Chapter 4 interrupted seance
Despite such morale-boosting news as Operation Doolittle's bombing of Tokyo and the bombing of German cities by the British Royal Air Force (RAF), the first months of 1942 were still a time of deep misery ( As usual, Dr. Sam Hawthorne and his companions sat down and drank from their own cups, and he reported the above facts to them).Japan occupies the Philippines, Hong Kong, and most of the Dutch East Indies.In North Africa, Rommel's tank corps seemed to be invincible all the way.
For the first six months of my marriage to Annabelle, North Hills was so peaceful that war and all kinds of troubles seemed out of reach.Gasoline rationing began in seventeen states in mid-May, and will no doubt soon spread to the remaining states as well.Crime in North Hills has been on the decline since the tragic death of our maid of honor last December.For the improvement of social order, Sergeant Lan Si has his own set of theories, which he attributes to the fact that the town's little hooligans have signed up or enlisted in the army.Some of them enlisted after learning that a North Hillsman had gone missing during Pearl Harbor.
The missing man was Ronald Hale, a sailor who served on the ill-fated Arizona battleship.While the raid sent outrage across the country, it was the hometowns and loved ones of the dead who were hardest hit, such as North Hills and Ronald Hale's family.One of my patients, Ronald's mother Kate, was struck by the news.In early June, she came to my clinic for a routine physical examination. This was the first time she came to my clinic after the news of her son's death was confirmed to be true.
"It must have been a rough time, Kate," I said to her. "How'd you sleep?"
"It's not good, Dr. Sam. I can't stop thinking about him for a second, and my thoughts are sinking deeper and deeper with the battleship he thought was a safe haven."
"I can prescribe you some medicine to help you sleep, but then it's up to you. How will Arthur react to the news?" Arthur Hale was not my patient, but I spoke with him at the town council. Acquaintance, he worked there for several years.
"He is better than me at the moment, but it was very uncomfortable at the beginning. At the beginning of the year, he ran away from home for several days as soon as he heard the news. Our child was confirmed dead in mid-April. On May 1 The official casualty list came out, and Arthur was going through a lot of pain. I figured he'd been drinking to drink while he wasn't home, but he never admitted it." I took her blood pressure, The result was higher than normal and I provided her with some common medical orders.But I could see that her mind was not in the clinic.
"Can I talk to you about something else, Dr. Sam?"
"Anything is fine, that's what I'm happy to serve." I expected to hear some intimate questions about sex, which is not common in my practice.But what she told me was something else.
"I went to Boston and saw a medium."
"What?" There must be question marks all over my face at this moment.
"I was contacted by a woman in Boston a few weeks ago who claimed to be able to communicate with the dead. I—I really believe she might be able to contact Ronald."
"Kate," I said bluntly, "you shouldn't believe this stuff. Mediums and such are shameless scammers."
"I know. That's what Arthur told me when I told him what I thought. I dare not tell him that I've taken two courses with this woman."
"What's her name?" I asked.
"Sandra Glim, I don't know if that's her real name, that's what she called herself—Sandra Glim, Unveiling the Dead. She's nearly fifty, about my age, see It looks like she's achieved some results."
"What result?" I asked with intense disbelief.
"She contacted an Indian guide from the underworld who said he could bring Ronald to talk to me."
"So you gave her money without hesitation?"
"Of course. I paid a fortune to hear my child's voice again."
"Does your husband know nothing about it?"
She took a deep breath. "I haven't told him. It was really my fault. Sandra Glim felt the need to hold a small seance in our house, just me and my husband. She said it was the right atmosphere for Ronald."
I shook my head, a little bit annoyed, but more of a mourner.
"Kate, you have no idea what you're doing. This woman is a liar, she's just doing some tricks."
"Why do you say that? You haven't even seen her."
"I know the usual tricks of these so-called psychics."
"While she was in hypnosis, I could see the halo on her head."
"It's phosphide-coated tulle."
"Also, even if I hold her hands, a small piece of shell representing my son will appear on the table by itself."
"The room must be pitch black?"
"Barely visible," she admitted, "but there was very little light in the room, so I knew no one else was around."
"She had hidden the shells in her mouth, possibly even in her stomach, and regurgitated them. Some psychics are very good at this trick."
Kate Hale pondered for a moment, and then there was hope on her face: "I must do this. If she is really capable, I can't miss this opportunity."
"How about it, Dr. Sam, since you're so good at this kind of thing, why don't you come to this seance too? If you prove that she's not a liar on the spot, then my husband may believe in talking to the dead." It's true."
I shake my head.
"I can't say yes to your request, Kate. It's not what a doctor should do."
She sighed reluctantly.
"Well, thank you for listening to me anyway."
My wife, Annabelle, is the only veterinarian in North Hills, so her clinic is a Noah's Ark for animals big and small.That afternoon I got a call from a farm near the Ark, and after my visit I was on my way home and stopped at her clinic where she was removing a spur from the paw of a cat , the little guy is in so much pain.
