Chapter 2 The mysterious corpse in the haystack
"I promised, this time I will tell you about the case Sergeant Lens solved." Dr. Sam Hawthorne opened a new bottle of brandy, poured two glasses, sat on his favorite chair, and said Come on, "Oh, I also solved the case, but Sergeant Lansi took the lead. However, that's a long way off, so I'll start from the beginning. The story happened in a relatively quiet period in Beishan Town, almost eight months. There hasn't been a single murder or other serious case in town..."
It was July of 1931, when the Great Depression was sweeping the country, but the people in Beishan Town had spent a peaceful and lackluster summer.The biggest news is that a big black bear came in the Dutch woods outside the town, and often attacked the livestock of nearby farmers.At that time, Beishan Town already had a professional veterinarian.The boy's name was Bob Wichels, a few years younger than me, and he was very nice.He was busy everywhere, diagnosing and treating animals that had been bitten by black bears.Save those who can be saved as much as possible, and kill those who cannot be saved.
That day, I went to see two patients at Saints Memorial Hospital.One of them had just given birth to twins, and the other had just had minor surgery.That afternoon, the weather was hot and stuffy, and a thunderstorm was coming.As I drove past Cobb Mountain Road, I saw farmers building canvas covers over hay bales to protect them from the sudden downpour.
I recognized one of the tall, thin guys as Felix Burnett.He was driving piles into the ground to hold the canvas cover in place.I pulled the Stutz aside and talked to him.Felix was a good six feet tall and fair-skinned.He always wore a wide-brimmed hat when he was working in the fields.I used to tell him that if he stood still, he would be mistaken for a scarecrow.He doesn't talk much, but he often jokes with me.Since I came to Beishan Town, he has been farming.His family's farm was over three hundred acres, one of the largest in the county.
"Busy about covering the hay, Felix?" I said aloud, jumping over a puddle toward him.
"That's right," he said, putting down his sledgehammer and wiping his sweaty palms on his apron.
"Have you seen that bear lately?"
He exhaled a mouthful of smoke, took off his straw hat, and wiped his forehead.To hear his answer, one has to wait patiently for a long time, as if every word has to be filtered by the body first. "Not uncommon. Killed my pig last night. Dr. Wichels is at my house."
"Too bad." I squinted my eyes in the sun and looked into the distance. The veterinarian's carriage was parked next to the Burnett's house. "I want to say hello to Bob."
"By the way, tell Sara that I'll be back right away. After covering this, only the haystack closest to home is left. I'll be there right away." He seldom said so many words in one breath. After spitting, he picked up the sledgehammer and continued to drive stakes around the haystack.I watched for a while, then walked towards the car.
When I got to Felix's house, I parked behind Bob Witchels' buggy, and the horse jumped.The wagon was full of veterinary tools.The screen door to the main house was left unbolted.After knocking for a long time, no one answered the door, so I just walked in.Country doctors always come in uninvited.By the time I saw Sarah Burnett messing with someone on the couch, it was too late to back off.
Bob Weichels stood up quickly, adjusted his clothes awkwardly, and said shamefully, "Hello, Sam. I didn't hear you come in."
"I knocked," I assured them.
Sarah Burnett was much younger than her husband, but also a decade older than Witchels.She stood up, brushed her soft brown hair, and said calmly, "Do you need my help, doctor?"
"I just had a chat with Felix and he said Bob is here. Did the black bear attack again last night?"
"Killed one of our pigs and scratched another," she said. "Dr. Wichels just finished."
Witchels seemed anxious to send me away.He led me to the door and said, "Sam, we have to find a way to deal with this black bear. Otherwise, one day it will hurt people. Can Sheriff Lansi organize a team and hunt the black bear?"
We're out on the front porch and down the dusty driveway.Bob Wichels was shorter than I was, but he had a quick pace and urged me to leave.I was afraid that he would mention the embarrassing scene just now, so I quickly took up the topic of the black bear: "The sheriff likes to hunt deer, but I guess he can't hunt bears." I said, "The animal broke into the pigpen? "
"Of course. Come on, I'll show you."
