加勒比海之谜(英文版)- 第15部分

He　got　up。

〃Must　get　on　with　the　daily　choresare　you　sure　you　won't　have　that　fresh　lime？〃

Miss　Marple　shook　her　head。

She　sat　there；　thinking。　Her　face　was　grave　and　anxious。　She　glanced　over　at　Dr。　Graham。　Presently　she　came　to　a　decision。　She　rose　and　went　across　to　his　table。

〃I　have　got　to　apologise　to　you。　Dr。　Graham；〃　she　said。　

〃Indeed？〃　The　doctor　looked　at　her　in　kindly　surprise。　He　pulled　forward　a　chair　and　she　sat　down。

〃I　am　afraid　I　have　done　the　most　disgraceful　thing；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃I　told　you；　Dr。　Graham；　a　deliberate　lie。〃

She　looked　at　him　apprehensively。

Dr。　Graham　did　not　look　at　all　shattered；　but　he　did　look　a　little　surprised。　〃Really？〃　he　said。　〃Ah　well；　you　mustn't　let　that　worry　you　too　much。〃　What　had　the　dear　old　thing　been　telling　lies　about；　he　wondered；　her　age？　Though　as　far　as　he　could　remember　she　hadn't　mentioned　her　age。　〃Well；　let's　hear　about　it；〃　he　said；　since　she　clearly　wished　to　confess。

〃You　remember　my　speaking　to　you　about　a　snapshot　of　my　nephew；　one　that　I　showed　to　Major　Palgrave；　and　that　he　didn't　give　back　to　me？〃

〃Yes；　yes；　of　course　I　remember。　Sorry　we　couldn't　find　it　for　you。〃

〃There　wasn't　any　such　thing；〃　said　Miss　Marple；　in　a　small；　frightened　voice。

〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃

〃There　wasn't　any　such　thing。　I　made　up　that　story；　I'm　afraid。〃

〃You　made　it　up？〃　Dr。　Graham　looked　slightly　annoyed。　〃Why？〃

Miss　Marple　told　him。　She　told　him　quite　clearly；　without　twittering。　She　told　him　about　Major　Palgrave's　murder　story　and　how　he'd　been　about　to　show　her　this　particular　snapshot　and　his　sudden　confusion　and　then　she　went　on　to　her　own　anxiety　and　to　her　final　decision　to　try　somehow　to　obtain　a　view　of　it。

〃And　really；　I　couldn't　see　any　way　of　doing　so　without　telling　you　something　that　was　quite　untrue；〃　she　said；　〃I　do　hope　you　will　five　me。〃

〃You　thought　that　what　he　had　been　about　to　show　you　was　a　picture　of　a　murderer？〃

〃That's　what　he　said　it　was；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃At　least　he　said　it　was　given　him　by　this　acquaintance　who　had　told　him　the　story　about　a　man　who　was　a　murderer。〃

〃Yes；　yes。　Andexcuse　meyou　believed　him？〃

〃I　don't　know　if　I　really　believed　him　or　not　at　the　time；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃But　then；　you　see；　the　next　day　he　died。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Dr。　Graham；　struck　suddenly　by　the　clarity　of　that　one　sentence。　The　next　day　he　died。。。

〃And　the　snapshot　had　disappeared。〃

Dr。　Graham　looked　at　her。　He　didn't　quite　know　what　to　say。

〃Excuse；　Miss　Marple；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃but　is　what　you're　telling　me　nowis　it　really　true　this　time？〃

〃I　don't　wonder　your　doubting　me；〃　said　Miss　Marple。　〃I　should；　in　your　place。　Yes；　it　is　true　what　I　am　telling　you　now；　but　I　quite　realise　that　you　have　only　my　word　for　it。　Still；　even　if　you　don't　believe　me；　I　thought　I　ought　to　tell　you。〃

〃Why？〃

〃I　realised　that　you　ought　to　have　the　fullest　information　possible。　In　case〃

〃In　case　what？〃

〃In　case　you　decided　to　take　any　steps　about　it。〃



Chapter　10

A　DECISION　IN　JAMESTOWN



Dr。　Graham　was　in　Jamestown；　in　the　Administrator's　office；　sitting　at　a　table　opposite　his　friend　Daventry；　a　grave　young　man　of　thirtyfive。

〃You　sounded　rather　mysterious　on　the　phone；　Graham；〃　said　Daventry。　〃Anything　special　the　matter？〃

〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Dr。　Graham；　〃but　I'm　worried。〃

Daventry　looked　at　the　other's　face；　then　he　nodded　as　drinks　were　brought　in。　He　spoke　lightly　of　a　fishing　expedition　he　had　made　lately。　Then　when　the　servant　had　gone　away；　he　sat　back　in　his　chair　and　looked　at　the　other　man。