"You're like Andrew Chris back then." I joked.
"I'm much gentler than him, or haven't you noticed?"
"I'm going home now, are you off work soon?"
She sighed softly and looked at the rows of cages behind her.Her assistant is looking after a German shepherd over there.
"I'll have at least another hour before I go home."
"I have a suggestion. Let's go to Marx's for dinner. How about seven o'clock?"
"Sounds great!" she agreed without hesitation.Marx's Steakhouse is our favorite restaurant in North Hills, where we had our wedding reception in December.
I changed and arrived at Marx's Steakhouse fifteen minutes early.Annabelle hadn't shown up yet, and I was surprised to find Kate Hale sitting in a booth with her husband.It would be foolish to pretend not to see them, so I greeted them good night as I passed them.Arthur Hale rose at once to greet me.
"Good evening, doctor. Shall we have a drink?"
"I'm waiting for my wife, she should be here soon."
"It's okay, sit down first and wait for her to come."
I spoke to Max so he knew where I was, and sat down with them. "No need to get me a drink," I said, "I'll wait for Annabelle."
Arthur Hale, with his gold-rimmed spectacles and a pipe puffing from his mouth, was a pedant.He was about fifty years old, probably a few years older than his wife, and when the town council was not so busy he went to work in a printing company he ran, which employed a dozen men.
"Kate was telling me about her meeting with a psychic in Boston, and she said she talked to you today too. What do you think?"
Although I don't like being involved in other people's domestic affairs, I think it's worth repeating the advice to Kate.When I finished, she took over.
"Arthur agrees with you, Dr. Sam, and I admit that there may be truth to what you say. But there's no harm in trying. Anyway, her request is only three hundred dollars plus travel expenses, and she can come to our house and do a deduction." Spirit meeting."
"Three hundred is a lot," Hale muttered.
"Is three hundred yuan too much to talk to our son and hear his voice again?"
"Kate—" he said pleadingly, "be sensible."
"If you're concerned that this woman is an impostor, we can have Dr. Sam as a witness."
"I'm not going to..."
But before I could object, her husband looked at me with a beaming face.
"Dr. Sam, you'll be here, won't you?"
"That's a little outside my area of expertise," I protested.
"Nonsense! Who doesn't know your strong case-solving skills. From a certain point of view, isn't this the same as those impossible cases?"
"If you suspect that the other party is committing fraud, you should go to Sergeant Lansi, not me."
"Why don't you both come along," Kate suggested.
I finally saw the dawn of escape.
"If you can convince Sergeant Lan Si, then I will join."
This is a sure bet, because I know Sergeant Lens is unlikely to be interested in such things.
Turns out I was wrong.
The next afternoon, Sergeant Lens called me.
"Good afternoon, Doctor. Still wrestling with your wedding day?"
"It's nothing like that," I told him in a firm tone, "but you, do you plan to serve another term?"
I ask this question every four years, and the answer is always yes.He was first elected sheriff in 1918, about four years before I came to North Hills, and he is now serving his sixth term.
"Once, when I was depressed, I promised Vera at the memorial that I would not stay this year. She thought twenty-four years was long enough for anyone, but his grandma, the doctor— What can I do when I retire? To raise chickens on a farm? Plus the war broke out, and then I told her that I was going to do the last term, and she agreed."
When I heard him say that, I was overjoyed.I can't imagine what it's like to have another person as sheriff of North Hills.
"Besides," he went on, "you are calling today to talk about Arthur Hale and his wife, who are having a seance."
"Don't bring it up, Sheriff. I told them I'd be there if you were, but that was just a way out. I'm sorry they lost their son, but it can't be my Reasons to support superstitious activities. Obviously, this Sandra Glim is here for the money of the old couple. The reason why she wants to hold a seance at home is because she wants to take the opportunity to see their family's wealth , so that we can know how much money there is in this business.”
"That being the case, wouldn't protecting the weak and exposing the deception be the best reason for us to attend this ceremony?" the sheriff argued. "Nobody can do it better than the two of us."
I have to admit he hit a point.
"Are you really going to help?" I asked.
"I think we have an obligation, doctor."
I sighed and raised my hands in surrender.
"When will she arrive?"
"Saturday. She'll spend the night at the old couple's house and return to Boston on Sunday."
"Is she driving here?"
"Take the train. Gasoline is worth more than gold after rationing."
As a practicing doctor, I have a bit more gasoline than the average person, but I have to put my own colored sticker on the windshield.Trains are becoming more and more common means of transportation these days, especially in our town, as North Hills is far from any commercial airport.
"Okay, Sheriff. If you're willing to die, I'm willing to bury you!"
At four or five o'clock on Saturday afternoon, Arthur and Kate were on the platform to meet the arrival of the train carrying Sandra Glim.It was June 6th, which happened to be my half-year wedding anniversary with Annabelle, and she wanted us to have dinner to celebrate, or at least a night together at home.I could only promise her to go back as soon as possible, but I didn't expect that even this seemingly easy promise could not be fulfilled smoothly.
