Chapter 15 Chapter Fifteen The Man Who Wandered in the Dark

The bishop suddenly got up from his seat, walked to the window, and opened the window to let the air circulate. Mrs. Standish did not seem to understand the question just now. After squinting for a while, she asked again: "Ma'am? Elopement? - God knows what you mean? My dear sir, are you crazy!" She asked. Slowly retreated to a chair and sat down. Dr. Phil said thoughtfully: "I haven't heard such an ancient sentence for many years, 'Phil, are you crazy?' This is the most favorite tone of Mr. Headley .I don't care, though. Believe me, ma'am, the subject is undeniably unpleasant. I bring it up because I believe it has a surprising connection to the murder."

"I don't understand what your Excellency is referring to." "I think I'd better start from the beginning. You don't mind if I smoke?" She sniffed the air: "Your request seems superfluous, doctor. Please don't hinder you because of my presence... What did you just say?" Dr. Phil grunted in satisfaction, sat back in his chair, and cut off one end of the cigar: "Thank you very much. Ma'am, beer and cigarettes are the refreshing things that can warm me up during the few years I have been frustrated. Two Both have a curious allusion. First, I devote the entire first chapter of my work to: drinking habits in early England. You know, let's say, when history was committed to that ridiculous Prohibition First time in force? This provides me with a diversion to think that our American friends believe this is their new idea. The first to enact prohibition was Pharaoh Uther of Egypt, or Ramesh, king of Egypt in the fourth millennium BC S. This prohibition was to prevent his subjects from drinking malt-flavored beer in the streets of Thebes and getting drunk and reveling. This prohibition ensures that the next generation will never taste this evil. .This law failed and was abolished. Tobacco, to this day..." He struck a match, "Tobacco, to this day - I would say that tobacco has a very distorted history. Christopher Columbus saw Native American Indians smoking cigars as early as 1492. It's a puzzling and shocking image, as bizarre as describing them in top hats and gold chain watches. Jay Nick...  "

"Can you go on with what you said earlier?" she interjected, clasping her hands tightly. "What? If you..." He seemed to react, "Mrs. Standish, what I want to know is whether Dibbing is a flirtatious man." "'Merry' hits the nail on the head. He's a gallant man at an age where men don't think it's necessary." "I understand that many women like him to be courteous?" "I admit that he is an attractive man and an old man." "He's certainly a different man. But there should be some woman he's particularly interested in. Is there?"

"No," she said flatly, her lips drawn tightly together, "for example, he likes to pick out famous lines to read to my daughter Patricia. I agree that this has become a custom. This generation of pampered young Most people neglect to cultivate their own human qualities. Dear Cannon Dibson mentioned this on the radio last week, and I have to say, I agree with him very much... However, Patricia doesn't like Dibson at all Mr Bean, and Madeleine Morgan resented him too." She squinted one eye and recalled, "Now I suspect . . . no, certainly not Lucy Mesworth from Bath. One of my closest friends, Dr. Phil, I think it's because she's so old. Also, I have to say - her whole family is weird, her relative Neil and a guy who catches owls at the zoo Gone. Hereditary, what do I say to my husband. What do you think?"

"I don't think we should bring Miss Mesworth into--" "Mrs. Mesworth," she corrected sharply, "doesn't have to. Besides, I don't think they're interested in each other. I can tell you the truth, Doctor, I don't like Taoist gossip. Rumors that Debbing was with someone." It's flying all over the sky; I can't bear this kind of gossip running around in my house. I hope you do understand it—where did you hear it?" Dr. Phil smiled: "You don't believe this is true?" "I admit that I never saw what happened," she pursed her lips tightly and looked away. "If this man is a criminal, I will not reveal anything about his life. The night is planning to marry the daughter of the man who cut our throats, just—why, why!" She trembled, "I don't need to tell you, I should tell my husband to act immediately. Anyway, stupid young man Will reveal everything they know. Besides..."