The pigsty was on the side of the barn, about a hundred feet from the main house.As I got closer, I saw that the fence was knocked down. "Maybe he'll come tonight again," said Wichels. "That guy knows his way."
"Well, gotta call the sheriff," I said, "I'll borrow the phone from the main house."
I just turned around when he said suddenly, "Sam, I—"
"What, Bob?"
"It's nothing, you'd better call the sheriff as soon as possible." He stepped forward to check on the injured pig.
When I got back to the main house, Sarah called from the kitchen, "Is that Bob?"
"No, Mrs. Burnett, it's me, Dr. Hawthorne. Can I borrow the phone, please? Report to Sergeant Lens."
She stepped onto the balcony, pale and terrified. "What happened? Felix wouldn't—"
"No, no, it's a bear." I said quickly, reassuringly, "Bob thinks the black bear will come again tonight. Maybe Sheriff Lens can set a trap in advance."
"Oh! Of course. The phone is right here."
I picked up the receiver and asked for Sheriff Lansi's number.After connecting, I told him the whole story about the black bear breaking into the pigsty. "I think I have to come here and help Bonet." He agreed with me. "It's not under my jurisdiction that black bears harass the farmers. It's election time."
I couldn't help laughing: "If you step on a dead bear and take a picture, of course it's the best campaign poster. Like Teddy Roosevelt."
"That's right," he said with increasing enthusiasm, "tell them I'll be there after dinner."
I hung up and relayed the sheriff's message to Sarah.
At this time, there was a noise from behind the house.I thought Felix was back from his farm work, but it turned out to be Hal Perry.He was something of a hired hand on Burnett's farm, and a little of a tenant.On the other side of the farm lived a small house and planted a piece of land.However, he also helped Burnett with chores, helping with plowing, harvesting and the like during the busy season.I always feel that he is a little mysterious and hiding, as if he is escaping from something.
"Hello, doctor," he said to me. "Is anyone sick?" He took a handful of tobacco from his coat pocket.
"No. I came over to talk to Mr. Witchels about the bear. Did you see anything from this side of your house?"
"Just the footprints in the ground. I'm telling you, it's big--strong and vicious," Perry said, walking away slowly.He lowered his hairless head and walked into the kitchen.
Sarah Burnett said to me as soon as he was gone, busy with the pump, "About what you just saw—"
"I don't see anything, Mrs. Burnett," I said reassuringly.
"Thank you." She said softly, turned and left.
I had barely left the house when Felix came back: "You're still there, doctor. How about staying for dinner?"
"No, I don't want to trouble Mrs. Burnett."
"No trouble at all! Maybe Dr. Wichels would like to stay. You two can talk about the difference between treating people and livestock."
"Horses have four legs," said Wichels, coming forward, "that's the only difference."
"One more difference," I said, "a horse can't talk and tell you what's wrong with it."
"Some people can't speak, or you can't understand their words." Bob Weichels replied.
Sara walked out on the porch, and Felix insisted that she set out two more sets.The Burnetts, who had no children, ate together most of the time, with Hal Perry at most.After the embarrassment just now, I didn't want to stay, but Weichels couldn't help joining the ranks of persuasion.
We sat around the big oak table in the kitchen while Sarah baked and served the ham.I was often invited to dinner at the homes of patients, but this was only the second time at the Burnetts.The conversation at the dinner table was a little tense, or maybe it was just my imagination.We were about to start our post-dinner dessert - Sarah's famous raspberry pie - when we heard a knock at the door.A Ford Model T pulled up behind my Stutz, didn't apply the brakes, and slammed into the Stutz's bumper.
