alistairmaclean.bearisland-第58节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　I　don't　know；　Lonnie。　Life's　not　always　so　kind；　is　it？　No　need　to　kill　yourselves　looking　for　Mr。　Gerran。　A　heart　attack　on　top　of　this　we　can　do　without。〃
　〃Poor　little　Judith；〃　Lonnie　said。　〃And　what　do　we　tell　Otto　she　died　of？
　Alcohol　and　sleeping　tablets…it's　a　pretty　lethal　bination；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Frequently。〃
　They　looked　at　each　other　uncertainly；　then　turned　and　left。　Mary　Stuart　said：　〃What　can　I　do？〃
　〃Stay　there。〃　The　harshness　in　my　voice　surprised　me　almost　as　much　as　it　clearly　surprised　her。　I　want　to　talk　to　you。〃
　I　found　a　towel　and　a　handkerchief；　wrapped　the　gin　bottle　in　the　former　and　the　barbiturate　bottle　in　the　latter。　I　had　a　glimpse　of　Mary　watching　me；　wide…eyed；　in　what　could　have　been　wonder　or　fear　or　both；　then　crossed　to　examine　the　dead　woman；　to　see　whether　there　were　any　visible　marks　on　her。　There　wasn't　much　to　examine…although　she'd　been　in　bed　with　blankets　over　her；　she'd　been　fully　clothed　in　parka　and　some　kind　of　fur　trousers。　I　didn't　have　to　look　long。　I　beckoned　Mary　across　and　pointed　to　a　tiny　puncture　exposed　by　pushing　back　the　hair　on　Judith　Haynes's　neck。　Mary　ran　the　tip　of　her　tongue　across　dry　lips　and　looked　at　me　with　sick　eyes。
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃Murdered。　How　do　you　feel　about　that；　Mary　dear？〃　The　term　was　affectionate；　the　tone　not。
　〃Murdered！〃　she　whispered。　〃Murdered！〃　She　looked　at　the　wrapped　bottles；　licked　her　lips　again；　made　as　if　to　speak　and　seemingly　couldn't。
　〃There　may　be　some　gin　inside　her；〃　I　conceded。　Possibly　even　some　barbiturate。　I'd　doubt　it；　though…it's　very　hard　to　make　people　swallow　anything　when　they're　unconscious。　Maybe　there　are　no　other　fingerprints　on　the　bottles…they　could　have　been　wiped　off。　But　if　we　find　only　her　forefinger　and　thumb　round　the　neck…well；　you　don't　drink　three…quarters　of　a　bottle　of　gin　holding　it　by　the　finger　and　thumb。〃　She　stared　in　fascinated　horror　at　the　pinprick　in　the　neck　and　then　I　let　the　hair　fall　back。
　I　don't　know；　but　I　think　an　injection　of　an　overdose　of　morphine　killed　her。　How　do　you　feel　about　it；　Mary　dear？〃
　She　looked　at　me　pitifully　but　I　wasn't　wasting　my　pity　on　the　living。
　She　said：　〃That's　the　second　time　you　said　that。　Why　did　you　say　that？〃
　〃Because　it's　partly　your　fault…and　it　may　be　a　very　large　part…that　she's　dead。　Oh；　and　very　cleverly　dead；　I　assure　you。　I'm　very　good　at　finding　those　things　out…when　it's　too　damn　late。　Rigged　for　suicide…only；　I　know　she　never　drank。　Well？〃
　I　didn't　kill　her！　Oh；　God；　I　didn't　kill　her！　I　didn't；　I　didn't；　I　didn't！〃
　〃And　I　hope　to　God　you're　not　responsible　for　killing　Smithy；　too；〃　I　said　savagely。　〃If　he　doesn't　e　back；　you're　first　in　line　as　accessory。　After　murder。〃
　〃Mr。　Smith！〃　Her　bewilderment　was　total　and　totally　pathetic。　And　I　was　totally　unmoved。　She　said：　〃Before　God；　I　don't　know　what　you're　talking　about。〃
