加勒比海之谜(英文版)-第18部分

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Chapter　16

MISS　MARPLE　SEEKS　ASSISTANCE



If　anybody　had　been　there　to　observe　the　gentlelooking　elderly　lady　who　stood　meditatively　on　the　loggia　outside　her　bungalow；　they　would　have　thought　she　had　nothing　more　on　her　mind　than　deliberation　on　how　to　arrange　her　time　that　day。　An　expedition；　perhaps；　to　Castle　Cliff；　a　visit　to　Jamestown；　a　nice　drive　and　lunch　at　Pelican　Pointor　just　a　quiet　morning　on　the　beach。

But　the　gentle　old　lady　atters。　She　was　in　a　militant　mood。

〃Something　has　got　to　be　done；〃　said　Miss　Marple　to　herself。

Moreover；　she　was　convinced　that　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost。　There　was　urgency。　But　who　was　there　that　she　could　convince　of　that　fact？　Given　time；　she　thought　she　could　find　out　the　truth　by　herself。

She　had　found　out　a　good　deal。　But　not　enoughnot　nearly　enough。　And　time　was　short。

She　realised；　bitterly；　that　here　on　this　Paradise　of　an　island；　she　had　none　of　her　usual　allies。　She　thought　regretfully　of　her　friends　in　England：　Sir　Henry　Clithering；　always　willing　to　listen　indulgently；　his　godson　Dermot；　who　in　spite　of　his　increased　status　at　Scotland　Yard；　was　still　ready　to　believe　that　when　Miss　Marple　voiced　an　opinion　there　was　usually　something　behind　it。

But　would　that　softvoiced　native　police　officer　pay　any　attention　to　an　old　lady's　urgency？　Dr。　Graham？　But　Dr。　Graham　was　not　what　she　neededtoo　gentle　and　hesitant；　certainly　not　a　man　of　quick　decisions　and　rapid　actions。

Miss　Marple；　feeling　rather　like　a　humble　deputy　of　the　Almighty；　almost　cried　aloud　her　need　in　Biblical　phrasing。

Who　will　go　for　me？

Whom　shall　I　send？

The　sound　that　reached　her　ears　a　moment　later　was　not　instantly　recognised　by　her　as　an　answer　to　a　prayer；　far　from　it。　At　the　back　of　her　mind　it　registered　only　as　a　man　possibly　calling　his　dog。

〃TO？〃

Miss　Marple；　lost　in　perplexity；　paid　no　attention。

〃Hi！〃　The　volume　thus　increased。　Miss　Marple　looked　vaguely　round。

〃Hi！〃　called　Mr。　Rafiel　impatiently。　He　added：　〃You　there〃

Miss　Marple　had　not　at　first　realised　that　Mr。　Rafiel's　〃Hi　You〃　was　addressed　to　her。　It　was　not　a　method　that　anyone　had　ever　used　before　to　summon　her。　It　was　certainly　not　a　gentlemanly　mode　of　address。　Miss　Marple　did　not　resent　it　because　people　seldom　did　resent　Mr。　Rafiel's　somewhat　arbitrary　method　of　doing　things。　He　was　a　law　unto　himself　and　people　accepted　him　as　such。　

Miss　Marple　looked　across　the　intervening　space　between　her　bungalow　and　his。　Mr。　Rafiel　was　sitting　outside　on　his　loggia　and　he　beckoned　her。

〃You　were　calling　me？〃　she　asked。

〃Of　course　I　was　calling　you；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃Who　did　you　think　I　was　callinga　cat？　e　over　here。〃

Miss　Marple　looked　round　for　her　handbag；　picked　it　up；　and　crossed　the　intervening　space。

〃I　can't　e　to　you　unless　someone　helps　me；〃　explained　Mr。　Rafiel；　〃so　you've　got　to　e　to　me。〃

〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃I　quite　understand　that。〃

Mr。　Rafiel　pointed　to　an　adjacent　chair。　〃Sit　down；〃　he　said；　〃I　want　to　talk　to　you。　Something　damned　odd　is　going　on　in　this　island。〃

