alistairmaclean.bearisland-第42部分

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nk　the　murderer　had　any　special　ill…will　towards　Allen；　well；　no　more　than　he　seems　to　have　for　the　general　run　of　mankind：　he　just　wanted　to　divert　any　possible　suspicion　from　himself。　I　think　if　you'd　all　had　time　enough　to　think　about　it　you'd　have　e　to　the　eventual　conclusion　that　Allen　couldn't　possibly　have　had　anything　to　do　with　it：　with　a　doctor　in　the　house；　if　you'll　excuse　the　phrase；　he　hadn't　a　hope　in　hell。
　〃Allen　says　he　has　no　recollection　at　all　about　what　happened。　I　believe　him　absolutely。　He's　sustained　a　severe　blow　on　the　back　of　the　head…the　scalp　is　open　to　the　bone。　How　he　escaped　a　fractured　skull；　far　less　concussion；　I　can't　imagine。　It　certainly　must　have　rendered　him　unconscious　for　a　considerable　period。　Which　leads　one　to　assume　that　this　assailant　was　still　in　excellent　shape　after　what　was　clearly　this　coup…de…gi…dee。　Are　we　to　assume　then　that　Allen；　after　having　been　knocked　senseless；　immediately　leapt　up　and　smote　his　assailant　hip　and　thigh？　That　doesn't　make　any　kind　of　sense　at　all。　What　does　make　sense；　what　is　the　only　answer；　is　that　the　unknown　crept　up　behind　Allen　and　laid　him　out；　not　with　his　hands　but　with　some　heavy　and　solid　object…probably　a　stone；　there's　more　than　enough　lying　around。　Having　done　this　he　proceeded　to　cut　the　unconscious　Allen　up　about　the　face；　ripped　his　coat　and　tore　off　a　couple　of　buttorls…all　to　give　the　very　convincing　impression　that　he'd　been　in　a　fight。
　〃The　same　thing；　but　this　time　on　a　lethal　scale；　happened　to　Stryker。
　I'm　convinced　that　it　was　no　accident　that　Allen　was　merely　knocked　unconscious　while　Stryker　was　killed…our　friend；　who　must　be　a　bit　of　an　expert　in　such　matters；　knew　just　how　much　weight　to　bring　to　bear　in　each　case；　by　no　means　as　easy　a　matter　as　you　might　think。　Then　this　ghoul；　in　a　stupid　attempt　to　create　the　impression　that　Stryker　had　been　the　other　party　to　the　fight；　proceeded　to　rough　up　Stryker's　face　as　he　had　done　Allen's：　I　leave　it　to　you　to　form　your　own　estimate　of　just　how　evil　must　be　the　mind　of　a　man　who　will　deliberately　set　about　mutilating　the　face　of　a　dead　man。〃
　I　left　them　for　a　little　to　form　their　own　estimates。　For　the　most　part　they　looked　neither　sick　nor　revolted：　their　reactions　were　mainly　of　shock　and　minds　still　consciously　fighting　against　prehension。　No　glances　were　exchanged；　no　eyes　moved：　their　eyes　were　only　for　me。
　Stryker　had　a　split　upper　lip；　a　tooth　missing；　and　a　reddish　rough　mark　on　his　temple　which　I　think　must　have　been　caused　by　another　stone　very　probably　all　the　injuries　were　inflicted　in　this　fashion　to　avoid　any　telltale　marking　of　the　hands　or　knuckles。　Had　those　injuries　been　sustained　in　the　course　of　a　fight　there　would　have　been　extensive　bleeding　and　fairly　massive　bruising：　there　were　no　signs　of　either　because　Stryker　was　dead　and　circulation　had　ceased　before　those　wounds　were　caused。　To　plete　what　he　thought　would　be　a　most　convincing　effect；　the　murderer　then　closed　the　dead　man's　hand　round　one　of　the　buttons　torn　from　Allen's　coat。　Incidentally；　there　were　no　signs　whatever　of　the　churned　up　snow　one　would　have　expected　to　find　at　the　scene　of　a　fight：　there　were　two　sets　of　tracks　leading　to　the　place　where　Stryker　lay；　one　set　leading　away。　No　fuss；　no　motion；　just　a　quick　if　not　particularly　clean　dispatch。〃　I　sipped　some　more　of　Otto's　Scotch…it　must　have　e　from　his　own　private　supply　for　it　was　excellent　stuff…then　asked　in　my　best　lecturer's　fashion：　〃Are　there　any　questions？〃
　Predictably；　there　were　none。　They　were　all　clearly　far　too　busy　asking　themselves　questions　to　have　any　time　to　put　any　to　me。　I　went　on：　〃I　think　you'd　agree；　then；　that　it　now　seems　extremely　improbable　that　any　of　the　four　previous　deaths　were　the　results　of　innocent　Coincidence。　I　think　that　only　the　most　gullible　and　the　most　navve　would　now　be　prepared　to　believe　that　those　deaths　were　unconnected　and　not　the　work　of　the　same　agent。　So　what　we　have　is；　in　effect；　a　mass　murderer。
　A　man　who　is　either　mad；　a　pathological　killer；　or　a　vicious　and　evil　monster　who　finds　it　essential　to　murder　with　what　can　be　only　an　apparent　indiscrimination　in　order　to　achieve　God　knows　what　murky　ends。　He　may；　it　is　possible；　be　all　three　of　those　at　once。　Whatever　he　is　or　whoever　he　is；　he's　in　this　cabin　now。　I　wonder　which　one　of　you　it　is？〃
　For　the　first　time　their　eyes　left　me　as　they　looked　quickly　and　furtively　at　one　another　as　if　in　the　ludicrous　hope　that　they　might　by　this　means　discover　the　identity　of　the　killer。　None　of　them　examined　one　another　as　closely　as　I　observed　them　all　over　the　rim　of　my　glass；　if　one　pair　of　eyes　remained　fixed　on　mine　it　could　only　be　because　its　owner　knew　who　the　murderer　was　and　didn't　have　to　bother　to　look　around：　but　I　knew；　even　as　I　watched　them；　that　I　had　no　real　foundation　for　any　such　hope；　the　murderer　may　have　been　no　great　shakes　at　physiology　but　he　was　far　too　clever　to　walk　into　what；　for　an　intelligent　man　with　five　deaths　on　his　conscience；　must　have　been　a　very　obvious　trap　indeed。　I　was　certain　that　there　wasn't　a　pair　of　eyes　before　me　that　didn't　flicker　surreptitiously　around　the　cabin。　I　waited　patiently　until　I　had　their　bined　attention　again。
　I　have　no　idea　who　this　murderous　fiend　may　be；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　think　I　can　with　certainty　say　who　it　isn't。　Counting　the　absent　Miss　Haynes；　there　are　twenty…two　of　us　in　this　cabin：　to　nine　of　those　I　cannot　see　that　any　suspicion　can　possibly　attach。〃
　〃Merciful　God！〃　Goin　muttered。　〃Merciful　God！　This　is　monstrous；　Dr。　Marlowe；　unbelievable。　One　of　us　here；　one　of　the　people　we　know；　one　of　our　friends　has　the　blood　of　five　people　on　his　hands？　It　can't　be！
　It　just　can't　be！〃
　〃Except　that　you　know　that　it　must　be；〃　I　said。　Goin　made　no　reply。　〃To　begin　with；　I　myself　am　in　the　clear；　not　because　I　know　I　am…we　could　all　claim　that…but　because　two　hostile　acts　have　been　mitted　against　my　person；　one　of　which　was　intended　to　be　lethal。　Further；　I　was　bringing　in　Mr。　Smith　here　when　Stryker　was　killed　and　Allen　injured。〃　This　last　was　the　truth　but　not　the　whole　truth　but　only　the　killer　himself　would　know　that　and　as　he　was　already　on　to　me　his　opinion　was　unimportant　because　he　couldn't　possibly　voice　it。　〃Mr。　Smith　is　in　the　clear　because　not　only　was　he　unconscious　at　the　time；　he　was　a　nearly　fatal　victim　of　the　poisoner's　activities　and　its　hardly　likely　that　he　would　go　around　poisoning　himself。〃
　〃Then　that　lets　me　out；　Dr。　Marlowe！〃　The　Duke's　voice　was　a　cracked　falsetto；　hoarse　with　strain。　It　wasn't　me；　it　couldn't…〃