Huge hid behind the chair to avoid making noise.At this moment, the door leading to the corridor of the reception room behind Moer Standish opened.Spinley—twirling his hat with one finger, with a smug grin on his face, followed Randall into the house.Xiu Ge noticed that the lawyer looked sullen.Spinley's eyes stayed on Mrs. Standish for a short while, without the feeling of recognition, and finally his eyes stopped happily on Dr. Fell. "Thank you, sir. I've got it all done now," he said. "I'll be leaving in a minute. I'll go to the Bull to pick up the hire car, go back to Hanham to check out, and take the night train to London. Tomorrow I'll be on the boat, if there's one. If not, I'll see if they let me stop in France before returning to America. Then..."

"Dr. Phil," said the colonel's wife, unable to hold back, "please tell me what this annoying fellow is doing in my house?" Spinley looked back: "Have you always been so conceited?" He said flatly.Then he turned around and said in French, "Well, who is the annoying guy? I dare say your husband sleeps on the pine cones in the road every day." He said to the doctor, "This reminds me of one thing , doctor. You should kick me out of France next time? I want to brush up on my French. I noticed that you have almost gone back with this guy and his minions; I saw them leave, thank you Well, that fellow is out of his senses. Good-bye, if you'd tell me where the front door is?"

"You think well?" said Moll Standish. "You're so self-righteous, sir. Doctor, are you going to ring for someone? I think we can arrange to get this fellow out of the tunnel." " Spinley stretched out his hand to cover his smiling face, Huge wished he could step forward and kick him. "Okay, ma'am, okay! I'll go through the window, that's okay. I'm not interested in your country mansion at all. Dirty oil paintings, counterfeit property, petty behavior—" "Get the hell out of here!" said Dr. Fell, lifting his foot. This is the last situation Xiu Ge saw.He hurried through the glass door of the billiard room, hid himself in the shadows, and watched the movement outside the balcony.Fortunately he was wearing a dark suit that day.The luminous dial on the wrist shows the time at half past nine.He was a little surprised that his heart was beating so hard.

There was no wind at this time, and the fragrance of flowers and plants floated in the damp and cold air.The moon was low, but it was bright and bright, stretching the black shadows to a narrow length, the lawn was faintly shining, and a bright light shone through the east-leaning bushes, which he found to be the headlights of a bus on an unknown road half a mile away.A dog is barking. A window of the balcony creaked open, revealing yellow light.Spinley came out, opened the curtain with one hand, and closed the window behind him.He hesitated for a while, as if looking up at the bright moon.Huge could vaguely see his expression; he was smiling.After the smile disappeared, he looked around cautiously to make sure there was nothing unusual before he felt relieved.He leisurely struck a match and lit a cigarette.Then, he walked down a few shallow steps to the lawn, looked around again, and finally walked along the bottom of the balcony towards Xiu Ge's hiding place.He passed the billiard room door, glanced at his watch in the moonlight, hummed, and rustled the gravel path.

When he turned into the corner of the room, Huge immediately followed him.Completely in the shadows, the stalker moved noiselessly along the grass of the house; at one point nearly tripped over a toy lawnmower.The noisy footsteps continued on, relaxed and happy, leisurely.After rounding the winding driveway there was a section of elm-lined road to the gate of the guardhouse.Huge had to cross the wide driveway illuminated by the moonlight, using the woods on his right as a barrier to quickly lower his body.He leaped swiftly across the gravel and hid behind a laurel bush.He was sure he was getting more and more involved in this ridiculous show.He liked it, letting the knees of his trousers rub against the wet grass, keeping an eye on what was going on around the bushes, as if he were playing spy.However, if he was bumped into by someone at this time, he would definitely look stupid.