〃Now　then〃　he　said；　〃let's　have　it。〃

Dr。　Graham　recounted　the　facts　that　had　worried　him。　Daventry　gave　a　slow　long　whistle。

〃I　see。　You　think　maybe　there's　something　funny　about　old　Palgrave's　death？　You're　no　longer　sure　that　it　was　just　natural　causes？　Who　certified　the　death？　Robertson；　I　suppose。　He　didn't　have　any　doubts；　did　he？〃

〃No；　but　I　think　he　may　have　been　influenced　in　giving　the　certificate　by　the　fact　of　the　Serenite　tablets　in　the　bathroom。　He　asked　me　if　Palgrave　had　mentioned　that　he　suffered　from　hypertension；　and　I　said　no；　I'd　never　had　any　medical　conversation　with　him　myself；　but　apparently　he　had　talked　about　it　to　other　people　in　the　hotel。　The　whole　thingthe　bottle　of　tablets；　and　what　Palgrave　had　said　to　peopleit　all　fitted　inno　earthly　reason　to　suspect　anything　else。　It　was　a　perfectly　natural　inference　to　makebut　I　think　now　it　may　not　have　been　correct。　If　it　had　been　my　business　to　give　the　certificate；　I'd　have　given　it　without　a　second　thought。　The　appearances　are　quite　consistent　with　his　having　died　from　that　cause。　I'd　never　have　thought　about　it　since　if　it　hadn't　been　for　the　odd　disappearance　of　that　snapshot。。。〃

〃But　look　here；　Graham；〃　said　Daventry；　〃if　you　will　allow　me　to　say　so；　aren't　you　relying　a　little　too　much　on　a　rather　fanciful　story　told　by　an　elderly　lady。　You　know　what　these　elderly　ladies　are　like。　They　magnify　some　detail　and　work　the　whole　thing　up。〃

〃Yes；　I　know；〃　said　Dr。　Graham；　unhappily。　〃I　know　that。　I've　said　to　myself　that　it　may　be　so；　that　it　probably　is　so。　But　I　can't　quite　convince　myself。　She　was　so　very　clear　and　detailed　in　her　statement。〃

〃The　whole　thing　seems　wildly　improbable　to　me；〃　said　Daventry。　〃Some　old　lady　tells　a　story　about　a　snapshot　that　ought　not　to　be　thereno　I'm　getting　mixed　myselfI　mean　the　other　way　about　don't　I？but　the　only　thing　you've　really　got　to　go　on　is　that　a　chambermaid　says　that　a　bottle　of　pills　which　the　authorities　had　relied　on　for　evidence；　wasn't　in　the　Major's　room　the　day　before　his　death。　But　there　are　a　hundred　explanations　for　that。　He　might　always　have　carried　those　pills　about　in　his　pocket。〃

〃It's　possible；　I　suppose；　yes。〃

〃Or　the　chambermaid　may　have　made　a　mistake　and　she　simply　hadn't　noticed　them　before〃

〃That's　possible；　too。〃

〃Well；　then。〃

Graham　said　slowly：　〃The　girl　was　very　positive。〃

〃Well；　the　St。　Honorй　people　are　very　excitable；　you　know。　Emotional。　Work　themselves　up　easily。　Are　you　thinking　that　she　knows　a　little　more　than　she　has　said？〃

〃I　think　it　might　be　so；〃　said　Dr。　Graham　slowly。

〃You'd　better　try　and　get　it　out　of　her；　if　so。　We　don't　want　to　make　an　unnecessary　fussunless　we've　something　to　go　on。　If　he　didn't　die　of　blood　pressure；　what　do　you　think　it　was？〃

〃There　are　too　many　things　it　might　be　nowadays；〃　said　Dr。　Graham。

〃You　mean　things　that　don't　leave　recognisable　traces？〃

〃Not　everyone；〃　said　Dr。　Graham　dryly；　〃is　so　considerate　as　to　use　arsenic〃

〃Now　let's　get　things　quite　clearwhat's　the　suggestion？　That　a　bottle　of　pills　was　substituted　for　the　real　ones？　And　that　Major　Palgrave　was　poisoned　in　that　way？〃

〃Noit's　not　like　that。　That's　what　the　girlVictoria　Something　thinks。　But　she's　got　it　all　wrong。　If　it　was　decided　to　get　rid　of　the　Majorquicklyhe　would　have　been　given　somethingmost　likely　in　a　drink　of　some　kind。　Then　to　make　it　appear　a　natural　death；　a　bottle　of　the　tablets　prescribed　to　relieve　blood　pressure　was　put　in　his　room。　And　the　rumour　was　put　about　that　he　suffered　from　high　blood　pressure。〃

〃Who　put　the　rumour　about？〃

〃I've　tried　to　find