　…that's　why　I've　never　drunk　since；　Lonnie。　I　don't　know　who　was　responsible。　All　I　know　is　that　Michael　and　I　never　left　the　house。　Good　God；　do　you　think　I　have　to　tell　you　this…now；　that　Michael　is　dead？〃
　〃No。　No；　you　don't。　Then…then　who　was　driving　your　car？〃
　〃Two　other　people。　Two　men。〃
　〃Two　men？　And　you've　been　protecting　them　all　those　years。〃　〃Protecting？　No；　I　wouldn't　use　the　word　〃protecting。〃　Except　inadvertently。　No；　I　didn't　put　that　well；　I　mean…well；　any　protection　given　was　just　incidental　to　something　else　we　really　wanted。　Our　own　selfish　ends；　I　suppose　you　could　call　it。　Everybody　knows　well　enough　that　Michael　and　I…well；　we　weren't　criminals　but　we　always　had　an　eye　on　the　main　chance。〃
　〃Two　men。〃　It　was　almost　as　if　Lonnie　hadn't　been　listening　to　a　word　she'd　said。　〃Two　men。　You　must　know　them。〃
　Another　silence；　then　she　said　quietly：　〃Of　course。〃
　Once　more　an　infuriating　silence；　I　even　stopped　breathing　in　case　I　were　to　miss　the　next　few　words。　But　I　wasn't　given　the　chance　either　to　miss　them　or　to　hear　them　for　a　harsh　and　hostile　voice　behind　me　said：　〃What　in　the　devil　do　you　think　you　are　doing　here；　sir？〃
　I　refrained　from　doing　what　I　felt　like　doing；　which　was　to　let　loose　with　a　few　choice　and　uninhibited　phrases；　turned　and　looked　up　to　find　Otto's　massively　pear…shaped　bulk　looming　massively　above　me。　His　fists　were　clenched；　his　puce　plexion　had　darkened　dangerously；　his　eyes　were　glaring　and　his　lips　were　clamped　in　a　thin　line　that　threatened　to　disappear　at　any　moment。
　〃You　look　upset；　Mr。　Gerran；〃　I　said。　〃In　point　of　fact；　I　was　eavesdropping。〃　I　pushed　myself　to　my　feel？；　dusted　off。　the　knees　of　my　trousers；　straightened　and　dusted　off。　my　hands。　I　can　explain　everything。〃
　〃I'm　waiting　for　your