Chapter 10 chapter Ten

one "Mrs. Brunken, do you mean three of spades?" Yes, Mrs Brunken said three of spades.Mrs. Spurrow had just gone to answer the phone and came back out of breath and said, "They changed the time of the ARP test (air defense protection test) and it's annoying." Then she said it was her call. Miss Minton's old habit was to go on and on and on and on and on and on, so that she lost a lot of time. "Did I say two clubs? Do you remember? I thought I said 'no ace'. Ah, yes, I remember now. Mrs. Carlyle said a heart, didn't she? I haven't Quite well, and I was going to say no aces. But we have to be brave when we play. Then Mrs. Carlyle said a heart, so I had to play two clubs. I always thought that if I had two When it's short deck, it's hard—"

Qiu Peng thought: Sometimes, if Miss Minton simply put the cards in her hand on the table for everyone to see, it would save a lot of time.But it was impossible for her not to tell all that was in her hands. "Well, now I've figured it out," said Miss Minton proudly. "One red heart, two plum blossoms." "Two plum blossoms," Qiu Peng said. "I said Pass's, didn't I?" said Mrs. Spurrow. They looked at Mrs. Carlyle.At this time, she was bending forward and listening quietly. Miss Minton went on. "Then Mrs. Carlyle said two hearts, and I said three diamonds."

"I say three of spades," Qiu Peng said. "Pass!" said Mrs. Spurrow. Mrs. Carlyle sat quietly.At last she seemed to realize that everyone was looking at her. "Oops," she blushed. "I'm so sorry. I thought, maybe Mr. Carlyle needs my attention now, and I hope he's all right on the balcony." She looked from one to the other. "Perhaps, if you don't mind, I'd better go and have a look. I think I heard a strange noise. Perhaps his book fell on the floor." She came out of the floor-to-ceiling window in a panic.So, Qiu Peng sighed angrily.

"She ought to have a rope round her waist," she said; "then, when he calls her, he has only to pull it." "What a faithful wife," said Miss Minton. "It's very comforting to see this situation, don't you think?" "Really?" Qiu Peng's temper is not very good at this time. The three women sat there in silence for a minute or two. "Where did Sheila go to-night?" asked Miss Minton. "She's gone to the movies," said Mrs. Spurrow. "Where has Mrs. Pliner been?" Qiu Peng asked. "She said she was going to settle the accounts in the room," said Miss Minton. "Poor, it's too tiring to settle accounts in the room."

"She's not all reckoning tonight," said Mrs. Spurrow. "Because, when I went to the hall to answer the phone, she just came back." "I don't know where she's been." Miss Minton was so busy asking questions all day long that her life was completely occupied by such things. "It won't be going to a movie, because it's not over yet." "She wasn't wearing a hat," said Mrs. Spurrow. "And she didn't wear a coat either, but her hair was a mess. I thought she must have run a lot, for she was panting badly. She ran upstairs without saying a word, and stared at me. Indeed. She stared at me, but I didn't do anything to offend her."

At this moment Mrs. Carlyle reappeared at the window. "You can't imagine it," she said. "Mr. Carlyle walked all over the garden by himself, and said he had a good time, and the weather is mild to-night." She sat down again. "Let's see. Oh, what do you think we rebid?" Qiu Peng suppressed a sigh of disapproval. They had re-called, and it was her turn to play three spades. They were just flipping the cards and were about to deal when Mrs. Pliner entered. "Did you have a good time going for a walk?" asked Miss Minton. Mrs. Pliner stared at her very fiercely, very unpleasantly.she says:

"I didn't go out." "Ah—ah—Mrs Spurrow seems to say she saw you come in just now." Mrs Pliner said: "I just went out to see what the weather was like." Her tone was harsh, and she cast a hostile glance at the docile Mrs. Spurrow.Immediately Mrs. Spurrow flushed with fear. "Unbelievable," Mrs. Carlyle also contributed a piece of news. "Mr Carlyle walked all over the garden." Mrs. Pliner said suddenly: "Why did he get up and go?" Mrs. Carey said: "It's such a nice evening that he didn't even add an extra scarf. He doesn't want to come in yet, and I really hope he doesn't catch a cold."

