Chapter 5 candidate lounge
In November 1942, with the country in the midst of a world war, in North Hills, Sergeant Lens decided to run for election for the last time, which, if successful, would be his seventh term.He was first elected in 1918, and almost four years later, I started my practice in North Hills (Dr. I can be said to be doing my best.Annabelle and I were married on December 6th, 1941, nearly a year before Sheriff Lenz was about to face his first campaign, and naturally she and I were on the same side, doing everything in my power to support Lancer. Sheriff Si was re-elected.
"Annabelle's Ark" is the most well-equipped animal clinic in the area, and because of the booming business, the assistant has grown to two, which means that she can spend more evenings at home.One day in October, she also found time to attend a voter meeting with me to canvass for Sergeant Lens.This year's other candidate was a young guy named Ray Anders, a nice, if inexperienced guy who had only been a sheriff's assistant for two years.We also participated in an Anders canvassing rally, wanting to see the strength of the opponent.It was a Sunday afternoon, the meeting was held in the manor hall, and we stood in the last row of the crowded hall to avoid attracting attention.Anders was nearly 30 years old, with black hair and a faint charm.He occasionally jokes about having a log cabin on the outskirts of town, too bad he's not Abraham Lincoln.It was a well-known fact that he and his wife had a decent home near the town square.He began by praising our heroic sailors who were still fighting on Guadalcanal, and then explained that he was unable to serve his country because of rheumatic heart disease.As the speech continued, the theme gradually evolved into inspiration for young people and the urgent need for fresh blood in the town's police department.
"I have a capable and reliable opponent," he said generously, "he has been in office for twenty-four years, and he is fifty-six years old this year!"
He was absolutely right, Sergeant Lens was ten years older than me.When the other party pointed out this fact, I could feel the raging anger of Sergeant Lansi beside me.I tugged on his arm in case he got excited and spouted a lot.From the chairs in the front row, some Anders supporters chanted excitedly: "Long live young! Long live young!"
I pushed Sergeant Lens to the door before he exploded.
"You never would have guessed," he yelled as soon as he came out, "I didn't give him the job! He's been with me for two years, maybe got a speeding ticket or two, and has no decent grades other than that. Now he's I actually feel that I have the ability to do a better job than me!"
"Calm down!" I said, "Do you want to have a heart attack too?"
"How could I have a heart attack? Because of age? Because I'm fifty-six?"
I sadly pushed him out the door.Sergeant Lan Si has never dealt with me as a patient in these years. The reason is very simple. It is rare to have a very healthy body at the age of nearly sixty.His wife, Vera, is largely credited with this.Therefore, his health will not negatively affect the election, but his age is clearly a disadvantage.
Ray Anders' campaign manager was named Jonathan, though he preferred to be called Major Cassel, which was his last name, and major was his rank in World War I—which was his I said it myself.He was in his early fifties, he had held some insignificant roles in the state legislature, and now he was canvassing for the local sheriff election in a small place like North Hills. I wondered what brought him here.Probably for the money, Ray Anders married Jane Brophy, whose family owned a lucrative tobacco field just outside town, and she was rumored to be backing her husband's campaign with billions of dollars, which may have included Including a payment from Major Cassel.As a matter of course, he lived in their log cabin, which was Jane Anders' dowry, so to speak.
We had dinner that night at the sheriff's house, where Vera cooked her best lamb chops, and we talked about today's election.Annabelle thought it was Major Cassell's idea to focus on the Sheriff's age.
"It's disgusting to use this kind of method." She was indignant.
"Have you ever had contact with Ray Anders?" I asked.
"No, but he did see his wife's pet monkey once. She looks fine."
"Are you right, are you a human or a monkey?" Willa Lens joked, and handed a plate of food to the table.
Everyone was amused, and Annabelle replied, "It's pretty good, if I'm honest."
Joking aside, Sergeant Lan Si quickly returned to seriousness.
"Doctor, how are we going to deal with age? No one in the previous elections has ever exploited that."
"That's because you were young before," I told him. "Fifty-six is certainly not old by today's standards, but when you were born, the average life expectancy was only forty-six. Even in Today, the life expectancy of a white male is only sixty-two years. Old trees can grow new branches, and time cannot turn back. The only thing we can do is emphasize your experience in this position. Throw the statistics to the voters and let them see How many murders have you solved over the years!"
"Those grades are half of yours," the sheriff said with emotion, "he must have said so."
After dinner the sheriff and I went to the smoking room while the women cleared away the dishes.At home, I help Annabelle with the housework, but Sheriff Lance is different from me. Although he is only ten years older than me, we are already two generations old.
"You can do it," I tried to encourage him. "Ray Anders wants to be sheriff here. It's still a long way off."
