加勒比海之谜(英文版)-第20部分

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〃So　you　see　he　had　to　do　something　very　quickly；　as　quickly　as　possible。〃

Mr。　Rafiel　spoke；　〃In　fact；　that　very　same　night；　eh？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃Quick　work；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel；　〃but　it　could　be　done。　Put　the　tablets　in　old　Palgrave's　room；　spread　the　blood　pressure　rumour　about　and　add　a　little　of　our　fourteen　syllable　drug　to　a　Planters　Punch。　Is　that　it？〃

〃Yes。　But　that's　all　over。　We　needn't　worry　about　it。　It's　the　future。　It's　now。　With　Major　Palgrave　out　of　the　way　and　the　snapshot　destroyed；　this　man　will　go　on　with　his　murder　as　planned。〃

Mr。　Rafiel　whistled。

〃You've　got　it　all　worked　out；　haven't　you？〃

Miss　Marple　nodded。　She　said　in　a　most　unaccustomed　voice；　firm　and　almost　dictatorial；　〃And　we've　got　to　stop　it。　You've　got　to　stop　it；　Mr。　Rafiel。〃

〃Me？〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel；　astonished；　〃why　me？〃

〃Because　you're　rich　and　important；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　simply。　〃People　will　take　notice　of　what　you　say　or　suggest。　They　wouldn't　listen　to　me　for　a　moment。　They　would　say　that　I　was　an　old　lady　imagining　things。〃

〃They　might　at　that；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃More　fools　if　they　did。　I　must　say；　though；　that　nobody　would　think　you　had　any　brains　in　your　head　to　hear　your　usual　line　of　talk。　Actually；　you've　got　a　logical　mind。　Very　few　women　have。〃　He　shifted　himself　unfortably　in　his　chair。　〃Where　the　hell's　Esther　or　Jackson？〃　he　said。　〃I　need　resettling。　No；　it's　no　good　your　doing　it。　You're　not　strong　enough。　I　don't　know　what　they　mean；　leaving　me　alone　like　this。〃

〃I'll　go　and　find　them。〃

''No；　you　won't。　You'll　stay　hereand　thrash　this　out。　Which　of　them　is　it？　The　egregious　Greg？　The　quiet　Edward　Hillingdon　or　my　fellow　Jackson？　It's　got　to　be　one　of　the　three；　hasn't　it？〃



Chapter　17

MR。　Rafiel　TAKES　CHARGE



〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

''What　do　you　mean？　What　have　we　been　talking　about　for　the　last　twenty　minutes？〃

〃It　has　occurred　to　me　that　I　may　have　been　wrong。〃

Mr。　Rafiel　stared　at　her。

〃Scatty　after　all！〃　he　said　disgustedly。　〃And　you　sounded　so　sure　of　yourself。〃

〃Oh；　I　am　sureabout　the　murder。　It's　the　murderer　I'm　not　sure　about。　You　see　I've　found　out　that　Major　Palgrave　had　more　than　one　murder　storyyou　told　me　yourself　he'd　told　you　one　about　a　kind　of　Lucrezia　Bia。〃

〃So　he　did；　at　that。　But　that　was　quite　a　different　kind　of　story。〃

〃I　know。　And　Mrs。　Walters　said　he　had　one　about　someone　being　gassed　in　a　gas　oven〃

〃But　the　story　he　told　you〃

Miss　Marple　allowed　herself　to　interrupta　thing　that　did　not　often　happen　to　Mr。　Rafiel。

She　spoke　with　desperate　earnestness　and　only　moderate　incoherence。　〃Don't　you　seeit's　so　difficult　to　be　sure。　The　whole　point　is　thatso　oftenone　doesn't　listen。　Ask　Mrs。　Walters。　She　said　the　same　thing。　You　listen　to　begin　with；　and　then　your　attention　flags；　your　mind　wanders　and　suddenly　you　find　you've　missed　a　bit。　I　just　wonder　if　possibly　there　may　have　been　a　gapa　very　small　onebetween　the　story　he　was　telling　meabout　a　manand　the　moment　when　he　was　getting　out　his　wallet　and　saying：　'Like　to　see　a　picture　of　a　murderer'。〃

〃But　you　thought　it　was　a　picture　of　the　man　he　had　been　talking　about？〃

〃I　thought　soyes。　It　never　occurred　to　me　that　it　mightn't　have　been。　But　now；　how　can　I　be　sure？〃

Mr。　Rafiel　looked　at　her　very　thoughtfully。

〃The　trouble　with　you　is〃　he　said；　〃that　you're　too　conscientious。　Great　mistake。　Make　up　your　mind　and　don't　shilly　shally。　You　didn't　shilly　shally　to　begin　with。　If　you　ask　me；　in　all　this　chitchat　you've　been　having　with　the　parson's　sister　and　the　rest　of　them；　you've　got　hold　of　something　that's　unsettled　you。〃

〃Perhaps　you're　right。〃

〃Well；　cut　it　out　for　the　moment。　Let's　go　ahead　with　what　you　had　to　begin　with。　Because；　nine　times　out　of　ten；　one's　original　judgements　are　rightor　so　I've　found。　We've　got　three　suspects。　Let's　take　'em　out　and　have　a　good　look　at　them。　Any　preference？〃

〃I　really　haven't；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃all　three　of　them　seem　so　very　unlikely。〃

〃We'll　take　Greg　first；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃Can't　stand　the　fellow。　Doesn't　make　him　a　murderer；　though。　Still；　there　are　one　or　two　points　against　him。　Those　blood　pressure　tablets　belonged　to　him。　Nice　and　handy　to　make　use　of。〃

〃That　would　be　a　little　obvious；　wouldn't　it？〃　Miss　Marple　objected。

〃I　don't　know　that　it　would；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃After　all；　the　main　thing　was　to　do　something　quickly；　and　he'd　got　the　tablets。　Hadn't　much　time　to　go　looking　round　for　tablets　that　somebody　else　might　have。　Let's　say　it's　Greg。　All　right。　If　he　wanted　to　put　his　dear　wife　Lucky　out　of　the　way（Good　job；　too；　I'd　say。　In　fact　I'm　in　sympathy　with　him）I　can't　actually　see　his　motive。　From　all　accounts　he's　rich。　Inherited　money　from　his　first　wife　who　had　pots　of　it。　He　qualifies　on　that　as　a　possible　wife　murderer　all　right。　But　that's　over　and　done　with。　He　got　away　with　it。　But　Lucky　was　his　first　wife's　poor　relation。　No　money　there；　so　if　he　wants　to　put　her　out　of　the　way　it　must　be　in　order　to　marry　somebody　else。　Any　gossip　going　around　about　that？〃

Miss　Marple　shook　her　head。　〃Not　that　I　have　heard。　Heerhas　a　very　gallant　manner　with　all　the　ladies。〃

〃Well；　that's　a　nice；　oldfashioned　way　of　putting　it；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃All　right；　he's　a　stoat。　He　makes　passes。　Not　enough！　We　want　more　than　that。　Let's　go　on　to　Edward　Hillingdon。　Now　there's　a　dark　horse；　if　ever　there　was　one。〃

〃He　is　not；　I　think；　a　happy　man；〃　offered　Miss　Marple。

Mr。　Rafiel　looked　at　her　thoughtfully。

〃Do　you　think　a　murderer　ought　to　be　a　happy　man？〃

Miss　Marple　coughed。　〃Well；　they　usually　have　been　in　my　experience。〃

〃I　don't　suppose　your　experience　has　gone　very　far；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。

In　this　assumption；　as　Miss　Marple　could　have　told　him；　he　was　wrong。　But　she　forbore　to　contest　his　statement。　Gentlemen；　she　knew；　did　not　like　to　be　put　right　in　their　facts。

〃I　rather　fancy　Hillingdon　myself；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃I've　an　idea　that　there　is　something　a　bit　odd　going　on　between　him　and　his　wife。　You　noticed　it　at　all？〃

〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃I　have　noticed　it。　Their　behaviour　is　perfect　in　public；　of　course；　but　that　one　would　expect。〃

〃You　probably　know　more　about　those　sort　of　people　than　I　would；〃　said　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃Very　well；　then；　everything　is　in　perfectly　good　taste　but　it's　a　probability　that；　in　a　gentlemanly　way；　Edward　Hillingdon　is　contemplating　doing　away　with　Evelyn　Hillingdon。　Do　you　agree？〃

〃If　so；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃there　must　be　another　woman。〃

〃But　what　woman？〃

Miss　Marple　shook　her　head　in　a　dissatisfied　manner。

〃I　can't　help　feelingI　really　can'tthat　it's　not　all　quite　as　simple　as　that。〃

〃Well；　who　shall　we　consider　nextJackson？　We　leave　me　out　of　it。〃

Miss　Marple　smiled　for　the　first　time。

〃And　why　do　we　leave　you　out　of　it；　Mr。　Rafiel？〃

〃Because　if　you　want　to　discuss　the　possibilities　of　my　being　a　murderer　you'd　have　to　do　it　with　somebody　else。　Waste　of　time　talking　about　it　to　me。　And　anyway；　I　ask　you；　am　I　cut　out　for　the　part？　Helpless；　hauled　out　of　bed　like　a　dummy；　dressed；　wheeled　about　in　a　chair；　shuffled　along　for　a　walk。　What　earthly　chance　have　I　of　going　and　murdering　anyone？〃

〃Probably　as　good　a　chance　as　anyone　else；〃　said　Miss　Marple　vigorously。

〃And　how　do　you　make　that　out？〃

〃Well；　you　would　agree　yourself；　I　think；　that　you　have　brains？〃

〃Of　course　I've　got　brains；〃　declared　Mr。　Rafiel。　〃A　good　deal　more　than　anybody　else　in　this　munity；　I'd　say。〃

〃And　having　brains；〃　went　on　Miss　Marple；　〃would　enable　you　to　overe　the　physical　difficulties　of　being　a　murderer。〃

〃It　would　take　some　doing！〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃it　would　take　some　doing。　But　then；　I　think；　Mr。　Rafiel；　you　would　enjoy　that。〃

Mr。　Rafiel　stared　at　her　for　quite　a　long　time　and　then　he　suddenly　laughed。

〃You've　got　a　nerve！〃　he　said。　〃Not　quite　the　gentle　fluffy　old　lady　you　look；　are　you？　So　you　really　think　I'm　a　murderer？〃

〃No；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃I　do　not。〃

〃And　why？〃

〃Well；　really；　I　think　just　because　you　have　got　brains。　Having　brains；　you　can　get　most　things　you　want；　without　having　recourse　to　murder。　Murder　is　stupid。〃

〃And　anyway　who　the　devil　should　I　want　to　murder？〃

〃That　would　be　a　very　interesting　question；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃I　have　not　yet　had　the　pleasure　of　sufficient　conversation　with　you　to　evolve　a　theory　as　to　that。〃

Mr。　Rafiel's　smile　broadened。

〃Conversations　with　you　might　be　dangerous；〃　he　said。

〃Conversations　are　always　dangerous；　if　you　have　something　to　hide；〃　said　Miss　Marple。

〃You　may　be　right。　Let's　get　on　to　Jackson。　What　do　you　think　of　Jackson？〃

〃It　is　difficult　for　me　to　say。　I　have　not　had　the　opportunity　really　of　any　conversation　with　him。〃

〃So　you've　no　views　on　the　subject？〃

〃He　reminds　me　a　little；〃　said　Miss　Marple　reflectively；　〃of　a　young　man　in　the　Town　Clerk's　office　near　where　I　live；　Jonas　Parry。〃

〃And？〃　Mr。　Rafiel　asked　and　paused。

〃He　was　not；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　〃very　satisfactory。〃

〃Jackson's　not　wholly　satisfactory　either。　He　suits　me　all　right。　He's　first　class　at　his　job；　and　he　doesn't　mind　being　sworn　at。　He　knows　he's　damn　well　paid　and　so　he　puts　up　with　things。　I　wouldn't　employ　him