the clue of the twisted candle-第23节

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it　frequently　happened　that　Gathercole　arrived　and　departed　without　anybody　being　aware　of　the　fact。　　We　have　been　to　his　old　lodgings　in　Lincoln's　Inn；　but　apparently　he　sold　up　there　before　he　went　away　to　the　wilds　of　Patagonia　and　relinquished　his　tenancy。

〃The　only　clue　I　have　is　that　a　man　answering　to　some　extent　to　his　description　left　by　the　eleven　o'clock　train　for　Paris　last　night。〃

〃You　have　seen　the　secretary　of　course；〃　said　the　Chief。

It　was　a　question　which　T。　X。　had　been　dreading。

〃Gone　too；〃　he　answered　shortly；　〃in　fact　she　has　not　been　seen　since　5：30　yesterday　evening。〃

Sir　George　leant　back　in　his　chair　and　rumpled　his　thick　grey　hair。

〃The　only　person　who　seems　to　have　remained；〃　he　said　with　heavy　sarcasm；　〃was　Kara　himself。　　Would　you　like　me　to　put　somebody　else　on　this　case　…　it　isn't　exactly　your　job　…　or　will　you　carry　it　on？〃

〃I　prefer　to　carry　it　on；　sir；〃　said　T。　X。　firmly。

〃Have　you　found　out　anything　more　about　Kara？〃

T。　X。　nodded。

〃All　that　I　have　discovered　about　him　is　eminently　discreditable；〃　he　said。　　〃He　seems　to　have　had　an　ambition　to　occupy　a　very　important　position　in　Albania。　　To　this　end　he　had　bribed　and　subsidized　the　Turkish　and　Albanian　officials　and　had　a　fairly　large　following　in　that　country。　　Bartholomew　tells　me　that　Kara　had　already　sounded　him　as　to　the　possibility　of　the　British　Government　recognising　a　fait　accompli　in　Albania　and　had　been　inducing　him　to　use　his　influence　with　the　Cabinet　to　recognize　the　consequence　of　any　revolution。　　There　is　no　doubt　whatever　that　Kara　has　engineered　all　the　political　assassinations　which　have　been　such　a　feature　in　the　news　from　Albania　during　this　past　year。　　We　also　found　in　the　house　very　large　sums　of　money　and　documents　which　we　have　handed　over　to　the　Foreign　Office　for　decoding。〃

Sir　George　thought　for　a　long　time。

Then　he　said；　〃I　have　an　idea　that　if　you　find　your　secretary　you　will　be　half　way　to　solving　the　mystery。〃

T。　X。　went　out　from　the　office　in　anything　but　a　joyous　mood。　　He　was　on　his　way　to　lunch　when　he　remembered　his　promise　to　call　upon　John　Lexman。

Could　Lexman　supply　a　key　which　would　unravel　this　tragic　tangle？　He　leant　out　of　his　taxi…cab　and　redirected　the　driver。　　It　happened　that　the　cab　drove　up　to　the　door　of　the　Great　Midland　Hotel　as　John　Lexman　was　coming　out。

〃Come　and　lunch　with　me；〃　said　T。　X。　〃I　suppose　you've　heard　all　the　news。〃

〃I　read　about　Kara　being　killed；　if　that's　what　you　mean；〃　said　the　other。　　〃It　was　rather　a　coincidence　that　I　should　have　been　discussing　the　matter　last　night　at　the　very　moment　when　his　telephone　bell　rang　…　I　wish　to　heaven　you　hadn't　been　in　this；〃　he　said　fretfully。

〃Why？〃　asked　the　astonished　Assistant　Commissioner；　〃and　what　do　you　mean　by　'in　it'？〃

〃In　the　concrete　sense　I　wish　you　had　not　been　present　when　I　returned；〃　said　the　other　moodily；　〃I　wanted　to　be　finished　with　the　whole　sordid　business　without　in　any　way　involving　my　friends。〃