Felix and I went out to see what was going on.Fortunately, my car is fine.However, the driver of the Ford didn't apologize at all, which made me a little annoyed.The guy was short and had a hard, black beard.He ignored me at all and said directly to Felix, "You don't remember me, do you?"
Burnett stood motionless at the top of the porch stairs. "Of course I remember you, Rosen." He whispered, "Why are you back?"
There was a smile on Rosen's bearded lips, which was not a happy smile at all. "I just got out of prison, Felix. Nine years. Remember? I told you I'd come to you as soon as I got out."
"Get off my land, Rosen," said Felix Burnett quietly.
"Oh, come on. I'm not afraid of you now."
Burnett turned his head and called, "Hal, come out!"
Hal Perry pushed open the screen door and came out, standing on the porch.Perry is massive and looks like he could split Rosen in half.However, he did not make any threatening moves.Rosen kept smiling: "Felix, is this your new bodyguard? Does he live in the house where I used to live?"
"Tell you again, get off my land."
"You heard him," said Hal Perry.
Rosen hesitated for a moment, as if considering what to do next.Finally, he decided to give in: "Okay, but Felix, I'm not done with you. I'll come back next time when you're alone. In the near future." With that, he returned to the car , backed up and left.
"What's going on here?" I asked Burnett, back at the dinner table.
"Before you came to North Hills, doctor." Felix sat down, tied his napkin, and said, "I have always been willing to help others. For example, those who have been released from prison. I want to give them a chance to start again. Jack Rosen was also one of them. At that time, he lived in the small house where Hal lives now. He planted a piece of land and helped me do some odd jobs. He was imprisoned for 29 years for manslaughter and had just been released on parole. He was in prison The reason is that in a fight, he accidentally killed his former employer. When he was released on parole, he had nine years left in his sentence. At first, everything was fine. However, one day he got drunk and pestered Sarah. Knowing what he was up to, but just in case, I reported it to the parole officer. So, he was sent back to prison to serve the rest of his sentence. Before returning to prison, he swore to seek revenge on me as soon as he got out."
“I never thought I’d see him again,” Sara said. “It’s been so long, and he’s still angry.” She kept her eyes on the plate, refusing to meet our eyes.
"He won't come again," Perry said. "I know his type." It occurred to me that maybe Perry had been in prison, too.
"I hope it's what you say," said Burnett. "He'll make trouble."
Bob Wichels looked out the kitchen window. "Here comes Sheriff Lens. You'd better report to him."
The sheriff came as scheduled and parked behind my Stutz.When I entered, I found he was carrying a shotgun. "Here I come," he announced, "ready to hunt black bears."
We were silent for a while.Sarah was the first to speak: "Sheriff, we have some other troubles. My husband was just threatened." She told the sheriff in detail about Rosen's arrival.
Sergeant Lan Si has of course been in Beishan Town longer than me.He immediately thought of Jack Rosen. "We've sent him back to prison once, and if he's in the water again, we can do it a second time." He took Sarah's raspberry pie and relished it.Afterwards, Sarah and Bob stayed inside while the others walked out together.
Felix Burnett seems to be trying to keep the Jack Rosen affair down.He prefers to talk about the black bear threat. "Are you going to stay the night with us to get rid of it, Sheriff?"
"certainly."
"I reckon you'd better stay on the back porch from the pigsty to the haystack. Hal stays in his house and watches the other side of the field. I'll hide in the barn. If If it dares to come again, we will shoot it together from all directions, and we will definitely kill it."
"You have to be careful not to hit each other, though," I warned.
The setting sun slowly sank into a black cloud in the western sky.Then Burnett remembered that the work at hand was not finished: "Damn, Hal, I forgot to cover the last haystack. We'd better hurry up and finish it before it rains."
Sergeant Lens and I went back into the house.Witchels and Sara were having a lively conversation.I saw the right moment, thanked her for the dinner, and prepared to leave.I told Sergeant Lens to move his car so I could get out.
"In a few minutes, I'm going to take my leave too," Wichels said.