He felt his blood boil.Slipping into the shadows of Elm Avenue, he found that even if Spinley was twenty yards ahead of him, it was safer to walk with head held high.The sound of Spinley's footsteps walking on the gravel ground overwhelmed the noise made by Hugo trampling on twigs and dried leaves.His quarry was talking to itself; its feet dragged and kicked on the gravel.At one point he cursed himself, stopped in a defiant manner, flung his smoke back as if facing his nemesis, and finally yelled, "Go to hell, damn it!" and whistled loudly.He would shake his narrow shoulders in an exaggerated gesture. When they were about to reach the open gate of the guard room, Hugh was forced to speed up and act accordingly.Spinley walked towards the village without hesitation.There were no people or cars on the road, and the asphalt road and tall hedgerows looked bare in the moonlight.Spencer strutted around in his funny hat, not looking around.They came to Morgan's house.When Huge crouched under the shadow of the hedge, he was anxious that the people inside the fence would come to the door or call him.But he passed Morgan's house safely, passed the gloomy church, and descended to a village flickering with lights. This is the easiest place to be found, even if there is no street light on the street.The barely lit one (all the lamps are oil lamps) is a tavern.The tavern house was built in a dirt field behind the road, smelling of straw and cow dung.The low and heavy stone building was once whitewashed, with a thatched roof, and two wing houses enclosing a front yard.The lattice windows are all wide open, and the shadows of the people in the house under the smoke oil lamp can be vaguely seen. Hugh was thirty yards from the road.Joyful laughter came from the tavern, and the drinkers beat to the rhythm of the piano and accordion. Someone volunteered to sing a funny song, and everyone applauded.Huge remembered that it was Saturday night.It was a foolish act by any measure, and he stumbled into the mud; tension rose sharply in the plaster, and he longed for a cold beer right away.In the darkness where he could not see his fingers, he went around to the other side of the "Bull" and bumped into a car with lights out parked beside him without warning.The sore spot of the bruise brought back his sanity.This might be Spinley's car.What the hell is this guy trying to do; is he going back to the reception, as Dr. Phil said; it might be wise to remove the spark plug, just in case he needs to use the car. At this time, Spinley was standing at the front door of the "Bull", with his shoulders hunched, and he was puffing on his clouds thoughtfully.Finally made a decision, flicked away the unfinished cigarette, and then stepped on the stone steps leading to the front yard.Huge quietly came to the front of the two-seater car, pulled out the iron hook of the hood, and opened the hood lightly to avoid making a sound.Suddenly he heard footsteps coming towards him.He looked up, and an unexplained nausea rolled up from his stomach.Spinley changed direction and walked straight towards the car. There was a horrible scraping sound as he lowered the hood.He ducked back into the maple grove, waiting for his chance, and found his heart beating fast again.He thought Spinley should not be able to see him.Then he heard Spinley fumbling for the car door not a dozen feet away; the door opened, clicked, the lights came on, went off, came on again, until only the dashboard was lit.Spinley raised his head, staring at the faint light.Xiu Ge clearly saw his expression... For the first time that night, Spinley had a look of fear on his face.The man's lower lip was trembling, and sweat was dripping from his forehead.He shook his head, and a bead of sweat rolled down his cheeks and temples.Spinley wanted to force a smile, but couldn't.He slid his hands into the side pockets of the front seat and pulled out a belt and a holster, exposing the deadly automatic. Xiu Ge murmured words, almost loudly: "God, this is for real..." His heart was beating violently, and he was afraid of the voice he was about to hear.Bending over the dashboard, Spinley pulled out the automatic pistol and examined it carefully.He backed the magazine into his palm, flipped it over, and reloaded it.Finally, with his fearful hand, he pulled the safety catch and put the weapon back in the holster.Looking around again, he took off his coat and holstered it under his left armpit.The blue and white striped shirt was already sticking wet to him.Even though there was a distance, Hugh could still hear his breathing. The breeze rustled the trees. There were thunderous cheers in the "Bull", and there were applause as the glass was knocked on the wooden table.The accordion tried to play a few notes, as if clearing the throat, to accompany someone's singing.The seething cheer dies away; out of the silence rises a shrill tenor: "I am Burlington Potty, Tall seven feet tall, Walking is windier than celebrities..." Everyone burst into laughter.The accordion presses each syllable, emphasizing the rising and falling tones of the singer.Someone shouted: "Two more glasses of bitter beer!" Spencer breathed heavily and put his coat back on.Whatever appointment he was going to, he made up his mind to carry a gun.Wiping sweat from his forehead with a silk handkerchief, he adjusted his hat, turned off the lights in the car, and left. Spinley walked into the Bull.Hugh circled around his car, not sure what to do.No doubt there would be a back door to the place, and if he hesitated in the pursuit he might lose his quarry.However, Xiu Ge didn't want to take the risk of meeting him face to face. The tavern seemed packed and he wanted a drink too.He waited for a while, and continued with his idea of ​​removing the plug.As the tavern door closed behind Spencer, he slipped into the front yard behind him.