〃I　think　you　are　too　sensitive；〃　laughed　the　other；　clapping　him　on　the　shoulder。　　〃I　want　you　to　unburden　yourself　to　me；　my　dear　chap；　and　tell　me　anything　you　can　that　will　help　me　to　clear　up　this　mystery。〃

John　Lexman　looked　straight　ahead　with　a　worried　frown。

〃I　would　do　almost　anything　for　you；　T。　X。；〃　he　said　quietly；　〃the　more　so　since　I　know　how　good　you　were　to　Grace；　but　I　can't　help　you　in　this　matter。　　I　hated　Kara　living；　I　hate　him　dead；〃　he　cried；　and　there　was　a　passion　in　his　voice　which　was　unmistakable；　〃he　was　the　vilest　thing　that　ever　drew　the　breath　of　life。　　There　was　no　villainy　too　despicable；　no　cruelty　so　horrid　but　that　he　gloried　in　it。　　If　ever　the　devil　were　incarnate　on　earth　he　took　the　shape　and　the　form　of　Remington　Kara。　　He　died　too　merciful　a　death　by　all　accounts。　　But　if　there　is　a　God；　this　man　will　suffer　for　his　crimes　in　hell　through　all　eternity。〃

T。　X。　looked　at　him　in　astonishment。　　The　hate　in　the　man's　face　took　his　breath　away。　　Never　before　had　he　experienced　or　witnessed　such　a　vehemence　of　loathing。

〃What　did　Kara　do　to　you？〃　he　demanded。

The　other　looked　out　of　the　window。

〃I　am　sorry；〃　he　said　in　a　milder　tone；　〃that　is　my　weakness。　Some　day　I　will　tell　you　the　whole　story　but　for　the　moment　it　were　better　that　it　were　not　told。　　I　will　tell　you　this；〃　he　turned　round　and　faced　the　detective　squarely；　〃Kara　tortured　and　killed　my　wife。〃

T。　X。　said　no　more。

Half　way　through　lunch　he　returned　indirectly　to　the　subject。

〃Do　you　know　Gathercole？〃　he　asked。

T。　X。　nodded。

〃I　think　you　asked　me　that　question　once　before；　or　perhaps　it　was　somebody　else。　　Yes；　I　know　him；　rather　an　eccentric　man　with　an　artificial　arm。〃

〃That's　the　cove；〃　said　T。　X。　with　a　little　sigh；　〃he's　one　of　the　few　men　I　want　to　meet　just　now。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Because　he　was　apparently　the　last　man　to　see　Kara　alive。〃

John　Lexman　looked　at　the　other　with　an　impatient　jerk　of　his　shoulders。

〃You　don't　suspect　Gathercole；　do　you？〃　he　asked。

〃Hardly；〃　said　the　other　drily；　〃in　the　first　place　the　man　that　committed　this　murder　had　two　hands　and　needed　them　both。　　No；　I　only　want　to　ask　that　gentleman　the　subject　of　his　conversation。　I　also　want　to　know　who　was　in　the　room　with　Kara　when　Gathercole　went　in。〃

〃H'm；〃　said　John　Lexman。

〃Even　if　I　found　who　the　third　person　was；　I　am　still　puzzled　as　to　how　they　got　out　and　fastened　the　heavy　latch　behind　them。　　Now　in　the　old　days；　Lexman；〃　he　said　good　humouredly；　〃you　would　have　made　a　fine　mystery　story　out　of　this。　　How　would　you　have　made　your　man　escape？〃

Lexman　thought　for　a　while。

〃Have　you　examined　the　safe！〃　he　asked。

〃Yes；〃　said　the　other。

〃Was　there　very　much　in　it？〃

T。　X。　looked　at　him　in　astonishment。

〃Just　the　ordinary　books　and　things。　　Why　do　you　ask？〃

〃Suppose　there　were　two　doors　to　that　safe；　one　on　the　outside　of　the　room　and　one　on　the　inside；　would　it　be　possible　to　pass　through　the　safe　and　go　down　the　wall？〃