I picked up Sergeant Lens in my Buick and headed to my destination tonight.
"Have you heard the news, doctor? There are rumors that a large-scale naval battle is about to break out in the Pacific Ocean, near Midway Island."
"Hopefully our country can win."
I had been to Hale's a few times for my medical appointments, so I was familiar with the imposing masonry frontage of their house.This former church sits on top of a hill at the end of Ranch Road.No one seems to know what became of those church congregations, since the building was converted into a private residence in the twenties anyway.Because the design layout was a bit of a problem, people just built a windowless pantry across from the kitchen.Some people think that this separate small room is used to provide a shelter for those who have a fear of storms, so it is also called the "lightning shelter".Others offered a more uninteresting explanation, arguing that the Prohibition-era conversion had something to do with booze, and that the windowless garage-turned-room should have been used to store boxes of smuggled goods. Imported Scotch Whiskey.
In short, the room with four blank walls and a solid concrete floor is now empty, except for a card table and three folding chairs. On the table is an open bottle of white wine and three glasses.Ceiling lights are the only lighting in the room.Arthur and Kate Hale, who had been waiting for us for a long time, immediately introduced Sandra Glim to us.As Kate had told me, the woman was in her late fifties, with long black hair that fell to her shoulders.Unexpectedly, she kept her figure very well, and her pair of black eyes studied everyone present with great interest.She wore a black gown with a pink scarf wrapped around her neck—the only two colors on her body.I didn't expect my enemy to be like this, besides, she exudes the charm of the opposite sex.The number of chairs at the card table made it clear that she had excluded me and the sheriff from tonight's ceremony.
"Doctor Hawthorne," she said when the guest and the host introduced, "Kate and I have talked a lot about you, and I am very much looking forward to tonight's spiritual meeting."
I looked into her eyes, trying in vain to catch what she was really thinking.Apart from provocation, I can't see through her intentions.
"Then I am also looking forward to adding two chairs." I reminded her.
"Oh, not tonight. In order to successfully find Ronald Hale's ghost, only his closest blood relatives can attend."
Sergeant Lan Si didn't like her tone of voice very much, so he said, "Girl, I must be present to prevent any possible crime."
For the first time Sandra Glim set her sights on the Sheriff.
"Is there a law in Beishan Town that prohibits spiritual communication with dead people?"
"This...not really." He admitted.
"Is it just banning people from helping others through bereavement?"
"Neither, but we have laws that prohibit any form of fraud."
The brunette turned to Mrs. Hale and her husband and asked, "Have I ever cheated on you? Have I made any unreasonable monetary demands other than modest fees?"
"Of course not!" Kate immediately cheered, while Arthur Hale remained silent.
I think it's time to give this woman some color and see.
"It's okay not to let us participate, but we must search this room to make sure there are no institutions."
The woman shrugged.
"This is the old couple's house, not mine. I haven't even warmed up my chair yet."
The entire room is windowless, just big enough for a car, and if it used to be a garage, there is no garage entrance now.The walls are solid and reliable, and the electric light overhead is inaccessible without a ladder.Careful inspection by the sheriff and I of the underside and interior of the card table and chairs revealed nothing suspicious.
"Are you two satisfied?" Sandra Glim asked.
Looking at her long black gown, I was fully aware that there would be more than enough psychic tricks here, so I asked, "You don't mind Mrs. Hale having you searched, do you?"
The woman smiled slightly and said, "Then I have to search her too."
"Come on..." Arthur Hale was about to protest, but his wife stopped him.
"That's fine," she said, "just do it."
The psychic man raised his hands above his head and stood quietly on the spot. Kate Hale walked down the opponent's slender body with both hands, especially carefully checking around the legs.During the search, Sandra Glim rubbed her foot out of the shoe so Mrs Hale could examine it.When one foot was lifted, she couldn't help laughing and said, "I'm a little ticklish here."
Next, Sandra repeated the procedure to Kate, and was touched by two hands, which made Kate look a little embarrassed, but she did not complain about it.
"Very well," Arthur said to Inspector Lens, "it's my turn to search."
After all the searches were completed, nothing unusual was found.Sandra's wallet was left on the kitchen counter, with Halle's wallet and keys.None of the women's clothes had pockets, and Mr. Hale had only a handkerchief and his leather spectacles in his pockets.
I inquired again about the wine on the table and was told Sandra had brought it.
“Some chefs drink some white wine before they start work,” she told me. “I’m like them.”
I held the bottle up to the light and looked at it. There was only liquid in it.I took a sip and it was indeed wine.
"Excellent wine," I complimented.
"Okay, let's take our places," Sandra Grim announced, pouring wine into three glasses.She turned around and issued an eviction order to the sheriff and me: "The Hales and I will occupy this place for the summoning ceremony. If you two are worried, you can move outside the door to guard."