With the footsteps of October passing day by day, the warm and pleasant autumn in New England almost made us forget the battles on the front line. Unexpectedly, Anders seemed to gradually gather more and more popularity.Some of the lieutenants who worked with Anders have also joined his campaign, and Sheriff Lansi is very hurt by the defection of these people.Vera even conducted an extremely unscientific poll. She found a hundred numbers in the phone book, and asked them one by one. As a result, forty people supported Sergeant Lan Si, and thirty-seven people supported Ryan. Des, the rest said he hadn't made up his mind yet.In fact, there are still many voters without phones, and we have no way of knowing what their choices will be.
On October 26, eight days before the final vote, there was an unpleasant scene outside the sheriff's office.Rob Gallagher, one of Anders' fellow supporters, was handing out flyers in the parking lot.I happened to be driving by and saw the sheriff storming toward the parking lot, a confrontation was inevitable.Fearing that this incident might have some ill effect, I hurried across the road towards them.
"I'm not at work today!" said Gallagher persistently. "Besides, this is outside the police station. Citizens have freedom of speech, Sheriff. Are you going to get me out of the station for this?"
Lean but muscular, Gallagher was not only over six feet tall, but a quarter of a century younger than Sergeant Lens.If they fight, it's clear who wins and who loses.
"Okay, you two," I yelled, breaking them apart, "Go back, Sheriff."
He wanted to say something, but then seemed to change his mind.He turned around sharply and walked towards the office.
"Doctor, are you going to let me go home too?" Gallagher asked.
"Go somewhere else, Rob. Practice your free speech out of the Sheriff's sight."
"I confirmed with Major Cassel that it is not illegal to do so."
"He's right, but we have to try to make the election as harmonious as possible."
After saying this, I followed Officer Lens back to his office and closed the door behind him.
"What the hell happened?" I asked.
"I don't know, Doctor. I've never met a match like this in my life. I haven't had any obstacles in half my life! Even the Democrats have backed me many times."
"Rob Gallagher is obviously from Anders' side. What about the attitude of the other adjutants?"
"There's some leaning towards the Anders side, but Gallagher is the only real problem. He's officially a Republican, but he's a close personal friend of Anders. Of course he wants his brother to replace me in the director's chair. .”
"You are still ahead of Vera's phone statistics."
"That lead will be gone overnight."
He was right, success or failure will be in the next eight days.
The next morning, Tuesday, I woke up early to a ringing phone.Annabelle took the call and handed me the receiver.
"Looking for you, Sergeant Lan Si."
Half asleep and half awake, I muttered, "What time is it?"
"It's almost six o'clock."
"Hello, Sheriff, you came to me so early, what's the matter?"
"I just got a call from Major Cassell, who reported that someone was trying to break into his cabin. I've got to go check it out."
"Are you on the night shift today?"
"I'm in bed, just like you. But he called me straight home, and I think something might be wrong, doctor."
"We'll meet at the cabin, I'll be there as soon as possible," I promised him.Annabelle buried her face in the pillow, presumably falling asleep again.
Anders' log cabin, on the outskirts of town, was where Major Cassell lived during the campaign.It's a durable, well-constructed building that looks more like part of a resort than a pioneer settlement in the forest.I stepped on the accelerator and galloped towards my destination, the eastern sky was already pale.The sheriff should have arrived, and I parked behind a lieutenant's police car, next to a brand new Buick I recognized as Cassel's.The first thing that caught my attention was Robert Gallagher, standing on the porch of the cottage, gun in hand, safety pulled.He was aiming his gun at an open window.
"Gallagher!" I yelled, "what happened?"
"I don't know either." He didn't turn his head. "It seems that Sergeant Lansi killed Major Cassel!"
Later, when we went back to the bureau together, the sheriff really looked like he was about to kill someone.Although no formal charges have been filed, Deputy Gallagher made it clear he would send a detailed report to the district attorney.
"It's a framing! They want me to lose the election!" He lashes out at me in the office. "Anders is unscrupulous!"
I try to calm him down.
"Even so, I don't think he would risk the life of his own election chief. Tell me what happened at that time, the more detailed the better."
He took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
"Remember what I mentioned to you, he called to report that someone was trying to break into his house, which was kind of weird, but I didn't want to call Gallagher on the night shift, so I hurried Get dressed and go alone. When I got to the scene, there was only the car outside the house. I knocked on the door, but no one answered, the door was locked, and there was a light in the living room window , I went out the window and looked in. Major Cassel was lying on all fours on the ground, just like you saw later. I saw blood, and he had a wound on his head that looked like he had been shot. I checked Blown all the windows to see if any were open, but they were all locked. There was only one door to the cabin, which was also locked. Finally I broke the window in the living room, pulled the latch, and climbed in He was dead, and I saw a pistol lying on the floor across the room. I looked back and checked that the door was indeed locked and still had the bar. Just then, Robert Garra Gerr appeared at the window, holding a loaded pistol."
