Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The Tunisian Sword

Inspector Tunisian David had just come out of the door leading into the kitchen when I met him. "How is the young girl, doctor?" "Awakened, and her mother is with her." "That's all right. I questioned the servants just now, and they all said that they hadn't been through the back door tonight. What did you say to the stranger?" The description is too vague, can you give us something more specific?" "Sorry, I can't give you more specific things," I said very sorry, "Look, it's dark outside, the man's collar He's turned upside down, with his hat pulled down over his eyes." "Well," said the Inspector, "it seems he's trying to hide his face. Are you sure it's a stranger?" I replied that I didn't know him. This person, but the tone is not very sure.I remember the stranger's voice sounding somewhat familiar.I stammered and told the superintendent of the situation.

"You said his voice was rough and uneducated, didn't you?" "Yes." But it seemed to me that the roughness of his voice was artificial.As the Inspector had just said, if the man wanted to cover his face, he could equally cover his voice. "Could you come with me to the study one more time, doctor? I have a thing or two to ask you." I silently agreed.So Inspector Davy opened the porch door, and once inside he locked it again. "I don't want anyone to disturb us," he said sternly, "and I don't want our conversation to be overheard. What's the matter of blackmail?" "Blackmail!" I startled and exclaimed.

"Is this purely Parker's conjecture, or is there a basis for it?" "If Parker heard something about blackmail," I said slowly, "then he must have put his ear to the keyhole outside the door and overheard it. "David nodded. "Very likely. You know, I've been looking into what Parker did tonight. To be honest, the man's behavior is annoying. He knows something. When he was questioned, he got nervous and blurted Something happened to be squeezed." I made a quick decision and vomited quickly. "I'm glad you brought it up," I said. "I've been hesitating about when to tell you everything. In fact, I've made up my mind to tell you everything. But I want to wait for a suitable opportunity. Now that the opportunity has come, I should tell you." Then I recounted everything that happened tonight in detail.The inspector listened very carefully, and occasionally asked a question or two.

"I've never heard anything so strange," he said after hearing it. "You say the letter is missing? Bad--too bad. This letter will give us a clue--we can find out the murderer." Motivation." I nodded. "I know that." "You say that Aykroyd hinted a bit, that he suspected someone here of being involved in this dastardly business. There are so many people in the family, it's too broad." "You don't think we're going to Is Parker the one you're looking for?" I offered my opinion. "It kind of looks like it. When you came out, he must have been eavesdropping outside the door, no doubt. When Miss Ackroyd met him afterwards, he was trying to get into the study. It is probable that after she had gone away, he surreptitiously Slip into the study and stab Ackroyd to death, then lock the door, open the window, escape from there, and turn quietly to the side door he had opened beforehand. Is this a logical assumption?" "Your analysis has a little hole, I said slowly. "If Ackroyd had read the letter as soon as I left the study--and it was evident that he really wanted to finish it--I don't believe he would have sat quietly. An hour in the study. Surely he'll call Parker and come up with some excuse to vent his anger, and people's sure to hear loud shouts. You should know that Ackroyd is a curmudgeon." "He may still Too late to read the letter," objected the Inspector, "we all know he's going to be called at nine-thirty. If the visitor arrives as soon as you leave, and Miss Ackroyd comes in to say good night after he's gone—then He could only read the letter around ten o'clock." "Then what about the call?" "It must have been Parker--he may not have noticed the fact that the door was locked and the window was open when he called. Yes. Then he thought about it, changed his mind—perhaps out of fright—and decided to deny everything and pretend he didn't know anything. That's the way it is, and you can trust my analysis." "Really right?" I asked slightly suspiciously.

"Anyway, we can go to the telephone exchange and find out exactly where this call is coming from. If it's from here, I don't think anyone else but Parker can make such a call. That's for sure. Well, he's the one we're looking for. But keep it a secret - let's not startle him until we have all the evidence. I'm keeping an eye out and we can't let him slip away. Obviously we should focus on On that mysterious stranger you met." He spread his legs apart in a chair that matched the desk, then got up and settled quietly in the armchair. "This murder weapon gives us a little clue," he said, looking up. "It's a very unique thing—it looks like an antique from the outside." He stooped to examine the hilt carefully.He snorted, with a satisfied expression on his face.Then he cautiously reached under the hilt and pressed down hard, pulling the blade part out of the wound.He twisted the blade, trying not to touch the handle, and put the knife into a large china cup that stood as a decoration on the mantelpiece.

"That's right," he nodded frequently, and said approvingly, "it's indeed a work of art, and such things are rare now." This thing is indeed very beautiful.With a narrow blade with a certain taper, delicate wire wrapped around the handle, the workmanship is exquisite, and the style is unique.He carefully touched the edge of the knife with his fingers, tested the sharpness, and then made a strange face of appreciation. "My God, what a sharp blade!" he marveled. "A three-year-old could stab it into a human body with no trouble—as easy as cutting tofu. It's too dangerous to play with." "Can I examine the body more closely?" I asked.

He nodded. "Go and check." I checked the body thoroughly. "How is it?" asked the inspector when I had finished my inspection. "I don't want to explain it to you in technical terms," ​​I said. "The autopsy report needs technical terms. The knife was stabbed in the back with his right hand, and he was killed instantly. From the expression on his face, he didn't expect it at all." The fatal blow. It may not be known who stabbed him." "The butler walks very lightly, like a cat," said Inspector Davy. "There is no mystery in this case." Come and see this sword pomelo." "I took a look.

