破镜谋杀案34

时间：2025-11-25 09:25:29

（单词翻译:单击）

Eighteen
I
Frank Cornish replaced the receiver.
“Miss Brewster is out of London for the day,” he announced.
“Is she now?” said Craddock.
“Do you think she—”
“I don’t know. I shouldn’t think so, but I don’t know. Ardwyck Fenn?”
“Out. I left word for him to ring you. And Margot Bence, Personality
Photographer, has got an assignment somewhere in the country. Her
pansy partner didn’t know where — or said he didn’t. And the butler’s
hooked it to London.”
“I wonder,” said Craddock thoughtfully, “if the butler has hooked it for
good. I always suspect dying relatives. Why was he suddenly anxious to go
to London today?”
“He could have put the cyanide in the atomizer easily enough before he
left.”
“Anybody could.”
“But I think he’s indicated. It could hardly be someone from outside.”
“Oh, yes, it could. You’d have to judge your moment. You could leave a
car in one of the side drives, wait until everyone is in the dining room, say,
and slip in through a window and upstairs. The shrubberies come close up
to the house.”
“Damn’ risky1.”
“This murderer doesn’t mind taking risks, you know. That’s been appar-
ent all along.”
“We’ve had a man on duty in the grounds.”
“I know. One man wasn’t enough. So long as it was a question of these
anonymous2 letters I didn’t feel so much urgency. Marina Gregg herself is
being well guarded. It never occurred to me that anyone else was in
danger. I—”
The telephone rang. Cornish took the call.
“It’s the Dorchester. Mr. Ardwyck Fenn is on the line.”
He proffered3 the receiver to Craddock who took it.
“Mr. Fenn? This is Craddock here.”
“Ah, yes. I heard you had rung me. I have been out all day.”
“I am sorry to tell you, Mr. Fenn, that Miss Zielinsky died this morning—
of cyanide poisoning.”
“Indeed? I am shocked to hear it. An accident? Or not an accident?”
“Not an accident. Prussic acid had been put in an atomizer she was in
the habit of using.”
“I see. Yes, I see…” There was a short pause. “And why, may I ask,
should you ring me about this distressing4 occurrence?”
“You knew Miss Zielinsky, Mr. Fenn?”
“Certainly I knew her. I have known her for some years. But she was not
an intimate friend.”
“We hoped that you could, perhaps, assist us?”
“In what way?”
“We wondered if you could suggest any motive5 for her death. She is a
stranger in this country. We know very little about her friends and associ-
ates and the circumstances of her life.”
“I would suggest that Jason Rudd is the person to question about that.”
“Naturally. We have done so. But there might be an off-chance that you
might know something about her that he does not.”
“I’m afraid that is not so. I know next to nothing about Ella Zielinsky ex-
cept that she was a most capable young woman, and first-class at her job.
About her private life I know nothing at all.”
“So you have no suggestions to make?”
Craddock was ready for the decisive negative, but to his surprise it did
not come. Instead there was a pause. He could hear Ardwyck Fenn breath-
ing rather heavily at the other end.
“Are you still there, Chief-Inspector?”
“Yes, Mr. Fenn. I’m here.”
“I have decided6 to tell you something that may be of assistance to you.
When you hear what it is, you will realize that I have every reason to keep
it to myself. But I judge that in the end that might be unwise. The facts are
these. A couple of days ago I received a telephone call. A voice spoke7 to me
in a whisper. It said—I am quoting now—I saw you… I saw you put the tab-
lets in the glass… You didn’t know there had been an eyewitness8, did you?
That’s all for now—very soon you will be told what you have to do.”
Craddock uttered an ejaculation of astonishment9.
“Surprising, was it not, Mr. Craddock? I will assure you categorically
that the accusation10 was entirely11 unfounded. I did not put tablets in any-
body’s glass. I defy anyone to prove that I did. The suggestion is utterly12 ab-
surd. But it would seem, would it not, that Miss Zielinsky was embarking13
on blackmail14.”
“You recognized her voice?”
“You cannot recognize a whisper. But it was Ella Zielinsky all right.”
“How do you know?”
“The whisperer sneezed heavily before ringing off. I knew that Miss
Zielinsky suffered from hay fever.”
“And you think—what?”
“I think that Miss Zielinsky got hold of the wrong person at her first at-
tempt15. It seems to me possible that she was more successful later. Black-
mail can be a dangerous game.”
Craddock pulled himself together.
“I must thank you for your statement, Mr. Fenn. As a matter of form, I
shall have to check upon your movements today.”
“Naturally. My chauffeur16 will be able to give you precise information.”
Craddock rang off and repeated what Fenn had said. Cornish whistled.
“Either that lets him out completely. Or else—”
“Or else it’s a magnificent piece of bluff17. It could be. He’s the kind of
man who has the nerve for it. If there’s the least chance that Ella Zielinsky
left a record of her suspicions, then this taking of the bull by the horns is a
magnificent bluff.”
“And his alibi18?”
“We’ve come across some very good faked alibis19 in our time,” said Crad-
dock. “He could afford to pay a good sum for one.”