〃I　have　thought　of　that；〃　said　T。　X。

〃Of　course；〃　said　Lexman；　leaning　back　and　toying　with　a　salt…spoon；　〃in　writing　a　story　where　one　hasn't　got　to　deal　with　the　absolute　possibilities；　one　could　always　have　made　Kara　have　a　safe　of　that　character　in　order　to　make　his　escape　in　the　event　of　danger。　　He　might　keep　a　rope　ladder　stored　inside；　open　the　back　door；　throw　out　his　ladder　to　a　friend　and　by　some　trick　arrangement　could　detach　the　ladder　and　allow　the　door　to　swing　to　again。〃

〃A　very　ingenious　idea；〃　said　T。　X。；　〃but　unfortunately　it　doesn't　work　in　this　case。　　I　have　seen　the　makers　of　the　safe　and　there　is　nothing　very　eccentric　about　it　except　the　fact　that　it　is　mounted　as　it　is。　　Can　you　offer　another　suggestion？〃

John　Lexman　thought　again。

〃I　will　not　suggest　trap　doors；　or　secret　panels　or　anything　so　banal；〃　he　said；　〃nor　mysterious　springs　in　the　wall　which；　when　touched；　reveal　secret　staircases。〃

He　smiled　slightly。

〃In　my　early　days；　I　must　confess　I；　was　rather　keen　upon　that　sort　of　thing；　but　age　has　brought　experience　and　I　have　discovered　the　impossibility　of　bringing　an　architect　to　one's　way　of　thinking　even　in　so　commonplace　a　matter　as　the　position　of　a　scullery。　　It　would　be　much　more　difficult　to　induce　him　to　construct　a　house　with　double　walls　and　secret　chambers。〃

T。　X。　waited　patiently。

〃There　is　a　possibility；　of　course；〃　said　Lexman　slowly；　〃that　the　steel　latch　may　have　been　raised　by　somebody　outside　by　some　ingenious　magnetic　arrangement　and　lowered　in　a　similar　manner。〃

〃I　have　thought　about　it；〃　said　T。　X。　triumphantly；　〃and　I　have　made　the　most　elaborate　tests　only　this　morning。　　It　is　quite　impossible　to　raise　the　steel　latch　because　once　it　is　dropped　it　cannot　be　raised　again　except　by　means　of　the　knob；　the　pulling　of　which　releases　the　catch　which　holds　the　bar　securely　in　its　place。　　Try　another　one；　John。〃

John　Lexman　threw　back　his　head　in　a　noiseless　laugh。

〃Why　I　should　be　helping　you　to　discover　the　murderer　of　Kara　is　beyond　my　understanding；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　will　give　you　another　theory；　at　the　same　time　warning　you　that　I　may　be　putting　you　off　the　track。　　For　God　knows　I　have　more　reason　to　murder　Kara　than　any　man　in　the　world。〃

He　thought　a　while。

〃The　chimney　was　of　course　impossible？〃

〃There　was　a　big　fire　burning　in　the　grate；〃　explained　T。　X。；　〃so　big　indeed　that　the　room　was　stifling。〃

John　Lexman　nodded。

〃That　was　Kara's　way；〃　he　said；　〃as　a　matter　of　fact　I　know　the　suggestion　about　magnetism　in　the　steel　bar　was　impossible；　because　I　was　friendly　with　Kara　when　he　had　that　bar　put　in　and　pretty　well　know　the　mechanism；　although　I　had　forgotten　it　for　the　moment。　　What　is　your　own　theory；　by　the　way？〃

T。　X。　pursed　his　lips。

〃My　theory　isn't　very　clearly　formed；〃　he　said　cautiously；　〃but　so　far　as　it　goes；　it　is　that　Kara　was　lying　on　the　bed　probably　reading　one　of　the　books　which　were　found　by　the　bedside　when　his　assailant　suddenly　came　upon　him。　　Kara　seized　the　telephone　to　call　for　assistance　and　was　promptly　killed。〃

Again　there　was　silence。

〃That　is　a　theory；〃　said　John　Lexman。　　with　his　curious　deliberation　of　speech；　〃but　as　I　say　I　refuse　to　be　definite　…　have　you　found