〃Yes；　indeed；〃　agreed　Miss　Marple；　taking　the　chair　as　indicated。　By　sheer　habit　she　drew　her　knitting　out　of　her　bag。

〃Don't　start　knitting　again；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel；　〃I　can't　stand　it。　I　hate　women　knitting。　It　irritates　me。〃

Miss　Marple　returned　her　knitting　to　her　bag。　She　did　this　with　no　undue　air　of　meekness；　rather　with　the　air　of　one　who　makes　allowances　for　a　fractious　patient。

〃There's　a　lot　of　chitchat　going　on；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel；　〃and　I　bet　you're　in　the　forefront　of　it。　You　and　the　parson　and　his　sister。〃

〃It　is；　perhaps；　only　natural　that　there　should　be　chitchat；〃　said　Miss　Marple　with　spirit；　〃given　the　circumstances。〃

〃This　Island　girl　gets　herself　knifed。　Found　in　the　bushes。　Might　be　ordinary　enough。　That　chap　she　was　living　with　might　have　got　jealous　of　another　manor　he's　got　himself　another　girl　and　she　got　jealous　and　they　had　a　row。　Sex　in　the　tropics。　That　sort　of　stuff。　What　do　you　say？〃

〃No；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　shaking　her　head。

〃The　authorities　don't　think　so；　either。〃

〃They　would　say　more　to　you；〃　pointed　out　Miss　Marple；　〃than　they　would　say　to　me。〃

〃All　the　same；　I　bet　you　know　more　about　it　than　I　do。　You've　listened　to　the　tittletattle。〃

〃Certainly　I　have；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃Nothing　much　else　to　do；　have　you；　except　listen　to　tittletattle？〃

〃It　is　often　informative　and　useful。〃

〃D'you　know；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel；　studying　her　attentively；　〃I　made　a　mistake　about　you。　I　don't　often　make　mistakes　about　people。　There's　a　lot　more　to　you　than　I　thought　there　was。　All　these　rumours　about　Major　Palgrave　and　the　stories　he　told。　You　think　he　was　bumped　off；　don't　you？〃

〃I　very　much　fear　so；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃Well；　he　was；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。

Miss　Marple　drew　a　deep　breath。　〃That　is　definite　is　it？〃　she　asked。

〃Yes；　it's　definite　enough。　I　had　it　from　Daventry。　I'm　not　breaking　a　confidence　because　the　facts　of　the　autopsy　will　have　to　e　out。　You　told　Graham　something；　he　went　to　Daventry；　Daventry　went　to　the　Administrator；　the　C。I。D。　were　informed；　and　between　them　they　agreed　that　things　looked　fishy；　so　they　dug　up　old　Palgrave　and　had　a　look。〃

〃And　they　found？〃　Miss　Marple　paused　interrogatively。

〃They　found　he'd　had　a　lethal　dose　of　something　that　only　a　doctor　could　pronounce　properly。　As　far　as　I　can　remember　it　sounds　vaguely　like　diflorhexagonalethylcarbenzol。　That's　not　the　right　name。　But　that's　roughly　what　it　sounds　like。　The　police　doctor　put　it　that　way　so　that　nobody　should　know；　I　suppose；　what　it　really　was。　The　stuff's　probably　got　some　quite　simple　nice　easy　name　like　Evipan　or　Veronal　or　Easton's　Syrup　or　something　of　that　kind。　This　is　its　official　name　to　baffle　laymen　with。　Anyway；　a　sizeable　dose　of　it；　I　gather；　would　produce　death；　and　the　signs　would　be　much　the　same　as　those　of　high　blood　pressure　aggravated　by　overindulgence　in　alcohol　on　a　gay　evening。　In　fact；　it　all　looked　perfectly　natural　and　nobody　questioned　it　for　a　moment。　Just　said　'poor　old　chap'　and　buried　him　quick。　Now　they　wonder　if　he　ever　had　high　blood　pressure　at　all。　Did　he　ever　say　he　had　to　you？〃

