Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Posture

The last chance.The last chance.The last chance. The words were repeated in sync with the throbbing she felt in her temples.The original unconscious repetition, like continuous impact, gradually broke through the chaos of fear and panic, and finally produced some meaning. Yeah?Is it really?Is it really the last? Kelly crawled to the gate again and lay down on the ground, putting her nose as close as possible to the narrow gap between the gate and the ground.She lay still, simulating the state of real death in utter tranquility.She breathes as slowly, evenly, and silently as possible to save every oxygen bubble in the garage and in her lungs... sparing every breath, so that the body can only breathe little by little, just like A man lying dying of thirst on a large desert like a furnace has only a few drops of water left, and he can only let himself lick a little at a time.

The concrete floor was cold, but she couldn't feel it.She only felt the taste of death from her mouth, and felt the violent pulsation of her temples.The last chance.The last chance. Yeah? She mentally inspected every physical detail in the garage, trying to make a list.She'd have to wait a while before her already blurry vision finally turned into a mess of floating, tumbling, meaningless objects, before her head finally beat like a big drum. Before the vomiting that was about to begin was causing her so much pain that the pain would drive away the will to live too, before she succumbed to the unconscious and finally died unconsciously gasping for her last breaths... before all this Before that happened, she had to do this dreaded accounting job of making a list.

garage.Three walls - no decoration, solid and stable.Only the sieve over the hole, the vent grate, was beyond her reach.The fourth wall - the gate.no tools.It's useless to bump your body upwards.She will give in, her soft robes, her light weight, and her underdeveloped muscles.She will yield, but the gate will not. What else? Herself.No.She has only hands, fingers and nails.What good are these against brick, concrete and hard wood? If only the housekeeper hadn't taken that basket out of the car.There are knives and forks in the basket. Those are tools.But he took it and took the basket out of the car.

—Take the basket out of the car! car! car! this car! Kelly firmly grasped this idea, thinking over and over in her heart, looking for a breakthrough.She probed, inspected and tested from all angles. This car - tool - is a tool - can be used as a tool.And it's not even a tiny tool like a screwdriver.It's a big ram.It can hit the wall, just like the wall-crashing car used in ancient sieges! She sat up suddenly, no longer worrying about whether it would exhaust her energy or make her breath short.She stared frantically at the car and the space between it and her body—about four feet, not too wide, but maybe enough.And the rear bumper of the car, which is a solid piece of steel... but the car has to be started.That means more exhaust, more carbon monoxide, which shortens the lifespan.

The beating of the drum in her head got louder.She squinted her eyes, trying to get a good view of the car's rear bumper.The eyes are about to go blind.Is that true? Oh, to die!Hey, don't.Think again.Chance.Your last, last chance. grab it! She rolled over feebly, barely supporting herself on her hands and knees, and climbed the seemingly long four feet to the front of the car.Go around the car and climb to the front.all right.get up.Get up and get in the car.Get up and get in the car. She bit her lower lip hard.It hurts, a distant and vague pain.Tasted my own blood.Get up...Blood dripped from her lips and onto her clothes.stand up……

How loud is that drum.What is she up to?The car -- the ram -- starts the car. Oh yes.car key.Where are the car keys?car key.She turned off the fire just now.Where did the keys go? Kelly looked down dazedly at her left hand, and groped for it with her right.Two hands seemed to swim in a warm sea crowded with dark phantoms.key.Here, on her left hand.She has been touching it. She leaned on the steering wheel, took the key and searched for the keyhole of the ignition in the dark, swiped it, wiped it, slid up and down, left and right, the key went into the hole, went into the hole... She deliberately bit down on the bleeding wound on her lip.This time the pain was more pronounced.It hurts more.bite.Bite again.She cried out in pain.For an instant she could see clearly.

It's in--twist--twist. Slowly, slowly—well—the key turned. Now, step on the gas pedal - right foot - lift up - drag across - step on. Oh, my feet won't move anymore.Hell... Kelly moved her hands, lifted her right foot and sent it forward until the sole of her shoe touched the gas pedal. forward.Step on it. The harsh roar of the starter woke her up slightly.She fought back a spasm in her stomach.My head was filled with the roar of the engine.hurry up. Before it's too late... Left foot—clutch pedal—right foot—grease—hand—hold the gear lever. Gear up—gear up! --let's start!