"Is there no one else hiding in the house?"
The sheriff shook his head.
"After you arrived, we searched the entire site. Apart from the living room and kitchenette, there was only one bedroom and a bathroom at the other end of the house. There was no cellar or attic. The only living thing was the monkey in the cage."
That black monkey was Jane Anders' pet monkey, whom Annabelle treated in "The Ark".It was huge, over fifty pounds.I don't know what it was doing in Major Cassel's room, but it didn't look like a murderer anyway.
"Gallagher's report must have stated that he found you alone with the deceased in a secret room, and no one could enter unless Cassel opened the door. If so, how did the murderer escape after committing the crime? You I also saw that the door of the house is not only locked, but also has a bolt."
"Doctor, you can move all kinds of hands and feet on the latch."
Having said that, it does not apply in this case.
"That's the part I checked first. The latch on that door has a handle, and you have to turn the handle to lock it. Tricks like tugging with wire or waiting for the ice to melt and snap into the groove won't work here. The door And it's locked with a key, but I guess Anders and Cassel both have keys."
"Or there is a problem with the window, someone removed the window glass, killed someone and put it back."
I shook my head again: "I have carefully checked every window, except for the one you broke, there are no problems with the other windows. The chimney of the fireplace is so narrow that even a little Santa Claus can't get in." .”
"Is there any possibility of suicide?" Inspector Lan Si asked, the wrinkles on his face deepened with worry.
"That doesn't make sense either. There was no powder burn on the wound, and the pistol was positioned too far from the dead man. Since only one shot was fired, it must have been murder."
"That wasn't my gun! Mine was in the holster until Gallagher temporarily confiscated it. You don't think he took the opportunity to change them?"
"No way. I recorded the serial numbers of both guns." Still, I was a bit distraught because both pistols were Smith & Wesson . equipped.Their serial numbers are identical except for the last two digits, which means they were issued at the same time.
"Everyone must think that I have a motive to kill, Cassell helped Anders campaign, and used my age as a target."
"Candidates never kill for what their rivals say in a spat, Sheriff."
"Doctor, their purpose is just to impress voters during this week. There are only seven days left before the official vote..."
By Wednesday morning, the entire town of Beishan was buzzing.The mayor gave Sergeant Lansi a paid leave until the results of the investigation came out.The fatal shot was not fired from his sidearm, but the murder weapon was indeed one of a batch of twelve pistols purchased by the police station in the past few years, but they were never issued to any police officer and have been kept in Standby status.
"I haven't checked those spare weapons in years," Sergeant Lens told me.
"Who can get them?"
"Any one of my adjutants will do. There are others who should have a chance too, like my secretary, Gretchen."
Sergeant Lens just decided a few years ago that he needed someone to handle the paperwork.With the number of deputies reaching nine and crime on the rise, he took a budget from the town council and hired Gretchen Wilder, a charming middle-aged woman who was divorced.She moved from Providence to North Hills during the Great Depression.I know very little about her, other than a few brief conversations at the police station.While the sheriff was out of work at home, I decided to visit the woman.
She raised her head from the typewriter, and brushed back the brown hair that was hanging down her forehead.
"Doctor Hawthorne!" She greeted me with some surprise, "Sheriff Lan Si, he..."
"I know he's not here, I'm here to find you."
"Gallagher is now acting as sheriff. Would you like to call him over?"
"No need, I just want to chat with you casually."
"Doctor, I don't believe Sergeant Lens has anything to do with Major Cassel's death."
"He must be glad to hear you say that. The Sheriff is so popular in town that everyone supports his innocence. I came to you to ask about the gun storage in the office."
She turned her chair, facing me and clasped her hands.
"The sheriff and his deputies are each responsible for their own sidearm, which they take home with them after get off work in case of an emergency."
"Counting the sheriff, there are ten people in the department. He bought a total of twelve Smith & Wesson . 38 pistols. The remaining two should be kept in the office?"
"I haven't seen it," she said, "but they should be in a safe."
That old iron box crouched like a monster across from the sheriff's desk. Since the day I remember it, I haven't seen it open its mouth.Gretchen Wilder rummaged on her desk and produced a coded note.
"Here it is." After she finished speaking, she went to turn the dial of the safe.When the safety catch was released, the old guy made a heavy clang.She opened an unlocked drawer inside and took out a pistol wrapped in an oilcloth.
"This is one of them, and the other one doesn't seem to be in there."
"That was taken to kill people." I told her.
"I see."
"So, pretty much anyone has a chance of opening the safe," I said, "if they know the combination and leave it on your desk."
"Only Chief Lan Si knows about this matter."
"But the adjutants came in and out, and it is very likely that they accidentally discovered this secret. Or when you unlocked it, someone happened to see it."
