the clue of the twisted candle-第31节

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　his　mind；　to　recreate　the　psychology　of　the　slayer　of　Remington　Kara。

〃In　the　possession　of　most　of　you　are　the　vital　facts　concerning　this　man。　　You　know　the　type　of　man　he　was；　you　have　instances　of　his　terrible　ruthlessness；　you　know　that　he　was　a　blot　upon　God's　earth；　a　vicious　wicked　ego；　seeking　the　gratification　of　that　strange　blood…lust　and　pain…lust；　which　is　to　be　found　in　so　few　criminals。〃

John　Lexman　went　on　to　describe　the　killing　of　Vassalaro。

〃I　know　now　how　that　occurred；〃　he　said。　　〃I　had　received　on　the　previous　Christmas　eve　amongst　other　presents；　a　pistol　from　an　unknown　admirer。　　That　unknown　admirer　was　Kara；　who　had　planned　this　murder　some　three　months　ahead。　　He　it　was；　who　sent　me　the　Browning；　knowing　as　he　did　that　I　had　never　used　such　a　weapon　and　that　therefore　I　would　be　chary　about　using　it。　　I　might　have　put　the　pistol　away　in　a　cupboard　out　of　reach　and　the　whole　of　his　carefully　thought　out　plan　would　have　miscarried。

〃But　Kara　was　systematic　in　all　things。　　Three　weeks　after　I　received　the　weapon；　a　clumsy　attempt　was　made　to　break　into　my　house　in　the　middle　of　the　night。　　It　struck　me　at　the　time　it　was　clumsy；　because　the　burglar　made　a　tremendous　amount　of　noise　and　disappeared　soon　after　he　began　his　attempt；　doing　no　more　damage　than　to　break　a　window　in　my　dining…room。　　Naturally　my　mind　went　to　the　possibility　of　a　further　attempt　of　this　kind；　as　my　house　stood　on　the　outskirts　of　the　village；　and　it　was　only　natural　that　I　should　take　the　pistol　from　one　of　my　boxes　and　put　it　somewhere　handy。　　To　make　doubly　sure；　Kara　came　down　the　next　day　and　heard　the　full　story　of　the　outrage。

〃He　did　not　speak　of　pistols；　but　I　remember　now；　though　I　did　not　remember　at　the　time；　that　I　mentioned　the　fact　that　I　had　a　handy　weapon。　　A　fortnight　later　a　second　attempt　was　made　to　enter　the　house。　　I　say　an　attempt；　but　again　I　do　not　believe　that　the　intention　was　at　all　serious。　　The　outrage　was　designed　to　keep　that　pistol　of　mine　in　a　get…at…able　place。

〃And　again　Kara　came　down　to　see　us　on　the　day　following　the　burglary；　and　again　I　must　have　told　him；　though　I　have　no　distinct　recollection　of　the　fact；　of　what　had　happened　the　previous　night。　　It　would　have　been　unnatural　if　I　had　not　mentioned　the　fact；　as　it　was　a　matter　which　had　formed　a　subject　of　discussion　between　myself；　my　wife　and　the　servants。

〃Then　came　the　threatening　letter；　with　Kara　providentially　at　hand。　　On　the　night　of　the　murder；　whilst　Kara　was　still　in　my　house；　I　went　out　to　find　his　chauffeur。　　Kara　remained　a　few　minutes　with　my　wife　and　then　on　some　excuse　went　into　the　library。　　There　he　loaded　the　pistol；　placing　one　cartridge　in　the　chamber；　and　trusting　to　luck　that　I　did　not　pull　the　trigger　until　I　had　it　pointed　at　my　victim。　　Here　he　took　his　biggest　chance；　because；　before　sending　the　weapon　to　me；　he　had　had　the　spring　of　the　Browning　so　eased　that　the　slightest　touch　set　it　off　and；　as　you　know；　the　pistol　being　automatic；　the　explosion　of　one　cartridge；　reloading　and　firing　the　next　and　so　on；　it　was　probably　that　a　chance　touch　would　have　brought　his　scheme　to　nought　…　probably　me　also。