　〃Agreed；　Cecil；　it　wasn't　you。　Apart　from　the　fact　that　you　were　another　poisoning　victim　I　don't　think…well；　I'm　not　being　physically　disparaging　but　I'd　think　it　very　unlikely　that　you　could　have　hoisted　that　rock　that　was　used　to　kill　Stryker。　Mr。　Gerran；　too；　is　above　suspicion：　not　only　was　he　poisoned　but　he　was　in　the　cabin　here　at　the　time　of　Stryker's　death。　Allen　obviously；　could　have　had　nothing　to　do　with　it　and　neither　did　Mr。　Goin　here；　although　you'll　have　to　take　my　word　for　that。〃
　〃What　does　that　mean；　Dr。　Marlowe？〃　Goin's　voice　was　steady。
　〃Because　when　you　first　saw　Stryker's　body　you　turned　as　white　as　the　proverbial　sheet。　People　can　do　lots　of　things　with　their　bodies　but　they　can't　switch　on　and　off　the　epidermal　blood　supply　at　will。　Had　you　been　prepared　for　the　sight　you　saw　you　wouldn't　have　changed　colour。　You　did。　So　you　weren't　prepared。　Our　two　Marys　here　we'll　have　to　leave　out　of　the　reckoning　for　it　would　have　been　a　physical　impossibility　for　either　of　them　to　have　attacked　Stryker　with　that　rock。　And　Miss　Haynes；　of　course；　doesn't　e　into　the　reckoning　at　all。　Which；　by　my　count；　leaves　thirteen　potential　suspects　in　all。〃　I　looked　round　the　cabin　and　counted。
　〃That's　right。　Thirteen。　Let's　hope　it's　going　to　be　a　very　unlucky　number　for　one　of　you。〃
　〃Dr。　Marlowe；〃　Goin　said。　I　think　you　should　consider　withdrawing　your　resignation。
　〃Consider　it　withdrawn。　I　was　beginning　to　wonder　what　I'd　do　for　food　anyway。〃　I　looked　at　my　now　empty　glass　then　at　Otto。　〃Seeing　that　I'm　now　back　on　the　strength；　as　it　were；　would　it　be　in　order…〃
　〃Of　course；　of　course。〃　Otto；　looking　stricken；　sunk　heavily　onto　a　providentially　sturdy　stool　and　insofar　as　it　was　possible　for　over　two　hundred　weights　of　lard　to　look　like　a　punctured　balloon；　he　looked　like　a　punctured　balloon。　〃Dear　God；　this　is　ghastly。　One　of　us　here　is　a　murderer。　One　of　us　here　has　killed　five　people！〃　He　shivered　violently　although　the　temperature　had　by　this　time　risen　well　above　freezing　point。　〃Five　people。　Dead。　And　the　man　who　did　it　is　here！〃
　I　lit　a　cigarette；　sipped　a　little　more　of　Otto's　Scotch　and　waited　for　some　further　contributions　to　the　conversation。　Outside；　the　wind　had　strengthened　until　it　was　now　a　high　and　lonesome　moaning　sound　that　set　the　teeth　on　edge；　a　moan　that　regularly　climbed　up　the　register　into　a　weird　and　eldritch　whistling　as　the　wind　gusted　and　fell　away：　everyone　appeared　to　be　listening　to　it　and　listening　intently；　a　weirdly　appropriate　litany　for　the　fear　and　the　horror　that　was　closing　in　on　their　minds；　a　fit　requiem　for　the　dead　Stryker。　A　whole　minute　dragged　by　and　no　one　spoke　so　I　took　up　the　conversational　burden　again。
　〃The　implications　will　not　have　escaped　you；〃　I　said。　〃At　least；　when　you　have　had　as　much　time　to　think　about　them　as　I've　had；　they　won't。
　Stryker　is　dead…and　so　are　four　others。　Who　should　want　them　dead？　Why　should　they　have　dieX　Is　there　a　reason；　a　purpose　behind　those　slayings？　Have　we　a　psychopathic　murderer　amongst　us？　If　there　is　a　purpose；　has　it　been　achieved：〃　If　it　hasn't…or　if　the　killer　is　a　psychopath…which　one　of　us　is　going　to　be　next？　Who　is　going　to　die　tonight？
　Who　is　going　to　go　to　his　cubicle　tonight　knowing　that　anyone；　a　crazed　killer；　it　may　be；　is　going　to　enter　at　any　time…or　even；　possibly　one's　own　roommate　may　be　waiting　his　turn　with　a　knife　or　a　suffocating　pillow？
　In　fact；　I　should　think　that　the　roommate　possibility　might　be　by　far　the　more　likely…for　who　would　do　anything　so　crazily　obvious　as　that？　Except；　of　course；　a　crazy　man。　SO；　before　us；　we　have　what　you　might　call　a　sleepless　vigil。　Perhaps　we