Chapter 22 Chapter Twenty Two

Tina parked the car on the grass next to the church garden wall.She carefully removed the wrappers from the flowers she had brought, and walked through the iron gates of the cemetery, along the main path.She didn't like the new cemetery.She wished Mrs. Argyle was buried in the old graveyard that surrounded the church.There seemed to be an Old World peace there, yew trees and mossy stones.This cemetery is so new and well-organized. The main paths and radial paths are all neat and mass-produced popular things like a supermarket. Mrs Argyle's grave is well kept.A square marble block is surrounded by pieces of granite, and a granite cross stands behind it.

Tina held the carnations and leaned over the inscription. "Eternal Pregnancy Rachel Louise Argyle, Died Nov. 9, 1957," reads: "Her children will stand up and call her blessed." At the sound of footsteps behind her, Tina turned her head, startled. "Mike!" "I saw your car. I followed you. At least—I was coming here anyway." "You're coming here? Why?" "I don't know. Just to say goodbye, maybe." "Farewell to—her?" He nodded. "Yes. I've taken the job with the oil company I told you about. I'm leaving in about three weeks."

"And you came here first to say goodbye to your mother?" "Yes. Maybe to thank her and say sorry to her." "What are you sorry for, Michel?" "I'm not sorry I killed her, if that's what you mean to imply. Have you been thinking I killed her, Tina?" "I'm not sure." "You can't be sure now, can you? I mean, it's no use telling you I didn't kill her." "What are you sorry for?" "She's done a lot for me," Michel said slowly. "I was never grateful at all. I hated everything she did, I never said a kind word to her or gave her a good look. Now I wish I had, that's all."

"When did you stop hating her? After she died?" "Yes. Yes, I suppose so." "You don't hate her, do you?" "No—no. You're right, my own mother. Because I love her, and because I love her and she doesn't love me at all." "And now you're not even angry about that?" "Yes. I think she probably can't do anything about it. After all, you are what you are born with. She is a lively, happy kind of woman. She likes men and drinks too much. She is good to her children when she is happy. She Won't let anyone else hurt them. Well, she doesn't love me! I've resisted the idea all these years, and now I accept it." He held out his hand. "Give me a carnation, will you, Tina?" He took it from her hand and stooped to place it on the grave under the stele. "Here you are, Ma," he said. "I'm your bad son and don't think you're my very wise mother. But you mean well." He looked at Tina. "Is this an apology okay?"

"I think it's all right," Tina said. She bent down and put down the whole bouquet of carnations. "Do you come here often to offer flowers?" "I come once a year," Tina said. "Little Tina," Michel said. They turned and walked back down the cemetery walk together. "I didn't kill her, Tina," Michel said. "I swear I didn't. I want you to believe me." "I was there that night," Tina said. He turned sharply. "Where are you? You mean Cape Sun?" "Yes. I was thinking of changing jobs. I wanted to talk to my father and mother."

"Oh," Michel said, "go on." She didn't speak, and he grabbed her arm and shook her. "Go on, Tina," he said. "You have to tell me." "I haven't told anyone so far," Tina said. "Go on," Michel said again. "I drove there. I didn't drive straight up to the iron gate. You know a better place to get back on the way?" Michael nodded. "I got out of the car there and walked over. I felt insecure about myself, you know how difficult it is for a mother to talk in a certain way. I mean, she always had her own mind. I wanted to make it as clear as possible. .So I go to the house, then I go back to the car, and then I go back. Think things through."

"What time was that?" Michael asked. "I don't know," Tina said. "I can't remember now. I—time doesn't mean much to me." "Yes, honey," Michel said. "You have always looked infinitely leisurely." "I was under those trees," Tina said, "walking very softly—" "Like a kitten," Michel said affectionately. "—that's when I heard it." "What did you hear?" "Two people are talking in a whisper." "What?" Michel tensed up all over. "What did they say?"

"They said—one of them said, 'Between seven and seven-thirty. That's it. Remember not to screw it up. Between seven and seven-thirty.' Another whispered: 'You can trust me,' and the first voice said, 'afterwards, honey, it'll be wonderful.'" There was a silence, and then Michel said: "Oh—why don't you talk about it?" "Because I don't know," Tina said. "I don't know who's talking." "Of course! Is it a man or a woman?" "I don't know," Tina said. "Don't you see that when two people are whispering, you can't hear a sound. It's just—oh, just a whisper. I think, of course I think it's a man and a woman, because—"

"Because of what they said?" "Yes. But I don't know who they are." "You think," Michel said, "it could be Father and Gwenda?" "It's possible, isn't it?" said Tina. "It could have been that Gwenda was told to leave the house and go back during that time, or it could be that Gwenda told Father to come down between seven and seven-thirty." "If it was Father and Gwenda, you wouldn't want to tell the police. Is that why?" "If I'm sure," Tina said. "But I'm not sure. It could be someone else. It could be—Hester and someone? It could be Mary, but it can't be Philip. No, not Philip, of course."