Mrs Pliner said: "There's nothing worse than catching a cold. Now, anytime, anywhere, a bomb could drop and blow us all to pieces!" "Oh! I hope there won't be such a thing." "Do you wish otherwise? I wish so!" Mrs. Pliner stepped out of the French window.The four bridge players watched her intently behind. "She seems strange to-night," said Mrs. Spurrow. Miss Minton bent forward. "Don't you think—" She looked around.Heads were all put together, and Miss Minton said in a low voice: "Don't you realize she's drinking?"

"Why," said Mrs. Carlyle. "It's very strange now that I think about it. That's probably why. Sometimes she's just very—very strange. What do you think, Mrs. Brunken?" "Well, I don't really think so. I thought she was worrying about something. Well, Mrs. Spurrow, it's your turn to ask for a showdown." "Why, what am I talking about?" said Mrs. Spurrow, considering the cards in her hand. At this time no one offered to advise her, but Miss Minton, who had been peeping at her cards without embarrassment, was entitled to advise her.

"That's not Betty, is it?" asked Mrs. Spurrow, looking up. "No, it's not." Qiu Peng said with certainty. She felt that Mrs. Spurrow would call out if they did not continue the game. Mrs. Spurrow stared blankly at the cards in her hand, evidently still thinking of her precious daughter.Then she said: "Well, I think, just one cube." So everyone asked for a showdown in turn, and Mrs. Carlyle played one card first. "Everybody says: When you don't know what to play, play an ace first," she chirped, laying out an eight of diamonds. At this time they heard a loud and hearty voice say:

