alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第43节
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aboard at once。 The sooner we're back in Scotland and have some law in on this the happier I'll be。 I warned you that this investigation of yours would turn up nothing。 Lord knows how short a time it will be before someone else gets it。 For God's sake； Carpenter； we have a murderer running loose。〃
〃Three things；〃 I said。 〃Nobody's going to get it any more； that's almost for certain。 Secondly； the law； as you call it； wouldn't be allowed to touch it。 And； in the third place； the meeting this morning was of some use。 It eliminated three potential suspects。〃
〃I must have missed something that you didn't。〃
〃Not that。 I knew something that you didn't。 I knew that under the floor of the laboratory were about forty Nife cells in excellent conditionbut cells that had been used。〃
〃The hell you did；〃 he said softly。 〃Sort of forgot to tell me； didn't you？〃
〃In this line of business I never tell anyone anything unless I think he can help me by having that knowledge。〃
〃You must win an awful lot of friends and influence an awful lot of people；〃 Swanson said dryly。
〃It gets embarrassing。 Now； who could have used those cells？ Only those who left the bunkhouse from time to time to send out the S。O。S。's。 That cuts out Captain Folsom and the Harrington twinsthere's no question of any of the three of them having left the bunkhouse at any time。 They weren't fit to。 So that leaves Hewson； Naseby； Dr。 Jolly； Jeremy； Hassard and Kinnaird。 Take your choice。 One of them is a murderer。〃
〃Why did they want those extra cells？〃 Swanson asked。 〃And if they had those extra cells why did they risk their lives by relying on those dying cells that they did use？ Does it make sense to you？〃
〃There's sense in everything；〃 I said。 〃If you want evasion； Carpenter has it。〃 I brought out my wallet； spread cards before him。 He picked them up； studied them and returned them to my wallet。
〃So now we have it；〃 he said calmly。 〃Took you quite a while to get around to it； didn't it？ The truth； I mean。 Officer of M。I。6。 Counter…espionage。 Government agent； eh？ Well； I won't make any song and dance about it； Carpenter； I've known since yesterday what you must be： you couldn't be anything else。〃 He looked at me in calm speculation。 〃You guys never disclose your identity unless you have to。〃 He left the logical question unspoken。
〃Three reasons why I'm telling you。 You're entitled to some measure of my confidence。 I want you on my side。 And because of what I'm about to tell you； you'd have known anyway。 Have you ever heard of the Perkin…Elmer Roti satellite missile…tracker camera？〃
〃Quite a mouthful；〃 he murmured。 〃No。〃
〃Heard of Samos？ Samos III？〃
〃Satellite and Missile Observation System？〃 He nodded。 〃I have。 And what conceivable connection could that have with a ruthless killer running rampant on Drift Station Zebra？〃
So I told him what connection it could have。 A connection that was not only conceivable； not only possible； not only probable； but absolutely certain。 Swanson listened very carefully； very attentively； not interrupting even once； and at the end of it he leaned back in his chair and nodded。 〃You have the right answer； no doubt about that。 The question is； who？ I just can't wait to see this bastard under armed guard。〃
〃You'd clap him in irons straight away？〃
〃Good God！〃 He stared at me。 〃Wouldn't you？〃
〃I don't know。 Yes； I do。 I'd leave him be。 I think our friend is just a link in a very long chain； and if we give him enough rope； he'll not only hang himself； he'll lead us to the other members of the chain。 Besides； I'm not all that sure that there 〃is〃 only one murderer： killers have been known to have acplices before now； mander。〃
〃Two of them？ You think there may be two killers aboard my ship？〃 He pursed his lips and squeezed his chin with a thoughtful hand； Swanson's nearest permissible approach to a state of violent agitation。 Then he shook his head definitely。 〃There may only be one。 If that was so； and I knew who he was； I'd arrest him at once。 Don't forget； Carpenter； we've hundreds of miles to go under the ice before we're out into the open sea。 We can't watch all six of them all the time； and there are a hundred and one things that a man with even only a little knowledge of submarines could do that would put us all in mortal danger。 Things that wouldn't matter were we clear of the ice： things that would be fatal under it。〃
〃Aren't you rather overlooking the fact that if the killer did us in； he'd also be doing himself in？〃
