the clue of the twisted candle-第7节

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〃In　the　first　place　I　must　tell　you　that　Mr。　Kara　once　asked　me　to　marry　him；　and　for　reasons　which　I　will　give　you；　I　am　dreadfully　afraid　of　him。〃

She　described　without　reserve　the　meeting　at　Salonika　and　Kara's　extravagant　rage　and　told　of　the　attempt　which　had　been　made　upon　her。

〃Does　John　know　this？〃　asked　T。　X。

She　shook　her　head　sadly。

〃I　wish　I　had　told　him　now；〃　she　said。　　〃Oh；　how　I　wish　I　had！〃　She　wrung　her　hands　in　an　ecstasy　of　sorrow　and　remorse。

T。　X。　looked　at　her　sympathetically。　　Then　he　asked；

〃Did　Mr。　Kara　ever　discuss　your　husband's　financial　position　with　you！〃

〃Never。〃

〃How　did　John　Lexman　happen　to　meet　Vassalaro！〃

〃I　can　tell　you　that；〃　she　answered；　〃the　first　time　we　met　Mr。　Kara　in　England　was　when　we　were　staying　at　Babbacombe　on　a　summer　holiday　…　which　was　really　a　prolongation　of　our　honeymoon。　　Mr。　Kara　came　to　stay　at　the　same　hotel。　　I　think　Mr。　Vassalaro　must　have　been　there　before；　at　any　rate　they　knew　one　another　and　after　Kara's　introduction　to　my　husband　the　rest　was　easy。

〃Can　I　do　anything　for　John！〃　she　asked　piteously。

T。　X。　shook　his　head。

〃So　far　as　your　story　is　concerned；　I　don't　think　you　will　advantage　him　by　telling　it；〃　he　said。　　〃There　is　nothing　whatever　to　connect　Kara　with　this　business　and　you　would　only　give　your　husband　a　great　deal　of　pain。　　I'll　do　the　best　I　can。〃

He　held　out　his　hand　and　she　grasped　it　and　somehow　at　that　moment　there　came　to　T。　X。　Meredith　a　new　courage；　a　new　faith　and　a　greater　determination　than　ever　to　solve　this　troublesome　mystery。

He　found　Mansus　waiting　for　him　in　a　car　outside　and　in　a　few　minutes　they　were　at　the　scene　of　the　tragedy。　　A　curious　little　knot　of　spectators　had　gathered；　looking　with　morbid　interest　at　the　place　where　the　body　had　been　found。　　There　was　a　local　policeman　on　duty　and　to　him　was　deputed　the　ungracious　task　of　warning　his　fellow　villagers　to　keep　their　distance。　　The　ground　had　already　been　searched　very　carefully。　　The　two　roads　crossed　almost　at　right　angles　and　at　the　corner　of　the　cross　thus　formed；　the　hedges　were　broken；　admitting　to　a　field　which　had　evidently　been　used　as　a　pasture　by　an　adjoining　dairy　farm。　　Some　rough　attempt　had　been　made　to　close　the　gap　with　barbed　wire；　but　it　was　possible　to　step　over　the　drooping　strands　with　little　or　no　difficulty。　　It　was　to　this　gap　that　T。　X。　devoted　his　principal　attention。　　All　the　fields　had　been　carefully　examined　without　result；　the　four　drains　which　were　merely　the　connecting　pipes　between　ditches　at　the　sides　of　the　crossroads　had　been　swept　out　and　only　the　broken　hedge　and　its　tangle　of　bushes　behind　offered　any　prospect　of　the　new　search　being　rewarded。

〃Hullo！〃　said　Mansus；　suddenly；　and　stooping　down　he　picked　up　something　from　the　ground。

T。　X。　took　it　in　his　hand。

It　was　unmistakably　a　revolver　cartridge。　　He　marked　the　spot　where　it　had　been　found　by　jamming　his　walking　stick　into　the　ground　and　continued　his　search；　but　without　success。

