df.theedge-第39部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　'Oh。'
　　'I've　spent　most　of　the　day　with　them。'　She　smiled　briefly　and　went　on　her　way。　No　clipboard；　I　noticed。
　　Cumber　and　Rose；　I　thought；　collecting　ashtrays。　Well；　well。　Rose　suited　Mrs　Young　fine。　Cumber　was　appropriate　also；　I　supposed；　though　Mr　Young　wasn't　cumbersome；　perhaps　a　shade　heavy　in　personality；　but　not　big；　not　awkward。
　　Mercer　and　Bambi　again　invited　Filmer　and　Daffodil　into　their　private　car；　although　it　was　Oliver；　this　time；　who　obliged　them　with　a　bowl　of　ice。　Mercer　came　back　after　a　while　to　collect　the　Unwins　and　the　Youngs；　and　the　general　jollifications　everywhere　wore　on　without　any　alarms。
　　After　midnight　Nell　said　she　was　going　to　bed；　and　I　walked　up　the　train　with　her　to　her　roomette；　almost　opposite　mine。　She　paused　in　the　doorway。
　　'It's　all　going　well；　don't　you　think？'　she　said。
　　'Terrific。'　I　meant　it。　'You've　worked　very　hard。'
　　We　looked　at　each　other；　she　in　executive　black　and　white；　I　in　my　yellow　waistcoat。
　　'What　are　you　really？'　she　said。
　　'Twenty…nine。'
　　Her　lips　twitched。　'One　day　I'll　crack　your　defences。'
　　'Yours　are　half　down。'
　　'What　do　you　mean？'
　　I　made　a　hugging　movement　across　my　own　chest。　'No　clipboard；'　I　said。
　　'Oh。。。　well。。。　I　didn't　need　it　this　evening。'
　　She　wasn't　exactly　confused。　Her　eyes　were　laughing。
　　'You　can't；'　she　said。
　　'Can't　what？'
　　'Kiss　me。'
　　I'd　wanted　to。　She'd　seen　it　unerringly。
　　'If　you　e　into　my　parlour；　I　can；'　I　said。
　　She　shook　her　head；　smiling。　'I　am　not　going　to　lose　my　credibility　on　this　train　by　being　caught　ing　out　of　the　help's　bedroom。'
　　'Talking　in　the　corridor　is　almost　as　bad。'
　　'Yes；　it　is；'　she　said；　nodding。　'So　good　night。'
　　I　said　with　regret；　'Good　night；'　and　she　went　abruptly　into　her　own　domain　and　closed　the　door。
　　With　a　sigh　I　went　on　a　few　steps　further　to　George's　office　and　found　him　as　I'd　expected；　fully　dressed；　lightly　napping；　with　worked…on　forms　pushed　to　one　side　beside　an　empty　coffee　cup。
　　'e　in；'　he　said；　fully　alert　in　an　instant。　'Sit　down。　How's　it　going？'
　　'So　far；　so　good。'
　　I　sat　on　the　facilities；　and　told　him　that　the　water　samples　from　the　horse　car　had　been　pure　and　simple　H2O。
　　'That'll　please　the　dragon…lady；　eh？'　he　said。
　　'Did　you　go　to　the　races？'　I　asked。
　　'No；　I've　got　family　in　Winnipeg；　I　went　visiting。　And　I　slept　most　of　today；　as　I'll　be　up　all　night；　with　the　stops。'　He　knew；　however；　that　Upper　Gumtree　had　won。　'You　should　see　the　party　going　on　in　the　forward　dome　car。　All　the　grooms　are　drunk。　The　dragon…lady's　in　a　sober　tizzy；　eh？；　because　they　tried　to　give　a　bucket　of　beer　to　the　horse。　They're　singing　gold…rush　songs　at　the　tops　of　their　voices　in　the　dayniter　and　it's　a　wonder　they　haven't　all　rocked　the　train　right　off　the　rails；　with　the　noise　and　the　booze。'
　　'I　guess　it　wouldn't　be　easy　to　rock　the　train　off　the　rails；'　I　said　thoughtfully。
　　'Easy？'　George　said。　'Of　course　it　is。　Go　too　fast　round　the　curves。'
