the darrow enigma(达罗之迷)-第39节
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fortunate in having the services of such a detective； … indeed； I am at a
loss to know how to thank you for all you have done； … for all you are
doing； I … 〃
〃My dear Miss Darrow；〃 Maitland interrupted； 〃I need no thanks。 Be
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assured I am selfish in all I do。 It is a pleasure to me； therefore I do it。
You see I deserve no credit。 If I am able to free you from the danger of
sacrificing yourself； I shall be more than repaid。〃
Gwen made no reply； but I； sitting as I did close beside her； saw the
moisture gather between her drooping lids。 Maitland took his leave
almost immediately； having； he said； a long evening's work before him；
while Gwen； Alice； and I discussed the news he had brought us； until far
into the night。 I did not see him the next day； which was Tuesday； and I
believe not on Wednesday。 It was Thursday afternoon； if I do not
mistake； that he sent me a note asking me to call on him at his office。 I
went at once； thinking it might be something very important。 I found
him alone and waiting for me。
〃I wanted；〃 he began as soon as I was seated； 〃to talk this matter over
with you。 You see the great difficulty which besets me in this case is that
nearly all our evidence； while it is of a nature to enable us to convict our
man once we have him； is yet of almost no assistance to us in finding him。
What do we know of him up to date； or at least of what do we feel
reasonably assured？ Let us see。 John Darrow was poisoned in some
mysterious way by a man who was stationed just outside the partly opened
window。 The weapon； or whatever was used as such； was taken away by
the murderer。 Nothing in the nature of a projectile could have been
employed； since the wound was upon a part of the victim's throat known
to have been turned away from the window and to have been completely
shielded upon that side by the high and massive back of the chair in which
the victim sat。
〃He was fully eight feet from the casement； so that the assassin could
not have reached in and struck him。 There were no footprints by the
window； as the assassin had strapped small boards upon his feet。 It is
most likely； therefore； that he has some peculiarity about his feet which he
thought best to conceal。 He is about five feet five inches tall； weighs
about one hundred and thirty…five pounds； and steps three or four inches
longer when the right foot is thrown forward than he does when the left
foot leads。 We have a cast of the assassin's hand showing unmistakable
evidence of the habit of biting the nails； with the exception of that of the
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little finger； which nail； by the way； is abnormally long； and could only
have been spared for some special reason。 The murderer is most likely a
foreigner。 His handwriting would indicate this even if we did not know；
from the books he read； how conversant he is with at least one foreign
tongue。 Again； he has some decided interest in the subject of cancers and；
perhaps； some interest in legerdemain； if we may judge from his perusal of
Robert Houdin's book。
〃There are one or two other things I have learned； but this； so far as
any present effect is concerned； is about all we know； and it doesn't seem
to make the conduct of our search a very easy matter。 We have clearly to
deal with a man who is possessed not merely of low criminal cunning； but；
I have reason to believe； with one who has education and culture； and； if
anything can be judged from handwriting； rare strength of character as
well。 If we could only find some motive！ No one but a maniac would
do such a deed without a motive； yet we can't find one。 A maniac！ By
Jove！ I hadn't thought of that。 What do you think of the idea？
'Though this be madness； yet there is method in't；' eh？〃
I told him that the maniac theory did not appeal to me very strongly。
〃Madness； to be sure； is often exceedingly cunning；〃 I said； 〃but it is
hardly capable of such sustained masterfulness as our criminal has
evinced。〃
〃Look here； Doc；〃 Maitland said； breaking out suddenly； 〃I've an idea。
Might not this fellow's interest in cancers be due to his having one himself？
Suppose you make a canvass of the specialists on cancer in Boston and
vicinity； and see if any of them remember being consulted by a patient
answering the description with which I will provide you。 In addition to
this I will insert an ad in the papers calling attention to a new method for
the cure of cancer； and asking all interested to call at your office for
further particulars。 The plan does not promise much； still it may bring
him。 What do you say？〃
I expressed my willingness to do all in my power to aid him； and he
left me。 The next morning's papers contained the advertisement and I
had several calls in answer to it。 These would have caused me much
inconvenience had I not explained the whole ruse in confidence to a
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medical friend who made a specialty of the treatment of cancers； and
persuaded him to come to my office during the hours specified in the
advertisement。 When a patient would call I would satisfy myself that it
was neither the person we were searching for； nor anyone sent by him to
make inquiries； and then turn him over to my colleague； Dr。 Rhodes。 It
would never have occurred to me to interest myself in any patient who did
not answer the description given me by Maitland； had he not especially
cautioned me in this regard。
〃We have；〃 he said； 〃to deal with a man possessed of ability of no
common order。 We have already seen that he never runs a risk； however
slight； which he can avoid。 It is more than likely； therefore； if our
advertisement meets his eye and interests him； he will inquire into it
through some second party。 Again； we are by no means certain that his
interest in cancers is a purely personal one。 Perhaps it is a wife； a sister；
or some other relative who is afflicted。 In this case we could hardly
expect him to come himself。 Let me caution you； therefore； to closely
scrutinise all applicants and question them until you are satisfied they are
in nowise connected with the man for whom we are searching。〃
I followed this advice most carefully and had no difficulty in
convincing myself that none of my callers had any relation whatsoever
with the murderer of John Darrow。 This order of things was continued
for several days with the same result。 In the meantime Maitland was
working upon a new clue he had discovered。 He would tell me all about
it； he said； when he had followed it to the end。 This was on Tuesday。 On
Friday he came to the house and informed us that he had met a man who
had known a M。 Henri Cazot； a Frenchman whose description seemed to
tally perfectly with nearly all we knew of Mr。 Darrow's murderer。
〃It came about in this way；〃 Maitland began in response to Gwen's
request that he should tell us all about it： 〃I determined to thoroughly
search every book on the 'Weltz…Rizzi' list； to see if I might not get some
additional clue。 In the work by Robert Houdin entitled 'The Sharper
Detected and Exposed' I found the statement that gamblers often
neutralised a cut in a pack of cards by a rapid and dexterous sleight。 This；
the book went on to say； was accomplished