　〃Of　course　not。　And　you　won't　know　what　I'm　talking　about　when　I　ask　you　what's　going　on　between　Gerran　and　Heissman。　How　could　you　a　sweet　and　innocent　child　like　you？　Or　you　wouldn't　know　what's　going　on　between　you　and　your　dear　lovable　Uncle　Johann？〃
　She　stared　at　me　in　a　dumb　animal…like　misery　and　shook　her　head。　I　struck　her。　Even　although　I　was　aware　that　the　anger　that　was　in　me　was　directed　more　against　myself　than　at　her　still　it　could　not　be　contained　and　I　struck　her　and　when　she　looked　at　me　the　way　a　favourite　pet　would　look　at　a　person　who　has　shot　it　but　not　quite　killed　it　I　lifted　my　hand　again　but　this　time　when　she　closed　her　eyes　and　flinched　away　turning　her　head　to　one　side　I　let　my　hand　drop　helplessly　to　my　side　then　did　what　I　should　have　done　in　the　first　place；　I　put　my　arms　around　her　and　held　her　tight。　She　didn't　try　to　fight　or　struggle；　just　stood　quite　still。　She　had　nothing　left　to　fight　with　any　more。
　〃Poor　Mary　dear；〃　I　said。　〃You've　got　no　place　left　to　run　to；　have　you？〃
　She　made　no　answer；　her　eyes　were　still　closed。　〃Uncle　Johann　is　no　more　your　uncle　than　I　am。　Your　immigration　papers　state　that　your　father　and　mother　are　dead。　It　is　my　belief　that　they　are　still　alive　and　that　Heissman　is　no　more　your　mother's　brother　than　he　is　your　uncle。　It　is　my　belief　that　he　is　holding　them　as　hostage　for　your　good　conduct　and　that　he　is　holding　you　as　hostage　for　theirs。　I　don't　just　think　that　Heissman　is　up　to　no　good；　I　know　he　is；　for　I　just　don't　think　he's　a　criminal　operating　on　an　international　scale；　I　know　that　too。　I　know　that　you're　not　Latvian　but　strictly　of　German　ancestry。　I　know；　too；　that　your　father　ranked　very　highly　in　the　Berlin　councils　of　war。〃　I　didn't　know　that　at　all；　but　it　had　bee　an　increasingly　safe　guess。　〃And　I　know；　too；　that　there's　a　great　deal　of　money　involved；　not　in　hard　cash　but　in　negotiable　securities。　All　this　is　true；　is　it　not？〃
　There　was　a　silence　then　she　said　dully：　If　you　know　so　much；　what's　the　good　in　pretending　any　more。〃　She　pushed　back　a　little　and　looked　at　me　through　defeated　eyes。　〃You're　not　a　real　doctor？〃
　〃I'm　real　enough；　but　not　in　the　ordinary　way　of　things；　for　which　any　patients　I　might　have　had　would　probably　feel　very　thankful　as　I　haven't　practised　those　past　good　few　years。　I'm　just　a　civil　servant　working　for　the　British　Government；　nothing　glamorous　or　romantic　like　Intelligence　or　Counter…Intelligence；　just　the　Treasury；　which　is　why　I'm　here　because　we've　been　interested　in　Heissman's　shennanigans　for　quite　some　time。　I　didn't　expect　to　run　into　this　other　busload　of　trouble；　though。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Too　long　to　explain；　even　if　I　could。　I　can't；　yet。　And　I've　things　to　do。〃
　〃Mr。　Smith？〃　She　hesitated。　〃From　the　Treasury；　too？〃　I　nodded　and　she　went　on：　〃I've　been　thinking　that。〃　She　hesitated　again。　〃My　father　manded　submarine　groups　during　the　war。　He　was　also　a　high　Party　official；　very　high；　I　think。　Then　he　disappeared…〃
　〃Where　was　his　mand？〃
　〃For　the　last　year；　the　north…Tromso；　Trondheim；　Narvik；　places　like　that；　I'm　not　sure。〃　I　was；　all　of　a　sudden　I　was；　I　knew　it　had　to　be　true。　I　said：　〃Then　disappearance。　A　war　criminal？〃　She　nodded。　〃And　now　an　old　man？〃　Another　nod。　〃And　amnestied　because　of　age〃