"I'm careful," she insisted.
"Do you know Major Cassel?"
"I've seen him with Ray Anders on the street, but I don't know him."
At this time, the phone on her desk rang, and I felt that I had already asked all the questions I needed, so I waved to her and left the police station.
On Wednesday afternoon, I found Ray Anders, who was giving a campaign speech in the parking lot outside Berman's Feed Store, accompanied by his wife, Jane, as they walked past the flyers.I found out that it was the flyer that Gallagher had dropped the other day. "I'm going to make a long story short," he said. "My campaign manager and friend, Major Jonathan Cassell, was brutally murdered yesterday morning. Out of respect for the dead, I will do my best to attend the next As a memory of the Major, if I am elected next Tuesday, I assure you that the real culprit will be brought to justice!"
A burst of cheers erupted from the crowd, and people began to scatter back to their cars.I stopped Anders and asked if he could give me a few minutes to talk.
"There's nothing you can do this time, Sam. There's no second suspect, either in method or motive."
"Rob Gallagher was on the scene sooner or later, wasn't he? It looked like a pre-rehearsed plan."
"Gallagher was on the night shift on Monday. By the time the operator reported a dying call to the cabin for help, the sheriff's car was parked at the door and the parlor window was smashed."
"How long have you known Major Cassel? Why has he come to North Hills?"
“I met him at a fundraiser in Hartford. We talked and I told him I would run for sheriff if I could get a good campaign manager. That was last year. When I made up my mind, Jane suggested that I contact him. He has some business relations with my father-in-law and has connections in the party."
Jane Anders fought her way out of the ardent supporters and came to join us.
"I suppose you're trying to clear the Sheriff of the crime," she said. "He committed murder!"
"The matter is not yet settled, Jane."
"I don't believe it was self-defense, there were no signs of a struggle in the house."
"how do you know?"
"I went to retrieve Max, my pet monkey, who was in a cage. The body and the murder weapon were removed by the police, but everything in the house was in order except for a broken window."
"What I'm most curious about is why was that monkey at the scene of the crime?"
"I have been working in the log cabin in the summer, painting, adding furniture and other preparations, in order to welcome Major Cassel to move in. Max was there with me, and I didn't expect the major to like it very quickly. He Asked me to keep Marx there, I thought it was very good, so I agreed. During the campaign, I can also have one less worry.”
"Did you lend the major a gun? The cabin is a little out of the way. He might need something for self-defense."
"Of course not," Anders replied. "I know what you want to say, but the murderous gun is not mine. When I resigned from the police station last year, I turned in my sidearm. You can check the return record."
"I want to know more about the deceased. I know he had business dealings with your father. Jane, if you don't mind, can I talk to your father?"
Although a little surprised, she happily agreed to my request.
"My dad is a great guy, but it's hard to say if he can help you."
"Max is better than anyone," I said. "Your monkey witnessed the whole process."
On Thursday morning, with the authorities still undecided on whether to charge Sergeant Lens with homicide, I seized the time to drive to Fenian Blophy's tobacco fields.From the first day I came to Beishan Town, the Brophy family has been carefully cultivating this land. On days when the sun is particularly strong, they will erect greenhouses to protect the crops in the field.Most of the tobacco is used in the production of cigarettes, which made the Brophy family rich.Right now is the tobacco harvest season, people harvest, dry and sell.Until next spring, the farm will enter the off-season, leaving only some livestock care to do.I called beforehand, and not long after one o'clock, Brophy himself came out to meet me.
Tall and thin, he looked more like a landowner than a tobacco farmer.Jane inherited his green eyes and commanding demeanor.
"Dr. Hawthorne, I think we are meeting for the first time. Next is Fenian Brophy. Come in and sit down. My wife is in town today."
We sat across from each other in the huge living room, surrounded by deer heads and a couple of stuffed pheasants that were supposed to be his trophies, but I didn't ask.
"I don't want to take up too much of your time," I told him. "I'm here mainly for Major Cassel."
"I see. Everyone knows the sheriff is your friend." He took a half-full carved wine bottle, the amber liquid swirling in it. "Isn't it a little early to drink, doctor?"
"Not at all, it's not harmful to the body." I took the glass and said, "Sheriff Lan Si is not the murderer, all I have to do is find out the real murderer and his motives. You have business with the deceased relationship, right?"
"He offered me some help."
"Can you be more specific?"
"He lobbied the legislature on behalf of the state's tobacco growers."
The news surprised me: "Cassell is a lobbyist?"
"He's the best in the state. He got into trouble last year and decided to hide for a while."
"What trouble?"
Fenian Blophy shrugged. "He's been accused of paying a state legislator to get a bill passed. It's still being investigated."
"It doesn't seem to have anything to do with this case."
"Yeah," said Brophy.