Sergeant Len Si nodded: "I'll drive the car to the main road and clear the passage at the door." We chatted with Sara for a few more words and then left.
As Sergeant Lens and I approached the car, I saw Felix Burnett in his straw hat, busy in the fields again, covering the haystacks closest to the main house with a canvas cover. "Goodbye, Felix!" I cried. "Good luck tonight!"
He waved to me and got down to work again.After Sergeant Lan Si moved the car away, I also backed out.Before I drove off, I saw Felix had finished what he was doing and was heading for Hal's little house on the other side of the field.
It was almost dark, and by the time I got back to town, the rain was already falling.On the way, I saw Jack Rosen's Ford parked in the tall grass on the side of the road.But around the car, he was not seen in person.
I went to bed around twelve and started dreaming as soon as I fell asleep, and the dream was full of haystacks and black bears.Suddenly, a phone ringing woke me up.It happens to doctors a lot, I get out of bed, I pick up the phone, thinking someone has a sudden illness, or nurse Aibo informs me that someone is injured or something.
However, I almost didn't hear the voice on the phone. It was very weak: "Doctor, this is Felix Burnett. Help me."
"The black bear is coming again?" I asked.
"No, it's—" The phone was cut off suddenly.
I'll call his home immediately.After the phone rang a few times, Sergeant Lan Si finally answered it.I asked the sheriff where Burnett was. "He's in the barn, doctor. I watched him go in a few hours ago. No sign of the bear yet."
"There's no phone in the barn?"
"No."
"Just now, Bonet called me from nowhere. It sounds like he's in trouble."
"I'll go and see him. I'll call you later, doctor."
I sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the sheriff to call back, imagining the horrors the sheriff might have seen in the barn.Five minutes later, the call came back.He said, "Bornett wasn't in the barn. Sarah said he wasn't in the upstairs bedroom either. Doctor, do you think something happened to him?"
"I don't know either. I'd better drive here. You go and ask Perry what he might have seen."
"You think Rosen is back?"
"He never left. I saw his car parked a mile away on my way home."
"You should let us know."
"Sheriff, I thought you were here, and he didn't dare to act rashly. I'll come right away."
The torrential rain did not start, but the rain had stopped at this time, a full moon rose in the night sky, and the hazy moonlight sprinkled on the ground.I love driving on nights like this.The road is empty and the view is good.As I approached where the Ford was parked, I looked intently, but saw nothing.If it is still there, it must have stopped further in the woods.Can't see clearly in the dark.Turning a corner, Burnett's farm loomed in front of him.
I thought Sheriff Len Si would come out to pick me up.In the end he remained at his post on the back porch, intent on waiting for the bear.Hal Perry was with him.It was Sara who opened the door for me in her pajamas.
"Have you found Felix, Sarah?" I asked.
"No. I'm worried, Dr. Sam."
"We'll find him," I assured her, not sure.
I went out the back door to talk to Sheriff Lens and Hal Perry.
"Hal hasn't seen a thing since he went into the barn," Sheriff Lance told me. "My guess is he heard something and chased the bear into the woods."
"Or go after Jack Rosen," I said.
Perry shook his head: "He won't go alone."
"Tell me everything that happened after I left."
Sergeant Lens shrugged: "There's nothing to say, doctor. After Burnett built the haystack over there—"
"I was still there, and I saw it."
"Before it rained, he walked around the fields, walked up to Perry's house, and yelled something at him."
"What did he say?" I pressed.
"He told me to take a shotgun and hold the position. It was dark and we had to prepare for a bear attack. I told him that everything was ready."
"Has he come in?"
"No, he was standing fifty feet away and yelling at me. I didn't go out and told him it was ready. Then it started raining. He turned and walked toward the barn."
Sarah listened to us at the door.I turned my head and asked her, "He didn't go back to the main house, did he, Sarah?"
Before she answered, she hesitated: "No. I haven't seen him since dinner."