〃No。〃

〃Exactly！　And　yet　everyone　seems　to　have　taken　it　as　a　fact。〃

〃Apparently　he　told　people　he　had。〃

〃It's　like　seeing　ghosts；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃You　never　meet　the　chap　who's　seen　the　ghost　himself。　It's　always　the　second　cousin　of　his　aunt；　or　a　friend；　or　a　friend　of　a　friend。　But　leave　that　for　a　moment。　They　thought　he　had　blood　pressure；　because　there　was　a　bottle　of　tablets　controlling　blood　pressure　found　in　his　room　butand　now　we're　ing　to　the　pointI　gather　that　this　girl　who　was　killed　went　about　saying　that　that　bottle　was　put　there　by　somebody　else；　and　that　actually　it　belonged　to　that　fellow　Greg。〃

〃Mr。　Dyson　has　got　blood　pressure。　His　wife　mentioned　it；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃So　it　was　put　in　Palgrave's　room　to　suggest　that　he　suffered　from　blood　pressure　and　to　make　his　death　seem　natural。〃

〃Exactly；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃And　the　story　was　put　about；　very　cleverly；　that　he　had　frequently　mentioned　to　people　that　he　had　high　blood　pressure。　But　you　know；　it's　very　easy　to　put　about　a　story。　Very　easy。　I've　seen　a　lot　of　it　in　my　time。〃

〃I　bet　you　have；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。

〃It　only　needs　a　murmur　here　and　there；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃You　don't　say　it　of　your　own　knowledge　you　just　say　that　Mrs。　B。　told　you　that　Colonel　C。　told　her。　It's　always　at　second　hand　or　third　hand　or　fourth　hand　and　it's　very　difficult　to　find　out　who　was　the　original　whisperer。　Oh　yes；　it　can　be　done。　And　the　people　you　say　it　to　go　on　and　repeat　it　to　others　as　if　they　know　it　of　their　own　knowledge。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃I　think　somebody's　been　quite　clever。〃

〃This　girl　saw　something；　or　knew　something　and　tried　blackmail；　I　suppose；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。

〃She　mayn't　have　thought　of　it　as　blackmail；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃In　these　large　hotels；　there　are　often　things　the　maids　know　that　some　people　would　rather　not　have　repeated。　And　so　they　hand　out　a　larger　tip　or　a　little　present　of　money。　The　girl　possibly　didn't　realise　at　first　the　importance　of　what　she　knew。〃

〃Still；　she　got　a　knife　in　her　back　all　right；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel　brutally。

〃Yes。　Evidently　someone　couldn't　afford　to　let　her　talk。〃

〃Well？　Let's　hear　what　you　think　about　it　all。〃

Miss　Marple　looked　at　him　thoughtfully。

〃Why　should　you　think　I　know　any　more　than　you　do；　Mr。　Rafiel？〃

〃Probably　you　don't；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel；　〃but　I'm　interested　to　hear　your　ideas　about　what　you　do　know。〃

〃But　why？〃

〃There's　not　very　much　to　do　out　here；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel；　〃except　make　money。〃

Miss　Marple　looked　slightly　surprised。

〃Make　money？　Out　here？〃

〃You　can　send　out　half　a　dozen　cables　in　code　every　day　if　you　like；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃That's　how　I　amuse　myself。〃

〃Takeover　bids？〃　Miss　Marple　asked　doubtfully；　in　the　tone　of　one　who　speaks　a　foreign　language。

〃That　kind　of　thing；〃　agreed　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃Pitting　your　wits　against　other　people's　wits。　The　trouble　is　it　doesn't　occupy　enough　time；　so　I've　got　interested　in　this　business。　It's　aroused　my　curiosity。　Palgrave　spent　a　good　deal　of　his　time　talking　to　you。　Nobody　el