"Is your daughter happy with his job as campaign manager?"
"There is no doubt about this. Thanks to him for proposing a new and old replacement combat plan."
"Sheriff Lan Si said that on the morning of the incident, Cassel called to report that there was a suspicious person outside the house. Do you think it is credible?"
"It's nothing strange. If there are really suspicious people, isn't it natural to call the police?"
"Then why not call the police directly?"
He waved his hand and said impatiently: "Maybe the sheriff's home number just happens to be at hand, how do I know?"
I looked out the window at the distant fields.
"Is the harvest good this year?"
"So-so, but I'm content."
I bid farewell to my master, but I didn't know what I would gain from this trip.
When I reappeared at Ray Anders' door that afternoon, he looked unhappy.
"To tell you the truth, Doctor, nothing you say will help. Even if I hadn't been a candidate for the election, I would have thought in my heart that Sergeant Lens did it."
Animals sounded from the next room, and I glanced at Max's cage.When he saw me, he jumped up and down excitedly, obviously his way of welcoming a new playmate.
"If only it could talk," I said.
"That's not a good thing for Sergeant Lens."
"May I ask, were you at home all Monday evening?"
"To tell you the truth, I was at Point Sydney that night because there was a dinner next morning."
At this time, Jane Anders, dressed in a luxurious evening dress, came down from the upstairs slowly. It is rare to see such a well-dressed dress in Beishan Town.
"We're going out right now, first dinner, then another election rally," he said.
She explained, "I'm sorry I can't have a long chat with you."
"Earlier today, I spoke to your father," I said.
"Well, he told me on the phone."
"I just stopped by to see Max, has he been locked in a cage?"
"It was never locked until I bought a spring lock. Now it can walk back into the cage obediently by itself, but it is up to us to open the door if it wants to come out, because it can't reach the handle to open the door. The room is too narrow."
"Will Major Cassel let him out to play?"
"I think he does that sometimes."
Max was jumping around the cage even more excitedly, trying to get our attention.
"We really have to go," Anders said. "We're going to be late."
"Sorry one more question. Did you take that murderous gun and put it in the cabin while you were adjutant, and then forgot to turn it in when you left?"
He shook his head and said, "Impossible, I told you, I returned my only gun to the bureau."
I left the Anders house and started thinking about where to go next.
Annabelle invited the Sheriff and Vera to our house for dinner, hoping to relieve some anxiety, but it was a dull night.
"I don't even have a chance to give a campaign speech!" said the sheriff sullenly. "As soon as I started to speak, there were troublemakers in the audience, asking me why I killed Major Cassel."
"We can't go on like this," Vera said. "I hope Lens resigns. If Anders wants the position of sheriff so much, let him go."
"Resigning is not asking for it," I reminded her. "We need to confront the enemy head-on, Vera."
"It's Wednesday night, doctor," the Sheriff probably thought I'd lost track of the time, "only six days until the polls."
"There are three days left before Halloween, and I will fight the murderer before the weekend, so we have three more days to release the news of your innocence to the public."
"Innocent!" He snorted coldly. "If the district attorney hadn't stood by me, I'd be in prison now. If I'm imprisoned or prosecuted, Anders will win Tuesday's election."
"Did you find anything, Sam?" Annabelle asked.
"There is one, do you think monkeys can shoot?"
She sighed.
"I doubt it, but who knows. Don't waste time on it. Remember that orangutan in the potting shed? You suspected him then, but this isn't a Poe detective story. If Without clear evidence, I would think the killer was a human rather than an animal."
"Maybe it's different this time," I said. "Maybe we can reconstruct the scene and see what Marx did on Monday night."
It sounds crazy, but I can't sit still.Even if there is a glimmer of hope, I will fight for Sergeant Lens and Vera.The pressure to get arrested is building as we get closer to next Tuesday's election, and we all know that if you get caught, the election will go down the drain.I decided to enlist the help of Rob Gallagher, now acting sheriff.Early on Thursday morning, I went straight to his office and explained my purpose.
"Rob, I want to reconstruct Monday night's crime scene."
"Is it interesting to do this?"
"It's possible, er, some sort of remote possibility... that the monkey was the murderer."
"Damn it, Sam! You're crazy! How could a monkey shoot?"
"Max is smart. Jane Anders told me he could get out of the cage by himself, and then she changed the latch to make him calm down."
“When I got to the scene, Max was locked in a cage,” Gallagher reminded me. “It was far from the murder weapon.”
"But Jane said he'd go back to his cage too, and the lock on the cage was spring-loaded, you know what I mean? Suppose Cassel let him out to play..."
"Dancing with monkeys at six in the morning?"
