谋杀启事17

II

Craddock, with Fletcher in attendance, found Mitzi in the kitchen. She wasrolling pastry and looked up suspiciously as he entered.

Her black hair hung over her eyes; she looked sullen, and the purplejumper and brilliant green skirt she wore were not becoming to her pastycomplexion.

“What do you come in my kitchen for, Mr. Policeman? You are police,yes? Always, always there is persecution—ah! I should be used to it bynow. They say it is different here in England, but no, it is just the same.

You come to torture me, yes, to make me say things, but I shall say noth-ing. You will tear off my fingernails, and put lighted matches on my skin—oh, yes, and worse than that. But I will not speak, do you hear? I shall saynothing—nothing at all. And you will send me away to a concentrationcamp, and I shall not care.”

Craddock looked at her thoughtfully, selecting what was likely to be thebest method of attack. Finally he sighed and said:

“O.K., then, get your hat and coat.”

“What is that you say?” Mitzi looked startled.

“Get your hat and coat and come along. I haven’t got my nail-pulling ap-paratus and the rest of the bag of tricks with me. We keep all that down atthe station. Got the handcuffs handy, Fletcher?”

“Sir!” said Sergeant Fletcher with appreciation.

“But I do not want to come,” screeched Mitzi, backing away from him.

“Then you’ll answer civil questions civilly. If you like, you can have a so-licitor present.”

“A lawyer? I do not like a lawyer. I do not want a lawyer.”

She put the rolling pin down, dusted her hands on a cloth and sat down.

“What do you want to know?” she asked sulkily.

“I want your account of what happened here last night.”

“You know very well what happened.”

“I want your account of it.”

“I tried to go away. Did she tell you that? When I saw that in the papersaying about murder. I wanted to go away. She would not let me. She isvery hard—not at all sympathetic. She made me stay. But I knew—I knewwhat would happen. I knew I should be murdered.”

“Well, you weren’t murdered, were you?”

“No,” admitted Mitzi grudgingly.

“Come now, tell me what happened.”

“I was nervous. Oh, I was nervous. All that evening. I hear things.

People moving about. Once I think someone is in the hall moving stealthily—but it is only that Mrs. Haymes coming in through the side door (so asnot to dirty the front steps, she says. Much she cares!). She is a Nazi herself,that one, with her fair hair and her blue eyes, so superior and looking atme and thinking that I—I am only dirt—”

“Never mind Mrs. Haymes.”

“Who does she think she is? Has she had expensive university educationlike I have? Has she a degree in Economics? No, she is just a paid labourer.

She digs and mows grass and is paid so much every Saturday. Who is sheto call herself a lady?”

“Never mind Mrs. Haymes, I said. Go on.”

“I take the sherry and the glasses, and the little pastries that I have madeso nice into the drawing room. Then the bell rings and I answer the door.

Again and again I answer the door. It is degrading—but I do it. And then Igo back into the pantry and I start to polish the silver, and I think it will bevery handy, that, because if someone comes to kill me, I have there closeat hand the big carving knife, all sharp.”

“Very foresighted of you.”

“And then, suddenly—I hear shots. I think: ‘It has come—it is happen-ing.’ I run through the dining room (the other door—it will not open). Istand a moment to listen and then there comes another shot and a bigthud, out there in the hall, and I turn the door handle, but it is locked out-side. I am shut in there like a rat in a trap. And I go mad with fear. Iscream and I scream and I beat upon the door. And at last—at last—theyturn the key and let me out. And then I bring candles, many many candles—and the lights go on, and I see blood—blood! Ach, Gott in Himmel, theblood! It is not the first time I have seen blood. My little brother—I see himkilled before my eyes—I see blood in the street—people shot, dying—I—”

“Yes,” said Inspector Craddock. “Thank you very much.”

“And now,” said Mitzi dramatically, “you can arrest me and take me toprison!”

“Not today,” said Inspector Craddock.

 

分享到：