〃Of　what　happened　on　that　night　you　are　aware。〃

He　went　on　to　tell　of　his　trial　and　conviction　and　skimmed　over　the　life　he　led　until　that　morning　on　Dartmoor。

〃Kara　knew　my　innocence　had　been　proved　and　his　hatred　for　me　being　his　great　obsession；　since　I　had　the　thing　he　had　wanted　but　no　longer　wanted；　let　that　be　understood　…　he　saw　the　misery　he　had　planned　for　me　and　my　dear　wife　being　brought　to　a　sudden　end。　He　had；　by　the　way；　already　planned　and　carried　his　plan　into　execution；　a　system　of　tormenting　her。

〃You　did　not　know；〃　he　turned　to　T。　X。；　〃that　scarcely　a　month　passed；　but　some　disreputable　villain　called　at　her　flat；　with　a　story　that　he　had　been　released　from　Portland　or　Wormwood　Scrubbs　that　morning　and　that　he　had　seen　me。　　The　story　each　messenger　brought　was　one　sufficient　to　break　the　heart　of　any　but　the　bravest　woman。　　It　was　a　story　of　ill…treatment　by　brutal　officials；　of　my　illness；　of　my　madness；　of　everything　calculated　to　harrow　the　feelings　of　a　tender…hearted　and　faithful　wife。

〃That　was　Kara's　scheme。　　Not　to　hurt　with　the　whip　or　with　the　knife；　but　to　cut　deep　at　the　heart　with　his　evil　tongue；　to　cut　to　the　raw　places　of　the　mind。　　When　he　found　that　I　was　to　be　released；　…　he　may　have　guessed；　or　he　may　have　discovered　by　some　underhand　method；　that　a　pardon　was　about　to　be　signed；　…　he　conceived　his　great　plan。　　He　had　less　than　two　days　to　execute　it。

〃Through　one　of　his　agents　he　discovered　a　warder　who　had　been　in　some　trouble　with　the　authorities；　a　man　who　was　avaricious　and　was　even　then　on　the　brink　of　being　discharged　from　the　service　for　trafficking　with　prisoners。　　The　bribe　he　offered　this　man　was　a　heavy　one　and　the　warder　accepted。

〃Kara　had　purchased　a　new　monoplane　and　as　you　know　he　was　an　excellent　aviator。　　With　this　new　machine　he　flew　to　Devon　and　arrived　at　dawn　in　one　of　the　unfrequented　parts　of　the　moor。

〃The　story　of　my　own　escape　needs　no　telling。　　My　narrative　really　begins　from　the　moment　I　put　my　foot　upon　the　deck　of　the　Mpret。　The　first　person　I　asked　to　see　was；　naturally；　my　wife。　　Kara；　however；　insisted　on　my　going　to　the　cabin　he　had　prepared　and　changing　my　clothes；　and　until　then　I　did　not　realise　I　was　still　in　my　convict's　garb。　　A　clean　change　was　waiting　for　me；　and　the　luxury　of　soft　shirts　and　well…fitting　garments　after　the　prison　uniform　I　cannot　describe。

〃After　I　was　dressed　I　was　taken　by　the　Greek　steward　to　the　larger　stateroom　and　there　I　found　my　darling　waiting　for　me。〃

His　voice　sank　almost　to　a　whisper；　and　it　was　a　minute　or　two　before　he　had　mastered　his　emotions。

〃She　had　been　suspicious　of　Kara；　but　he　had　been　very　insistent。　He　had　detailed　the　plans　and　shown　her　the　monoplane；　but　even　then　she　would　not　trust　herself　on　board；　and　she　had　been　waiting　in　a　motor…boat；　moving　parallel　with　the　yacht；　until　she　saw　the　landing　and　realized；　as　she　thought；　that　Kara　was　not　playing　her　false。　　The　motor…boat　had　been　hired　by　Kara　and　the　two　men　inside　were　probably　as　well…bribed　as　the　warder。