But just before the ceremony was about to start, a strange thing happened.It was getting dark late in June, and a bell came to our ears.It was not someone ringing the doorbell, but more like some random ringing from the street.Kate reacted immediately.
"That's the knife sharpener. Sheriff, would you please bring him the two paring knives I keep on the kitchen counter? I keep the change next to the knives."
Sergeant Lan Si seemed a little hesitant to deal with this kind of housework, so I immediately said: "You stay here, I will go."
I found the knife and came to the side of the road in three steps.The knife sharpener Peter Petrov stopped his carriage when he saw me.
"What are you doing here, Dr. Sam?"
"Visiting a patient," I told him, "help her polish these two guys up?"
"With pleasure!" He took the knife, set the footrest on the sharpener, and brought the blade close to the wheel, sparks flying.After a while, he began to sharpen the second knife.
"Okay! It's the same as the one I just bought," he said.
I took the sharpened knife and paid for it.
"Say hello to Mrs. Hale for me." While speaking, he pulled the bell rope and drove away in the carriage. The tinkling sound told people that the knife sharpener had arrived.
"Thank you, I'll talk to her."
I went back inside and put the sharpened knife back on the sink by the stove.Sergeant Lan Si was standing at the door of the storage room, which was tightly closed.
"I heard whispers, but it's kind of quiet in here," he told me.
"Did they lock the door?"
"No, but with me guarding here, no ghost can fly in, doctor." I smiled slightly.
"You shouldn't have stopped them, how embarrassing it is for Sandra Glim."
We waited a few more minutes, listening to the house.There was silence behind the door.
Finally, the sheriff couldn't bear to ask: "Doctor, go in and see what's going on?"
"It's only been fifteen minutes so far. The seance doesn't end so soon."
I wandered around the door again, then sat down and looked at Hale's magazines.They bought the latest issues of Life, National Geographic, and Ellery Quinn Mystery Magazine, a mystery magazine that had been out since last fall.Flipping through the issue, I was drawn to a story by Stuart Palmer and decided to read it.At this moment, the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground came from the storage room!
"Is everything okay inside?" Lan Si asked loudly, but there was no response from inside.He turned the handle and slowly pushed the door open.
The overhead lights were still on.Arthur Hale slumped forward on the table.Kate fell from her chair and fell unconscious.Sandra Glim sat up straight, her head thrown back, her pink scarf stained with blood—her throat had been slit.
It took us a while for Kate and Arthur to wake up.Both of them looked groggy, they should have been drugged.Other than holding Sandra's hand at the beginning of the ceremony, no one remembers what happened after the wine.
"One of you had better tell the truth," Sergeant Lan Si said. "Besides the dead, there were only you two in the room, and I was guarding the only door, so no one else could be the murderer. At the same time, this is not the case. Possibly a suicide as no dagger was found."
I checked Sandra Glim's condition and confirmed she was dead.The next job is to search the scene, including the corpses, tables and chairs, and they must be searched exhaustively.In the end, the dagger was still not found.
"I'm afraid we'll have to search both of you again," I told them.
I searched Kate's clothes and body as carefully as possible so as not to offend.Having said that, as my patient, she has been examined by me many times.No murder weapon could be found on her.On the side, Sergeant Lansi was searching her husband.He first took out the handkerchief and the glasses case from Halle's pocket, the glasses slipped out of the corner of the case, and then searched up and down quickly with his nimble hands.I'm sure neither of them had hidden daggers, not even small blades.Because they have no motive.What good would it do them to kill this woman?
But I still can't ignore any remote possibility.From my medicine bag I took a couple of spatulas, which I used every time I checked Arthur and Kate's throats, and a small flashlight.
"What's this for?" Hale asked.
"Please tell me, 'Ah'..."
So they both did.
"I need to make sure you didn't swallow the murder weapon," I explained.
"Do you think I'm the kind of magician who can perform sword swallowing?" he asked.
"Don't be afraid of ten thousand, just in case."
"What about Kate? Have you ever heard of a female sword-swallowing artist?"
"Don't tell me, there really are," I told him, "more than forty years ago at the turn of the century, there was a woman named Edith Clifford who was rumored to be able to swallow sixteen short Sword. Of course, she is not an ordinary person, but works in a circus. But the two of you are fine, and my inspection is complete. Go outside, the colleagues of Sheriff Lan Si are coming soon."
When the sheriff called back to the station, Arthur Hale came to the kitchen to retrieve his wallet, Kate following closely behind him.
"I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything, but we were the only ones in the room. Arthur, it couldn't be you..."
He turned around.
"No, I didn't do it. If any of us was a murderer, it must be you."
I immediately interrupted the conversation.
"It's useless to say that. We need to find clues to solve this case."
Kate walked over to the counter and picked up a sharpened paring knife.
"Where's the other one?" she asked.
"It should be on the sink. The knife sharpener has sharpened both knives, and I put them together for you."
The strange thing is that there is only one knife left now, and the other has disappeared.The sheriff and I searched the kitchen thoroughly, down to the drawers where the other utensils were kept, but found nothing.