〃I　am　afraid　we　shall　find　nothing　more　here；〃　said　T。　X。；　after　half　an　hour's　further　search。　　He　stood　with　his　chin　in　his　hand；　a　frown　on　his　face。

〃Mansus；〃　he　said；　〃suppose　there　were　three　people　here；　Lexman；　the　money　lender　and　a　third　witness。　　And　suppose　this　third　person　for　some　reason　unknown　was　interested　in　what　took　place　between　the　two　men　and　he　wanted　to　watch　unobserved。　　Isn't　it　likely　that　if　he；　as　I　think；　instigated　the　meeting；　he　would　have　chosen　this　place　because　this　particular　hedge　gave　him　a　chance　of　seeing　without　being　seen？〃

Mansus　thought。

〃He　could　have　seen　just　as　well　from　either　of　the　other　hedges；　with　less　chance　of　detection；〃　he　said；　after　a　long　pause。

T。　X。　grinned。

〃You　have　the　makings　of　a　brain；〃　he　said　admiringly。　　〃I　agree　with　you。　　Always　remember　that；　Mansus。　　That　there　was　one　occasion　in　your　life　when　T。　X。　Meredith　and　you　thought　alike。〃

Mansus　smiled　a　little　feebly。

〃Of　course　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　observer　this　was　the　worst　place　possible；　so　whoever　came　here；　if　they　did　come　here；　dropping　revolver　bullets　about；　must　have　chosen　the　spot　because　it　was　get…at…able　from　another　direction。　　Obviously　he　couldn't　come　down　the　road　and　climb　in　without　attracting　the　attention　of　the　Greek　who　was　waiting　for　Mr。　Lexman。　　We　may　suppose　there　is　a　gate　farther　along　the　road；　we　may　suppose　that　he　entered　that　gate；　came　along　the　field　by　the　side　of　the　hedge　and　that　somewhere　between　here　and　the　gate；　he　threw　away　his　cigar。〃

〃His　cigar！〃　said　Mansus　in　surprise。

〃His　cigar；〃　repeated　T。　X。；　〃if　he　was　alone；　he　would　keep　his　cigar　alight　until　the　very　last　moment。〃

〃He　might　have　thrown　it　into　the　road；〃　said　Mansus。

〃Don't　jibber；〃　said　T。　X。；　and　led　the　way　along　the　hedge。　　From　where　they　stood　they　could　see　the　gate　which　led　on　to　the　road　about　a　hundred　yards　further　on。　　Within　a　dozen　yards　of　that　gate；　T。　X。　found　what　he　had　been　searching　for；　a　half…smoked　cigar。　　It　was　sodden　with　rain　and　he　picked　it　up　tenderly。

〃A　good　cigar；　if　I　am　any　judge；〃　he　said；　〃cut　with　a　penknife；　and　smoked　through　a　holder。〃

They　reached　the　gate　and　passed　through。　　　Here　they　were　on　the　road　again　and　this　they　followed　until　they　reached　another　cross　road　that　to　the　left　inclining　southward　to　the　new　　Eastbourne　Road　and　that　to　the　westward　looking　back　to　the　Lewes…Eastbourne　railway。　　The　rain　had　obliterated　much　that　T。　X。　was　looking　for；　but　presently　he　found　a　faint　indication　of　a　car　wheel。

〃This　is　where　she　turned　and　backed；〃　he　said；　and　walked　slowly　to　the　road　on　the　left；　〃and　this　is　where　she　stood。　　There　is　the　grease　from　her　engine。〃

He　stooped　down　and　moved　forward　in　the　attitude　of　a　Russian　dancer；　〃And　here　are　the　wax　matches　which　the　chauffeur　struck；〃　he　counted；　〃one；　two；　three；　four；　five；　six；　allow　three　for　each　cigarette　on　a　boisterous　night　like　last　night；　that　makes　three　cigarettes。　　Here　is　a　cigarette　end；　Mansus；　Gold　Flake　brand；〃　he　said；　as　he　examined　it　carefully；　〃and　a　Gold　Flake　brand　smokes　for　twelve　minutes　in　normal　weather；　but　about　eight　minutes　in　gusty　weather。　　A　car　was　here　for　about　twenty…four　minutes　…　　what　do　you　think　of　that；　Mansus？〃

