Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen Dr. Nicholson

The next morning, Frankie attacks Sylvia. She said casually: "What was the name of the man you mentioned last night? Carstairs? I'm sure I've heard that name before." "I think you've heard. He's well known in his trade. He's Canadian, biologist, leviathan hunter, explorer. I don't actually know him. Our friends, the Rivingtons — took him here for lunch one day. He's a real charmer, big, bronze-skinned, with beautiful blue eyes." "I must have heard of this man." "He never stayed in the country before. Last year he went on a voyage through Africa with the millionaire John Savage. Savage thought he had cancer. So it ended in such a tragic way. ... Carstairs traveled all over the world: East Africa, South America, everywhere."

"Just a man of wonderful adventures," said Frankie. "Oh yes. Charming." "It's funny how he went through so much like the guy who fell off the cliff in March Bolt," Frankie said. "I don't know if everyone has the same place." They began to compare examples, talking about Adolph Baker, and then Lyons Meyer.Frankie tried not to mention Alan Carstairs lest an overly interested interest in him should cause trouble. But Frankie felt now that something was going on.She is convinced that Alan Carstairs was the victim of the Marchbolt Cliff tragedy.He fits all the boxes.Here, he has no relatives or acquaintances, and his disappearance is unlikely to attract attention for some time.It is possible for a person who often travels to East Africa and South America to suddenly disappear.Also, Frankie noticed that although Sylvia had commented on the photo in the newspaper that he resembled the dead man, she hadn't thought at the time that the man in the photo was actually the man.

Frankie thought, there's something psychologically interesting about rewinding. We rarely suspect unfamiliar people we see and meet often. Well, then, Alan Carstairs is dead.The next step is to learn more about him.His connection with the Bassington-French family was negligible, and he had only been brought here by chance by a friend.What was the name of the man who brought him?Rivington.Frankie made a mental note of the name for future use. This is certainly a viable investigative tool.But take it slow.The investigation into Alan Carstairs must be conducted with great care. "I don't want to be poisoned or knocked on the head," Frankie grimaced. "They were actually going to kill Bobby..."

Her thoughts turned suddenly to the urgency of the sentence which had given rise to the whole affair. Evans: Who is Evans?where is evans "A drug gang," Frankie concluded.Perhaps some relative of Carstairs had been drugged, and he was determined to destroy the gang.Perhaps it was for this purpose that he had come to England.Evans may have been one of the drug dealers who had quit and settled in Wales.Carstairs bribes Evans to give others away.Evans allows Carstairs to meet him there, but someone who is following him sets out to kill him. Was the stalker Roger Bassington-French?It doesn't look like it.So far from being the kind of people Frankie imagined, the Caymans looked like drug dealers.

But there's still that photo.If so, there would be an explanation for that photograph. That night, Dr. Nicholson and his wife were invited to dinner.Frankie had just finished changing when she heard their car pull up to the gate.The window faced the road and she looked out. A tall man was getting out of the driver's seat of a Talbot. Frankie looked away thoughtfully. Carstairs was Canadian, and so was Dr. Nicholson. The latter drove a dark blue Talbot. Of course, it is absurd to rely on these to explain what, but isn't this just enough to make people think a little bit? Dr. Nicholson was a large man with the manner of a powerful man.

He spoke slowly and in few words, but tried to make everything he said sound significant.He wore a pair of large, strong glasses, with pale blue eyes reflecting light behind the lenses. His wife was a slender woman of about twenty-seven, and indeed beautiful.The woman seemed nervous, Frankie thought, and spoke with a degree of excitement that seemed to be disguising. "I hear you've been in an accident, Miss Frances?" said Dr. Nicholson, sitting down next to Frankie at the table. Frankie told the story of the car accident.She couldn't figure out why she felt so nervous when she was speaking.The doctor was calm and listened with gusto.Why did she always feel like she was rehearsing a plea to a charge she hadn't been charged with, and what would make the doctor suspect she had been involved in a car accident?

Maybe it's better to say things in detail than to be concise. After she finished speaking, the doctor said: "That's unfortunate, but you seem to be recovering well." "We didn't think she was well, so we kept her with us," Sylvia said. The doctor turned his gaze to Sylvia, and a smile appeared on his lips, but it disappeared almost instantly. "I should keep her with you as long as possible," said the doctor gravely. Frankie sat between the host and Dr. Nicholson.Henry Bassington-French was visibly gloomy tonight, his hands were cramping, he had hardly eaten, and he did not take part in the conversation.

Mrs Nicholson, sitting across from Henry, was so embarrassed that she was relieved only when she turned to Roger.She talked to Roger ramblingly, but Frankie noticed that she never took her eyes off her husband for long. Dr. Nicholson was talking about country life. "Do you know what kind of culture this is, Miss Frances?" "Do you mean book knowledge?" asked Frankie, slightly puzzled. "No, no. I mean bacteria. You know, Miss Frances, they develop in a special serum. The country is kind of like that. There's space and time and unbridled leisure and all the conditions for development."

"You mean something evil?" Frankie asked, still puzzled. "That depends, Miss Frances, on the species of bacteria that have been bred." Frankie secretly paid, what a stupid talk, it always makes me feel creepy: So she said rudely, "I wish I could develop all kinds of evil qualities." The doctor looked at her and said calmly, "Oh no, I don't see it that way, Miss Frances. I think you'll always be on the side of law and order." Is there a subtle emphasis on the word "law"? Suddenly, across the table, Mrs Nicholson said: "My husband is proud of general features."

Dr. Nicholson nodded slightly. "You're right, Moira. I'm interested in little things." He turned to Frankie and added, "I've heard about your accident. One thing about the car accident interested me very much." "Really?" Frankie's heartbeat suddenly accelerated. "The doctor who was passing by was the one who brought you here." "yes?" "He must have been a very curious character, and he turned his car around before trying to save someone." "I do not understand." "Of course you don't understand, you're unconscious. But little Reeves, the boy who delivered the letter, was riding his bicycle from Steverley, and no car passed him. As he turned the corner, he found the wrecked car, the doctor's car was facing the same direction he was riding at this time - the road to London. Do you understand this? The doctor didn't come from the direction of Steverley, so he must have taken the other way The road, down the hill. In that case, his car should be facing Steverly, but it wasn't, so he must have turned the car around."

"Or he came from Staveley earlier," said Frankie. "So, that's where his car stayed when you went downhill, didn't it?" The doctor's pale blue eyes fixed on Frankie through thick lenses. "I can't remember," said Frankie, "I don't think so." "You look like a detective, Jasper," said Mrs. Nicholson. "There's nothing you say." "It's the little things that interest me," Nicholson said.Frankie was relieved when he turned to his mistress. Why did he question her like this?How did he know so much about the circumstances of the car accident?Is that the whole reason why he said "I'm interested in the little things"? Frankie recalled the dark blue Talbot, and remembered that Carstairs was Canadian.She thought Dr. Nicholson was a sinister fellow. After dinner, she avoided Dr. Nicholson as much as possible, and approached Mrs. Nicholson, who was gentle and fragile.She noticed that the lady's eyes were still fixed on her husband.Frankie thought: Is this love or fear? Nicholson has been befriending Sylvia.At ten-thirty, he glanced at his wife, and they got up to say goodbye. "Well," said Roger after they had gone, "what do you think of our Dr. Nicholson? He has a remarkable personality, doesn't he?" "I'm like Sylvia," said Frankie. "I don't like him at all. I like his wife a little bit." "Beautiful, but kind of demented," Roger said. "She either adores her husband, or she's crazy about him. I don't know which." "That's what seems strange to me, too," agreed Frankie. "I don't like him," said Sylvia, "but I have to admit, he seems extremely competent. I believe he has a very peculiar way of treating drug addicts. At first the people were extremely depressed, and with a little went thither with hope, and came out completely healed." "That's right," said Henry Bassington-French suddenly. "Do you know what happened there? Do you know the horrific suffering and mental torment? They cut off a drug addict. Drugs - cut off the source until he went insane from lack of drugs and bang his head against the wall. That's what he did, your 'competent' doctor tortured them, tortured them, sent them to hell , driving them mad..." Henry's body shook violently.Suddenly he turned and left the room. Sylvia was taken aback. "What's the matter with Henry?" she asked curiously. "He seems very disturbed." Frankie and Roger dared not look at each other. "He wasn't right all night," Frankie ventured. "No, I've noticed. He's been very unhappy lately. I hope he hasn't given up riding. Oh, by the way, Dr. Nicholson invited Tommy to come over tomorrow, but I don't like him to go there, not because of those Bizarre psychopaths and drug addicts." "I see the doctor won't put Tommy in touch with those people," said Roger. "He seems to be very fond of children." "Yes, I see it as his disappointment at not having a biological child of his own. His wife probably does too. She looks sad and overly elegant." "She's like a Madonna of Sorrow." "Yes, very well said." "If Dr Nicholson is so fond of children, I suppose he comes to your children's parties?" asked Frankie casually. "He happened to be away for a day or two at the time. I thought he had to go to London for some conference." "I see." They got up and went back to bed.Before bed, Frankie wrote Bobby a letter.