alistairmaclean.nightwithoutend-第29节

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y　gettin'　further　away　every　minute？　You　couldn't　raise　either　of　them　anyway。〃
　
　〃No；　but　we　can　raise　our　Uplavnik　base　when　we　get　a　bit　nearer　the　coast；〃　I　said；　and　the　next　moment　I　could　have　bitten　my　tongue　off。　I　had　never　even　thought　of　the　matter　until　then；　but　as　soon　as　the　words　were　out　I　realised　that　I　should　have　kept　this　piece　of　knowledge　to　myself。　The　chances　of　Uplavnik　listening　in　at　the　right　time　and　on　the　right　frequency　were　remote　enough；　but　it　was　always　a　chance：　we　could　have　sent　out　a　warning；　summoned　help　long　before　the　killers　would　have　thought　of　making　a　break　for　it。　But；　now；　if　Zagero　were　one　of　the　killers；　he　would　make　good　and　certain　that　the　set　would　be　smashed　long　before　we　got　within　radio　range　of　the　Uplavnik　base。
　
　I　cursed　myself　for　a　blundering　idiot；　and　stole　a　quick　glance　at　Zagero。　In　the　light　streaming　out　from　the　gap　in　the　curtain　and　in　the　fainter　light　of　the　aurora；　his　every　feature　was　plain；　but　I　could　tell　nothing　from　his　expression。　He　was　playing　it　casual；　all　right；　but　not　too　stupidly　casual。　The　slow　nod；　the　pursing　of　the　lips；　the　thoughtful　lifting　of　the　eyebrows　could　not　have　been　improved　upon。　Not　even　the　best　professional　actor　could　have　improved　on　it；　and　hard　on　the　heels　of　that　came　the　second　thought　that　there　were　a　couple　of　extraordinarily　fine　actors　among　us。　But；　then；　if　he　hadn't　reacted　at　all；　or　had　reacted　too　violently；　I　would　have　been　doubly　suspicious。　Or　would　I？　If　Zagero　were　one　of　the　guilty　men；　wouldn't　he　have　known　that　too　much　or　too　little　reaction　would　have　been　the　very　thing　to　excite　suspicion；　and　taken　due　precaution　against　registering　either？　I　gave　it　up　and　turned　away。　But　in　my　mind　there　was　growing　a　vague　but　steadily　strengthening　suspicion　against　Johnny　Zagero：　and　on　the　basis　of　the　success　and　validity　of　my　previous　suspicions；　I　thought　bitterly；　that　just　about　guaranteed　Zagero's　innocence。
　
　I　turned　and　touched　Margaret　Ross　on　the　shoulder。
　
　〃I'd　like　to　have　a　few　words　with　you；　Miss　Ross；　if　you　don't　mind　the　cold　outside。〃
　
　She　looked　at　me　in　surprise；　hesitated　for　a　moment；　then　nodded。　I　jumped　down；　reached　up　a　hand　to　steady　her；　then　helped　her　aboard　the　big　sled　as　it　passed　by　a　few　seconds　later。　For　a　short　time　we　just　sat　there；　side　by　side　on　a　petrol　drum；　watching　the　aurora　while　I　wondered　how　to　begin。　I　stared　almost　unseeingly　at　the　tremendous　sweep　of　the　developing　aurora；　the　great　folded；　fluted　curtain　of　yellow…green　with　red…tipped　feet　that　seemed　almost　to　brush　the　surface　of　the　ice…cap；　a　translucent　transparent　drapery…for　even　at　its　brightest　the　stars　still　shone　faintly　through…that　waved　and　shimmered　and　pulsed　and　glowed；　a　pastel　poem　in　insubstantia…lity；　like　the　ethereal　backdrop　to　some　unimaginably　beautiful　fairyland。　Margaret　Ross　sat　there　gazing　at　it　like　one　lost　in　a　trance。　But　she　might　have　been　looking　at　it　with　the　same　uncaring　eyes　as　myself；　lost　not　in　wonder　but　in　the　memory　of　the　man　we　had　left　behind　in　the　ice…cap。　And　when　she　turned　at　the　sound　of　my　voice；　and　I　saw　the　glow　of　the　aurora　reflected　in　the　sad　depths　of　the　wide　brown　eyes；　I　knew　I　was　right。