"Diamond Nine!" It was Mrs. O'Rourke standing at the window.She was panting heavily, her eyes glowed, and she looked sinister and malicious.Now, she came forward. "You play cards quietly here, don't you?" "What's that in your hand?" asked Mrs. Spurrow attentively. "It's a hammer," said Mrs. O'Rourke kindly. "I saw it in the driveway. Someone must have left it there." "It's a wonder how the hammer could be left in that place," said Mrs. Spurrow suspiciously. "Yes." Mrs. O'Rourke thought so too. She seemed particularly in high spirits tonight.Holding the handle of the hammer, she kept shaking it, then went out into the hall. "I'll think about it," said Miss Minton. "What trump card?" Their card game continued for five minutes without interruption.Later, Major Brechley came in, and he watched a movie called "The Bard," about the dynasty of King Richard I.Now, he will tell everyone the plot, because the major is a soldier, and he also criticizes the battle scenes of the Crusades in considerable detail. They broke up before the final game of bridge was over.For Mrs. Carlyle, looking at her watch, saw that it was getting late, and screamed in fright, and ran out to find Mr. Carlyle.Although Mr. Carlyle was an invalid, because he was neglected for a while, he had a good time alone.Now, although he coughed terribly and shook violently, he still said: "My dear, it doesn't matter at all. Have a good time playing cards? I don't care at all. Even if I have a bad cold, what does it matter? It's time for war!" two At breakfast the next day, Qiu Peng immediately noticed that the atmosphere was quite tense. Mrs. Pliner's lips were drawn tightly, and she spoke little, but every word was sharp.The attitude she had when she left could only be properly described by the words "leave in a flick of sleeves". Major Brechelle slathered jam on toast and let out a loud laugh. "It's kind of cold in here," he said. "Ah, this is also expected." "Why, what's the matter?" asked Miss Minton, leaning forward, eagerly.Her thin neck twitched in a desperate desire to know. "I don't know if we should talk about other people's affairs." The major's words aroused the curiosity of the public even more. "Ah, Major Brechelle!" "You must tell us." Qiu Peng said. Major Brechley looked thoughtfully at his audience: Miss Minton, Mrs Brunken, Mrs Carlyle and Mrs O'Rourke, Mrs Spurrow had just walked away with Betty.So, he decided to speak. "It's Meadows," he said. "He's been out all night and he hasn't come back yet." "what?" Major Brechelle looked around with satisfied malice.He is a person who takes pleasure in other people's misfortune.He found it amused to see the disappointment of the scheming widow. "Meadows is a bit of a slut," he said, laughing. "Mrs. Pliner is naturally very angry." "Oh!" Miss Minton blushed uncomfortably.Mr. Carlyle looked surprised.Mrs. O'Rourke just giggled. "Mrs. Pliner has told me," she said, "ah, men are always men." Miss Minton said eagerly: "Ah, but—Mr. Meadows had an accident. During blackout, you know." "Blackout!" said Major Brechelle. "The responsibility is really great. But I can tell you that when serving in the Volunteer Army patrol, you can see a lot of amazing things. Like stopping passing vehicles, checking pedestrians, etc. All kinds of strange things will happen. Some How many wives 'send their husbands home'. At the same time, different names can be seen on their ID cards. And, after a few hours, their husband or wife who just passed away came back alone by the same way. Haha! Do you think it's strange?" He laughed again, but suddenly seeing Mrs. Brunken staring at him disapprovingly, he quickly suppressed the smile. "Human nature—it's kind of funny, don't you think?" His tone softened now. "Ah, Mr. Meadows!" Miss Minton's voice trembled. "He may have been in an accident, he may have been crushed by a car." "I dare say he will say so," said the major. "He'll say: He's been crushed by a car, but it'll be all right tomorrow." "He may have been taken to the hospital." "Well, the police department will tell us. He's got his ID anyway, isn't he?" "Why," said Mrs. Carlyle, "I wonder what Mr. Carlyle would say?" There has been no response to this pretentious sentence.Qiu Peng pretended to be hurt by his pride, stood up and left the restaurant. Major Brecheley laughed when she took her to the door. "Poor Meadows, the pretty widow is getting annoyed. She thought he had taken the bait." "Ah, Major Brechelle." Miss Minton's voice was still trembling. Major Brechelle blinked. "I remember a character called Sam in Dickens's novel. Someone said to him: 'Sam, beware of widows!'" three Tang Mi went out without notifying her in advance.Qiu Peng felt very worried.However, she tried her best to comfort herself: he might have a new clue and went out to investigate.The two of them had long expected that it would be difficult to communicate with each other under such circumstances.Therefore, they had already agreed that if one of the two of them suddenly stopped staying at the hotel without prior notice, they must not worry blindly. Moreover, they also planned ahead for such an urgent matter and arranged a way to communicate. According to Mrs. Spurrow, it was remarkable that Mrs. Plinner had been out last night, but she herself strenuously denied it. Tang Mi is likely to nail her, to see what she is doing secretly, and perhaps has found some clues worth pursuing. He must use his special method to contact Qiu Peng, otherwise, he will show up soon. Even so, Qiu Peng still couldn't help feeling uneasy.She thought it was natural for her