Chapter 19 Chapter Nineteen

"I want to talk to you, Kirsty," said Philip. "Yes, of course, Philip." Kirsty Lindstrom took a break from her work.She had just brought in some laundry and was putting it in a drawer. "I want to talk to you about the whole thing," Philip said. "You do not mind right?" "It's been talked about too much," Kirsty said. "This is my opinion." "But that's all right, isn't it," said Philip, "we've come to some sort of conclusion among ourselves. You know what's going on, don't you?" "Everything is wrong," Kirsty said.

"Do you think Leo and Gwenda are going to get married by now?" "Why not?" "Several reasons," Philip said. "First, perhaps, because Leo Argyle, being an intelligent man, understood that his marriage to Gwenda would give the police what they wanted. A good motive for murdering his wife. Or, because Leo suspects Gwenda is the murderer. And being a sensitive person, he doesn't really like marrying the woman who killed his first wife as his second wife. What do you think about that?" he added Say. "Nothing," Kirsty said. "What should I think?"

"Don't want to say it, do you, Kirsty?" "I do not understand what you mean." "Who are you covering for, Kirsty?" "I'm not 'covering' for anyone, as you say. I think there should be less talk and I don't think they should be in the house. It's not good for them. I think you, Philip, should talk to your wife Go back to your own homes." "Oh, you do, don't you? Why?" "You're asking questions," Kirsty said. "You're trying to find out something. And your wife doesn't want you to. She's wiser than you. You might find out what you don't want to find out, or she doesn't want you to find out. You should go home, Philip. You should go home quickly."

"I don't want to go home," said Philip.He sounded rather like a stubborn little boy. "That's what kids say," Kirsty said. "They say I don't want to do this or that, but those who are more sensible, who see the facts more clearly, have to coax them into doing what they don't want to do." "So that's your idea of ​​tricking me, isn't it?" said Philip. "Give me orders." "No, I'm not giving you an order. I'm just advising you." She sighed. "I would do the same to all of them. Michael should go back to work, just as Tina has gone back to her library. I'm glad Hester is gone. She should go somewhere that doesn't keep her thinking where it all goes."

"Yes," said Philip. "I do agree with you on that. You're right about Hester. But yourself, Kirsty? Shouldn't you go away too?" "Yes," Kirsty said with a sigh. "I should leave." "Why don't you?" "You won't understand. It's too late for me." Philip looked at her thoughtfully.Then he said: "There are so many variations—variations on a single theme. Leo thinks Gwenda did it, Gwenda thinks Leo did it. Tina knows what makes her suspect who did it. Michel knows Who did it but doesn't care. Mary thinks Hester did it." He paused and then went on, "But the truth is, Kirsty, like I said, these are just variations on a theme. We're very Know who did it, don't you, Kirsty. You and me?"

She gave him a sudden, quick, frightened look. "I thought so too," said Philip triumphantly. "What do you mean?" Kirsty said. "What do you want to say?" "I don't really know who did it," Philip said. "But you do. You don't just think you know who did it, you do. Am I right?" Kirsty strode toward the door.She opened the door, then turned to speak. "It's hard to say, but I'll say it anyway. You're a fool, Philip, and what you're trying to do is dangerous. You understand a danger. You've been a pilot. You've faced death in the air. Don't you Can't see that if you get close to the truth you're just as dangerous as you were in the Great War?"

"And you, Kirsty? If you know the truth, aren't you dangerous too?" "I can take care of myself," Kirsty said sullenly. "I can watch out, but you, Philip, you're helpless in a wheelchair. Think about it! Besides," she went on, "I don't speak my mind. I let it be—because I really think it's best for everyone. If everyone goes off to do their own thing then there won't be any more trouble and if I'm asked I have the official ones I have to deal with Opinion. I still say Jack." "Jack?" Philip's eyes widened. "Why not? Jack is smart. Jack can plan things and make sure he doesn't suffer from the consequences of them. He used to do that when he was a kid. After all, he can fabricate an alibi. Isn't that what people do every day?"