"We'd better search the old couple again..." he said.
I thought it made sense, so we searched more carefully than last time.
The missing paring knife was still missing.
"God!" Kate suddenly gasped, and said as if she had suddenly realized, "Could it be that some guide did it?"
Sergeant Lan Si said dismissively, "I'd rather believe in invisible people than ghosts."
"Even an invisible man couldn't have committed the crime," I argued, "because you were at the closed door when I brought back the sharpened knife, so he couldn't have stolen it. Then the knife enters the house and commits murder."
"Then forget about the knife, Doctor. It's clear that one of these two men did it!"
"Where is the murder weapon? You can't use fingernails, right?"
"Could it be those drinking glasses?"
Everyone went back into the chamber again and checked the cups and bottles, but found neither sharp edges nor cracks.The three wine glasses were almost empty, so I took a close sniff.Then I took a drop from the bottle with my finger and tasted it with the tip of my tongue.
"Although it is not certain yet, it is very likely that Mongolian sweat medicine has been put in the wine."
"Sandra poured the wine herself," Kate Hale tells us. "Why did she put us to sleep?"
"Maybe that's why she's doing those tricks," I said. "She's probably going to wake you up after she's all set up."
"Stop it, Doctor," protested Sergeant Lens, "if what you want to say is that she let a third person into the house, that's impossible!"
"Who said it must be a living person of flesh and blood," Kate said, "She has always dealt with gods and monsters."
"Kate..." Her husband couldn't take it anymore.
"I know you don't believe me, but is there any other explanation? She summoned a spirit, but unexpectedly, the spirit took a sharpened paring knife from the kitchen counter and turned the summoning My own people gave the result."
"Why do spirits do this?" I tried to reason with her. "She's their friend."
Kate's husband has had enough of all this.
"Stop being so godlike. There's no such thing in the world. This woman killed herself, that's all."
"Where did the knife go?" Sergeant Lan Si asked.
"Ice knives might melt after use. The ice water and blood are mixed together, and no one notices."
I shake my head.
"Ice skates can't make such sharp wounds, because they're not sharp enough. And each of you has been searched, forget? No one can hide a skate on their body."
"Or the razor blades that she swallowed as soon as she killed herself."
"She slit her own throat and swallowed the blade? No kidding, Mr. Hale."
As unbelievable as it sounds, this absurd idea reminded me.In addition to sword swallowers, there are also people who can swallow small things such as blades.If one of the Hales had taped the blade to his leg, it should have been possible to escape the search.After killing with a blade, they swallowed it in order to destroy the evidence.
"What are you thinking, doctor?" Sergeant Lan Si asked.
"If you have no objection, I would like to take the Hales to the hospital for a radiographic examination."
"X-ray?"
I nod.
"We have to see if there are any sharp weapons in their bodies."
Arthur Hale grumbled somewhat disapprovingly, but after the sheriff's assistant and the coroner arrived at the scene, I drove them to the hospital anyway.I was vigilant all the way to keep them from disappearing from my sight, even while waiting in the waiting room, and I was not relieved until after the full-body x-ray scan-they were all inside and out. No hidden razor blades or any other murder weapon.So the weapon that killed Sandra Glim either remained in that room, or was disposed of by some means I have not yet discovered.I recalled a case I handled in Beishan Town in the early years. The throat of the murdered man was cut with a thin fishing line.However, this does not apply to the case, and the body search and radiographic examination of the two people have ruled out this possibility.
I'd love to get to the scene of the crime before the Hales go home and check the windowless enclosure again.But it’s not easy to tell them clearly.Fortunately, the police chief helped me out. He asked the couple to go to the police station with him to make a complete statement.In case the police had already left the scene, I took the room key from Mr. Hale.He took out the key ring from his pocket and rummaged through it one by one.
"I have presbyopia, and I can't tell which one it is without glasses. Can you see which one is the Yale lock?"
"This one," I said, and I took a key from the key chain, "I'll return it to you when you're done using it." I left them with the sheriff, and confirmed with nurse Aibo that there were no emergency patients, and then off in a hurry.
Autopsy and inquest personnel are still at the scene.Watching them work in an orderly manner, I realized that during the 20 years I have been in Beishan Town, the crime scene investigation technology under Sergeant Lan Si has made great progress.One of the deputies even extracted a small grain of sand from the cement floor.
"If a ghost did it, it's probably sand from the underworld," he said gravely.
I am speechless.
"Did the survey find anything?" I asked. "Is there a trap door or a hidden room?"
"Nothing of the sort, doctor. The walls are unadorned, the floors are concrete, and the ceiling is single-story light."
I took a ladder from the kitchen and climbed up to the ceiling to find out.The structure of the lamp is a frosted glass ball fixed outside the two bulbs.There are no traces of passive hands and feet.Next, I checked the light switch by the door.I unscrewed and removed the switch panel, and there was enough room behind it for a pocket knife or razor blade, but there was nothing there except a spider scurrying into a crack in the wood.