"I'm sure you can't see it, but I can see it," he said in a low voice. "There are fingerprints!" He stepped back so that the fingerprints on the hilt of the sword were more distinct. "Yes," I said, "I think it's fingerprints." I didn't know why he thought me so stupid.After all, I often read detective novels and read newspapers, and my IQ is no lower than others.If there are toe prints on the hilt, that's a different story.I will document anything that is amazing or intimidating. The Inspector seemed a little disappointed to see that I hadn't shown a look of dismay.He picked up the porcelain cup and invited me to the billiard room.

"I wanted to find out, to see if Mr. Raymond could tell us something about the sword," he explained. We locked the outside door again and headed straight for the billiard room.We found Raymond there, and the inspector showed him the sword in the cup. "Have you seen anything like this before, Mr. Raymond?" "Oh—I believe—I'm almost sure it's an antique gifted to Mr. Ackroyd by Major Brent. It's a Moroccan sword—no It's a Tunisian sword. So this is the murder weapon? It's unbelievable. It seems unlikely, but two swords that are almost identical are rare. Would you like to call Major Brent?" He left in a hurry without answering.

"Nice young man," said the Inspector, "he looks honest and straightforward." I agreed with him.Raymond has been Ackroyd's secretary for two years, and in those two years I have never seen him angry, and as far as I know, he is a very efficient secretary. In a moment Raymond returned, with Major Brent at his side. "What I just said is correct," said Raymond very excitedly, "it is indeed a Tunisian sword." "Major Blunt hasn't seen it yet," the inspector objected. "I saw it when I entered the study," said Brent quietly. "Did you recognize it then?" Brent nodded.

"You didn't say anything just now," said the inspector in a suspicious tone. "It's not the right time," said Brent. "Some things get in trouble when they are said at the wrong time." He looked back at the Inspector very calmly. The Inspector hummed, looked away, and brought the sword up to Brent. "You are very familiar with this sword, can you please identify it?" "Of course. Absolutely." "Where is this antique usually kept? Can you tell me." The secretary hurriedly replied : "Usually in the silver cabinet in the living room." "What did you say?" I exclaimed. Everyone around turned their eyes to me. "What's the matter, doctor?" demanded the inspector. "There's nothing to make a fuss about," added the inspector. "It's nothing important," I explained apologetically, "but when I was here for dinner last night, I heard the silver cupboard being closed in the drawing room." From the puzzled look on the Inspector's face, he Don't quite believe what I'm saying. "How did you know it was the closing of the silver cabinet lid?" I had to explain it at length - tediously, I think superfluous. The Inspector waited patiently for me to finish my explanation. "Was the sword still in the silver cabinet when you looked at it?" he asked. "I don't know," I said, "I didn't notice—but it's supposed to be inside." "We'd better call the housekeeper," said the inspector, and rang the bell. In a few minutes Miss Russell arrived, and it was Parker who had called her. "I haven't been near the silver cabinet," she answered, when the Inspector asked the question, "I just came to see if the flowers had faded. Oh! I remember. The silver cabinet was open--that didn't It's no big deal, I just shut it off as I passed." She looked boldly at the inspector. "I see," said the inspector. "Can you tell me if the sword was still in there?" Miss Russell glanced calmly at the weapon. "I don't know," she answered. "I didn't stop to look. I know the family will be coming downstairs soon, and I want to get out of here." "Thank you," said the inspector. The inspector hesitated a moment, as if he wanted to ask her some questions.But it was clear that Miss Russell took the "thank you" to be the end of the conversation, and walked out of the room in a flash. "What do you think of this woman, who is difficult to deal with?" said the Inspector, when he saw her go out. "Let me see, this silver cabinet is in front of the window, as if you said so, isn't it?" Raymond I answered this question. "Yes, by the window on the left." "Is the window open?" "Both windows are ajar." "Well, that's all. I don't see any need to go any further." .somebody—I mean anyone—can take the sword if he wants to. It doesn't matter exactly when he takes it. I'll be here with the Chief of Police early tomorrow morning, Mr. Raymond. Until then, I have the key to this door. I want to put Colonel Melrose in charge. Make sure that everything here is in the same place. I know he eats in the restaurant on the other side of the county, and he will spend the night here . . . " The inspector picked up the big china cup. "I've got to wrap it up nicely," he said, "and it's an important piece of evidence that can be used in many ways." A few minutes later, I emerged from the billiard room with Raymond, who had Laughed amusedly. He twisted my arm and I looked in the direction he indicated.Inspector Davy seemed to be asking Parker about the pocket diary. "It's obvious," Raymond whispered in my ear, "that they suspect Parker, don't they? Shall we leave our fingerprints to Inspector Davy, too?" He picked up two cards from the tray, Wipe it with a silk handkerchief, then give me one, and take one for myself.Then he smiled and handed the two cards to the inspector. "Souvenirs," he said, "Dr. Sheppard number one; my lord number two. Major Brent's souvenirs for you tomorrow morning." Young people are always so frivolous.The brutal murder of his friend and owner didn't bother Raymond for long.Maybe a person should be like this, I can't tell.In my case, I have long since lost the ability to quickly recover from sadness. It was late at night when I got home, and I hoped Caroline was in bed, but I guessed wrong. She was waiting for me with hot cocoa.By the time I drank the cocoa she had taken everything that had happened that night out of my mouth.I didn't tell her about the rape, I only told her about the murder. "The police suspect Parker," I said, getting up to go to bed. "Clearly, the case looks bad for him." "Parker!" said my sister. "Nonsense! That inspector must be a complete idiot. Could it really be Parker? Absolutely impossible." We mumbled After talking about it carefully, they said good night to each other and went back to their rooms to sleep.