"Then...the monkey found the pistol, pulled the trigger, and the bullet just hit Kassel. Max must have panicked, and hurried back to his cage, shut the door, and finally the latch locked itself. "
"Okay, okay," said Gallagher, "I'll tell you the big mistakes in this theory. Number one, Cassell was fully dressed when he was killed. Number two, he called Sheriff Lens to report the danger. , do you think he'll pass the time by playing with his pet monkey when he hangs up? He's anxiously waiting for someone to arrive, most likely the sheriff."
"How to explain the suspicious person outside the window?"
"That's a lie made up by Sergeant Lansi."
"If he is the murderer, after breaking the window, why didn't he unlock the door, but put himself in the secret room and become the only suspect?"
In this regard, Gallagher actually has his own explanation.
"Because when I arrived, he was busy setting up the scene to make it look like a trespass. After Cassell let him in, he hadn't had time to put the lock and latch back on. As long as I was late In five minutes, he may have arranged everything. Remember, there are no fingerprints on the pistol, and there are no animal palm marks. Someone deliberately wiped it. Do you think monkeys are so smart?"
"I beg you, can you give us a chance to replay the scene of the crime? During the replay, the questions you just raised may have a more reasonable explanation. If you agree to my request, I hope Anders Be there too."
Rob Gallagher thought for a moment. "Okay, let's try it. If the monkey can actually shoot, it may clear the sheriff of the suspect. I'll call and arrange it now." "
"Everything is going to be rearranged as it was when we arrived on site on Tuesday morning."
Sheriff's Secretary Gretchen Wilder, who was behind a desk banging away on her typewriter, turned when she heard us speak, and asked, "The exhibits that were taken from the scene for fingerprinting are also returned. ?”
"What's there?" I asked.
She produced a labeled manila envelope, opened it, and read the contents: "An ashtray with a cigarette butt in it, a stopwatch, and an empty wine glass. The major's fingerprints were found on all of them. The stopwatch Still going."
"Still walking?" I was shocked, "It's very strange, how can the stopwatch go for so long?"
"I just found out, too," Gallagher said honestly. "I remember stopping the stopwatch before I took the fingerprints. There's a bunch of fingerprints on it."
"Only the major? Are there any other traces?"
"No." Gretchen confirmed.
"Call Ray Anders," I said, "and ask him if we can use his cabin for an experiment later today."
It was not easy to convince him, especially when we told him that he needed Max's assistance.This means that Jane must also be present, because Max only listens to her.I also requested that Annabelle be present, her expertise may come in handy.Finally, of course, Sergeant Lan Si cannot be forgotten.