It was hopeless.In this way, the more I think about it, the more I feel that the key to solving the mystery may not be in North Mountain Town, but in Boston.
Annabelle was not happy when I told her that I would be driving two hours to Boston the next morning and that I might spend the night there.I knew she couldn't come with me because there was so much work on the Ark.
"Why was this woman murdered?" I asked, "I must know the motive. If Kate Hale had murdered because she found out she had been deceived, would it be necessary to lure her all the way to North Hills and do it this way?" ? It would be even more unreasonable if her husband did it, he hasn't even seen the other party's performance yet."
"Even if you arrive in Boston, who can you ask for news?" Annabelle asked puzzled.
"Mrs. Hale says she has a sister in Boston. Maybe I can get some clues from her."
The next morning, the exciting news came from Midway Island. Our navy's victory over Japan in this naval battle also overshadowed another negative news: a small part of the Japanese army was in the two islands of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Successfully logged in.The weather conditions were good that day and the traffic on Sunday was very smooth, all of which made for a great drive to Boston.I had no trouble finding Sandra Glim's home, where she and her sister shared an apartment in a large old house overlooking Boston Common.
Josephine Glimm answered the door.
"Are you the police?" she asked quickly. "They've been here once."
I introduced myself and explained to her that I was assisting the North Hill Sheriff in the investigation into the murder of her sister.Josephine is a tall and slender girl. She has long brown hair and bangs, and she looks quite temperamental. She is probably much younger than Sandra.
"It was a bolt from the blue for me," she said in her familiar Boston accent, "but let's be honest with you, we're not sisters. We're close, but the Glim sisters only exist on stage."
"stage?"
"Burlesque. Have you got a clue about the murderer?"
"Not yet," I admitted honestly, "but we're doing our best to investigate."
She invited me in and I found a chair facing her.
"Do you preside over the seance, too?"
"That's all..." She stopped what she was going to say in time, maybe she didn't want to speak ill of her friend.
After a brief awkward silence, she spoke again: "Sandra and I started performing burlesque together about ten years ago. Since then we have been known as the Glim Sisters. The performances are similar to于读心术，我穿着闪闪发光的紧身衣，手里握着怀表或者项链这些物件，在观众席穿行，珊德拉要做的就是在蒙着眼睛的情况下辨认这些物件。可事实上根本没那么神，我的台词里总是藏着我们事先商量好的关键字。”
“你的意思是，你们是骗人的？”
她有些烦躁地在椅子里挪动身体。
“这是表演啊。就像魔术师一样，我们是在娱乐观众。大家都心知肚明。”
“这都是珊德拉的点子吧？”
“这个，没准儿，我猜应该是的。那时候我俩都年轻着呢，她觉得表演滑稽歌舞剧能够引起帅哥们的注意。”
“你们都没结婚？”
“当时没有，但珊德拉身边不缺男人。”
“她从什么时候起开始从事这种和鬼魂打交道的工作？”
约瑟芬耸耸肩。
“滑稽歌舞剧没落了，她就转行干起了这个，读不了活人的心，就去和死人说话呗。我猜她肯定觉得这是职业发展的正常路线。”
“你为她的新角色提供过什么帮助吗？”我问。
“没有。我在州议会大厦担任秘书。尽管住在一起，但我们都有各自的生活。我有过几年婚姻，可后来和丈夫关系闹僵了，她就让我搬过来一起住。”
我又向她提了一些事先在记事本上准备的问题：“凯特·黑尔，就是那个儿子在珍珠港遇难的妇人，她说珊德拉和她谈过举行降灵会的安排。你知道这是什么时候的事吗？”
她想了一会儿。
“我可以查查，所有的联系记录她都有保留。我说的不是男性朋友那种联系啦，只是单纯的灵媒业务。整个新英格兰南部的报纸她都会读，专看上面的战争伤亡名单。一看到有谁被确认死亡了，她就打电话给死者最近的亲属，推销自己的服务。”
“真残忍。”
“有些时候，我认为这么做未尝不是一件助人为乐的善事。”
约瑟芬走到房间角落的一张书桌旁，一边说着，一边用视线搜寻珊德拉的行事历。
“找到了！四月二十五日，打电话给凯特·黑尔，诚邀光临寒舍，举行降灵会。两周之后的五月八日，黑尔太太应邀前来。又过了一周，她再度前来，第二次参加降灵会。”
“你知不知道珊德拉打算在北山镇的黑尔家也举行一场降灵会？”
“不知道。警察告诉我的时候，我可吃了一惊。她极少在外面搞降灵活动，一般都在家里。我之所以知道这一点，是因为每次她有客人来，我都得回避。”
“有没有什么人非常讨厌珊德拉，恨不得把她杀死的那种？”
"Anyway, I don't know."