〃The　joy　of　freedom　can　only　be　known　to　those　who　have　suffered　the　horrors　of　restraint。　　That　is　a　trite　enough　statement；　but　when　one　is　describing　elemental　things　there　is　no　room　for　subtlety。　　The　voyage　was　a　fairly　eventless　one。　　We　saw　very　little　of　Kara；　who　did　not　intrude　himself　upon　us；　and　our　main　excitement　lay　in　the　apprehension　that　we　should　be　held　up　by　a　British　destroyer　or；　that　when　we　reached　Gibraltar；　we　should　be　searched　by　the　Brit's　authorities。　　Kara　had　foreseen　that　possibility　and　had　taken　in　enough　coal　to　last　him　for　the　run。

〃We　had　a　fairly　stormy　passage　in　the　Mediterranean；　but　after　that　nothing　happened　until　we　arrived　at　Durazzo。　　We　had　to　go　ashore　in　disguise；　because　Kara　told　us　that　the　English　Consul　might　see　us　and　make　some　trouble。　　We　wore　Turkish　dresses；　Grace　heavily　veiled　and　I　wearing　a　greasy　old　kaftan　which；　with　my　somewhat　emaciated　face　and　my　unshaven　appearance；　passed　me　without　comment。

〃Kara's　home　was　and　is　about　eighteen　miles　from　Durazzo。　　It　is　not　on　the　main　road；　but　it　is　reached　by　following　one　of　the　rocky　mountain　paths　which　wind　and　twist　among　the　hills　to　the　south…east　of　the　town。　　The　country　is　wild　and　mainly　uncultivated。　　We　had　to　pass　through　swamps　and　skirt　huge　lagoons　as　we　mounted　higher　and　higher　from　terrace　to　terrace　and　came　to　the　roads　which　crossed　the　mountains。

〃Kara's；　palace；　you　could　call　it　no　less；　is　really　built　within　sight　of　the　sea。　　It　is　on　the　Acroceraunian　Peninsula　near　Cape　Linguetta。　　Hereabouts　the　country　is　more　populated　and　better　cultivated。　　We　passed　great　slopes　entirely　covered　with　mulberry　and　olive　trees；　whilst　in　the　valleys　there　were　fields　of　maize　and　corn。　　The　palazzo　stands　on　a　lofty　plateau。　　It　is　approached　by　two　paths；　which　can　be　and　have　been　well　defended　in　the　past　against　the　Sultan's　troops　or　against　the　bands　which　have　been　raised　by　rival　villages　with　the　object　of　storming　and　plundering　this　stronghold。

〃The　Skipetars；　a　blood…thirsty　crowd　without　pity　or　remorse；　were　faithful　enough　to　their　chief；　as　Kara　was。　　He　paid　them　so　well　that　it　was　not　profitable　to　rob　him；　moreover　he　kept　their　own　turbulent　elements　fully　occupied　with　the　little　raids　which　he　or　his　agents　organized　from　time　to　time。　　The　palazzo　was　built　rather　in　the　Moorish　than　in　the　Turkish　style。

〃It　was　a　sort　of　Eastern　type　to　which　was　grafted　an　Italian　architecture　…　a　house　of　white…columned　courts；　of　big　paved　yards；　fountains　and　cool；　dark　rooms。

〃When　I　passed　through　the　gates　I　realized　for　the　first　time　something　of　Kara's　importance。

There　were　a　score　of　servants；　all　Eastern；　perfectly　trained；　silent　and　obsequious。　　He　led　us　to　his　own　room。

〃It　was　a　big　apartment　with　divans　running　round　the　wall；　the　most　ornate　French　drawing　room　suite　and　an　enormous　Persian　carpet；　one　of　the　finest　of　the　kind　that　has　ever　been　turned　out　of　Shiraz。　　Here；　let　me　say；