"How long has Witchels been there?"
"After you left, he stayed for a few minutes."
"None of you saw Felix after he came into the barn?"
"No." Perry said firmly.
"So there's every chance Jack Rosen, or someone else, could get into the barn when he wasn't looking."
"You forgot about the phone," Sergeant Lan Si said.
Perry interrupted us suddenly.He pointed to the moonlit field and said, "I see something moving. It could be Felix!"
I widened my eyes and saw a dark figure swaying slightly by the edge of the woods. "There's something over there." I echoed in a low voice.
After a minute, Sergeant Lan Si whispered: "In my opinion, it's a black bear!"
The beast came straight from the other side of the field, staggered as it walked, and at a glance it was a black bear.From a distance, it was a black figure slowly moving out from the woods, but there was no doubt that it was a bear. "He went straight for the pigsty," Perry said. "I tried to get behind him. When he's in the pigsty, Sheriff, you shoot first. If you miss, I'll run back while he's in the pigsty." Ambush it before the woods."
The black bear came all the way to about a hundred feet from the barn.Suddenly, without warning, it changed direction and headed for the haystack. "Where is it going?" The sheriff didn't know why.
"Sniffing around the haystack," I said. "Can you shoot it?"
"I've got to get closer." He moved away from the porch, moving slowly and carefully.
I was afraid that the black bear would notice his actions, but luckily, the animal was fully focused on the haystack, scratching the canvas cover with its paws.Sergeant Lens came within fifty feet or so of the bear and at last alarmed the animal.The sheriff immediately got down on one knee, aimed quickly, and fired.Immediately afterwards, Hal also fired a shot from the direction of the orchard.The black bear let out an earth-shattering roar and looked around.Sergeant Lan Si took the opportunity to fire another shot.The black bear finally turned around and fled towards the woods.After running less than twenty feet, it crashed to the ground, motionless.
"Good marksmanship," Perry said to the sheriff as we gathered around the dead bear.
"You're not bad either. Better shoot him in the head again, just in case."
Perry followed through on his word.After that, we got closer.My boy, that beast must have weighed two or three hundred pounds, lying on the ground, dead as hell. "Sheriff, it's time to take your campaign pictures," I said.
Sarah Burnett came running from a distance. "Have you found Felix?" she asked.
"Not yet." Sergeant Lan Si said, "If he doesn't show up after dawn, we will organize people to look for him in the woods."
However, I have an idea. "Sarah, you go back to your room first." I told her gently, "The death of a bear is not pretty, don't scare you."
She left reluctantly.The two men turned to look at me. "What's your idea?" Perry asked me.
"I want to see that haystack and see why the bear is scratching the canvas cover."
Under the moonlight, the three of us quietly untied the ropes that fixed the canvas.At first glance, there is nothing but hay in it.Still, I insisted on pulling the canvas aside.The sheriff and Perry poked lightly at the hay with the butts of their guns, and at last, on top of the bales, they found the body.
The deceased was Felix Burnett.Judging from the wound on the chest, the fatal wound was caused by the pitchfork.
It was two o'clock in the morning when the body was found.However, much remains to be done.The hardest part was getting the news to Sara.Her grief and tears seem genuine.However, after witnessing the scene in the afternoon, I don't know how much I can believe.
"I've got to ask you a few questions," I said. "It might be easier for you to tell me than to the sheriff."
"You think I have something to do with the murder?"
"No, not directly."
She understood me immediately: "Bob! You mean, it was Bob the murderer?"
"I didn't say that. But maybe we should call him. I think he'd better come."
She was calling Bob when Sergeant Lens came in. "what happened?"
"I think Bob Weichels would do well to come."
"Dr. Witchels? What's he doing? Bears are dead."
"He came in this afternoon. I think he's one of the suspects."
Sergeant Lan Si shook his head: "You know? Doctor, this is another so-called impossible crime."
"How to say?"