〃I don't necessarily share your belief in his sanity。 All killers are a little crazy。 No matter how excellent their reasons for killing； the very fact that they do kill makes them abnormal。 You can't judge them by normal standards。〃
He was only half right； but unfortunately that half might apply in this case。 Most murderers kill in a state of extreme emotional once…in…a…lifetime stress and never kill again。 But our friend in this case had every appearance of being a stranger to emotional stress of any kindand； besides； he'd killed a great deal more than once。
〃Well；〃 I said doubtfully； 〃perhaps。 Yes； I think I do agree with you。〃 I refrained from specifying our mon ground for agreement。 〃Who's your candidate for the high jump； mander？〃
〃I'm damned if I know。 I listened to every word that was said this morning。 I watched the face of each man who spokeand the faces of the ones who weren't speaking。 I haven't stopped thinking about it since and I'm still damned if I have a clue。 How about Kinnaird？〃
〃He's the obvious suspect； isn't he？ But only because he's a skilled radio operator。 I could train a man in a couple of days to send and receive in Morse。 Slow； clumsy； he wouldn't know a thing about the instrument he was using； but he could still do it。 Any of them may easily have been petent enough to operate a radio。 The fact that Kinnaird is a skilled operator may even be a point in his favor。〃
〃Nife cells were removed from the radio cabin and taken to the laboratory；〃 Swanson pointed out。 〃Kinnaird had the easiest access to them。 Apart from Dr。 Jolly who had his office and sleeping quarters in the same hut。〃
〃So that would point a finger at Kinnaird or Jolly？〃
〃Well； wouldn't it？〃
〃Certainly。 Especially if you will agree that the presence of those tinned foods under the lab floor also points a finger at Hewson and Naseby； both of whom slept in the cookhouse； where the food was stored； and that the presence of the radio…sonde balloon and the hydrogen in the lab also points a finger at Jeremy and Hassard； one a met officer and the other a technician who would have had the easiest access to those items。〃
〃That's right； confuse things；〃 Swanson said irritably。 〃As if they weren't confused enough already。〃
〃I'm not confusing things。 All I'm saying is that if you admit a certain possibility for a certain reason； then you must admit similar possibilities for similar reasons。 Besides； there are points in Kinnaird's favor。 He risked his life to go back into the radio room to bring out the portable transmitter。 He risked almost certain suicide； when he tried to go in the second time to bring out his assistant； Grant； and probably would have died if Jeremy hadn't clobbered him。 Look what happened to that man Foster who went in there immediately afterward with a wet blanket over his head： he never came out。
〃Again； would Kinnaird have mentioned the Nile cells if he had any guilt plex about them？ But he did。 That； incidentally； might have been why Grant； the assistant radio operator； collapsed in there and later diedKinnaird had told him to bring out the other Nife cells； and he was overe because he stayed there too long looking for things that had already been removed from the hut。 And there's one final point： we have Naseby's word for it that the door of the radio room was jammed； presumably by ice。 Had Kinnaird been playing with matches a few moments previously； that door wouldn't have had time to freeze up。〃
〃If you rule Kinnaird out；〃 Swanson said slowly； 〃you more or less have to rule Dr。 Jolly out； too。〃 He smiled。 〃I don't see a member of your profession running around filling people full of holes； Dr。 Carpenter。 Repairing holes is their line of business； not making them。 Hippocrates wouldn't have liked it。〃
〃I'm not ruling Kinnaird out；〃 I said。 〃But I'm not going off half cocked and pinning a murder charge on him； either。 As for the ethics of my profession； would you like a list of the good healers who have decorated the dock in the Old Bailey？ True； we have nothing on Jolly。 His part in the proceedings that night seems to have consisted in staggering out from the radio room； falling flat on his face； and staying there till pretty near the end of the fire。 That； of course； has no bearing upon whatever part he might have taken in the proceedings prior to the fire。 Though against that possibility there's the fact of the jammed door； the fact that Kinnaird or Grant would have been almost bound to notice if he had been up to something。 Jolly's bunk was at the back of the radio room； and he would have had to pass Kinnaird and Grant to get out； not forgetting that he would also have to stop to pick up the Nife cells。 And