〃A　good　bit　of　reasoning；　T。　X。；〃　said　the　other　calmly；　〃if　it　happens　to　be　the　car　you're　looking　for。〃

〃I　am　looking　for　any　old　car；〃　said　T。　X。

He　found　no　other　trace　of　car　wheels　though　he　carefully　followed　up　the　little　lane　until　it　reached　the　main　road。　　After　that　it　was　hopeless　to　search　because　rain　had　fallen　in　the　night　and　in　the　early　hours　of　the　morning。　　He　drove　his　assistant　to　the　railway　station　in　time　to　catch　the　train　at　one　o'clock　to　London。

〃You　will　go　straight　to　Cadogan　Square　and　arrest　the　chauffeur　of　Mr。　Kara；〃　he　said。

〃Upon　what　charge！〃　asked　Mansus　hurriedly。

When　it　came　to　the　step　which　T。　X。　thought　fit　to　take　in　the　pursuance　of　his　duty；　Mansus　was　beyond　surprise。

〃You　can　charge　him　with　anything　you　like；〃　said　T。　X。；　with　fine　carelessness；　〃probably　something　will　occur　to　you　on　your　way　up　to　town。　　As　a　matter　of　fact　the　chauffeur　has　been　called　unexpectedly　away　to　Greece　and　has　probably　left　by　this　morning's　train　for　the　Continent。　　If　that　is　so；　we　can　do　nothing；　because　the　boat　will　have　left　Dover　and　will　have　landed　him　at　Boulogne；　but　if　by　any　luck　you　get　him；　keep　him　busy　until　I　get　back。〃

T。　X。　himself　was　a　busy　man　that　day；　and　it　was　not　until　night　was　falling　that　he　again　turned　to　Beston　Tracey　to　find　a　telegram　waiting　for　him。　　He　opened　it　and　read；

〃Chauffeur's　name；　Goole。　　Formerly　waiter　English　Club；　Constantinople。　　Left　for　east　by　early　train　this　morning；　his　mother　being　ill。〃

〃His　mother　ill；〃　said　T。　X。　contemptuously；　〃how　very　feeble；　…　I　should　have　thought　Kara　could　have　gone　one　better　than　that。〃

He　was　in　John　Lexman's　study　as　the　door　opened　and　the　maid　announced；　〃Mr。　Remington　Kara。〃




CHAPTER　IV


T。　X。　folded　the　telegram　very　carefully　and　slipped　it　into　his　waistcoat　pocket。

He　favoured　the　newcomer　with　a　little　bow　and　taking　upon　himself　the　honours　of　the　establishment；　pushed　a　chair　to　his　visitor。

〃I　think　you　know　my　name；〃　said　Kara　easily；　〃I　am　a　friend　of　poor　Lexman's。〃

〃So　I　am　told；〃　said　T。　X。；〃but　don't　let　your　friendship　for　Lexman　prevent　your　sitting　down。〃

For　a　moment　the　Greek　was　nonplussed　and　then；　with　a　little　smile　and　bow；　he　seated　himself　by　the　writing　table。

〃I　am　very　distressed　at　this　happening；〃　he　went　on；　〃and　I　am　more　distressed　because　I　feel　that　as　I　introduced　Lexman　to　this　unfortunate　man；　I　am　in　a　sense　responsible。〃

〃If　I　were　you；〃　said　T。　X。；　leaning　back　in　the　chair　and　looking　half　questioningly　and　half　earnestly　into　the　face　of　the　other；　〃I　shouldn't　let　that　fact　keep　me　awake　at　night。　　Most　people　are　murdered　as　a　result　of　an　introduction。　　The　cases　where　people　murder　total　strangers　are　singularly　rare。　　That　I　think　is　due　to　the　insularity　of　our　national　character。〃

Again　the　other　was　taken　back　and　puzzled　by　the　flippancy　of　the　man　from　w