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1 risky IXVxe     
adj.有风险的，冒险的
参考例句：
  • It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
  • He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。
2 anonymous lM2yp     
adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的
参考例句：
  • Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
  • The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。
3 proffered 30a424e11e8c2d520c7372bd6415ad07     
v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • She proffered her cheek to kiss. 她伸过自己的面颊让人亲吻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He rose and proffered a silver box full of cigarettes. 他站起身，伸手递过一个装满香烟的银盒子。 来自辞典例句
4 distressing cuTz30     
a.使人痛苦的
参考例句：
  • All who saw the distressing scene revolted against it. 所有看到这种悲惨景象的人都对此感到难过。
  • It is distressing to see food being wasted like this. 这样浪费粮食令人痛心。
5 motive GFzxz     
n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的
参考例句：
  • The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
  • He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。
6 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
7 spoke XryyC     
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
8 eyewitness VlVxj     
n.目击者，见证人
参考例句：
  • The police questioned several eyewitness to the murder.警察询问了谋杀案的几位目击者。
  • He was the only eyewitness of the robbery.他是那起抢劫案的唯一目击者。
9 astonishment VvjzR     
n.惊奇，惊异
参考例句：
  • They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
  • I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。
10 accusation GJpyf     
n.控告，指责，谴责
参考例句：
  • I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
  • She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。
11 entirely entirely     
ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地
参考例句：
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
12 utterly ZfpzM1     
adv.完全地，绝对地
参考例句：
  • Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
  • I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。
13 embarking 7f8892f8b0a1076133045fdfbf3b8512     
乘船( embark的现在分词 )； 装载； 从事
参考例句：
  • He's embarking on a new career as a writer. 他即将开始新的职业生涯——当一名作家。
  • The campaign on which were embarking was backed up by such intricate and detailed maintenance arrangemets. 我们实施的战争，须要如此复杂及详细的维护准备。
14 blackmail rRXyl     
n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓
参考例句：
  • She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
  • The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。
15 tempt MpIwg     
vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣
参考例句：
  • Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
  • The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。
16 chauffeur HrGzL     
n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车
参考例句：
  • The chauffeur handed the old lady from the car.这个司机搀扶这个老太太下汽车。
  • She went out herself and spoke to the chauffeur.她亲自走出去跟汽车司机说话。
17 bluff ftZzB     
v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗
参考例句：
  • His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
  • John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。
18 alibi bVSzb     
n.某人当时不在犯罪现场的申辩或证明；借口
参考例句：
  • Do you have any proof to substantiate your alibi? 你有证据表明你当时不在犯罪现场吗？
  • The police are suspicious of his alibi because he already has a record.警方对他不在场的辩解表示怀疑，因为他已有前科。
19 alibis 7300dfb05434d1648937baa6014921b7     
某人在别处的证据( alibi的名词复数 )； 不在犯罪现场的证人； 借口； 托辞
参考例句：
  • The suspects all had alibis for the day of the robbery. 嫌疑人均有证据证明抢劫当天不在犯罪现场。
  • I'm not trying to beat your alibis any more than I'm trying to prove 'em. 我并不是不让你辩护，我只是想把那个人找出来。

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