Around five o'clock, Anders and Jane, Sheriff Lance, Rob Gallagher, Annabelle, and I met at the cabin.The cabin has been restored to what it looked like on Tuesday morning, except for the living room window, which is still boarded up with plywood.Anders had a hard time bringing Max with the cage and setting him in the alcove.
"How much does Max weigh now?" Annabelle asked.
Anders said out of breath: "More than fifty pounds. We hope it will stop growing. Some adult monkeys can weigh more than one hundred pounds."
"If Max grows that big, he can only be sent to the zoo." Jane said.
We stood like spectators at one end of the room as Gallagher pulled out the pistol that delivered the killing blow.
"Better not loaded," said Inspector Lens.
“是空的。”加拉格尔说着扳开枪，转了一圈空空的弹膛，然后把枪递给简。
“请放在地上，和案发时一样的地方。”
她接过枪，来到房间的另一头，把枪放在地上。印象中这差不多正是周二早上我看到的位置。然后，她起身来到马克思的笼子旁，把弹簧锁打开。我注意到门锁周围有圈金属，以防马克思把手从门栏间伸出来给自己开门。
门一开，它就离开壁凹，蹦蹦跳跳地走到铺着地毯的客厅里。
“我来扮演卡塞尔少校。”安德斯说。
他拿出一根香蕉，一边发出同类的声音，引诱马克思过来。一看到香蕉，马克思就乐颠颠地跑了过来，完全无视地上的手枪。
“简，你最好帮它一把。”我建议。
她弯腰拾起手枪，枪把朝外地递给猴子。马克思蜻蜓点水地碰了一下，很快就把手抽了回去。她只得将手枪搁在马克思脚边的地毯上，然后回到房间另一头加拉格尔和丈夫的身旁。马克思低头看着地上的枪，终于捏着枪管把枪捡了起来，好奇地盯着看。它看了半晌，我们站在一旁，大气都不敢出。最后，马克思把枪扔到地上，甚至都没有碰一下扳机。
“它现在要干什么？”加拉格尔问道。
“大概要回笼子里去了吧，”她微微提高声音，“笼子，马克思！”
它看了一眼简，拿着自己的香蕉回笼子去了。它顺手带上门，弹簧锁咔嚓一声将门锁住。实验到此结束。
“看来不是猴子干的。”加拉格尔说。
“嗯。”我只能同意。
大家都没说话，但心里想的却是同一件事：如果凶手不是马克思，那只能是蓝思警长了。
安娜贝尔和我没有与警长一起回家，我已经想不出办法给警长和薇拉带来希望了。那天晚上睡在床上，妻子问我：“山姆。真的没办法了吗？”
“我不知道。整个案件在我脑海里已经重复了几十遍，没一次有新发现。这个凶手必须具备以下三项条件：第一，有机会获得警察局里的枪支；第二，具有杀人动机；第三，进入密室的手法。如果给凶手开门的是卡塞尔自己，那么他得有某种办法保持房门从内部上锁的状态离开现场。”
“警长并不是碰巧出现在现场的，”安娜贝尔把脸埋在枕头里，闷声闷气地说，“卡塞尔打电话报告了可疑人物后，警长才前往小屋。”
“这正是我不能理解的谜团之一。难道是凶手强迫死者打电话给蓝思警长，来给他下套？”
怀着这样的疑问，我们进入了梦乡。当我在黎明的晨光中醒来时，一些梦境的片段仍然残留在脑海，在梦里，有一只握着秒表的猴子在追着我跑。
这一周我几乎忽略了诊所的业务，因此周五一天我都打算在办公室度过。但我刚到诊所，护士爱玻就告诉我薇拉·蓝思刚刚打来电话，并请我立即回电。
“是你吗，薇拉？刚才你找我？”
“镇选举委员会要求我丈夫退出竞选，镇长也一起来了。他们相信在周二选举之前还来得及再找一名候选人顶替蓝思。”
“这太荒唐了，薇拉。选票都印好了啊。”
“我知道，委员会的人也知道，可他们想的是让蓝思在今晚的广播中，号召支持者把票投给这位新候选人，他们认为这样也许行得通。”
“新候选人是谁？”
“罗勃·加拉格尔。他现在担任代理警长职务，同时也是共和党人。”
“他难道不是瑞·安德斯的支持者吗？”
“情况变了。”她叹息道。
“看完这个病人我马上行动，”我向她保证，“我不会让事情就这么结束的。”
一小时后，当我到达警长家的时候，发现那里一团乱麻。门廊上有一些共和党人，蓝思警长也在里面，看上去郁郁寡欢的。“医生，他们要求我退出。”他看着我走上台阶，难过不已地说。“我听说了。”院子的一角，加拉格尔独自站着，他在等待商议的最终结果。我离开门廊，朝他走去。
“这是你打了很久的算盘吧，罗勃？”
他一副被冤枉的样子。
“我根本没想过会这样。昨天晚上，小屋实验失败的消息不胫而走，接着委员会的人就找上我了。”
“实验没有失败，”我告诉他，我忽然觉得自己说话的底气足了不少，“我已经知道卡塞尔少校是谁杀死的，凶手不是警长。我要求再次进行现场重建。”
“山姆，别逗了，再来一次会有什么区别？”
“相信我，这次我亲自扮演凶手的角色。”
他有些犹豫，不知道该不该听我的。
“委员会也不会同意的。”
“镇长在这里吗？”
“他在屋里。”
我在厨房里找到了塔特镇长，他被薇拉·蓝思逼到了墙角。
镇长义正词严地说着什么，但同时又十分注意自己的语气，以免伤害对方。
看到我，他如获大赦。“山姆，一切都决定了，”他告诉我，“党内不希望蓝思警长背着杀人嫌疑参加周二的选举。”
“我们昨天晚上做了一个实验……”
“我听说了。”
“今晚我想再试一次，这次会有好结果的。”
“有用吗？蓝思警长的政治生涯已经结束了，凶手只可能是他。”
“如果是自杀呢？”
“凶器离死者太远。”
“有可能是简·安德斯的宠物猴子移动过了。”
镇长脸上闪过一丝踌躇。
"Are you sure?"