　
　〃Well；　Miss　Ross；　what　do　you　think　of　the　latest　development？〃
　
　〃Mr　Mahler？〃　She'd　slipped　up　her　snow…mask…in　her　case　just　a　gauze　and　cotton…wool　pad　with　a　central　breathing　aperture　…and　I　had　to　lean　forward　to　catch　her　soft　voice。　〃What　can　one　say　about　anything　so…so　dreadful。　What　chance　does　the　poor　man　have；　Dr　Mason？〃
　
　〃I've　honestly　no　idea。　There　are　far　too　many　unpredictable　factors　involved。。　。　。　Did　you　know　that　after　I'd　crossed　you　off　I'd　lined　him　up　as　number　one　on　my　list　of　suspects？〃
　
　〃No！〃
　
　〃But　yes；　I'm　afraid。　I　fear　I'm　no　sleuth；　Miss　Ross。　I　may　be　long　on　the　empirical；　trial　and　error　method…and　it　at　least　has　had　the　negative　advantage　of　reducing　the　number　of　suspects　by　two…but　I'm　pretty　short　on　the　deductive。〃　I　told　her　what　had　happened　between　Mahler　and　myself　during　the　brief　stop　we　had　made。
　
　〃And　now　you're　as　badly　off　as　ever；〃　she　said；　when　I　had　finished。　〃I　suppose　all　we　can　do　now　is　to　sit　and　wait　to　see　what　happens？〃
　
　〃Wait　for　the　axe　to　fall；　you　mean？〃　I　said　grimly。　〃Not　quite。　I　haven't　much　hope　from　it；　but　I　thought　I　might　try　the　deductive　reasoning　act　for　a　change。　But　before　we　can　deduce；　we　have　to　have　some　facts　we　can　deduce　from。　And　we're　very　short　on　facts。　That's　why　I　asked　you　out　here…to　see　if　you　could　help　me。〃
　
　〃I'll　do　anything　I　can；　you　know　that。〃　She　lifted　her　head　as　the　aurora　swelled　and　flamed　to　the　incandescent　climax　of　its　performance；　and　shivered　violently　as　its　unearthly　beautiful　colourings　struck　a　million　sparks　of　coloured　light；　red　and　green　and　yellow　and　gold；　off　the　ice　spicules　in　the　sky。　〃I　don't　know　why；　that　makes　me　feel　colder　than　ever。　。　。　。　But　I　think　I've　already　told　you　everything　I　know；　everything　I　can　remember；　Dr　Mason。〃
　
　Tm　sure　you　have。　But　you　may　have　missed　some　things　just　because　you　couldn't　see　they　mattered　anyway。　Now；　as　I　see　it；　we　have　three　big　questions　looking　for　an　answer。　How　e　the　crash　in　the　first　place？　How　was　the　coffee　spiked？　How　was　the　radio　broken？　If　we　can　turn　up　anything　that　can　throw　a　light　on　even　one　of　these；　we　may　be　a　long　way　towards　finding　out　what　we　want　to　know。〃
　
　Ten　freezing　minutes　later　we　were　still　a　long　way　from　finding　out　anything。　I'd　taken　Margaret　Ross　step　by　step　from　the　Customs　Hall；　where　she'd　met　her　passengers；　to　the　plane　where　she　had　settled　them　down；　flown　with　them　to　Gander；　watched　them　go　through　the　same　process　again；　flown　them　out　of　Gander；　watched　her　as　she'd　served　their　evening　meal；　and　still　I'd　learnt　nothing；　turned　up　nothing　suspicious；　off…beat　or　abnormal　that　could　even　begin　to　account　for　the　crash。　Then；　slowly；　just　as　she　was　describing　the　serving　of　the　meal；　her　voice　trailed　away　into　silence；　and　she　turned　and　stared　at　me。
