破镜谋杀案28

时间：2025-11-25 09:20:34

（单词翻译:单击）

IV
Next—the Dorchester. Suite1 190.
“Well, Chief-Inspector2—” Ardwyck Fenn looked down at the card in his
hand.
“Craddock.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I hope you won’t mind if I ask you a few questions.”
“Not at all. It’s this business at Much Benham. No—what’s the actual
name, St. Mary Mead3?”
“Yes. That’s right. Gossington Hall.”
“Can’t think what Jason Rudd wanted to buy a place like that for. Plenty
of good Georgian houses in England—or even Queen Anne. Gossington
Hall is a purely4 Victorian mansion5. Where’s the attraction in that, I won-
der?”
“Oh, there’s some attraction—for some people, that is, in Victorian sta-
bility.”
“Stability? Well, perhaps you’ve got something there. Marina, I suppose,
had a feeling for stability. It’s a thing she never had herself, poor girl, so I
suppose that’s why she always covets6 it. Perhaps this place will satisfy her
for a bit.”
“You know her well, Mr. Fenn?”
Ardwyck Fenn shrugged7 his shoulders.
“Well? I don’t know that I’d say that. I’ve known her over a long period
of years. Known her off and on, that is to say.”
Craddock looked at him appraisingly8. A dark man, heavily built, shrewd
eyes behind thick glasses, heavy jowl and chin, Ardwyck Fenn went on:
“The idea is, I gather, from what I read in the newspapers, that this Mrs.
Whatever-her-name-was, was poisoned by mistake. That the dose was in-
tended for Marina. Is that right?”
“Yes. That’s it. The dose was in Marina Gregg’s cocktail9. Mrs. Badcock
spilt hers and Marina handed over her drink to her.”
“Well that seems pretty conclusive10. I really can’t think, though, who
would want to poison Marina. Especially as Lynette Brown wasn’t there.”
“Lynette Brown?” Craddock looked slightly at sea.
Ardwyck Fenn smiled. “If Marina breaks this contract, throws up the
part—Lynette will get it and it would mean a good deal to Lynette to get it.
But for all that, I don’t imagine she’d send some emissary along with
poison. Much too melodramatic an idea.”
“It seems a little far-fetched,” said Dermot dryly.
“Ah, you’d be surprised what women will do when they’re ambitious,”
said Ardwyck Fenn. “Mind you, death mayn’t have been intended. It may
have been just to give her a fright—Enough to knock her out but not to fin-
ish her.”
Craddock shook his head. “It wasn’t a borderline dose,” he said.
“People make mistakes in doses, quite big ones.”
“Is this really your theory?”
“Oh no, it isn’t. It was only a suggestion. I’ve no theory. I was only an in-
nocent bystander.”
“Was Marina Gregg very surprised to see you?”
“Yes, it was a complete surprise to her.” He laughed amusedly. “Just
couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw me coming up the stairs. She gave
me a very nice welcome, I must say.”
“You hadn’t seen her for a long time?”
“Not for four or five years, I should say.”
“And some years before that there was a time when you and she were
very close friends, I believe?”
“Are you insinuating11 anything in particular by that remark, Inspector
Craddock?”
There was very little change in the voice but there was something there
that had not been there before. A hint of steel, of menace. Dermot felt sud-
denly that this man would be a very ruthless opponent.
“It would be as well, I think,” said Ardwyck Fenn, “that you said exactly
what you do mean.”
“I’m quite prepared to do so, Mr. Fenn. I have to inquire into the past re-
lations of everyone who was there on that day with Marina Gregg. It
seems to have been a matter of common gossip that at the time I have just
referred to, you were wildly in love with Marina Gregg.”
Ardwyck Fenn shrugged his shoulders.
“One has these infatuations, Inspector. Fortunately, they pass.”
“It is said that she encouraged you and that later she turned you down
and that you resented the fact.”
“It is said—it is said! I suppose you read all that in Confidential12?”
“It has been told me by quite well-informed and sensible people.”
Ardwyck Fenn threw back his head, showing the bull-like line of his
neck.
“I had a yen13 for her at one time, yes,” he admitted. “She was a beautiful
and attractive woman and still is. To say that I ever threatened her is go-
ing a little too far. I’m never pleased to be thwarted14, Chief-Inspector, and
most people who thwart15 me tend to be sorry that they have done so. But
that principle applies mainly in my business life.”
“You did, I believe, use your influence to have her dropped from a pic-
ture that she was making?”
Fenn shrugged his shoulders.
“She was unsuitable for the role. There was conflict between her and
the director. I had money in that picture and I had no intention of jeopard-
izing it. It was, I assure you, purely a business transaction.”
“But perhaps Marina Gregg did not think so?”
“Oh, naturally she did not think so. She would always think that any-
thing like that was personal.”
“She actually told certain friends of hers that she was afraid of you, I be-
lieve?”
“Did she? How childish. I expect she enjoyed the sensation.”
“You think there was no need for her to be afraid of you?”
“Of course not. Whatever personal disappointment I might have had, I
soon put it behind me. I’ve always gone on the principle that where wo-
men are concerned there are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of
it.”
“A very satisfactory way to go through life, Mr. Fenn.”
“Yes, I think it is.”
“You have a wide knowledge of the moving picture world?”
“I have financial interests in it.”
“And therefore you are bound to know a lot about it?”
“Perhaps.”
“You are a man whose judgement would be worth listening to. Can you
suggest to me any person who is likely to have such a deep grudge16 against
Marina Gregg that they would be willing to do away with her?”
“Probably a dozen,” said Ardwyck Fenn, “that is to say, if they hadn’t got
to do anything about it personally. If it was a mere17 matter of pressing a
button in a wall, I dare say there’d be a lot of willing fingers.”
“You were there that day. You saw her and talked to her. Do you think
that amongst any of the people who were around you in that brief space of
time—from when you arrived to the moment when Heather Badcock died
—do you think that amongst them you can suggest—only suggest, mind
you, I’m asking you for nothing more than a guess—anyone who might
poison Marina Gregg?”
“I wouldn’t like to say,” said Ardwyck Fenn.
“That means that you have some idea?”
“It means that I have nothing to say on that subject. And that, Chief-In-
spector Craddock, is all you’ll get out of me.”