　　'Well。。。　suppose　it　was　one　of　the　passengers　who　wanted　to　stop　the　train　getting　happily　to　Vancouver；　what　could　he　do？'
　　He　looked　at　me　with　bright　eyes；　unperplexed。　'Besides　doping　the　horses'　water？　Do　what　they're　doing　in　the　mystery；　I'd　say。　Throw　a　body　off　the　train；　eh？　That　would　stop　the　parties　pretty　quick。'　He　chuckled。　'You　could　throw　someone　off　the　Stoney　Creek　bridge…that's　a　high　curved　bridge　over　Roger's　Pass。　It's　a　long　way　down　into　the　gulch。　Three　hundred　feet　and　a　bit　more。　If　the　fall　didn't　kill　them；　the　bears　would。'
　　'Bears！'　I　exclaimed。
　　He　beamed。　'Grizzly　bears；　eh？　The　Rocky　Mountains　aren't　anyone's　tame　backyard。　They're　raw　nature。　So　are　the　bears。　They　kill　people；　no　trouble。'　He　put　his　head　on　one　side。　'Or　you　could　throw　someone　out　into　the　Connaught　Tunnel。　That　tunnel's　five　miles　long　with　no　lights。　There's　a　species　of　blind　mice　that　live　in　there；　eating　the　grain　that　falls　from　the　grain　trains。'
　　'Jolly；　'I　said。
　　'There's　a　wine　storage　under　the　floor　of　your　dining　car；'　he　said　with　growing　relish。　They　decided　not　to　use　it　on　this　trip　because　opening　it　might　disrupt　the　passengers。　It's　big　enough　to　hide　a　body　in。'
　　His　imagination；　I　saw；　was　of　a　scarier　dimension　than　my　own。
　　'Hiding　a　body　in　the　wine　store；'　I　said　politely；　'might　indeed　disrupt　the　passengers。'
　　He　laughed。　'Or　how　about　someone　alive　and　tied　up　in　there；　writhing　in　agony？'
　　'Shouting　his　head　off？'　Ragged。'
　　'If　we　miss　anyone；'　I　promised；　'that's　where　we'll　look。'　I　stood　up　and　prepared　to　go。　'Where　exactly　is　the　Stoney　Creek　bridge；'　I　asked；　pausing　in　the　doorway；　'over　Roger's　Pass？'
　　His　eyes　gleamed；　the　lower　lids　pouching　with　enjoyment。　'About　a　hundred　miles　further　on　from　Lake　Louise。　High　up　in　the　mountains。　But　don't　you　worry；　eh？；　you'll　be　going　across　it　in　the　dark。'
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　Thirteen
　　
　　Everyone　survived　the　night；　although　there　were　a　few　obvious　hangovers　at　breakfast。　Outside　the　windows；　the　seemingly　endless　rock；　lakes　and　conifer　scenery　had　dramatically　given　way　to　the　wide　sweeping　rolling　prairies；　not　yellow　with　the　grain　that　had　already　been　harvested；　but　greenish　grey；　resting　before　winter。
　　There　was　a　brief　stop　during　breakfast　at　the　town　of　Medicine　Hat　which　lay　in　a　valley　and　looked　a　great　deal　more　ordinary　than　its　name。　The　passengers　dutifully　put　back　their　watches　when　Nell　told　them　we　were　now　in　Mountain　Time；　but　where；　they　asked；　were　the　mountains。
　　'This　afternoon；'　she　answered；　and　handed　out　the　day's　printed　programme　which　promised　Dreadful　Developments　in　The　Mystery　at　eleven…thirty　a。　m。；　followed　by　an　early　lunch。　'We　would　reach　Calgary　at　twelve…forty；　where　the　horse　car　would　be　detached；　and　leave　at　one…thirty；　heading　up　into　the　Rockies　to　Banff　and　Lake　Louise。　At　Lake　Louise；　the　owners　would　disembark　and　be　ferried　by　bus　to　the　Chateau；　the　huge　hotel　sitting　on　the　Lake's　shore；　amid　Snowy　Scenes　of　Breathtaking　Beauty。　Cocktails　and　Startling　Discoveries　would　be　offered　at　six…thirty　in　a　private　conference　room　in　the　hotel。　Have　a　nice　day。'