　〃Yes；　just　over　two　years　ago。　Then　he　came　back　to　us　…　Mr。　Heissman　brought　us　all　together；　I　don't　know　how。〃
　I　could　have　explained　Heissman's　special　background　qualifications　for　this　very　job；　but　it　was　hardly　the　moment。　I　said：　〃Your　father's　not　only　a　war　criminal；　he's　also　a　civil　criminal…probably　an　embezzler　on　a　grand　scale。　Yet　you　do　all　this　for　him？〃
　〃For　my　mother。〃
　〃I'm　sorry。〃
　〃I'm　sorry；　too。　I'm　sorry　for　all　the　trouble　I've　given　you。　Do　you　think　my　mother　will　be　all　right？〃
　I　think　so；　〃；　I　said；　which；　considering　my　recent　disastrous　record　in　keeping　people　alive；　was　a　pretty　rash　statement　on　my　part。
　〃But　what　can　we　do？　What　on　earth　can　we　do　with　all　those　terrible　things　happening？〃
　〃It's　not　what　I've　can　do。　I　know　what　to　do。　It's　what　you　are　going　to　do。〃
　〃I'll　do　anything。　Anything　you　say。　I　promise。〃
　〃Then　do　nothing。　Behave　exactly　as　you've　been　behaving。　Especially　towards　Uncle　Johann。　But　never　a　word　of　our　talk　to　him；　never　a　word　to　anyone。〃
　〃Not　even　to　Charles？〃
　〃Conrad？　Least　of　all　to　him。〃
　〃But　I　thought　you　liked…〃
　〃Sure　I　do。　But　not　half　as　much　as　our　Charles　likes　you。　He'd　just　up　and　clobber　Heissman　on　the　spot。　I　haven't；〃　I　said　bitterly；　〃been　displaying　very　much　cleverness　or　finesse　to　date。　Give　me　this　one　last　chance。〃　I　thought　a　bit　about　being　clever；　then　said：　〃One　thing　you　can　do。　Let　me　know　if　you　see　anyone　returning　here。　I'm　going　to　look　around　a　bit。〃
　Otto　had　almost　as　many　locks　as　I　had　keys。　As　befitted　the　chairman　of　Olympus　Productions；　the　producer　of　the　film　and　the　de　facto　leader　of　the　expedition　he　carried　a　great　number　of　bits　and　pieces　of　equipment　with　him。　Most　of　the　belongings　were　personal　and　most　of　these　clothes；　for　although　Otto；　because　of　his　spherical　shape；　was　automatically　excluded　from　the　list　of　the　top　ten　best…dressed　men；　his　sartorial　aspirations　were　of　the　most　soaring；　and　he　carried　at　least　a　dozen　suits　with　him　although　what　he　intended　to　do　with　them　on　Bear　Island　was　a　matter　for　conjecture。　More　interestingly；　he　had　two　small　squat　brown　suitcases　that　served　merely　as　cover　for　two　metal　deed…boxes。　Those　were　hasp　bound　with　imposing　brass　padlocks　that　a　blind　and　palsied　pick…lock　could　have　had　opened　in　under　a　minute　and　it　didn't　take　me　much　longer。　The　first　contained　nothing　of　importance；　nothing　of　importance；　that　was；　to　anyone　except　Otto：　they　consisted　of　hundreds　of　press　clippings；　no　doubt　carefully　selected　for　the　laudatory　nature　of　their　contents；　and　going　back　for　twenty…odd　years；　all　of　them　unanimous　in　extolling　Otto's　cinematic　genius：　precisely　the　sort　of　ego…feeding　nourishment　that　Otto　would　carry　around　with　him。　The　second　deed…box　contained　papers　of　a　purely　financial　nature；　recorded　Otto's　transactions；　ines　and　outgoes　over　a　good　number　of　years　and　would　have　proved；　I　felt　certain；　fascinating　reading　for　any　Inland　Revenue　inspector　or　law…abiding　accountant；　if　there　were　any　such　around；　but　my　interest