　
　〃What's　the　matter；　Miss　Ross？〃
　
　〃Of　course；〃　she　said　softly。　〃Of　course！　What　a　fool　I　am！　Now　I　see。
　
　〃What　do　you　see？〃　I　demanded。
　
　〃The　coffee。　How　it　was　tampered　with。　I'd　just　served　Colonel　Harrison…he　was　in　the　rear　seat；　so　he　was　the　last　to　be　served　…when　he　wrinkled　his　nose　and　asked　if　I　could　smell　something　burning。　I　couldn't；　but　I　made　some　sort　of　joke　about　something　burning　on　the　galley　hotplate　and　I'd　just　got　back　there　when　I　heard　the　Colonel　calling；　and　when　I　looked　round　he　had　the　door　of　the　starboard　washroom　open　and　smoke　was　ing　out。　Not　much；　just　a　little。　I　called　the　captain；　and　he　hurried　aft　to　see　what　it　was；　but　it　was　nothing　serious；　just　a　few　papers　burning…somebody　had　been　careless　with　a　cigarette；　I　suppose。〃
　
　〃And　everybody　rose　out　of　their　seats　and　crowded　to　have　a　look？〃　I　asked　grimly。
　
　〃Yes。　Captain　Johnson　ordered　them　all　back　to　their　seats　…they　were　upsetting　the　trim　of　the　plane。〃
　
　〃And　you　didn't　think　this　worth　mentioning　to　me；〃　I　said　heavily。　〃No　importance　at　all？〃
　
　〃I'm　sorry。　It…it　did　seem　unimportant；　unrelated　to　anything。　That　was　hours　before　the　crash；　so…〃
　
　〃It　doesn't　matter。　Who　could　have　gone　into　the　galley　then　…anybody　in　the　front　seats；　I　suppose？〃
　
　〃Yes。　They　all　seemed　to　crowd　down　past　the　middle…〃
　
　〃They？　Who　were　'They'？〃
　
　〃I　don't　know。　What…why　do　you　ask？〃
　
　〃Because　by　knowing　who　was　there；　we　might　find　out　who　wasn't。〃
　
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　she　repeated　helplessly。　〃I　was　a　little　upset　for　a　moment；　then　Captain　Johnson　was　in　front　of　me　shooing　everybody　back　to　their　seats　and　I　couldn't　see。〃
　
　〃All　right。〃　I　changed　my　approach。　〃This　was　the　men's　washroom；　I　take　it？〃
　
　〃Yes。　The　powder　room　is　on　the　port　side。〃
　
　〃Can　you　remember　who　went　in　there；　say；　any　time　up　to　an　hour　beforehand？〃
　
　〃An　hour？　But　the　cigarette　end…〃
　
　〃Do　you　believe　now　that　the　fire　was　caused　deliberately？〃　I　asked。
　
　〃Of　course。〃　She　stared　at　me；　wide…eyed。
　
　〃Right。　And　we're　dealing；　obviously；　with　hardened　professional　criminals。　The　whole　success　of　their　plan　depended　on　causing　this　excitement。　Do　you　for　a　moment　believe　that　they　were　going　to　let　the　whole　thing　hinge　on　the　mere　off…chance　of　a　smouldering　butt…end　setting　some　papers　alight…especially　setting　them　alight　at　the　correct　moment？〃
　
　〃But　how…〃
　
　〃Easy。　You　can　get　a　little　plastic　tube　with　a　central　position　shield　dividing　it　into　two　partments。　In　one　partment　you　have　a　free　acid；　in　the　other　a　different　acid　enclosed　in　a　glass　tube。　All　you　have　to　do　is　to　crush　the　tube；　break　the　glass；　drop　the　tube　in　your　chosen　spot；　walk　away　and　after　a　predetermined　time　the　acid　that　was　in　the　glass　eats　through　the　shield；　meets　the　other　acid　and　starts　a　fire。　It's　been　used　hundreds　of　times；　especially　in　war…time　sabotage。　If　you're　an　arsonist　looking　for　a　cast…iron　alibi　and　want　to　be　five　miles　away　when　the　fire　starts；　it's　the　perfect　answer。〃
　
　〃There　wa