Chapter 17 end

Sir Thomas Legg, the Deputy Commissioner of the British Constabulary to investigate the case, said exasperatedly: "It's unbelievable from the beginning to the end." Constable Maine said respectfully, "I understand, sir." The deputy commissioner continued: "Ten people, ten died, and none were alive. It's simply incomprehensible!" Police Officer Maine said in a daze, "Anyway, this is clearly the case, Your Excellency." Sir Thomas Legge said, "Go to hell, Maine. Someone must have killed them all." "That's what we're looking for, sir."

"Is there anything to be learned from the doctor's report?" "Can't tell. Wargrave and Lombard were killed by bullets, the former shot in the head, the latter through the heart. Miss Brent and Marston died of cyanogen poisoning. Mrs. Rogers overdosed Died of chloral poisoning. Rogers' head was split. Blore's head was crushed. Armstrong was drowned. MacArthur was shot in the back of the head. Vera Clay Thorne was hanged." The Deputy Commissioner flinched back and said, "That's a savage job!" He thought for a moment, then said angrily, "You mean you haven't been able to get out of Sticklehaven yet?" Get anything useful out of people's mouths? Damn, they must know something."

Constable Maine shrugged. "They're decent, ordinary fishermen. They've heard the island was bought by a man named Owen. That's all they can give." "Who is Owen's agent?" "Morris, Isaac Morris." "What did he say about these things?" "Nothing can be said, sir, he is dead." The Deputy Commissioner frowned. "What do we know about this Mr. Morris?" "Oh, yes, sir. We know a little about him. He has a bad reputation. Involved in the Benito's case of peddling bogus shares three years ago--although we haven't been able to find conclusive evidence." , but that's for sure. He was involved in drug dealing, but again we didn't have anything to do with him. Morris is a very careful guy."

"He died after the island auction?" "Yes, sir, he arranged the transaction--though he states that he purchased it for a third party, the name of whom he will not disclose." "I think there must be some clues from the books, what do you think?" Constable Maine smiled. "If you know Maurice, you know it's impossible! He's got a habit of cheating the best accountants in the country. We've seen that in Benito's case. .He's got his employer's books right." The Deputy Commissioner sighed.Police officer Maine continued: "It was Morris who contacted Sticklehaven and arranged various affairs. It was he, as Mr. Owen's agent, who explained to the people there that a war was going on on the island. It's a bet to see if you can live on this desert island for a week. Therefore, if there is any call for help on the island, the residents of Sticklehaven will ignore it."

Sir Thomas moved his body uneasily, and asked: "According to you, the people in the town didn't suspect it at all? Didn't they think it was a bit strange at the time?" Maine shrugged and said, "Your Excellency, you overlooked something Fact: Indian Island was originally the property of Mr. Aylmer Robertson. The American gave all sorts of queer parties. At first, no doubt, the natives were dazzled by what was happening on the island, but slowly Gradually they got used to it. They turned a blind eye to any strange and eccentric things happening on the island. If you think about it carefully, sir, this is quite natural."

The Deputy Commissioner, looking somber, admitted that this was true. Maine said: "Fred Narracott - the motorboat guy who took the group to the island - he said something that was a little bit enlightening for us. He said he saw This group of people was taken aback, they were not Mr. Robertson's guests at all. I think it was because he felt that these people were ordinary people and very inconspicuous, so after he heard the signal for help, he Contrary to Mr. Morris's instructions, sailed to the island." "When did he and the others go to the island?" "The signal was spotted by a group of boy scouts on the morning of the 11th. It was impossible to go to sea that day. They went out to sea just after the storm died down a little on the afternoon of the 12th. They didn't delay at all, so there was absolutely no one on board. slip away from the island before the shore. The sea is always choppy after a storm."

"Maybe someone could swim away?" "The island is a mile away from the coast. The waves were still very big that day. Besides, there were many people watching on the shore, including adults and many boy scouts." The Deputy Commissioner hissed, and asked, "What about that record you found in the house? Could there be anything useful to be gleaned from it?" Inspector Maine said: "I've checked. It was made by a company that supplies theater and film companies with props and effects. It was sent to Mr. Owen through Isaac Morris. Said it was prepared by an amateur troupe. For a play. The original words have been sent back with the record."

