| |||||
|
Eight
I
B lore was easily roped in. He expressed immediate agreement with their arguments.
“What you’ve said about those china figures, sir, makes all the difference. That’s crazy,
that is! There’s only one thing. You don’t think this Owen’s idea might be to do the job by
proxy, as it were?”
“Explain yourself, man.”
“Well, I mean like this. After the racket last night this young Marston gets the wind up and
poisons himself. And Rogers, he gets the wind up too and bumps off his wife! All according to
U.N.O’s plan.”
Armstrong shook his head. He stressed the point about the cyanide. Blore agreed.
“Yes, I’d forgotten that. Not a natural thing to be carrying about with you. But how did it
get into his drink, sir?”
Lombard said:
“I’ve been thinking about that. Marston had several drinks that night. Between the time he
had his last one and the time he finished the one before it, there was quite a gap. During that
time his glass was lying about on some table or other. I think—though I can’t be sure, it was on
the little table near the window. The window was open. Somebody could have slipped a dose of
the cyanide into the glass.”
Blore said unbelievingly:
“Without our all seeing him, sir?”
Lombard said dryly:
“We were all—rather concerned elsewhere.”
Armstrong said slowly:
“That’s true. We’d all been attacked. We were walking about, moving about the room.
Arguing, indignant, intent on our own business. I think it could have been done….”
Blore shrugged his shoulders.
“Fact is, it must have been done! Now then, gentlemen, let’s make a start. Nobody’s got a
revolver, by any chance? I suppose that’s too much to hope for.”
Lombard said:
“I’ve got one.” He patted his pocket.
Blore’s eyes opened very wide. He said in an overcasual tone:
“Always carry that about with you, sir?”
Lombard said:
“Usually. I’ve been in some tight places, you know.”
“Oh,” said Blore and added: “Well, you’ve probably never been in a tighter place than you
are today! If there’s a lunatic hiding on this island, he’s probably got a young arsenal on him—
to say nothing of a knife or dagger or two.”
Armstrong coughed.
“You may be wrong there, Blore. Many homicidal lunatics are very quiet unassuming
people. Delightful fellows.”
Blore said:
“I don’t feel this one is going to be of that kind, Dr. Armstrong.”
第八章
1
他们与布洛尔一拍即合，布洛尔立刻对他们的计划表示同意。
“既然你们提到了小士兵玩偶的事，就说明问题绝对不简单，先生们。没错，这太邪门
了！不过还有一个问题。关于目前为止发生的一切，你们是不是认为这个欧文的作案手法
是在幕后操纵，暗中掌控一切？”
“把话说清楚点儿，老兄。”
“听着，我的意思是这样：尤·纳·欧文昨天晚上略施小计，马斯顿先生就中了圈套，服
毒自尽了；罗杰斯也被吓得魂飞魄散，杀妻灭口。”
阿姆斯特朗摇着脑袋，特意说明了一下氰化物的问题。布洛尔对这一点也表示同意。
“说实话，我把这一点给忽略了，随身带着毒药的人确实不多见。可氰化物怎么跑到他
的酒里去了呢，先生？”
隆巴德说：
“我一直在琢磨这个问题。昨晚，马斯顿喝了不止一杯。他喝最后一杯的时间与之前几
杯隔了一会儿，而他那只杯子就一直搁在桌上或者其他什么地方。我想想——记不清了，
好像是放在靠窗户的那张桌子上。窗户是敞着的，也许有人在酒杯里偷偷加了氰化物。”
布洛尔不太相信，他说：
“那个人能躲过我们所有人的眼睛？”
隆巴德冷冷地说：
“我们当时都没注意。”
阿姆斯特朗慢条斯理地说：
“有道理。我们当时都被控告声唬住了，在屋子里吵吵嚷嚷，光顾着说自己的事，谁也
没注意。我看有这个可能。”
布洛尔耸了耸肩膀。
“很明显，凶手一定是这样干的！闲话少说，各位，我们行动吧！有谁正好带着枪吗？
说不定会派上用场。”
隆巴德说：
“我带了一支。”他拍了拍口袋。
布洛尔的眼睛瞪大了，他用故作轻松的口吻说：
“你随身带着这玩意儿吗？”
隆巴德说：
“随身带着。你们也知道，我经常要去那些鸟不拉屎的倒霉地方。”
“明白了，”布洛尔又说，“不过，你从来没去过比这座岛更倒霉的地方吧？要是这岛上
真藏着一个杀人狂，他完全有可能全副武装。”
阿姆斯特朗咳嗽起来。
“这一点你说得不一定对，布洛尔。杀人狂可不一定都是面目可憎、全副武装的样子。
大部分杀人狂看起来安静斯文，随和极了。”
布洛尔说：
“我觉得岛上这位可不是你说的那一种，阿姆斯特朗医生。”
|
|||||
- 发表评论
-
- 最新评论 进入详细评论页>>