The convertible sprinted backwards—bang! —forward—backward—bang! —— It didn't hit hard enough--cut off--started--harder--harder. "Oh, what a headache!" Bang!Forward - hit!Forward - hit again!Turn off the engine... start-forward-bump! It's working a little bit.The last time, I heard the sound of cracking and cracking. ——Don’t look back—keep going—press your stomach—raise your head—right foot, left foot, lift with one foot, step with one foot—hit!Now put in first gear, forward-stop-change reverse gear-right foot and left foot, step on one foot and lift-hit! Soon—uh—soon.If you want to think fast, just think like this, always think like this.

Maybe again.Maybe right now - forward - shift - bump! The moment the convertible opened the two garage doors, her feet did not move, as if stuck to the two pedals; her body was still lying on the steering wheel, still in the dark abyss with phantoms. Fighting, fighting the pain in her body, the roaring in her head... Into the dark night, the car ran over the slammed and shattered gate; her weight deflected the steering wheel, and the car slanted into an ancient beech field next to the garage... ... There was a crash, a mess, and then, it fell silent. Kelly was also very quiet.Though the car slammed violently into a tree and threw her out of the driver's seat into the shade of grassy soil, even though the unconsciousness flooded in and swallowed her whole at once, she was still breathing the world Clean and sweet breath—frowning deeply inhaling, her bloody lips, her throat, her smudged nostrils, greedily... sucking, swallowing, savoring the blessing air.

It was already dark when Beau drove into the manor. He stopped first by the servants' quarters.His spy, the big woman with the eyes like nail heads, was pacing up and down the back door. "Are you ok?" "Very well." The woman glanced at him. "You're overdue, Mr. Rumel. I'm in a hurry." "What's the matter today?" "Miss Sean and Miss Dai went out for a picnic early in the morning, just the two of them, and drove away in Miss Sean's convertible. I handed the food to the chef myself, there will be no problem, Lu Mei Mister Er."