"We all saw Felix cover the haystack with a canvas. And now, he's dead in the haystack. But, damn it, doctor, I've been sitting on the back porch since you left, keeping an eye out for the bear— I'm here before it's even dark. Hell, if the murderer wants to hide the body in the top of the hay, he's got to take off the canvas cover?"
"Here, do you always leave when you go to the toilet?"
"I've never been to the bathroom!"
"Or just go to the kitchen and pour coffee?"
"I haven't been there either!"
"Or, you fell asleep for a few minutes."
"I've been in good spirits!" he said exasperatedly. "Look, you noticed too, the three of us had a hard time trying to get the canvas cover off. The murderer had to take it off and put it back on."
"There are other possibilities," I pointed out. "The back of the haystack, you can't see it from the back porch. Even though the moon is bright tonight, it's night after all. The killer could have dragged Burnett's body across the field , from the back of the haystack, and stuff the body under the canvas cover."
"You know in your heart that this is impossible, doctor. Felix's body is on top of the haystack. Besides, the field is still a little damp because of the rain. Although the footprints cannot be seen clearly, if the murderer is dragging the body, even if it can be avoided The eyes of Hal and I will also leave marks on the ground. And, don’t forget, Hal is watching the haystack from the other side, and he must be able to see someone approaching the haystack from behind.”
"What if it's Hal?" I asked the sheriff. "Have you investigated him?"
Sarah Burnett finished the call and answered for the sheriff: "Felix always wanted to help the less fortunate. That little house in the back he always reserved for ex-offenders who wanted to start over. Jack Things didn't go well with Rosen, but I encouraged him to try again. Hal lived with us for nine years and never had trouble."
"Why is he in jail?"
"I can assure you that he is not a murderer like Rosen. It seems to be theft or something."
"Is there a telephone in the house where he lives?"
"No. He always comes to the main house and calls when he needs it."
"What did you ask about the phone?" asked the sheriff.
"Remember what I told you? Before Felix died, he called me from somewhere. So it seems likely that the call came from the main house."
"I'm on the back porch, and if he comes in, I'm sure I'll see it."
"Not necessarily. He could go around the front of the house and come in through the front door."
"If he's calling for help, I'm on the back porch. Why is he going to all the trouble to call you? I can't protect him with a shotgun?"
"I don't know," I said. "Look, I have an idea. He's going to make a phone call, he has to shake the handle. I'm going to do an experiment to see if the sound of the phone can reach the back porch, or the second floor." In the bedroom. Can you and Sara go back to where we were last night?"
I tried shaking the phone handle three times, but I couldn't hear it outside the back door or in the bedroom on the second floor.That is, it is possible that the deceased, without telling them, called me from the main house.However, that doesn't prove that's the case.
Then, I called the hospital and asked them to send a car to take the body away.I want an autopsy to determine the time of death.After the call, I went out the door and asked Hal Perry a few words. "You've broken the law, haven't you," I said.
"That's right. I stole some money where I used to work and I was in jail for a few years. Felix was so nice to me. He cared about me and wanted me to start over."
I was about to ask something else when suddenly there was a commotion in the barn. "Come on!" I took the lead and ran.It was not the cry of wild animals that could be heard, but the scream of someone hitting rake and pitchfork.
"I've got a gun!" I yelled from the barn. "Hands up, get out!"
After a moment of silence, a figure came out.It was Jack Rosen, dressed as he had been the night before.When he saw us, he dropped his hands and said, "No need to shoot at all. I fell into the oldest trap!"
"What are you doing back here, Rosen!"
He squinted at me: "You are the doctor, aren't you? Well, I came back to settle some old scores with Bonet."
"It seems that your revenge plan is going well. We found his body in the haystack."
"What? I can't believe it."
"It's true," I said firmly, "you're prime suspect."
"I don't want to kill him, I just want to punch him hard, who let him screw up my parole. Think about it, if I really wanted to kill him, why would I announce it so much?"