"You say Hester and someone, who do you mean?" "I have no idea." "You didn't see him—I mean, the man?" "No," Tina said. "I didn't see him." "Tina, I think you're lying. It's a man, isn't it?" "I turned back," Tina said, "to the car, and then there was a man walking by on the other side of the road, very fast. Just a figure in the dark. Then I thought—I thought I heard someone at the end of the road. The sound of a car starting." "You thought it was me..." Michel said. "I don't know," Tina said. "It could be you. About your size."

They came to Tina's car. "Come on, Tina," Michel said, "get in the car. I'll come with you. Let's go to Sunny Point." "But Michael—" "It's no use telling you it's not me, is it? What can I say? Come on, drive to Sunny Point." "What are you going to do, Michael?" "Why do you think I'm going to do something? Aren't you going to Yangjiao?" "Yes," said Tina, "I am going. I have a letter from Philip." She starts the car.Michel sat next to her, very tense and stiff. "A letter from Philip? What did he say?" "He wants me to come over. He wants to see me. He knows I have half a day off today." "Oh. Did he say what he wanted to see you for?" "He said he wanted to ask me a question and hoped I would answer him. He said I didn't need to tell him anything - he would tell me. I just had to say yes or no. He said no matter what I told him, he It will all be kept secret.” "So he's on to something, isn't he?" Michel said. "interesting." It's not a long way to Sunny Point.When they arrived, Michael said: "You go in, Tina. I'll walk in the garden and think of something. Go. Go and talk to Philip." Tina says: "You're not going to—you're not going to—" Michael gave a short laugh. "Jumping off Lover's Cliff to commit suicide? Well, Tina, you don't know me well, do you?" "Sometimes," Tina said, "I don't think anybody understands anybody else." She turned away from him and walked slowly into the house.Michel watched her enter, his head jerked forward, his hands in his pockets.He is frowning.Then he walked around the corner, looking up thoughtfully at the room.All childhood memories come back.The old magnolia tree, which he had climbed many times, entered the house through the window on the landing.A small plot of land that used to be his own garden, not that he liked gardens very much.He always liked to tear apart any toys he had. "There's a saboteur kid," he thought slightly amused. Alas, people don't actually change. Inside the house, Tina meets Mary in the hall.Mary was startled when she saw her. "Tina! Are you from Hongming?" "Yes," Tina said. "You didn't know I was coming?" "I forgot," said Mary. "I believe Philip did mention it." She turned and left. "I'm going to the kitchen," she said, "to see if Ovaltine is here. Philip likes a drink before bed. Kirsty has just sent him coffee. He prefers coffee to tea. He has indigestion." "Why do you treat him like a sick man, Mary?" said Tina. "He's not actually a patient." There was a cold, angry look in Mary's eyes. "When you have a husband yourself, Tina," she said, "you know better how a husband likes to be treated." Tina said softly: "Sorry." "If only we could get out of the house," said Mary. "Very bad for Philip here. And Hester is coming back today," she added. "Hester?" Tina looked surprised. "really? Why?" "How do I know? She called back last night and said so. I don't know which train she took. I think it's the express, as usual. Somebody has to meet her at Drymouth." Mary disappeared down the hall into the kitchen.Tina hesitated, and then she went up the stairs.The first door on the right of the landing opened, and Hester came out.She was startled to see Tina. "Hester! I heard you were coming back, but I didn't know you had arrived." "Dr. Calgary drove me back," Hester said. "I went straight upstairs to my room - I don't think anyone knew I was there." "Is Dr. Calgary here now?" "No. He told me to get out of the car and continue driving to Gankou. He wanted to meet someone over there." "Mary didn't know you had arrived." "Mary never knew anything," said Hester. "She and Philip are cut off from everything. I think Father and Gwenda are in the study. Everything seems to be business as usual." "Why not?" "I really don't know," said Hester vaguely. "I just suspect everything will be a little bit different." She passed Tina down the stairs.Tina went on past the study and down to the suite at the end occupied by the Durants.Kirsty Lindstrom, who was standing outside Philip's door with a tray in her hand, suddenly turned her head. "Well, Tina, you startled me," she said. "I was taking coffee and biscuits for Philip." She raised her hand and knocked on the door.Tina approached her. After knocking on the door, Kirsty opened it and walked in.She walked a little ahead of Tina, and her tall, thin frame blocked Tina's view, but Tina heard Kirsty's breathing.Her arms spread open, and the tray fell to the floor, and the cups and saucers fell to the edge of the charcoal fence. "Oh no," cried Kirsty, "oh no!" Tina says: "Philip?" She passed the other woman and came to Philip in his wheelchair at his desk.He must have been writing, she thought.A ballpoint pen rests by his right hand, but his head hangs forward in a strange, contorted position.At the base of his skull, she saw what looked like a shiny ruby ​​reddish his collar. "He was killed," Kirsty said. "He was killed—stabbed. Over there, through the bottom of the head. One stab kills." She went on, raising her voice: "I warned him. I did everything I could. But he's like a little kid - who loves to play with dangerous tools - and doesn't understand what he's about." Like a nightmare, Tina thought.She stood tenderly at Philip's elbow, looking down at him.And Kirsty raised his limp hand to feel for his pulse, which was no longer there.What did he want to ask her?Whatever it was, now he could never ask.Without really thinking objectively, Tina was understanding and recording some details in her mind.He was supposed to be writing, yes.The pen was there, but there was no paper in front of him.Nothing written down.Whoever killed him had taken what he had written.She said calmly and mechanically: "We have to tell other people." "Yes, yes, we must go down to them. We must tell your father." The two women walked toward the door side by side, with Kirsten putting her arm around Tina.Tina's eyes went to the fallen tray and the broken cups and saucers. "That's okay," Kirsty said. "Wait a while before cleaning." Tina half-falls, half-walks, and Kirsten holds her steady. "Be careful. You'll fall." They passed along the aisle.The door of the study opened.Leo and Gwenda come out.Tina said in her clear, soft voice: "Philip is dead. Stabbed." Like a dream, Tina thought.The shocked cries of her father and Gwenda came to her, to Philip... Philip, who was dead.Kirsty left and she hurried downstairs. "I must tell Mary, and I must tell her well. Poor Mary, it will be a shock." Tina slowly followed her downstairs.She felt more and more dizzy as if in a dream, and there was a strange pain in the area of ​​her heart.Where is she going?she does not know.Nothing is real.She came to the open front door and walked through it.Then she saw Michael coming around the corner from the outside of the house.As if her steps had been guiding her automatically, she walked straight towards him. "Michael," she said. "Oh, Michael!" His arms are outstretched.She threw herself into his arms. "It's all right," Michel said. "I'm holding you." Tina curled up slightly in his arms.She fell to the ground in a small heap as Hester rushed from the house. "She passed out," Michel said helplessly. "I've never seen Tina faint before." "It was frightening," said Hester. "What do you mean - frightened?" "Philip was killed," Hester said. "You do not know?" "How do I know, when? How did I get killed?" "just." He looked at her with wide eyes, and then he picked up Tina.Hester accompanied him, and he carried her into Mrs. Argyle's sitting room and laid her on the sofa. "Call Dr. Craig," he said. "Here's his car," said Hester, looking out of the window. "Father was just on the phone telling him about Philip. I—" She looked around. "I don't want to see him." She rushed out the door and went upstairs. Donald Craig got out of the car and came in through the open front door.Kirsty came out of the kitchen to meet him. "Good afternoon, Miss Lindstrom. What did I hear? Mr. Argyle told me that Philip Durant was killed, killed?" "Exactly," Kirsty said. "Has Mr. Argyle called the police?" "I have no idea." "Is it possible that he was just injured?" Xiao Tang said.He turned around and went back to take out the medical kit from the car. "No," Kirsty said.Her voice was flat and tired. "He's dead, I'm sure. He was stabbed—here." She rested one hand on the back of her own head. Michael came out of the room and into the hall. "Hey Don, you'd better go see Tina," he said. "She fainted." "Tina? Oh, yes, it's—the one from Hongming, isn't it? Where's she?" "She's in there." "I'll have a look at her before I go upstairs." He turned to Kirsty when he entered the room, "keep her warm," he said, "and give her some tea or coffee as soon as she wakes up. But you've been trained to-" Kirsty nodded. "Kirsty!" Mary Durant came slowly down the hall from the kitchen—Kirsty met her—and Mary stared at her helplessly. "It's not true," said Mary hoarsely. "It's not true! You made up a lie. He was fine when I left him just now. He was perfectly fine. He was writing. I told him not to. Why did he do that? Why was he so stubborn? Why He won't listen when I ask him to leave the house?" Kirsty coaxed her, comforted her, and did her best to relax her. Donald Craig strode out of the living room. "Who said the girl fainted?" he asked. Michel stared at him with wide eyes. "But it's a shame she fainted," he said. "Where did she faint?" "She was with me...she came out to meet me. And then—she fell down." "Down, eh? Yes, she's down, yes," Donald said. Craig said grimly.He walked quickly to the telephone. "I must call an ambulance," he said, "at once." "Ambulance?" Kirsty and Michael both looked at her with wide eyes.Mary didn't seem to hear. "Yes." Donald called angrily. "The girl didn't faint," he said. "She was stabbed. Did you hear that? Stabbed in the back. We have to take her to the hospital right away."