"Did you drive to the country by yourself?" Bo frowned. "How's Miss Cole? Where's De Carlos?" "Miss Cole never left the estate all day. She entertained a gang of newspaper reporters on the lawn, and they dispersed before dark. She ate her own supper, and then went upstairs to her room. Just finished eating She called you in town at dinner time." "I know, I know. Where's De Carlos?" "Mr. De Carlos threw a water party at the swimming pool in the afternoon for the Goossens and a bunch of fellows who drank free booze. He drank too much absinthe and was escorted back to his room at four-thirty. went." "When did the girls come back from the picnic?" "Less than an hour ago. Miss Day went to bed as soon as she came back. Miss Sean drove the car back to the garage. I was told by the housekeeper. I think she has gone to her room." Beau drove the car up to the big house.He went upstairs and knocked on Kelly's door.Nothing happened.Knock again and listen, still nothing.He tried the door and it wasn't locked.He pushed open the door, walked in, turned on the light, and looked around. People are not there. He was about to walk towards the other boudoir door when it opened, and Violet Day stood in the doorway, wearing a fuchsia satin nightgown, her golden locks hanging down her back, her eyes squinting , she just came out of the darkness, not yet used to the light. In her left hand she held a stub pistol pointed at Beau's chest. "Oh, it's you," Vi said, without lowering his gun. "What do you think you're doing, sneaking into Kelly's bedroom?" "Where is she?" "Kelly? Isn't she there?" A shadow passed over Vi's face, and she looked around quickly, "But I thought—" "Put down that little gun of yours, don't hurt anybody!"—Ve's arm dropped. "Then where is she?" "I came up and she drove to the garage." "when?" "About an hour ago. I was just falling asleep when you—" Beau had turned and ran. He drives to the garage.When he got to the garage, he saw the lights of two stationary headlights.He jumped out of the car and ran over to Kelly's convertible. The car was leaning against a tall beech tree, but there was no one in the car. Beau walked suspiciously along the two parallel lights of the convertible.He saw the knocked down door to the second garage.He ran over and examined it carefully.There was no lock on the door that fell to the ground.He stood up again and sniffed.A smell of car exhaust.He didn't hear the engine, though, and the other five garages were closed, so there was no sound. He sprinted back toward the convertible again: "Kelly! Kelly Sean!" Without answering, he began to look around the car.He inspected the rear of the car carefully with a flashlight; it looked badly hit, with the bumper bumped and crooked.After walking two steps forward, he saw Kelly lying quietly on the grass. He heard someone running up behind him: "Kelly! Is she—she—dead?" Violet Day stood there panting, a squirrel fur coat over her pajamas, His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were wide open in fear. "No. Shortness of breath. Heart still beating. Kelly!" Beau shook the frail body. "But—but what—" "Looks like she was locked in the garage just now and had to run like hell, Kelly!" He rested her head in his left hand and patted her pale cheek with his right hand, "Kelly! Wake up. I'm— " Her eyelids fluttered open, her eyes were glassy, ​​her brows were drawn together, her mouth was open to the night air. "I--dizzy," she moaned, "who--I see--not--clear--" "I'm . "Garage—carbon monoxide—" Kelly passed out again. "Carbon monoxide!" Beau yelled, "Go get some more espresso!" Vi ran away. Beau rolled Kelly over onto the grass and straddled her.Her mouth and nose sucked air.His big hands held her ribs on both sides, and his body pressed against her, rising and falling slowly. No sooner had she regained consciousness than Vee came running back; Margot Cole and half the manor came with Vee.Vi carried a large pot of steaming coffee and a glass. "Ve said—" Margot cried, her dress still not fully dressed, "Ve said Kelly—poisoned by oxidation what—" Bo didn't even look at her.He grabbed the jar, poured a cup of coffee, helped Kelly sit up, and made her drink it.She yelled slightly, shaking her head.A few of his fingers squeezed her neck from behind, forcing her to drink, and two lines of tears flowed down her dirty cheeks. She drank a full glass, and he forced her to drink another.Blood began to appear on her face. "Drink. Breathe—deeper. Drink." She took a sip after another, and the people around her watched silently. "Okay," Beau said, "that's all we can do. Who can get a doctor?" "I know a doctor, sir," said the butler, "Dr. Murphy of Tarrytown." "All we have to do is put her to bed before the doctor comes. Kelly!" Her head rested heavily on his shoulder. "Kelly, put your arms around my neck. Put your arms around me. Come on." "What?" Kelly said.She raised her eyes, still pained and glazed. "It's okay." He picked her up, and after a while, she silently stretched her arms around his neck. Kelly opened her eyes with confused memories of a nightmare.Garage—smell—struggle—car—crash—lots of people, and… him… holding him, throwing up, walking through the fog… peace. Then the scene cuts to her room, like a movie.The windows were all pushed open and opened wide, Wei helped her take off her clothes and put her on the bed... At that time she was nauseous and wanted to vomit... Then he said to her: Don't think about it, don't think about it, close your eyes Well, take a deep breath, rest as quietly as you can, sleep... and then a stranger injects her with something, a sting—the air, fresh sweet air— sleep... Kelly opened her eyes, and in the warm morning sun, she saw Beau's face very close. She hugged him, whimpering. "Okay. It's all right now, Kelly," Beau said softly. "You're all right. There's nothing to be afraid of now." "Terrible," sobbed Kelly, "in the