"That makes sense. But maybe you're that stupid." I turned to Perry and said, "Take him back to the main house."
The group had just reached the porch on the side of the house when a car drove up to the door.It was Bob Weichels.Instead of driving the afternoon carriage, he drove his Packard sedan.
"What happened?" he asked. "Sarah said someone killed Felix." He looked at Rosen and recognized him. "Did he do it?"
"I don't know yet," I said. "The biggest question is what the murderer's method is."
"Sarah said the murder weapon was a pitchfork."
I did a quick recollection of whether I had mentioned the murder weapon to Sara.Yes, I mentioned it. "Yes," I said, "but the body was hidden in a haystack covered with a canvas. How the murderer did it we don't know."
After entering the house, Weichels tried to comfort Sarah.I couldn't hear what he said, but after a while Sarah walked into the pantry.She didn't close the door securely, and I saw through the crack that she took something off the shelf and threw it in the trash.After she came out, I quietly slipped into the storage room, picked up the small bag she threw away from the trash basket, and secretly put it in my pocket.
When I returned to the living room, the hospital ambulance had just arrived.Sergeant Lan Si led people to carry the body, and said to me, "We're going to search around and take pictures when it's dawn. It's too dark now, and we can't see anything."
"I can't stay long. Perry can dispose of the black bear's carcass after dawn." He frowned, looked at me, and said, "What do you think, doctor? How did the carcass end up in the hay?"
"You know my tricks, Sheriff," I said, imitating the detective in a best-selling detective novel. "Use your brain and think hard."
Sergeant Lan Si said unhappily, "Can you be more specific?"
I smiled and said, "The black bear behaves strangely at night."
"what?"
"And Mr. Jack Rosen's bushy beard."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Think about it, Sheriff." With that, I walked to the side of the car.
The body of Felix Burnett was taken to the hospital.In fact, there was no need for further autopsy, but I wanted to check and confirm a suspicion.He was wearing day clothes, hat was missing.After death, his whole person looked smaller.At the time of autopsy, the body was already cold, and post-mortem stiffness and plaques had also appeared.As I expected.
At this time, I was convinced that I had seen the truth.I have to tell Sheriff Lens.With the mentality of giving it a try, I called the prison.Fortunately, Sergeant Lansi has gone back. "Hello, doctor. I still can't understand your clue."
"I can come over and explain it to you in detail, Sheriff. We won't have much sleep tonight anyway."
"Well, doctor, I don't need to trouble you. You see, I have already solved the case without your prompting."
"what?"
"Shortly after you left, I apprehended the suspect. He took them all."
"Damn it!" I said, "I'll be right over."
The sheriff sat in the middle of the office with a radiant face: "Doctor, I finally solved the case."
"Tell me about it."
"Don't be too busy, explain to me your so-called clues. Is there any deep meaning to the black bear attack at night?"
"Well. The black bear is attracted to the smell of Burnett's corpse. To me, that means that Burnett has been dead for a while—at least a few hours. A freshly dead body, still under the canvas, is unlikely to attract Come to Black Bear."
"Maybe." Sergeant Lan Si said uncertainly, "What's the matter with the beard?"
"Rosen has a thick beard, which I think proves the truth of what he said earlier - that he just wanted to beat Burnett, not kill him. Come to think of it, beards aren't allowed in prisons, since He has such a long beard, which means that he has been released for weeks, even months. If all he thinks about day and night is to kill his murderer, how can he wait so long?"
"That's right." The Sheriff agreed with me. "That's true."
"Who did you arrest?"
He laughed: "So, you don't know who the murderer is, doctor?"
"Sheriff, you are the one who solved the case. I want to hear from you."
"Okay. Why do we think this is an impossible crime? Because we got the time of Felix's death wrong. The murderer didn't have to take off the canvas cover to hide the body. Because, before the canvas was covered, Felix Stan was killed. That is to say, he was dead before you left the farm last night."