Legge said, "What about the records?" Sergeant Maine said solemnly, "I was going to talk about that, sir." He cleared his throat. "I investigated the accusations in as much detail as I could. I began with the Rogers, who were the first to come to the island. They were Miss Brady's servants, and Miss Brady died suddenly. The doctor who treated her could say nothing. Come on. Just to say that the couple certainly didn't poison her or anything like that. But he personally thought there was something interesting in it--at least they didn't do their duty. But he said it was impossible to find out about such things.

"The next is Mr. Laurence Wargrave. There is nothing wrong with this man. He was the judge who sentenced Seton. Seton was guilty, by the way--that is absolutely true. The proof was when he was found It was discovered after the execution. He fully deserved what he deserved. But there was a lot of discussion when the sentence was pronounced. At least nine out of ten people thought that Seton was innocent and that the judge was avenging a personal revenge. "Miss Claythorne was a governess. There had been a drowning in the family. She didn't seem to be involved, though. She actually acted very bravely, and swam to the sea to save someone. If she wasn't rescued in time Come up, she almost killed herself."

"Go on," said the Deputy Commissioner with a sigh. Maine took a deep breath: "Armstrong is a famous doctor with a practice in Harley Street. Professionally impeccable. Couldn't find the kind of malpractice alleged on the record. But going back to 1925, he did Operated on a woman named Chris at Wrightmore Hospital. She had peritonitis and died on the operating table. Maybe he wasn't skilled enough for this kind of operation-not much experience-not very good at it, after all. It is not a crime. There is certainly no question of motive. "And Miss Emily Brent, whom Beatrice Taylor once served, threw her out when she became pregnant, and committed suicide by drowning herself. The thing itself is almost cruel-but it is not really a crime."

"That," said the Deputy Commissioner, "seems to be the key issue. Mr. Irving is involved in cases where the law does not touch." According to the list, Maine continued to introduce without expression, "Young Marston was too reckless to drive - his license was revoked twice. In my opinion, he should have been banned from driving long ago. The reason why he was charged is precisely because of this. Reason. Two children were killed by him near Cambridge, one named John Coombs, the other named Lucy Coombs. Some of his friends bailed for him, and he was released after paying a fine. "Can't find any definite clues about General MacArthur. He did very well in the Great War. On weekdays as well. Arthur Richmond was one of his men in France and was killed. There is nothing old or new between the General and him." In fact, they are still very good friends. Mistakes are inevitable in wartime--the commander made the sacrifice of his subordinates for nothing-such a thing-probably he has made such mistakes." "Very likely," said the Deputy Commissioner. "Let's go on to Philip Lombard. He's done some not-so-reputable work abroad, and got away with it once or twice. Everybody says he's daring and very Reckless. No murders in those remote places." "And Blore," Maine hesitated, "he used to travel with us." The other didn't move at all. "Blore," said the Deputy Commissioner emphatically, "is not a good man." "You think so, sir?" The deputy commissioner said: "I always thought so. But he was very crafty and let him get away. I think he committed perjury in the Rand case. I was very suspicious at the time, but there was no evidence. I sent Harry I went to investigate the matter and found nothing. I still believe that if we knew how to start, we would have found some clues. This man has no integrity." Neither of them spoke for a while.At last Sir Legge asked: "Isaac Morris is dead, is that what you said just now? When did he die?" "I knew you were about to inquire about this, sir. Isaac Morris died on the night of August 8th. As far as I understand, he took an overdose of sleeping pills such as barbiturates. The investigation does not reveal whether By accident or suicide." Legge said slowly, "Want to know what I was thinking, Maine?" "Perhaps I can guess, sir." Legge said heavily: "It's a coincidence that Maurice died!" Officer Maine nodded."I think you'd say that," he said. The Deputy Commissioner slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed: "This is unbelievable—impossible. Ten people killed on a bare island—we neither know who did it, nor Know why you do it and how you do it.” Maine coughed and said, "Well, that's not exactly the case, Your Excellency. We more or less know why. Someone with a weird idea of ​​justice is looking for those who the law can't punish. He found a total of ten Individuals, and it doesn't matter if they're really guilty or not. He doesn't care..." The Deputy Commissioner became agitated.He said sternly, "Don't care? I just think..." He stopped suddenly, and the officer waited respectfully for him to continue.Legge sighed and shook his head. "Go on," he said. "Just now I suddenly felt that I had some clues, as if I had got some-clues. But suddenly they were all gone. Go on with your story." Maine went on: "Ten people to be executed, let's use the word—executed. Ten were executed. Mr. Owen completed his task. He got off the island somehow. body, disappeared." The deputy commissioner said, "First-class evasion. But you know, Maine, there is nothing in this world that cannot be explained." Maine said: "Sir, do you think that if this person has not come to the island, it is naturally impossible to leave the island? According to the account of the person concerned, he has never been to the island. So the only explanation is that, This person is one of ten people." The Deputy Commissioner nodded.Maine said earnestly: "We've thought of that, sir. We've thought it over. At least we're not in the dark as we were when the Indian Island case first happened. Vera Claythorne left a copy of the A diary, and Emily Brent had a diary too. Old Wargrave wrote miscellaneous journals--all about the law, in cryptic terms, but very clear. Blore also left such miscellaneous journals. There is no difference in the circumstances of the testimony. The order of death is this: Marston, Mrs. Rogers, MacArthur, Rogers, Miss Brent, Wargrave. After Wargrave's death, Vera Claythorne's The diary records that Armstrong left the house at night, and Blore and Lombard followed him. Blore also has this entry in his note, only this sentence: 'Armstrong is missing.'” "From these records, sir, we seem to be able to draw such a conclusion as to explain the mystery. Armstrong was drowned, as you will remember. Assuming that Armstrong was mad, it is quite possible that he killed the rest. In the future, he committed suicide by jumping off a cliff, or died while swimming on the way to land. "This conclusion seems plausible—but unfortunately it cannot be established. Yes, Your Excellency, it is completely untenable. First, according to the results of the forensic examination, the forensic arrived on the island in the early morning of August 13th—these people were at least They were all dead for more than thirty-six hours, maybe longer than thirty-six hours. That's all the forensic doctor can determine. But he must think that Armstrong's body was soaked in water for eight to ten hours. From the shore. From this it can be deduced that Armstrong must have fallen into the sea sometime during the night of the 10th-11th. Let me explain why. We found the place where the body came up--the body was stuck in the Between the two reefs there were still bits of clothes and hair, etc. hanging on the rocks. He must have come here at high tide on the night of the eleventh, that is to say about eleven o'clock. After that the storm Stopped, then the highest watermark was much lower than here. You might say that Armstrong killed the other three before jumping into the sea. But this makes no sense again: Armstrong's body was dragged to the tide. out of reach, and standing straight on the ground - neatly. This proves beyond doubt that there were people alive on the island after Armstrong's death." He paused and continued: "How on earth is this matter to be explained? The situation in the early morning of the eleventh is as follows: Armstrong disappeared (drowned), and there were three people left, Lombard, Blore, and Vivian. La Claythorne. Lombard was shot. His body was also by the sea. Near Armstrong's body. Vera Claythorne was found hanged in her room. Blore's The body was on the terrace, the head smashed with a large piece of marble which had apparently been thrown from the upper window." The Deputy Commissioner interrupted him and asked loudly, "Whose window!" Bart. Let's say it was the marble he dropped that killed Blore—and later he drugged Vera and hanged her. Finally he walked down to the sea and shot himself with a pistol. If so, And who took the pistol from him? For it was found at last on the stairs of the house--at the door of Wargrave's." "Are there any fingerprints on it?" said the Deputy Commissioner. "Yes, sir, with Vera Claythorne." "My God, then..." "I know what you're going to say, my lord, and you want to say that it might have been Vera Claythorne. She shot Lombard to death, then went back to the house with the pistol and threw the marble on the cloth. Luo Er’s head, and finally hanged herself. All this sounds reasonable, but there is one thing: there is a chair in her room, and there are some weeds on the chair that are the same as those on her shoes. It seems that the situation at that time It was she who stood on the chair, put the noose around her neck, and kicked the chair away. "We found, however, that the chair had not been overturned, but had been placed neatly against the wall, along with the other chairs in the room. It must have been placed by someone else after Vera's death. "Now it's just Blore. If you tell me he shot Lombard, hanged Vera, then went outside and killed himself by pulling down that marble with a rope or something--I'd never Can't believe it. Nobody would kill themselves that way - and Blore wasn't that kind of guy. We know Blore - he's not the kind of guy who stands for justice." "You're right," said the Deputy Commissioner. Constable Maine went on: "Therefore, sir, there must be someone else on the island. This man has done these things and done the aftermath. The question is, where has he been hiding? Where has he gone? What about Sticklehaven? The people in Sticklehaven said in unison, 'No one can leave the island until the rescue ship arrives.' If that's the case..." He broke off.The Deputy Commissioner said, "If that's the case..." He sighed, shook his head, and leaned forward again. "But if that's the case," he said, "who on earth is killing these people?"