garage-someone locked me in-I couldn't get out-started the car in the next garage-the stench came in through that vent- I'm sick and dizzy - my tools have been stolen, my revolver - I can't get out..." Beau hugged her tightly.When he found Kelly the night before, the lock on the knocked-in garage door was gone; the engine of the car in the adjacent garage was dead.The man who wanted to kill Kelly sneaked back again, removed the lock on the door, turned off the engine of the van, and slipped away.If Callie hadn't managed to escape from the garage, and if she had died there like a mouse in a mousetrap, it would have looked like a normal garage accident: herself With the car's engine spinning, she passed out and suffocated.That's what doctors say.There would be no evidence of a crime—like the "accident" on the bridal track. Kelly's warm tears wet his cheeks: "I thought—you, you're okay with her. Sorry. I'm so crazy. I know you won't. Oh, I love you. It's true .I'm so unlucky. I can't get out of here and let—she have you. I love you!" "I know, poor little one. I love you too..." "Honey." She held his cheeks with both hands, pushed him away, looked at him, smiled in disbelief, and then hugged him tightly, "Oh, you are real!" The doctor from Tarrytown came in and said, "Excuse me, if you may—" Beau staggered out of the room. Margo made him wait outside the door for fifteen minutes.When her maid finally let him in, he saw Margo lying on a chaise longue, her arms in graceful poses, a showbiz-style dressing gown seemingly casually draped over her body, her hair combed into silk. The silk is in place, and the pale cheeks of the dead are also carefully applied with powder. "The weather is so nice," she smiled at him, and then snapped at the maid, "Betise! Va t' en!" The maid ran away in despair.As soon as the door closed, Margo got up from the couch and walked towards him. He stretched out his arms to hug her, but she pushed his body with both hands: "Sit with me for a while. You made me wait for so long." "I can't get away from myself." "Oh. Because of Kelly? I guess so," she said softly, pushing him away a bit. "That's right, that's right!" "Well, how's the dear little thing? You must have been up all night with her, I suppose?" "I have to make a gesture, am I not acting? Someone has to do it." Bo deliberately put on an angry, even rough tone, and carefully tried to pull her body closer again. "You—you found her last night, didn't you?" Margo muttered. "That's your luck, beauty." "What do you mean?" Her Egyptian eyes were wide open, and she looked at him with the expression of an innocent little girl. "You know what I mean." "But I don't know. I was surprised to hear about her adventure. Horses and garages brought her bad luck, didn't they? Was she all right this morning?" Margo sat down. on the recliner, and patted it, inviting him. "That can't be attributed to you." Beau smiled, and sat down beside her with his arms and legs stretched out.She leaned toward him, her chin resting on her long arms, and she looked up at him with big eyes, "Don't you think that's a little too revealing, honey?" "Explicit?" she said blankly. "I'm referring to your trick this time." He said with a tone of inner laughter. "This time—" She wrinkled her nose in embarrassment, then laughed, "You think I locked Kelly in the garage and tried to kill her? Me?" "That's what I mean." She immediately suppressed her smile: "I don't like this!" "I don't like it either. That's why I'm going to give you a little kind advice." "Honey," she said softly, "this is a dangerous subject. If I hadn't liked you so much, I would have sued you for libel." "If I hadn't thought of you, I wouldn't be wasting my time here." "Heart! Do you know what a heart is? You're a fool, a rock!" He grinned at her. "Yeah. Like coal, hard and black and cold. It was like that before you lit it." "You're a cinder!" "Just come and try." She stood up suddenly, went to the window, and looked out into the garden. "Come here," Bo called lazily. She turned around reluctantly.Then, she walked back and sat down again, and he took her hand. "You don't believe me, do you?" "How do you say that?" He put his arms around her: "Don't you know in your heart that you are absolutely safe with me, baby?" "Safety?" "Didn't you think that the two of us could join hands and accomplish things together? It's just—you're a little bit stupid!" "What a flattering compliment!" "You're stupid because your risk taking is so stupid. You've indulged yourself so deep in your feelings that you can't help yourself. That's why women's crimes are so easy to detect. You see, on the one hand, you Think I love Kelly Sean." "Isn't that so?" She showed her strong and white teeth. "That skinny little thing? Since I'm obsessed with your type, what will I do with her?" "It's just for my 'type', isn't it?" She grew playful. "It's for you, hell! You know it, but you're too fucking suspicious. Do you think I'm faking my fascination with you?" He pulled her into his arms and hugged her, "Really? ?” After saying that, he went to kiss her. She closed her eyes and kissed him gradually and smoothly.However, that was only a temporary overflow of high lust. "Wait. Wait," she gasped, pushing him away. "You said you didn't love her. How would I know? Look at the way you look at her. And last night you—" "I tell you, she means nothing to me!" Beau yelled angrily, "but I'm a little smarter than you, baby. I'm acting. You should be acting too, it's better than you being like that It's much smarter to throw yourself into a trap." "I do not know what you mean." "You want her share of the money, don't you?" Beau said gruffly. "Very well, then. What method did you use to achieve this? You meant to take her life. It's too dangerous, you fool! It's going to be tricky. You can get all you want more safely." Something." Without saying a word, she hugged him down