　　Several　people　asked　if　we　were　now　in　front　or　behind　the　regular　Canadian。
　　'We're　in　front；'　I　said。
　　'If　we　break　down；'　Mr　Unwin　said　facetiously；　'it　will　be　along　to　help　us　out。'
　　Xanthe；　sitting　next　to　him；　didn't　laugh。　'I　wish　we　were　behind　it；'　she　said。　'I'd　feel　safer。'
　　'Behind　the　Canadian　there　are　freight　trains；'　Mr　Unwin　said　reasonably；　'and　ahead　of　us　there　are　freight　trains。　And　ing　the　other　way　there　are　freight　trains。　We're　not　all　alone　on　these　rails。'
　　'No；　I　suppose　not。'　She　seemed　doubtful　still　and　said　she　had　slept　much　better　again　that　past　night　in　her　upper　bunk　than　she　would　have　done　in　her　family's　own　quarters。
　　I　brought　her　the　French　toast　and　sausages　she　ordered　from　the　menu　and　filled　her　coffee　cup；　and　Mr　Unwin；　holding　out　his　own　cup　for　a　refill；　asked　if　I　had　backed　his　horse　to　win　at　Winnipeg。
　　'I'm　afraid　not；　sir；'　I　said　regretfully。　I　put　his　cup　on　the　tray　and　poured　with　small　movements；　'But　congratulations；　sir。'
　　'Did　you　go　to　the　races？'　Xanthe　asked　me　without　too　much　interest。
　　'Yes；　miss；'　I　said。
　　I　finished　pouring　Mr　Unwin's　coffee　and　put　it　by　his　place；　then　took　my　tray　and　coffee　pot　along　to　the　next　table　where　the　conversation　seemed　to　be　about　Zak's　mystery　rather　than　directly　about　horses。
　　'I　think　the　trainer　killed　Angelica。　And　the　groom　too。'
　　'Why　ever　should　he？'
　　'He　wants　to　marry　Donna　for　her　money。　Angelica　knew　something　that　would　make　the　marriage　impossible；　so　he　killed　her。'
　　'Knew　what？'
　　'Maybe　that　he's　already　married。'
　　'To　Angelica？'
　　'Well。。。　why　not？'
　　'But　where　does　the　dead　groom　e　in？'
　　'He　saw　the　murderer　getting　rid　of　the　blood…spattered　plastic。'
　　They　laughed。　I　filled　their　cups　and　moved　on　and　poured　for　Daffodil；　who　had　an　empty　place　on　her　far　side。　Daffodil；　smoking　with　deep　sucking　lungfuls；　sat　with　the　Flokatis；　and　nobody　else。
　　No　Filmer。
　　I　glanced　back　along　the　whole　dining　car；　but　couldn't　see　him　anywhere。　He　hadn't　e　in　while　I　was　serving　others；　and　he　hadn't　been　at　the　kitchen　end　when　I'd　started。
　　Daffodil　said　to　me；　'Can　you　bring　me　some　vodka？　Ice　and　lemon。'
　　'I'll　ask；　madam；'　I　said；　and　asked　Emil；　and　it　was　he　who　civilly　explained　to　her　that　the　barman　wouldn't　be　back　on　duty　until　eleven；　and　meanwhile　everything　was　locked　up。
　　Daffodil　received　the　bad　news　without　speaking　but　jabbed　the　fire　out　of　her　cigarette　with　some　violent　stabs　and　a　long　final　grind。　The　Flokatis　looked　at　her　uncertainly　and　asked　if　they　could　help。
　　She　shook　her　head。　She　seemed　angry　and　near　tears；　but　determinedly　in　control。
　　'Give　me　some　coffee；'　she　said　to　me；　and　to　the　Flokatis　she　said；　'I　think　I'll　get　off　the　train　at　Calgary。　I　think　I'll　go　home。'
　　Small　movements　saved　the　day；　as　I　would　have　spilled　the　brown　liquid　all　over　her　hand。
　　'Oh　no！'　exclaimed　the　Flokatis；　instantly　distres