"There's no way he could have fabricated this alibi. Dr. Calgary—" "Dr. Calgary—Dr. Calgary," said Kirsten impatiently, "because he's famous, and because he's famous, you say, 'Dr. Calgary' like he's God! But I'll Told you. When you have a concussion like he did, your memory can be completely out of order. It could have been a different day - a different time - a different place!" Philip looked at her, his head slightly tilted to one side. "So that's how you see it," he said. "And you'll see it through. Very admirable attempt. But you don't believe it yourself, Kirsty?"

"I warned you," Kirsty said, "I did my best." She turned and left, then leaned in again and said in her usual serious tone: "Tell Mary I've put the laundry in the second drawer over there." Philip smiled at the anticlimactic remark, then disappeared. Excitement grew within him.He had a feeling that he was really, really close.His experiments with Kirsty had been very satisfactory to him, but he doubted what he could get out of her.Her concern for him angered him.Even though he was crippled, it didn't mean he was as fragile as she thought.He, too, can be on guard—and isn't he constantly being watched over, for heaven's sake?Mary almost never left his side.

He took a piece of paper and began to write.Short notes, names, question marks... Weaknesses that can be tested...Suddenly he nodded and wrote!Tina... he ponders... Then he brought another sheet of paper. He barely looked up when Mary entered. "What are you doing, Philip?" "write a letter." "To Hester?" "Hester? No. I don't even know where she is. Kirsty just got her a card with London written on it, that's all." He grinned at her. "I believe you're jealous, Polly. Are you?" Her cold blue eyes looked straight at him.

"Maybe." He felt a little uncomfortable. "Who are you writing to?" She took a step closer. "Prosecutor," said Philip cheerfully, though he felt very angry inside.Is writing a letter also subject to questioning?Then he saw her face and was moved with pity. "Just kidding, Polly, I'm writing to Tina." "To Tina? Why?" "Tina is my next line of attack. Where are you going, Polly?" "Go to the bathroom," Mary said, walking out the door. Philip laughed.Going to the bathroom, like the night of the murder...he remembered their conversation and laughed again. "Come on, boy," said Inspector Hush encouragingly. "tell me the story." Young Master Cyril Green took a deep breath.Before he could speak, his mother interrupted. "You might say, Mr. Hush, I didn't pay much attention. You know what these little kids look like. Always talking and thinking about spaceships and stuff. He came home and said, 'Ma , I saw the Soviet Sputnik, it landed. 'Oh, I mean, before that it was a flying saucer. There was always something. The Soviets stuffed it into their little heads.' Inspector Hooch sighed, thinking how much easier it would be if mothers didn't insist on coming with their sons and speaking for them. "Go ahead, Cyril," he said, "you go home and tell your mother—right? Say you saw a Soviet Sputnik—whenever it was." "I didn't understand it at the time," Cyril said. "I was just a kid. That was two years ago. Of course, I understand better now." "Those bubble cars," interjected his mother, "were completely new cars at the time. Never seen one here, so of course when he saw it—and it was bright red—he didn't realize it was just a regular car. car. And when we heard Mrs. Argyle was killed the next morning, Cyril said to me, 'Mom,' he said, 'the Soviets,' he said, 'they came down on Sputnik and They must have gone in and killed her.' 'Don't talk nonsense,' I said. And then of course later that day we heard that her son had been arrested for being the murderer." Inspector Hu Xu patiently spoke to Cyril again. "It was in the evening, as far as I know? What time, do you remember?" "I had tea," Cyril said, breathing heavily, trying to remember, "and Mom went out to the Women's Association, so I went out again with some boys, and we played games at New Road." "I'd like to know what you were doing there," interposed his mother. Constable Goode, who had brought in this optimistic evidence, interjected.He knew enough about what Cyril and the other boys were doing up the New Road.Several families in the neighborhood had angrily reported to the police that some of the chrysanthemums they had grown were missing, and he was well aware that some villains in the village were secretly encouraging the younger generation to supply them with flowers to sell in the market.Constable Goode knew that this was not the time to investigate past misconduct.He said solemnly: "Boys are boys, Mrs. Green, and they play around." "Yeah," Cyril said, "just a game or two, us. And I saw it right there. 'Whoa,' I said, 'What's this?' Of course I know now, I Not a stupid kid anymore. Just a bubble car. It's bright red." "What about the time?" Chief Inspector Hu Xu said patiently. "Oh, as I said, I had my tea and we went out there to play games - it must have been near seven o'clock, because I heard the bell and I thought, 'Whoa, Mum's going home and if I'm not here she won't No fuss.' So I went home. I told her I thought I saw a Sputnik come down. Mom said I was lying, but I wasn't. Only of course, I know now, I was just a Kid, you know." Inspector Hu Xu said he knew.After a few more questions, he dismissed Mrs. Green and her son.Constable Goode stayed behind, with the satisfied expression of a junior cadre wishing to be rewarded for a display of ingenuity. "It just occurred to me," said Constable Goode, "that the boy said something about the Soviets killing Mrs. Argyle. I said to myself, 'Oh, that might mean something.'" "It does mean something," said the inspector general. "Miss Tina Argyle has a red bubble car, looks like I'll have to ask her a few more questions." "Were you there that night, Miss Argyle?" Tina looked at the inspector general.Her hands rested loosely on her lap, and her unblinking black eyes said nothing. "It was so long ago," she said, "I really don't remember." "Someone saw your car there," Hu Xu said. "yes?" "Well, Miss Argyle. When we asked you to account for your whereabouts that night, you told us you went home and didn't go out that night. You made your own dinner and listened to the gramophone. Now, that's not true. It's almost seven o'clock Somebody saw your car on that road very close to Sunny Point. What were you doing there?" She didn't answer.Hu Xu waited for a few minutes, then he spoke again. "Did you go into the house, Miss Argyle?" "No," Tina said. "But where are you?" "You said I was there." "It's not just me saying that. We have evidence that you were there." Tina sighed. "Yes," she said. "I did drive there that night." "But you say you didn't go into the house." "Yes, I did not go into the house." "Then what are you doing?" "I drove back to Hongming again. Then, as I told you, I made my own dinner and listened to the gramophone." "If you didn't go into the house then why did you drive there?" "I changed my mind," Tina said. "What changed your mind, Miss Argyle?" "When I got there I didn't want to go in." "Because what did you see or hear?" She didn't answer. "Listen, Miss Argyle. Your mother was murdered that night. She was killed between seven and seven-thirty that night. You were there, your car was there, some When. How long the car was there we don't know. It's possible you know, it might have been there for a while. Maybe you went into the house—you've got the key, I think—" "Yes," Tina said, "I have the key." "Maybe you go into the house. Maybe you go into your mother's living room and find her there, dead. Or maybe—" Tina looked up. "Or maybe I killed her? Is that what you mean to say, Inspector Hush?" "That's a possibility," said Hush, "but I think it's more likely, Miss Argyle, some other person. If so, I think you know—or very much suspect—who the murderer was." "I didn't go into the house," said Tina. "So what did you see or hear. You saw someone go into the room or leave the room. Maybe someone who no one else knew was there. Was it your brother Michael, huh?" Miss Jill?" Tina says: "I didn't see anyone." "But what did you hear," Hu Xu said shrewdly. "What did you hear, Miss Argyle?" "I'm telling you," Tina said, "I just changed my mind." "Forgive me, Miss Argyle, but I don't believe it. Why would you drive from Hongming to meet your family and return without seeing them? Something changed your mind. What did you see or hear ’” He leaned forward. "I think you know, Miss Argyle, who killed your mother." She shook her head very slowly. "What do you know?" Hu Xu said. "What you are determined not to say. But think about it, Miss Argyle, think about it very carefully. Do you understand what you are putting all your family through? You want them all to be under suspicion - as it is, Unless we find out the truth. Whoever killed your mother doesn't deserve asylum. That's what it is, isn't it? You're protecting someone." Those black opaque eyes met his gaze again. "I don't know anything," Tina said. "I didn't hear anything, and I didn't see anything. I just—changed my mind."