Chapter 39 Section 1

It was chilly on the water, and Kay hugged a small fur jacket he was wearing.The motorboat rolled along the channel below "Gull's Cape" and then entered the creek that separated "Gull's Cape" from the gloomy cliff head. Once or twice the question was raised, but each time Inspector Bartos raised his great hand, like a clumsy actor in a popular farce, to imply that the time had not come.So there was silence except for the sound of water.Kay and Ted stood together, looking down at the water.Neville sat down on the motorboat, legs spread.Mary Odin and Thomas Lloyd sat in the bow.Every now and then everyone glanced curiously at the tall, distant figure of Mark White standing in the stern.He didn't look at them, just stood there with his back to them, shoulders hunched.

It wasn't until they were in the gloomy shadow of the cliff head that Ba Tuo slowed down the engine speed and spoke. In a thoughtful tone, he said without hesitation: "It's a very odd case—one of the oddest I've ever seen, and I want to start with the subject of murder in general. What I'm going to say is not my originality—in fact I overheard the young Mr. Daniels, Counsel to the Crown, said it, and I think he may have heard it from others - he's good at it! "Here's it! When you see a report of a murder -- or, say, read a novel about a murder, you usually see the murder first. It's all wrong. The murder was long ago It has already begun. A murder is the culmination of many different situations, all of which converge at a certain place at a certain moment. People are brought into it from various places for unpredictable reasons. Luo Mr Edie is here from Malaya. Mr Mark White is here because he wants to revisit the place where he attempted suicide. The murder itself is the end of the story. It's 'zero hour'."

He paused. "It's 'zero hour'." Five faces turned toward him--only five faces, because Mr. Markwhite did not turn his head.Five bewildered faces. Mary Odin says: "You mean to say that Mrs. Tricilian's death was the culmination of many circumstances?" "No, Miss Odin, not the death of Mrs. Tricilian. The death of Mrs. Tricilian was only incidental to the murderer's main objective. The murder I mean is the murder of Audrey Schunk." He listened to the sudden gasp of everyone's breath.He wondered if someone suddenly became frightened...

"This crime was planned quite a while ago—perhaps as early as last winter. It was planned down to the smallest detail. It had one goal, and one goal only: that Audrey Schunge would hanged until she died... "It's a very devious plan by someone who thinks he's very smart. Killers usually think they're great. Arrange for us to see some superficial and unsatisfactory evidence against Neville Schunkie." .After looking at this set of fabricated evidence, the murderer thought it was impossible for us to think that this set would be repeated. However, if you think about it carefully, you will find that all the evidence against Audrey Schunk may also be It was a fake. The murder weapon was taken from the fireplace of her room, her glove - her left hand was bloodstained - hidden in the ivy outside the window of her room. The make-up powder she used was stained on the inside of the collar of her coat, and a few A hair. Her fingerprints, of course, will appear on the tape taken from her room. Even she is left-handed, which fits the location of the murder scene.

"And the most damning piece of evidence is Mrs. Schunji herself—I don't believe that any of you (except the one I know) can believe that she's innocent after seeing the way she behaved when we arrested her. She did plead guilty, didn't she? I probably wouldn't believe her innocence myself if it wasn't for a personal experience of mine... When I saw her like that and heard what she had to say, I was horrified Just a jump—because, you know, I know the other girl is exactly like her, pleading guilty and innocent—and Audrey Schunk looks at me just like that other girl...

"I've got to do my job. I know that. We police officers have to act on evidence—not on what we feel and think. But I can tell you, in that split second, I prayed for a miracle— For I know of nothing but a miracle that saved the poor lady. "Well, the miracle I prayed for happened. It happened right away!" "Mr Mark White popped up and told his story." He paused. "Mr. Mark White, will you repeat what you told me in the room?" Mark White turned around.He spoke in short, sharp sentences, persuasive only because of their simplicity. He told them about his being rescued from the cliff last January, and his desire to revisit the old place.He went on.

"I got there on Monday night. I stood there lost in thought. It must have been about eleven o'clock at night, I thought. I looked at the house on the top of the headland—'Gull Point,' I now know." He paused, then continued: "There was a rope hanging from a window of that house into the sea. I saw a man climb the rope..." after awhile.Mary Odin said aloud: "Then still an outsider after all? It has nothing to do with any of us. An ordinary thief!" "Don't jump to conclusions," Barto said, "it's someone from the other side of the river, yes, because he swam across. But someone in the house has to get him a rope, so someone in the house must be related."

He continued slowly. "And we know that someone was on the other side of the river that night—someone was missing between ten-thirty and eleven-fifteen, and he probably swam across and back. Someone could be in the house A person with internal response." He added: "Isn't it, Mr. Latimer?" Ted took a step back.He screamed: "But I can't swim! Everyone knows I can't swim. Kay, tell them I can't swim." "Of course Ted can't swim!" exclaimed Kay. "Really?" Batu asked kindly. He moves forward and Ted moves in the other direction.A clumsy movement, and then the sound of falling water.

"Ouch," said Inspector Barto with deep concern, "Mr. Latimer has been overboard." When Neville was about to jump to save him, Bardo's hand clamped Neville's arm like a vice. "No, no, Mr. Shi Chunji. You don't need to get your clothes wet. There are two of my men over there—fishing in that small boat over there." He looked closer to the side of the boat, "Not bad," he said gratefully Said with interest. "He can't swim. It's okay. They got him up. I'll apologize to him later, but there's really only one way to prove a person can't swim, and that's to throw him in the water and see. You know, Mr. Schunji, I like to be thorough. I've got to get Mr. Latimer out of the way first. Mr. Lloyd is out of one arm; he can't climb ropes."

Ba Tuo's voice was guttural. "So we'll have to look for you, don't we, Mr. Schunji? A fine athlete, mountaineer, swimmer, etc. You're on the ten-thirty ferry, yes, but there's no one until eleven-fifteen." Proof that you were at the East Head Inn, even though you said you were looking for Mr. Latimer." Neville wrenched his arm free.He threw back his head and laughed. "You're implying that I swam the river and climbed the rope—" "You first hang the rope on the window in your room," Barto said. "Kill Mrs. Trixilian and swim back? Why did I do such a whimsical thing? Besides, who arranged the clues that are not good for me? I guess you want to say that I arranged it myself!"

"Exactly," Barto said, "and that's definitely not a bad idea." "Then why would I want to kill Camilla Tricilian?" "You don't want to," Barto said, "but you do want to hang the woman who left you for another man. You're a little bit of a freak, you know. Ever since you were a kid—by the way, I've Checked out the bow and arrow case. Anyone who hurts you must be punished—and the punishment of death doesn’t seem too much to you. To Audrey, death is not enough—you Dear Audrey—oh, yes, you loved her before your love turned to hate. You'd have to think of some special way of dying for her, some special way of prolonging the pain. When you came up with this special method of death, you didn't care at all that the plan was bound to kill a woman who was like a mother to you..." Neville said in a rather gentle voice: "Nonsense! I'm not mad, I'm not mad." Ba Tuo said disdainfully: "She hits you where it hurts, doesn't she, when she leaves you and runs off with another man? Hurts your vanity! You can't bear the thought of her leaving you. To save face, you Pretend that you left her and married another woman who just so happens to love you and can be trusted. But you've been planning on Audrey. You can't think of better revenge than getting her hanged Trick. Brilliant idea—too bad you're not smart enough!" Neville's shoulders moved, a strange squirm. Bato continued: "Childish—that iron club thing! Those sketchy clues pointing to you! Audrey must have known what you were up to all along! She must have been laughing to herself! Thought I didn't suspect you! You murderers! It's a ridiculous guy! So smug. He always thinks he's clever and witty, but he's actually pitifully childish..." Neville let out a strange scream. "It's a clever idea--it's clever! You'd never guess it. Never guess it! If it weren't for this nosy brat, this pompous Scotch fool. I've planned every detail--every Details! It’s beyond my power to make a mistake. How did I know that Lloyd knew about the relationship between Audrey and Adrian? Audrey and Audrian... God damn Audrey— —she deserves to be hanged—you must hang her—I want her to die—I want her to die—I want her to die...I hate her. I tell you I want her to die...' The high-pitched wailing gradually faded away.Neville sat down and began to weep quietly. "Oh, my God," said Mary Odin. Her face was white even to her lips. Ba Tuo said softly in a low voice: "Sorry, but I'm going to have to force him to confess... You know, there's so little evidence." Neville was still sobbing, in a childlike voice. "I want her hanged. I really want her hanged..." Trembling, Mary Odin turned to Thomas Lloyd. He held her hands tightly.