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1 suite MsMwB     
n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员
参考例句：
  • She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
  • That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。
2 inspector q6kxH     
n.检查员，监察员，视察员
参考例句：
  • The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
  • The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。
3 mead BotzAK     
n.蜂蜜酒
参考例句：
  • He gave me a cup of mead.他给我倒了杯蜂蜜酒。
  • He drank some mead at supper.晚饭时他喝了一些蜂蜜酒。
4 purely 8Sqxf     
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
  • I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
  • This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。
5 mansion 8BYxn     
n.大厦，大楼；宅第
参考例句：
  • The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
  • The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。
6 covets dfbe7556c8d2d1dfe72219c68e028d20     
v.贪求，觊觎( covet的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
  • It is the kind of TV news coverage every president covets. 所有总统都垂涎这类电视新闻报导。 来自互联网
  • She covets her sister's house. 她对她姐姐的房子垂涎三尺。 来自互联网
7 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）
参考例句：
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 appraisingly bb03a485a7668ad5d2958424cf17facf     
adv.以品评或评价的眼光
参考例句：
  • He looked about him appraisingly. 他以品评的目光环视四周。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • She sat opposite him on the bench and studied him-wryly, appraisingly, curiously. 她坐在他对面的凳子上，仔细打量着他--带着嘲笑、揣摩和好奇的神情。 来自辞典例句
9 cocktail Jw8zNt     
n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物
参考例句：
  • We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
  • At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。
10 conclusive TYjyw     
adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的
参考例句：
  • They produced some fairly conclusive evidence.他们提供了一些相当确凿的证据。
  • Franklin did not believe that the French tests were conclusive.富兰克林不相信这个法国人的实验是结论性的。
11 insinuating insinuating     
adj.曲意巴结的，暗示的v.暗示( insinuate的现在分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入
参考例句：
  • Are you insinuating that I' m telling a lie ? 你这是意味着我是在说谎吗？ 来自辞典例句
  • He is extremely insinuating, but it's a vulgar nature. 他好奉承拍马，那是种庸俗的品格。 来自辞典例句
12 confidential MOKzA     
adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的
参考例句：
  • He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
  • We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。
13 yen JfSwN     
n. 日元；热望
参考例句：
  • He wanted to convert his dollars into Japanese yen.他想将美元换成日币。
  • He has a yen to be alone in a boat.他渴望独自呆在一条船上。
14 thwarted 919ac32a9754717079125d7edb273fc2     
阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过
参考例句：
  • The guards thwarted his attempt to escape from prison. 警卫阻扰了他越狱的企图。
  • Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the rain. 我们的野餐计划因雨受挫。
15 thwart wIRzZ     
v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的)
参考例句：
  • We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。
  • I don't think that will thwart our purposes.我认为那不会使我们的目的受到挫折。
16 grudge hedzG     
n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做
参考例句：
  • I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
  • I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。
17 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

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