我又问了几个问题，但都没有得到我感兴趣的信息。珊德拉·格利姆的生活就像她的死亡一样，是一个谜。那天下午晚些时候，我驱车返回北山镇。
“我们走进死胡同了，医生，”第二天早上，蓝思警长告诉我，“黑尔和他妻子当中肯定有一个是凶手，但是凶器到底去哪里了？有没有可能是合谋？那样的话，他们的动机可叫人捉摸不透了。”
“如果他们是凶手，不太可能在自己家里下手，何况当时还有我们那么严密的监视，这和作茧自缚没有区别。一定有一些被我们忽视的线索。”
“那个磨刀师傅，皮特·佩特罗夫？没准他帮你磨完刀转个身就潜入了密室。”
“除非他能穿墙。对了，葡萄酒的分析结果出来了没有？”
他点了点头：“里面掺杂了一种作用温和的安眠药粉，不过生效迅速，应该是三人中的某一人所为。”
“仪式举行前，我尝了一小滴，当时没有发现异样，不过药粉也有可能是在那之后加入的，总之不是黑尔就是他妻子干的，但不可能是珊德拉·格利姆自己。”
“这案子才两个疑犯，就让我们忙得团团转！你有什么想法，医生？”
“没别的办法，回黑尔家去，再调查一次。说不定会有新的发现。”
今年六月，异于往年的暖和，警长将他的车停在黑尔家门口的时候，凯特·黑尔已经在花园里打理初绽的玫瑰了。
“瞧这些小家伙，漂亮吗？”她问，“这一丛是为了纪念罗纳德特意栽种的。我想他会喜欢的。”
“很抱歉再次登门打扰您，”警长说，“但没解决的问题还是一大堆。”
她的丈夫听到我们谈话的声音，也来到玫瑰园里。
“案子有什么进展吗？”他问道。
骄阳在他的银色镜框上反射出耀眼的光芒，他举起一只手遮住双眼。
“没有。你俩是头号嫌犯，这早就不是什么新闻了。没有第三个人进出过那间屋子。”
“可我们都睡过去啦。”亚瑟·黑尔指出。
I shake my head.
“你们有一个人是在犯案后才把杯中酒喝掉的，我们还是进去谈吧。”
看得出来，两口子都不太愿意接受无休无止的询问。
“不是我干的，”凯特·黑尔说，“要不就是亚瑟。”
他看了一眼妻子，喃喃道：“凯特……”
“进去。”蓝思警长用命令的口吻说道，他们这才朝门的方向聚拢过去。
借此机会，我再次打量起厨房，就是在这里，那把削皮刀犹如变戏法一般地消失了。不过这件事已经不再困扰着我。不知道为什么，今天早上我醒来的时候，脑海里浮现了自己把刀放在流理台时的场景：流理台紧靠着炉灶，两者之间肯定有缝隙，没错，那是一条比四分之一英寸稍宽的细缝。
“你们有没有手电？”我问黑尔。
他给我找了一支，我对着橱柜和炉灶之间一阵猛照。果然，在黑咕隆咚的最底下，那把失踪的刀子安安静静地躺在地板上。
“解开了一个。”我说。
“看来是不小心掉在这里的呢。”黑尔说。
“也许是凶手刻意放的。发现珊德拉的尸体后，你们当中有人来到厨房，看到桌上的削皮刀，临时起意，将其中一把推进了炉灶与流理台之间的空隙里。这必然是凶手所为，他想要借此增加鬼魂借刀杀人的感染力。”
“究竟是谁，医生？”警长问，“你心里应该有底了吧？”
"Ok."
我们像一群旧的知心老友，围着厨房里的一张餐桌坐下，凯特甚至为大家冲了一壶咖啡。
“大家都知道，”我开始分析，“本案的全部关键就在于动机。就算珊德拉·格利姆打算骗取你们的钱财，这也不足以产生足够强烈的杀人动机。你们只需要离她远远的，告诉她我们不需要降灵会这种骗人的把戏就可以了。所以，谋杀背后，一定藏着别的原因。昨天我和珊德拉的同居密友见了面，她们以前是滑稽歌舞剧的搭档，从她那里，我知道了真正的动机。”
“你怎么知道的？”凯特·黑尔问。
“日期错误。据珊德拉的行事历记载，她第一次给你打电话谈论您孩子是在四月二十五日，后来的五月八日，是你第一次参加她举办的降灵会，一周后，又有了第二次。你们俩在四月中旬的时候，就获悉儿子在前线阵亡的消息，但官方伤亡名单直到五月一日才见报。珊德拉是通过报纸获取客户信息的，因此她不可能在四月二十五日就得知你们儿子已经被确认死亡的消息——至少从报纸上她不可能知道。事实上，考虑到北山镇距离波士顿不过两小时的车程，我们可以大胆推论，珊德拉·格利姆在名单上报之前，已经从你们中的一人口中得知了这一消息。”
“等等！”亚瑟迫不及待地提出反对意见，“说不定她从早些时候的报纸上找到了失踪人员名单，上面也有我们孩子的名字。”
I shook my head.