“希望您网开一面，再给一次机会。蓝思警长为北山镇勤勤恳恳二十四年，这个要求不过分。”
“今天下午能开始吗？我们要在今天确定这件事的处理结果。如果拖到明天，民主党会认为我们在开万圣节的玩笑。”
于是那天下午三点我们又回到安德斯的小屋。在路上，我试着向蓝思警长解释目前的状况，但他充耳不闻。
“医生，这和枪落在哪里没有关系，即使它真的被猴子挪动了几英尺又能怎样？死者的伤口没有火药灼伤痕迹，而且枪被人擦拭过。这不可能是自杀。”
“你和我都心知肚明，但我如果不这么说，镇长就不会给我们这个机会。”
“你只需要回答我一个问题。卡塞尔少校是怎样在密室里被杀的？”
“我已经有想法了，”我含糊其辞地说，“不过我要做个实验证明这个猜想，也好让其他人信服。”
按照约定，我扮演凶手。安德斯再次担任卡塞尔少校的替身。简·安德斯站在马克思的笼子旁边，和蓝思警长、薇拉一道看着实验的进行。罗勃·加拉格尔当然也在观众里，和上一次相比，只是多了塔特镇长。加拉格尔打了个电话回办公室，请葛瑞钦把烟灰缸和秒表拿过来。
当一切就绪，我开口道：“据我推测，凶手以商谈选举为名，在周一晚上或周二凌晨打电话给卡塞尔少校。于是卡塞尔便在家中等待此人到来，这解释了他为何在一大早就身着正装。他们的计划本来是这样的，先由卡塞尔打电话报告可疑人物出没，要求警长亲自出马。然后他们就用秒表记录警长的行动时间。如果他不是单独前来，或者花了很长时间才赶到，就证明他的年龄已经无法胜任警长的工作了。”
“天方夜谭，”瑞·安德斯坚持道，“这么低级的手段，就算能证明警长老了，大家也会觉得我是个卑鄙小人，结果只能是两败俱伤。”
“说得好，但是凶手本来就没打算测试警长的反应速度，他的真正目的在于把警长引到案发现场，好嫁祸栽赃。”
“好吧，”安德斯说着走到电话机旁边，“现在我就是卡塞尔少校，刚刚打完电话给警长。”
我按下秒表的计时按钮，把它放在桌上。
“现在我们在屋子里等待警长过来，然后我走到马克思边上，把它从笼子里放了出来。凶手必须争分夺秒，因为最多二十分钟以内，警长就会到达这里。凶手拿出武器，对着卡塞尔少校的脑袋就是一枪。他把枪擦干净，放在地毯上，再检查所有的窗户，确保它们是从屋内上锁的。接着，凶手压低声音打电话给接线员，再次报告说发现了可疑人员，于是一名警长副官将在警长到达后不久赶到现场。凶手从唯一的门走出去，用钥匙上了锁。”
我一边说，一边掏出问安德斯借来的小屋钥匙，一一照做。
站在门外，我提高嗓门大叫：“把手，马克思！”
里面没有反应。
我又叫了一遍，还是没反应。我打开门回到屋内。
“我想你已经证明过马克思是不会开枪的。”简·安德斯说。
我把门一关。
“你跟它说，简。”
“这太荒唐了！”
“它只认你的声音，快说吧。”
她求助地望向自己的丈夫，但安德斯睁大眼睛紧盯着简。
“简，照他说的做，”最后他告诉她，“证明他是错的。”
她深吸一口气，说道：“把手，马克思。”
猴子走到门口，伸出手，转动门闩的把手。然后回到自己的笼子里，把笼门关上。
简·安德斯哭着倒在丈夫的怀里。
稍后我向众人解释了一切，首先是杀人动机，只有当压力大到一定程度，才能促使人做出极端的行为。
“如各位所知，卡塞尔少校为简的父亲费尼安·布洛菲工作，担任议会的说客。而布洛菲告诉我，卡塞尔因为和州烟草协会相关的行贿行为而被起诉。调查仍在进行中，我怀疑卡塞尔试图把布洛菲也拉下水，替自己分担罪责。尽管布洛菲替他安排了竞选负责人的工作，但他并不满足。为了保护自己的父亲免予起诉，简不惜杀死卡塞尔。她的方案可谓一箭双雕——既保护了父亲，也帮助了竞选中的丈夫。”
“是什么事让你对她产生了怀疑？”警长问。
“第一次实验过程中，加拉格尔请她把枪放回案发时的地方。她几乎十分精确地办到了，可她怎么知道当时枪在哪里？她亲口告诉我，当她来到现场领马克思回家的时候，枪已经被警方作为证物拿走了。这让我开始怀疑她，同时我也开始思考为什么加拉格尔到达现场的时候，秒表处在计时状态。这说明卡塞尔可能被人利用，在用秒表做某种计时的工作，比如计算你到达小屋花费的时间，这也能解释他打到家里来的电话。凶器来自警察局保险箱这一事实则说明本案和警察局人员——无论在职的还是离职的——有关联。以本案来说，是一位前警员的妻子。她一定是某次和安德斯在警察局趁保险箱打开的时候，偷偷拿了那支枪。安德斯对此一无所知。”
"you sure?"
“如果他知道妻子拿了那支枪，他自然也会知道妻子就是凶手。我不认为他包庇凶手。记得吗，周一晚上他在西尼角，家里只有简一个人，没有不在场证明。”
简被捕的消息对于安德斯的选举产生了巨大影响，他主动宣布退出。不过因为选票已经印制完毕，投票仍然如期举行。蓝思警长以巨大优势获得连任。同一天，前线传来蒙哥马利在阿拉曼获胜的消息，未来正日趋光明。
Notes:
Notes: