Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

With a guilty conscience, I went to the "Freak House" (as I called the house in my mind).Although I have told Taverner what Josephine told me privately about Roger, I have not revealed what she said about Brenda's exchange of love letters with Laurence Brown. I consoled myself by pretending that this was just a figment of her imagination, that there was no reason to believe it was real.But actually, I feel strangely reluctant to have any more evidence against Brenda Leonides.I was affected by her desolate situation in that house - surrounded by a hostile family.If there was such a letter, Taverner and his men would undoubtedly find out.I don't like being used as a tool to add insult to injury, bringing new doubts to a woman in a difficult situation.Besides, she had solemnly assured me that there was no such thing between her and Laurence, and I felt that I trusted her more than the malicious sprite Josephine.Didn't Brenda just say that Josephine has mental problems?

I suppressed an unsettling thought in my mind—that Josephine was too smart to be a problem at all.I thought of her shrewd black round eyes. I've called Sophia to ask if I can come to her house again. "Come here, Charlie." "How things had been?" "I don't know, okay. They're continuing to search the house. What are they looking for?" "I have no idea." "We're all getting really nervous, come on as soon as possible, if I don't talk to someone I'm going to go crazy." I said I'll be there right away. I hitch a ride to the front door and see no one.I paid the taxi fare and the taxi left.I didn't know whether to ring the bell or just walk in, the front door wasn't closed.

I was standing there hesitating, when I heard a slight sound behind me, I turned around suddenly and saw Josephine, her face was partially covered by a big apple.Watching me from the exit of the yew hedge. As soon as I turned my head, she turned and left. "Hi, Josephine." She didn't answer, and disappeared behind the hedge.I crossed the driveway and rushed towards her.She sat on the uncomfortable wooden bench by the goldfish pond, dangling her feet and biting an apple.Surrounded by roses, she looked at me with eyes that made me feel hostile. "Here I go again, Josephine," I said.

This is a weak opening sentence, but I found that although Josephine did not blink or make a sound, she was a little restless. She is extremely strategic and remains silent. "Is that apple delicious?" I asked. This time, Josephine stepped down and spoke, and her answer was very short. "Squishy." "Unfortunately," I said. "I don't like limp apples." Josephine replied disdainfully: "No one likes it." "Why didn't you speak when I greeted you?" "I do not want." "Why don't you want to?" Josephine moved the apple away from her mouth so she could speak clearly.

"You run and report to the police," she said. "Oh." I flinch a little. "You mean—about—" "About Uncle Roger." "But it's all right, Josephine," I assured her. "Never mind. They know he didn't do anything bad--I mean, he didn't embezzle money or anything like that." "you are stupid." "Sorry." "I'm not worried about Uncle Roger. It's just that detective work is not like that. Don't you know the reason not to tell the police until the last minute?" "Oh, I see," I said. "Sorry, Josephine. I'm really sorry."

"You should be sorry," she added accusingly, "I trusted you." I said sorry for the third time, and Josephine seemed a little comforted, and she took a few more bites of the apple. "But the police will find out about it," I said. "You—I—we can't keep this secret." "You mean he's going bankrupt?" As usual, Josephine was well informed. "I think there's probably no escape." "They're going to talk about it tonight," said Josephine. "Daddy, Mommy, Uncle Roger and Aunt Edith. Aunt Edith is going to give him her share of the money == she just hasn't got her money yet - but I don't think Daddy will do that He said that if Roger was in trouble, he had only himself to blame, and there was no good in putting money into a business that was already ruined, and Mom wouldn't listen, and wouldn't give him a dime , because she wanted daddy to put that money into that Edith Thompson show, you know Edith Thompson? She was married, but she didn't like her husband. She fell in love with a The young man who came on board was called Bywaters, and he went down a different street, and after the play, he was stabbed in the back."

I was again amazed at the breadth and completeness of Josephine's knowledge; and, under her sense of drama, she was able to present salient facts in a few words, with only a slight ambiguity of pronouns. "Sounds good," Josephine said, "but I think this story will be different when it's staged, it'll be like 'Jesper' again." She sighed. "I wish I knew why the dogs didn't eat her palm." "Josephine," I said. "You told me. You're almost sure who the murderer was?" "How about it?" "who is it?"

She gave me a disdainful look. "I understand," I said. "Not until the last chapter? Even if I promise not to tell Inspector Taverner?" "I just need some clues," Josephine said. "Anyway," she added, throwing the core into the goldfish pond, "I won't tell you. If you're anything at all. You're nothing but Watson." I endured the insult. "Okay," I said. "I am Watson, but Holmes will give him the information even if it is his whole life." "Give him what?" "Facts. And then he made false inferences from those facts. Wouldn't it be fun if you gave me the information and watched me make false inferences?

For a moment Josephine was tempted, then she shook her head. "No," she said, and added, "I don't like Holmes very much anyway, it's too old-fashioned, and they ride in dog-drawn carriages." "What about the letters?" I asked. "What letter?" "You mean the letters that Lawrence Brown and Brenda wrote back and forth." "I made that up," said Josephine. "I do not believe." "Yes, I made it up. I make things up a lot, it's fun." I stared at her.She stared back at me. "Listen, Josephine. I know a man in the British Museum who is a great student of the Bible, and if I ask him why the dogs don't eat Jisebo's palms, will you tell me about the letters?" thing?"

This time Josephine really hesitated. Not far away, there was a sharp sound of a branch breaking.Josephine said flatly: "No, I won't tell you." I accept failure.It was getting late, and I remembered my father's advice. "Oh well," I said, "it's just a game. Of course you don't really know anything." Josephine's eyes flashed suddenly, but she resisted the bait. I stood up. "I have to go in," I said, "go find Su Yuya, let's go in together." "I want to be here," Josephine said. "No," I said. "You go in with me."

When I rudely raised her up, she looked surprised and wanted to protest, but finally gave in rather graciously—partly, no doubt, because she wanted to see the family's reaction to seeing me. Why I was in such a hurry to ask her to accompany me, I couldn't say for a moment until we passed through the front door, was because of the sudden snapping of branches.