and put her mouth next to his ear. "You can get me, and you can get me." Bo said loudly. She whispered to him again. "But we have to share equally, understand?" She kissed him, from the ear to the lips. After Bo left her, he went to take a shower, and it took him three minutes just to wash his mouth. Beau left the manor early that morning and did not return until the afternoon. Kelly was sitting on the terrace waiting.is waiting for him.He saw that it was waiting for him.Because, when she saw him from a distance, she straightened up, and there was a look of joy in her eyes—it was joy, but at the same time it looked worried and worried, as if she was still not sure whether what happened was a dream or not. He bent down and kissed her. The book slipped from her lap to the floor: "That's true!" She jumped up and kissed him passionately, "Let's find a place to go!" "Where's Vi?" Bo asked unhurriedly. "She has an appointment with the hairdresser in town, and she's in town at the moment. Do you really love me, honey?" He held her tighter. "That's all I want to know." She trembled with joy. "I don't care about anything else." "Let's go for a walk," Beau said. They strolled into the fresh woods, his arm around her. There seemed to be an air of unreality hanging over the afternoon.The sunlight filtering through the branches and leaves of the forest had a red tone, so they seemed to be walking in a fantasy somewhere beyond the world. "Actually," said Kelly, "I'm not so sure that the future is so happy and bright. Not necessarily. There are so many things I don't know. About you, dear. And About the future. But I made up my mind not to think about the future..." Beau sat down on a weather-beaten stump, and Kelly sat on the floor, resting her cheek on Beau's lap. "What's the matter, dear? You look like that--it's funny." Beau hurls a twig. "Kelly, let's face it. You're in danger." "Please, let's not talk about that." "It has to be talked about. You are in danger and we have to do something about it." She was silent. "Your uncle gave me money to find his heir. I found you, and Margot came, and I should have let go of it. I didn't expect that I would cause you so much trouble. .” He looked worried. "I'm so glad you didn't let go." She clung even tighter to his lap. "I didn't go because—oh, because I had reason to believe that your uncle Cadmus was murdered. I still believe that." Her pale face, illuminated by the orange-red skylight, showed an eerie violet color. She stammered: "But I don't—I don't understand." "I don't understand either." He pulled her up and let her sit on his lap.He stared at the sky in a daze, "Anyway, I've been staying here and wandering around, just trying to figure out what's going on and who's behind the scenes." "Margot," Kelly muttered, "it's Margo! She's trying to kill me, Ellery. But how can she—uncle's at sea—" "There's so much we don't know. Anyway, poor boy, you'll know why I give so much thought to your cousin Margot by now." "Honey, why didn't you tell me?" Kelly jumped up from his lap. "Can't we expose her?" "There's no proof. She's very smart. She hides all traces too well. And if we push her to a showdown now, she'll do her best." Beau paused for a moment, then said softly, "No matter how careful we are, little 'accidents' like this are bound to happen once in a while." "Then the police—" "They'll just laugh it off at you, and you'll have nothing to offer them but suspicion. And if you make the she-cat feel like it's been revealed, you're in even more danger than you are now." "What do you want me to do, Ellery?" Kelly asked bluntly. "marry." Kelly was silent for a moment.And when she spoke, her voice was a little erratic: "Who would marry me, even if I'm stupid enough to give up $2,500 a week for him?" "I will," Beau muttered. "Honey!" She threw herself into his arms, "If you don't say this, I will die!" "No way, you gotta say goodbye to that money, Kelly," he said softly. "I don't care!" "Little one." He stroked her hair. "I should have proposed to you back in Hollywood, but I couldn't have figured it out--because in that situation, it would have been It means depriving you of everything that money brought you. But now it is different. The choice now is no longer between money and me...but between money and—” He pulled her Get closer. "That money means nothing to me," Kelly cried. "The only thing I'm worried about is V. Poor V has to go back to—" "You're always thinking about her," Beau said with a smile, "then you should think about yourself too! Once you get married, Margo will automatically get your share of the inheritance. That way, she doesn't have to kill her." Drop you, and you'll be safe." "Still, Ellery," she said, still troubled, "she likes you, I know, she likes you very much. If you married me, she wouldn't—I mean, a woman in that situation Otherwise, she may do something very terrible." "Margo will be all right," said Beau without hesitation. "but--" "Kelly, can you trust me, or can't you trust me?" She laughed tremblingly: "Of course you can believe it - as long as you can marry me now, today!" It occurred to her that once they were married she had him and no other woman could.The love she can give is so rich, far more than a woman like Margo can give. "Is that a suggestion?" "I couldn't have said it more clearly, couldn't I? Well, but I think maybe I'm crazy, dear. How can you marry me today? We don't even have a marriage certificate." "Didn't I tell you to leave everything to me?" Beau laughed again. "I went to Connecticut last week to get a marriage certificate." "Ellery! It's impossible!" Kelly ran all the way back to the big house, and Beau followed a little slower.When Kelly ran without looking at him, there was no smile on his face.Under the increasingly intense blood-red light, his face also became pale and terrifying.

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