“降灵会是针对死者举行的。你们当中肯定有人把儿子死亡的确认消息告诉了珊德拉。而这不太可能是你，凯特，否则就无法解释她为什么如此翔实地记录下四月二十五日的通话内容。但是你告诉过我，罗纳德被报道在珍珠港事件中失踪后，亚瑟曾经情绪失控。并在一、二月份的时候离家好几天。到了四月，悲惨的消息得到了证实，亚瑟又一次不见了。你觉得他可能找了个地方借酒浇愁，可能真被你说中了。我关注的重点不是他有没有喝酒，而是去了哪里喝酒。我认为答案是波士顿，在那里他遇见了珊德拉·格利姆，一个专门勾引男人的骚货。”
我的这些话让凯特面无血色。我知道这对她的打击有多大，但是我别无选择。
“他把心中的苦闷向这个女人倾吐，于是她便和你联系，说要为你召唤死去儿子的灵魂。后来，你终于鼓起勇气把这个消息告诉了你的丈夫，他内心的暴怒可想而知，只不过可能没有完全表现出来。也许他打过电话给珊德拉，警告对方不得骚扰自己的妻子，更不要想靠近北山镇一步。他知道那个女人要的只不过是钱，有什么比诈骗更来钱的手段呢？她老早在肚子里准备了一箩筐的各种降灵仪式，要是你打算揭穿她，她想必会以牙还牙，直接找到凯特，跟她说，你的丈夫是个不忠诚的坏坯子。”
“听起来像煞有介事的样子，”亚瑟说，“你有什么证据吗？”
“为了取回钱包和钥匙，你是第一个回到厨房的人，就在那时，你把其中一把刀藏了起来。如果这还不能让你老实认罪，我还有直接的证据可以证明你是可能且唯一的凶手。”
He smiled lightly.
“没有凶器，蓝思警长又把守着出入口，你要怎么证明？”
“你当然有，而且蓝思警长应该比任何人更早猜到这一点。”
警长听我这么一说显得非常迷惑。
“我应该猜到？为什么是我？”
“因为亚瑟割破了这骗子的喉咙，用一块破裂的眼镜镜片。”
当我抛出这张王牌之后，黑尔顿时面如死灰。
“那天晚上在马克思的牛排馆里我注意到你常戴的眼镜是金边的，而你现在戴着的——另外一副，毫无疑问——却是银色镜框。而且，谋杀发生后的几小时内，你都没有戴眼镜。你甚至还对我说自己无法找到开门的那把钥匙，因为你有老花眼。案发后警长曾在你的口袋里找到那个藏有凶器的真皮眼镜盒，遗憾的是，我记得他只拉出了眼镜的一角而未加细查。”
“这一切是怎么完成的？”蓝思警长仍然有些迷糊。
“我尝过之后，他便在酒里边下了药，当时我们的注意力被磨刀师傅的铃声所吸引。后来凯特和珊德拉喝酒的时候，亚瑟佯装举杯，实则没喝。几分钟过后，两人很快就陷入了昏睡，他用珊德拉的围巾护住自己的手，将镜片打碎，从中挑了一块最大的作为凶器杀人，整个过程中，他始终用围巾包着自己的手，一来防止划伤自己，二来也可以避免沾上死者的血。附带一提，珊德拉戴围巾的习惯他应该是知道的。完成以上的一切，他这才真的喝下杯中酒，然后倒在自己妻子身旁。就算我们当时从眼镜盒里取出眼镜，因为光线昏暗，可能也无法马上发现有一块镜片不见了。”
“那些碎片到哪儿去了？”警长问，“你可别告诉我他都吞到肚子里去了。”
“当然不是，他只是用力把这些碎片踩得尽可能小，和水泥地上的灰尘混在一块儿。你可以问问你的助手，他收集了地面上的一小粒固体样本。”
凯特终于不再沉默了，问道：“亚瑟，医生说的都是真的？”
“她在勒索我，凯特，而且还利用罗纳德的死，利用我们脆弱的情感诈骗我们的钱财。罗纳德尸骨未寒，我不可能在这个时候让你知道我从另一个女人身上寻找慰藉。不把她杀了，这事儿就没完。”
这真是一个悲伤的案子，从头至尾都令人心酸。亚瑟被带走后，蓝思警长和我陷入了久久的沉默。最后，警长开口道：“医生，房间里只有他们两个人，所以他心里明白，凯特知道谁是凶手。”
“我看未必，警长。如果他能够把握机会，使案件看起来非人类所为，那么她便会相信凶手是某种灵魂吧。这也解释了他为什么灵机一动，把刀藏了起来，目的就是为了转移妻子对自己的怀疑。”
晚上回家，安娜贝尔告诉我她的诊所今天死了一只猫。
“我真的都难过地哭了，山姆。它是多么可爱的一个小东西啊！对了，你有没有为某个案子里的被害人流过泪呢？”
“珊德拉·格利姆是罪有应得。”我坐下来，开始跟她讲这个悲伤的故事。
Notes:
Notes: