爱情与金钱中英文短篇小说(3)

4 Chapter

　　The police arrived very quickly．There were a lot of them．Some of them with cameras went upstairs to Molly's room．Two detectives talked to Dr Pratt in the kitchen．The family waited in the sitting room．It was a hot day again and the windows were open．The dogs sat quietly at Diane's feet．Nobody talked．Jackie smoked．They waited for a long time．Suddenly the door opened and the two detectives came in．

　　'Good morning．I am Detective Inspector Walsh and this is Sergeant Foster．'The Inspector did not smile．He was a big man in an old black suit and a black hat and coat．He wore a coat because he always felt cold．'Last night someone put sleeping tablets in Mrs Clarkson's hot milk．We are going to question everybody，and we need a room，please．'

　　Roger stood up．'I'm Roger Clarkson．You can have my father's old office．Come with me，it's along here，'

　　The office was not a very big room，but there was a table and three or four chairs．Roger opened the window．

　　'I would like to talk first to your uncle，Albert King，'In-spector Walsh said．He took off his hat and coat and sat down behind the table．

　　'Of course，'said Roger and left the room．

　　Sergeant Foster waited by the door．He was a very tall young man with black hair and a nice smile．He was not very happy this morning because he usually played tennis on Sunday mornings．He was one of the best players at the Cambridge Tennis Club．

　　Albert came in and sat down．

　　'I'm going to ask some questions，Mr King，'the Inspector said，'and Sergeant Foster is going to write it all down．'

　　Albert looked at his feet．'Yes，yes．It's your job．I know that．'

　　'Tell me about last night，'Inspector Walsh asked quietly．

　　'You were angry with Mrs Clarkson．'

　　Albert looked at Inspector Walsh for the first time．'Yes，I was．Everyone was angry．Roger was angry．Diane wanted money to go to America．Then there's a man called Tom Brig-gs…He wants half the garden for his farm．Molly was a rich woman．I need money because my wife Annie—Molly's sister—is very ill．I told Molly this．'

　　'What happened next？'

　　'Well，Molly was angry with everyone and went upstairs．We went into the kitchen for coffee．Jackie wanted everyone to go up and say good night to Molly．She lives here with Molly so she wanted Molly to be happy．At first Roger said no．He was angry and didn't want to see his mother．'

　　'And did you see Molly in her room？'

　　'Yes．I was tired and I went upstairs first．I went to Molly's room and asked her for money again．But no—there was no money for her sister．'Albert stopped and put his hand over his eyes．

　　Inspector Walsh watched Albert for a minute．'Did you hear noises after you went to bed？'

　　'Everyone went into Molly's room to say good night，I think．Later，I heard someone…He—or she—went down－stairs．That was about midnight．'

　　'Very well，Mr King．Thank you，you can go now．'Albert left the room．

　　Inspector Walsh put his hands behind his head．'What time is it？I'm hungry．We're learning a lot，but I need some coffee．'

　　'Shall I go to the kitchen？'Sergeant Foster asked．

　　'Oh，no．Later．Let's see Jackie Clarkson next．'

　　Jackie came in and sat down．She looked down at her hands and said nothing．

　　'We found the empty bottle of your mother's sleeping tablets in Diane's room，'the Inspector said suddenly．Then he waited．Jackie's face did not change and she said nothing．

　　'Tell me，did your mother get her tablets from the shop in the village？'

　　'Yes．My mother usually took a sleeping tablet every night so she needed a lot of tablets．Sometimes she got them from the shop，sometimes I did．On Thursday，I asked Peter Hobbs to get them．He lives in the house across the road，and he of－ten goes to the village on his bicycle．'

　　'I see．Your mother wanted to stay in this house．How about you？Did you want to move？'

　　Jackie looked up for a minute and then down at her hands a－gain．'This is Mother's house．I loved my mother．She was good to me．'

　　'Did you see your mother in her room last night？'

　　'Yes，everyone did．Diane made hot milk and took it to Mother．She usually drank a cup of hot milk before she slept．'

　　Inspector Walsh put his hands behind his head．Jackie was very quiet．'What did your mother say？'

　　Jackie opened her bag and looked for a cigarette．'Can I smoke？'

　　'Of course．This is your house，'Inspector Walsh said．He watched Jackie．'What did your mother say？'he asked again．

　　'She wanted to go downstairs again．She remembered the dogs—she wanted to get some dinner for them． I went to my room and she went downstairs．'

　　'What time was this？'

　　'I don't remember．About midnight，I think．'

　　'And the cup of hot milk？'

　　'It was on the table by her bed．'

　　'Did you need your mother's money？'

　　'No，Inspector．Money is not important to me．There are more important things，'Jackie said quietly．

　　'Well，your uncle Albert wanted money．Tom Briggs wanted the garden．You wanted nothing？'

　　Jackie finished her cigarette and looked up at the Inspector．Her eyes were suddenly angry．'Don't forget Peter Hobbs．He lost his job because of my mother．He wanted to kill her，you know．And what about Diane？You found the empty bottle in her bag．'

　　Inspector Walsh listened carefully．'We're going to question everyone，Miss Clarkson．'

　　Jackie said nothing for a minute．'Would you like some sandwiches and coffee，Inspector？'

　　'Ah！Yes，please！'Inspector Walsh said warmly．'I would like sandwiches and coffee very much．'

　　Jackie left the room．Inspector Walsh thought about her．Why was she suddenly angry？The room was quiet．

　　他的姐妹看着他，可罗杰用手捂住眼睛。“别对我说这些！”“现在没关系！”黛安娜说。“妈妈死了，我们有很多钱，你不需要一份工作。”

　　罗杰的脸又变红了。“住嘴，黛安娜！”

　　“现在，”沃尔什探长又开始说了。“彼特霍布斯是个非常忿怒的年轻人，克拉克森太太对他不太好。他从商店里买到睡眠药，可他会把睡眠药放在热牛奶里吗？我认为不会。汤姆布里格斯想要半个花园当他的农常他那晚在厨房，是他放睡眠药在热牛奶里了吗？我认为没有。”

　　突然天开始下雨了。好一会儿大家都看着窗外的雨。杰基从包里拿了枝烟，开始抽。

　　“可有人要彼特霍布斯那晚会厨房。她想要大家都看见他，并听他说话，”沃尔什探长说。

　　“她……？我不明白，”罗杰说着，然后又停住了。

　　沃尔什探长从窗边走过来坐下。“现在我将告诉你们事件的真象。克拉克森小姐，你那晚要彼特霍布斯来家里。他因为那封信很生你母亲的气。他说：'我要杀了她。'因而你想要大家都听到这话。为什么？”

　　杰基的脸变白了。“这不是真的！黛安娜呢？你们在她包里发现了空瓶子！”

　　黛安娜站起来。“在我包里？杰基！你在说什么？”

　　“请安静，坐下，”沃尔什探长说，看着杰基。

　　“没错，我们在黛安娜的包里发现了瓶子。可你怎么知道的？我们并没有告诉你。”

　　“你们告诉了……先前……你们先前告诉了我！”

　　“没有。我们在黛安娜的房间发现了空瓶，我们告诉了你这事。你说的是黛安娜的包，我们没有告诉你。福斯特警官记下来了。”沃尔什探长仔细看着杰基。“很久以前，你认识了汤姆布里格斯，他是这儿的园丁，你爱上了他，可你的母亲不喜欢他。”

　　杰基把手放在头上。“不！不！”

　　“我发现你的相片——一张旧的——在布里格斯家里。你比现在年青，头发长长的。去年汤姆布里格斯回来了，你想得到他，他也爱你，可他没有钱。他想要花园当他的农场，他想要钱，他也想得到你。可你母亲不同意。最后，你想杀了你母亲……然后你真的杀了她。你母亲下楼去看狗，然后你把睡眠药放在她的热牛奶里。随后，你把空瓶子放进黛安娜的包里。”

　　杰基站起来，她黑黑的眼睛带着恐惧。“你们不知道！”她大声道。“母亲什么也没给我……这么多年了。我想要幸福……和汤姆一起，就这些。我爱汤姆，他也爱我。可母亲不同意，总是不同意。”然后她开始哭，没人理睬她。

　　杰基走出房子上了警车。沃尔什探长注视着她，然后慢慢走向他的车。他觉得又累又饿。他停下来回头看着那所房子。

　　“好了，”他对福斯特警官说，“最后，他们得到了钱：艾伯特，罗杰，黛安娜。他们现在都富有了。可他们会快乐吗？”

　　他上了小车。“咱们走吧，”他说。“我饿了，我需要块三明治。”