He was right.He solved seemingly impossible mysteries, all by himself. "However, we all saw it, and he was alive at the time."
"No, we didn't see it, doctor. What we saw was the murderer, wearing Burnett's big straw hat, covering his hair and face. Burnett left the main house and walked to the haystack. The murderer was wearing the same Coat, waited there, and stabbed him with a pitchfork. Then the killer put on the dead man's straw hat, hid the body in a haystack, and covered it with a canvas cover—the murderer's trick took only a few minutes, and no one saw it. I think the murder scene was behind the haystack, just out of sight of the main house."
"Who is the murderer?"
"Doctor, you know it as well as I do. It can't be Sarah or Bob Witchels, they're both shorter than you. It can't be Jack Rosen, he's not tall either. It can only be Hal Perry, he was about the same height as the dead man. They all had to keep their heads down when they came in so they wouldn't bang on the doorframe."
"That's right," I agreed. "It's Perry. Did he explain his motive?"
"Of course. He's been stealing Felix's money for years. He always withholds some of the produce he sells for Felix. Burnett is suspicious. Perry fears going to prison again. When Rosen shows up, He saw a perfect opportunity. He killed Felix with a pitchfork by the haystack, then put on a dead man's hat and pretended to be dead. From a distance, we thought it was Felix who covered the canvas .He just needs to hide the body until the next morning, and then sneak into the woods, and arrange it to look like it will be attacked by Rosen. However, before that, the arrival of the black bear ruined his plan."
I nodded: "Perry was wearing the same coat as Bonet, and the straw hat covered his face and black hair. From a distance, he did look like Bonet. When I left, he waved at me, but Didn't speak. You said, he walked towards the little house, calling Perry as he went - pretending to call Perry. You didn't see them together because Perry was supposed to be indoors. Then he went into the valley Barn. At midnight he sneaked into the main house through the front door and called me and made me think it was Bonet on the line to prove he wasn't dead at that hour. Then he sneaked out again , sneaked back to my little house before I called back and connected with you."
“万一我们提早去谷仓怎么办？我是说我，或者萨拉。”
“他可以说博内特去了树林。计划本来天衣无缝，但被黑熊的到来破坏了。你是怎么想到凶手假扮博内特的？”
警长自豪地笑了：“出卖他的是那顶草帽。菲利克斯戴草帽是为了遮阳。而菲利克斯去盖草堆的时候，天空乌云密布。我问自己，为什么他要戴草帽？一下子就明白了真相。”
两天后，我参加了菲利克斯的葬礼。葬礼结束后，我再次前往博内特农场。鲍勃·维切尔斯和一些朋友、邻居都在。我瞅着一个空，在厨房里单独找到萨拉，从口袋里掏出一个小包，放在手掌心里给她看。
“那天晚上，我看到你偷偷丢掉它。”我小声说道。
“什么？”她想来抢，我赶紧握住拳头。
“这是兽医用在谷仓周围，毒老鼠的新型鼠药。是鲍勃·维切尔斯给你的，对吗？我们发现菲利克斯的尸体后，你觉得鼠药没用了，所以扔掉了它。”
“我——”她想开口，但似乎说不出话来。
“可怜的老菲利克斯，有那么多人想他死！”
我出门，开车回家。当晚，我把鼠药丢进马桶里，冲走了。
“这就是蓝思警长独立破的案，干草堆里的尸体之谜。”山姆·霍桑医生最后说道，“哈尔·佩里被判处二十年徒刑。萨拉和鲍勃·维切尔斯结了婚。她卖掉农场，和鲍勃一起搬到其他地方去了。我再也没听到过他们的消息。”
“几个月后，我给自己放了个短假期。不过，我好像不管到哪儿，都能碰上杀人案。在灯塔玩一玩，也碰上了海盗亡魂作祟。下次你再来喝上两杯，我细细告诉你。”
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Notes: