加勒比海之谜(英文版)-第6章

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〃Well　that's　good　hearing；〃　said　Dr。　Graham。

〃Of　course；　the　Major　was　rather　fond　of　Planters　Punch；〃　said　Miss　Marple　thoughtfully。

〃Yes。　Not　the　best　thing　with　blood　pressurealcohol。〃

〃One　takes　tablets；　doesn't　one；　or　so　I　have　heard？〃

〃Yes。　There　are　several　on　the　market。　There　was　a　bottle　of　one　of　them　in　his　roomSerenite。〃

〃How　wonderful　science　is　nowadays；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃Doctors　can　do　so　much；　can't　they？〃

〃We　all　have　one　great　petitor；〃　said　Dr。　Graham。　〃Nature；　you　know。　And　some　of　the　good　oldfashioned　home　remedies　e　back　from　time　to　time。〃

〃Like　putting　cobwebs　on　a　cut？〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃We　always　used　to　do　that　when　I　was　a　child。〃

〃Very　sensible；〃　said　Dr。　Graham。

〃And　a　linseed　poultice　on　the　chest　and　rubbing　in　camphorated　oil　for　a　bad　cough。〃

〃I　see　you　know　it　all！〃　said　Dr。　Graham　laughing。　He　got　up。　〃How's　the　knee？　Not　been　too　troublesome？〃

〃No；　it　seems　much；　much　better。〃

〃Well；　we　won't　say　whether　that's　Nature　or　my　pills；〃　said　Dr。　Graham。　〃Sorry　I　couldn't　have　been　of　more　help　to　you。〃

〃But　you　have　been　most　kindI　am　really　ashamed　of　taking　up　your　time。　Did　you　say　that　there　were　no　photographs　in　the　Major's　wallet？〃

〃Oh　yesa　very　old　one　of　the　Major　himself　as　quite　a　young　man　on　a　polo　ponyand　one　of　a　dead　tiger。　He　was　standing　with　his　foot　on　it。　Snaps　of　that　sort。　Memories　of　his　younger　days。　But　I　looked　very　carefully；　I　assure　you；　and　the　one　you　describe　of　your　nephew　was　definitely　not　there〃

〃Oh　I'm　sure　you　looked　carefullyI　didn't　mean　thatI　was　just　interested。　We　all　tend　to　keep　such　very　odd　things〃

〃Treasures　from　the　past；〃　said　the　doctor　smiling。　He　said　goodbye　and　departed。　Miss　Marple　remained　looking　thoughtfully　at　the　palm　trees　and　the　sea。　She　did　not　pick　up　her　knitting　again　for　some　minutes。　She　had　a　fact　now。　She　had　to　think　about　that　fact　and　what　it　meant。　The　snapshot　that　the　Major　had　brought　out　of　his　wallet　and　replaced　so　hurriedly　was　not　there　after　he　died。　It　was　not　the　sort　of　thing　the　Major　would　throw　away。　He　had　replaced　it　in　his　wallet　and　it　ought　to　have　been　in　his　wallet　after　his　death。　Money　might　have　been　stolen；　but　no　one　would　want　to　steal　a　snapshot。　Unless；　that　is；　they　had　a　special　reason　for　so　doing。。。

Miss　Marple's　face　was　grave。　She　had　to　take　a　decision。　Was　she；　or　was　she　not；　going　to　allow　Major　Palgrave　to　remain　quietly　in　his　grave？　Might　it　not　be　better　to　do　just　that？　She　quoted　under　her　breath。　〃Duncan　is　dead。　After　Life's　fitful　fever　he　sleeps　well！〃　Nothing　could　hurt　Major　Palgrave　now。　He　had　gone　where　danger　could　not　touch　him。　Was　it　just　a　coincidence　that　he　should　have　died　on　that　particular　night？　Or　was　it　just　possibly　not　a　coincidence？　Doctors　accepted　the　deaths　of　elderly　men　so　easily。　Especially　since　in　his　room　there　had　been　a　bottle　of　the　tablets　that　people　with　high　blood　pressure　had　to　take　every　day　of　their　lives。　But　if　someone　had　taken　the　snapshot　from　the　Mayor's　wallet；　that　same　person　could　have　put　that　bottle　of　tablets　in　the　Major's　room。　She　herself　never　remembered　seeing　the　Major　take　tablets；　he　had　never　spoken　about　his　blood　pressure　to　her。　The　only　thing　he　had　ever　said　about　his　health　was　the　admission：　〃Not　as　young　as　I　was〃。　He　had　been　occasionally　a　little　short　of　breath；　a　trifle　asthmatic；　nothing　else。

But　someone　had　mentioned　that　Major　Palgrave　had　high　blood　pressureMolly？　Miss　Prescott？　She　couldn't　remember。　Miss　Marple　sighed；　then　admonished　herself　in　words；　though　she　did　not　speak　those　words　aloud。

〃Now；　Jane；　what　are　you　suggesting　or　thinking？　Are　you；　perhaps；　just　making　the　whole　thing　up？　Have　you　really　got　anything　to　build　on？〃

She　went　over；　step　by　step；　as　nearly　as　she　could；　the　conversation　between　herself　and　the　Major　on　the　subject　of　murder　and　murderers。

〃Oh　dear；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃Even　ifreally；　I　don't　see　how　I　can　do　anything　about　it〃

But　she　knew　that　she　meant　to　try。



Chapter　6

IN　THE　SMALL　HOURS



Miss　Marple　woke　early。　Like　many　old　people　she　slept　lightly　and　had　periods　of　wakefulness；　which　she　used　for　the　planning　of　some　action　or　actions　to　be　carried　out　on　the　next　or　following　days。　Usually；　of　course；　these　were　of　a　wholly　private　or　domestic　nature；　of　little　interest　to　anybody　but　herself。　But　this　morning　Miss　Marple　lay　thinking　soberly　and　constructively　of　murder；　and　what；　if　her　suspicions　were　correct；　she　could　do　about　it。　It　wasn't　going　to　be　easy。　She　had　one　weapon　and　one　weapon　only；　and　that　was　conversation。　She　could　find　out；　possibly；　a　little　more　about　Major　Palgrave；　but　would　that　really　help　her？　She　doubted　if　it　would。　If　Major　Palgrave　had　been　killed　it　was　not　because　of　secrets　in　his　life　or　to　inherit　his　money　or　for　revenge　upon　him。　In　fact；　although　he　was　the　victim；　it　was　one　of　those　rare　cases　where　a　greater　knowledge　of　the　victim　does　not　help　you　or　lead　you　in　any　way　to　his　murderer。　The　point；　it　seemed　to　her；　and　the　sole　point；　was　that　Major　Palgrave　talked　too　much！

She　had　learnt　one　rather　interesting　fact　from　Dr。　Graham。　He　had　had　in　his　wallet　various　photographs；　one　of　himself　in　pany　with　a　polo　pony；　one　of　a　dead　tiger；　also　one　or　two　other　shots　of　the　same　nature。　Now　why　did　Major　Palgrave　carry　these　about　with　him？　Obviously；　thought　Miss　Marple；　with　long　experience　of　old　Admirals；　Brigadier　Generals　and　mere　Majors　behind　her；　because　he　had　certain　stories　which　he　enjoyed　telling　to　people。　Starting　off　with　〃Curious　thing　happened　once　when　I　was　out　tiger　shooting　in　India。。。〃　Or　a　reminiscence　of　himself　and　a　polo　pony。　Therefore　this　story　about　a　suspected　murderer　would　in　due　course　be　illustrated　by　the　production　of　the　snapshot　from　his　wallet。　He　had　been　following　that　pattern　in　his　conversation　with　her。　The　subject　of　murder　having　e　up；　and　to　focus　interest　on　his　story；　he　had　done　what　he　no　doubt　usually　did；　produced　his　snapshot　and　said　something　in　the　nature　of　〃Wouldn't　think　this　chap　was　a　murderer；　would　you？〃

The　point　was　that　it　had　been　a　habit　of　his。　This　murderer　story　was　one　of　his　regular　repertoire。　If　any　reference　to　murder　came　up；　then　away　went　the　Major；　full　steam　ahead。

In　that　case　reflected　Miss　Marple；　he　might　already　have　told　his　story　to　someone　else　here。　Or　to　more　than　one　person。　If　that　were　so；　then　she　herself　might　learn　from　that　person　what　the　further　details　of　the　story　had　been；　possibly　what　the　person　in　the　snapshot　had　looked　like。　She　nodded　her　head　in　satisfaction。

That　would　be　a　beginning。

And；　of　course；　there　were　the　people　she　called　in　her　mind　the　〃Four　Suspects〃。　Though　really；　since　Major　Palgrave　had　been　talking　about　a　manthere　were　only　two。　Colonel　Hillingdon　or　Mr。　Dyson；　very　unlikelylooking　murderers；　but　then　murderers　so　often　were　unlikely。　Could　there　have　been　anyone　else？　She　had　seen　no　one　when　she　turned　her　head　to　look。　There　was　the　bungalow　of　course。　Mr。　Rafiel's　bungalow。　Could　somebody　have　e　out　of　the　bungalow　and　gone　in　again　before　she　had　had　time　to　turn　her　head？　If　so；　it　could　only　have　been　the　valetattendant。　What　was　his　name？　Oh　yes；　Jackson。　Could　it　have　been　Jackson　who　had　e　out　of　the　door？　That　would　have　been　the　same　pose　as　the　photograph。　A　man　ing　out　of　a　door。　Recognition　might　have　struck　suddenly。　Up　till　then　Major　Palgrave　would　not　have　looked　at　Arthur　Jackson；　valetattendant；　with　any　interest。　His　roving　and　curious　eye　was　essentially　a　snobbish　eyeArthur　Jackson　was　not　a　pukka　sahibMajor　Palgrave　would　not　have　glanced　at　him　twice。

Until；　perhaps；　he　had　had　the　snapshot　in　his　hand；　and　had　looked　over　Miss　Marple's　right　shoulder　and　had　seen　a　man　ing　out　of　a　door。。。　？

Miss　Marple　turned　over　on　her　pillow。　Programme　for　tomorrowor　rather　for　today。　Further　investigation　of　the　Hillingdons；　the　Dysons　and　Arthur　Jackson；　valetattendant。



II



Dr。　Graham　also　woke　early。　Usually　he　turned　over　and　went　to　sleep　again。　But　today　he　was　uneasy　and　sleep　failed　to　e。　This　anxiety　that　made　it　so　difficult　to　go　to　sleep　again　was　a　thing　he　had　not　suffered　from　for　a　long　time。　What　was　causing　this　anxiety？　Really；　he　couldn't　make　it　out。　He　lay　there　thinking　it　over。　Something　to　do　withsomething　to　do　withyes　Major　Palgrave。　Major　Palgrave's　death？　He　didn't　see；　though；　what　there　could　be　to　make　him　uneasy　there。　Was　it　something　that　that　twittery　old　lady　had　said？　Bad　luck　for　her　about　her　snapshot。　She'd　taken　it　very　well。　But　now　what　was　it　she　had　said；　what　chance　word　of　hers　had　it　been　that　had　given　him　this　funny　feeling　of　uneasiness？

After　all；　there　was　nothing　odd　about　the　Major's　death。　Nothing　at　all。　At　least　he　supposed　there　was　nothing　at　all。　It　was　quite　clear　that　in　the　Major's　state　of　healtha　faint　check　came　in　his　thought　process。　Did　he　really　know　much　about　Major　Palgrave's　state　of　health？　Everybody　said　that　he'd　suffered　from　high　blood　pressure。　But　he　himself　had　never　had　any　conversation　with　the　Major　about　it。　But　then　he'd　never　had　much　conversation　with　Major　Palgrave　anyway。　Palgrave　was　an　old　bore　and　he　avoided　old　bores。　Why　on　earth　should　he　have　this　idea　that　perhaps　everything　mightn't　be　all　right？　Was　it　that　old　woman？　But　after　all　she　hadn't　said　anything。　Anyway；　it　was　none　of　his　business。　The　local　authorities　were　quite　satisfied。　There　had　been　that　bottle　of　Serenite　tablets；　and　the　old　boy　had　apparently　talked　to　people　about　his　blood　pressure　quite　freely。　Dr。　Graham　turned　over　in　bed　and　soon　went　to　sleep　again。



III



Outside　the　hotel　grounds；　in　one　of　a　row　of　shanty　cabins　beside　a　creek；　the　girl　Victoria　Johnson　rolled　over　and　sat　up　in　bed。　The　St。　Honorй　girl　was　a　magnificent　creature　with　a　torso　of　black　marble　such　as　a　sculptor　would　have　enjoyed。　She　ran　her　fingers　through　her　dark；　tightly　curling　hair。　With　her　foot　she　nudged　her　sleeping　panion　in　the　ribs。

〃Wake　up；　man。〃

The　man　grunted　and　turned。

''What　you　want？　It's　not　morning。〃

〃Wake　up；　man。　I　want　to　talk　to　you。〃

The　man　sa