第三个女郎10
文章来源:未知 文章作者:enread 发布时间:2025-07-01 02:06 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
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II
“I’m worried,” said Claudia Reece-Holland.
She refilled her cup from the coffee percolator. Frances Cary gave anenormous yawn. Both girls were breakfasting in the small kitchen of theflat. Claudia was dressed and ready to start for her day’s work. Franceswas still in dressing gown and pyjamas. Her black hair fell over one eye.
“I’m worried about Norma,” continued Claudia.
Frances yawned.
“I shouldn’t worry if I were you. She’ll ring up or turn up sooner orlater, I suppose.”
“Will she? You know, Fran, I can’t help wondering—”
“I don’t see why,” said Frances, pouring herself out more coffee. Shesipped it doubtfully. “I mean—Norma’s not really our business, is she? Imean, we’re not looking after her or spoon-feeding her or anything. Shejust shares the flat. Why all this motherly solicitude? I certainly wouldn’tworry.”
“I daresay you wouldn’t. You never worry over anything. But it’s not thesame for you as it is for me.”
“Why isn’t it the same? You mean because you’re the tenant of the flator something?”
“Well, I’m in rather a special position, as you might say.”
Frances gave another enormous yawn.
“I was up too late last night,” she said. “At Basil’s party. I feel dreadful.
Oh well, I suppose black coffee will be helpful. Have some more beforeI’ve drunk it all? Basil would make us try some new pills — EmeraldDreams. I don’t think it’s really worth trying all these silly things.”
“You’ll be late at your gallery,” said Claudia.
“Oh well, I don’t suppose it matters much. Nobody notices or cares.
“I saw David last night,” she added. “He was all dressed up and reallylooked rather wonderful.”
“Now don’t say you’re falling for him, too, Fran. He really is too awful.”
“Oh, I know you think so. You’re such a conventional type, Claudia.”
“Not at all. But I cannot say I care for all your arty set. Trying out allthese drugs and passing out or getting fighting mad.”
Frances looked amused.
“I’m not a drug fiend, dear—I just like to see what these things are like.
And some of the gang are all right. David can paint, you know, if he wantsto.”
“David doesn’t very often want to, though, does he?”
“You’ve always got your knife into him, Claudia…You hate him cominghere to see Norma. And talking of knives….”
“Well? Talking of knives?”
“I’ve been worrying,” said Frances slowly, “whether to tell you some-thing or not.”
Claudia glanced at her wristwatch.
“I haven’t got time now,” she said. “You can tell me this evening if youwant to tell me something. Anyway, I’m not in the mood. Oh dear,” shesighed, “I wish I knew what to do.”
“About Norma?”
“Yes. I’m wondering if her parents ought to know that we don’t knowwhere she is….”
“That would be very unsporting. Poor Norma, why shouldn’t she slopeoff on her own if she wants to?”
“Well, Norma isn’t exactly—” Claudia stopped.
“No, she isn’t, is she? Non compos mentis. That’s what you meant. Haveyou rung up that terrible place where she works? ‘Homebirds,’ orwhatever it’s called? Oh yes, of course you did. I remember.”
“So where is she?” demanded Claudia. “Did David say anything lastnight?”
“David didn’t seem to know. Really, Claudia, I can’t see that it matters.”
“It matters for me,” said Claudia, “because my boss happens to be herfather. Sooner or later, if anything peculiar has happened to her, they’llask me why I didn’t mention the fact that she hadn’t come home.”
“Yes, I suppose they might pitch on you. But there’s no real reason, isthere, why Norma should have to report to us every time she’s going to beaway from here for a day or two. Or even a few nights. I mean, she’s not apaying guest or anything. You’re not in charge of the girl.”
“No, but Mr. Restarick did mention he felt glad to know that she had gota room here with us.”
“So that entitles you to go and tittle-tattle about her every time she’s ab-sent without leave? She’s probably got a crush on some new man.”
“She’s got a crush on David,” said Claudia. “Are you sure she isn’t holedup at his place?”
“Oh, I shouldn’t think so. He doesn’t really care for her, you know.”
“You’d like to think he doesn’t,” said Claudia. “You are rather sweet onDavid yourself.”
“Certainly not,” said Frances sharply. “Nothing of the kind.”
“David’s really keen on her,” said Claudia. “If not, why did he comeround looking for her here the other day?”
“You soon marched him out again,” said Frances. “I think,” she added,getting up and looking at her face in a rather unflattering small kitchenmirror, “I think it might have been me he really came to see.”
“You’re too idiotic! He came here looking for Norma.”
“That girl’s mental,” said Frances.
“Sometimes I really think she is!”
“Well, I know she is. Look here, Claudia, I’m going to tell you that some-thing now. You ought to know. I broke the string of my bra the other dayand I was in a hurry. I know you don’t like anyone fiddling with yourthings—”
“I certainly don’t,” said Claudia.
“—but Norma never minds, or doesn’t notice. Anyway, I went into herroom and I rootled in her drawer and I—well, I found something. A knife.”
“A knife!” said Claudia, surprised. “What sort of a knife?”
“You know we had that sort of shindy thing in the courtyard? A group ofbeats, teenagers who’d come in here and were having a fight with flick-knives and all that? And Norma came in just after.”
“Yes, yes, I remember.”
“One of the boys got stabbed, so a reporter told me, and he ran away.
Well, the knife in Norma’s drawer was a flick-knife. It had got a stain on it—looked like dried blood.”
“Frances! You’re being absurdly dramatic.”
“Perhaps. But I’m sure that’s what it was. And what on earth was thatdoing hidden away in Norma’s drawer, I should like to know?”
“I suppose—she might have picked it up.”
“What—a souvenir? And hidden it away and never told us?”
“What did you do with it?”
“I put it back,” said Frances slowly. “I—I didn’t know what else to do…Icouldn’t decide whether to tell you or not. Then yesterday I looked againand it was gone, Claudia. Not a trace of it.”
“You think she sent David here to get it?”
“Well, she might have done…I tell you, Claudia, in future I’m going tokeep my door locked at night.”
 

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