to express curiosity, or even concern, in the part she was playing.So, she immediately went to Mrs. Pliner. Mrs. Pliner seemed very unhappy when she talked about it.She made it clear that such absurdity among her lodgers was unpardonable, and that no one had to cover it up for him. Qiu Peng said nervously and loudly: "Oh, but maybe something happened to him. I'm sure something must have happened. He's not a guy who hangs around all night. His mind isn't random. He must have been run over by a car." "Anyway, we shall find out soon," said Mrs. Pliner. However, the time of this day passed unknowingly, and there was no sign of Mr. Meadows at all. In the evening, at the urging of her tenants, Mrs. Pliner reluctantly agreed to call the police. A police officer came to Xiaoyao Hotel with a notebook in his hand to investigate.He wrote down some detailed plots in his notebook.From his investigation, several facts were discovered: Mr. Meadows left the residence of Lieutenant Colonel Haidak at half past ten.From there he walked with a Mr. Watt and a Dr. Cotes to the Happy Hotel.It was here that he said goodbye to them, turned and walked to the circular drive in front of the hotel. From that moment on, Mr. Meadows seemed to disappear. Qiu Peng pondered in his heart, judging from the situation, two possibilities can be deduced: Possibility number one: When Tommy walked up the driveway, he might have seen Mrs. Pliner approaching, dodged into the bushes, and then followed her.He noticed her talking to a stranger, and later, when she got back to the Xiaoyao Hotel, he might be tailing the stranger.If so, he must be alive now, busily nailing the man's butt.In this way, if the police department set out to look for him, their kindness would make him very inconvenient. Another possibility is not so pleasant.This kind of thinking is divided into two different pictures.In one scene, Qiu Peng seemed to see Mrs. Pliner running back "out of breath, with disheveled hair"; in another scene, she seemed to see Mrs. O'Rourke standing at the French window, In his hand he held a heavy hammer. From that hammer, several terrifying possibilities can be imagined. Because, how could there be a hammer in the driveway? As for who would have used that hammer?It's hard to guess.Much on this point depended on the exact time of Mrs. Pliner's return.It must have been around ten-thirty when she came back, but none of the card players noticed the exact time.Mrs. Pliner vehemently denied ever going out, saying she was only out to see what the weather was like.But if you just go outside to check the weather, you never get out of breath.And, apparently, Mrs. Spurrow had seen her come back.She was very unhappy about it.It would not be wrong to say that the four ladies were too busy playing cards to use the hammer. What is the exact time? Qiupeng found that everyone was at a loss about this question. If there is no objection to the time assumed above, Mrs. Pliner is obviously the most suspect.When Tang Mi came back, three of the people in Xiaoyao Hotel were not at home.Major Brechelle went out to watch a movie, but he went alone, and he must tell everyone the story of the movie in detail.Suspicious people may think that he said this on purpose to prove that he was not there at the time. Then there was the invalid who went for a walk in the garden, Mr. Carlyle.If Mrs. Carlyle hadn't shown such concern for her husband, no one would have known that he was out for a walk.Everyone might think that he was still on the balcony, sitting comfortably on a chair with a blanket covering his legs, motionless, like a mummy. (Actually, it was a little unusual for him to go for a walk in the garden in the cold night.) And there's Mrs. O'Rourke, smiling, wielding a hammer... Four "What's the matter, Deborah? Honey, you look worried." Deborah Bisford started, then laughed, looking frankly into Tony Marston's sympathetic brown eyes.She likes Tony, who has brains and is the most talented newcomer in the cipher department.Everyone thought his future was limitless. Deborah's job requires concentration and dedication.Although she felt exhausted, she liked this kind of work.It was tiring work, but worth it, and it gave her a pleasant feeling that she had a big job to do, that it was real work, and not just hanging around the hospital waiting for caregivers. Wounded soldiers. She said, "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just thinking about my family. You know that too." "The people in your family sometimes give you a headache. What are the people in your family doing now?" "I'm thinking about my mother. I'm a little worried about her, to tell you the truth." "Why? What's the matter?" "Here—she's visiting a very troublesome aunt of mine in Cornwall. She's seventy-eight years old, and she's pretty darn old." "It seems kind of sad!" said the young man sympathetically. "Yes, Mother is great. But she is rather melancholy now, because no one seems to need her now, and of course she also worked in ambulance and intelligence during the last war. But things are different now, and they don't These middle-aged people are needed, and they want young, hard-working people. As I have said, she is very melancholy at the moment because of this. So she is going to Cornwall, intending to stay with her aunt for a while. Now, she is Plant flowers and vegetables." "Exactly," Tony said. "Yeah, she's doing it for the best. You know, she's still active," Deborah said sympathetically. "Well, that seems fine." "Oh, yes. That's not what I'm worried about. I'm very happy about her situation. I got a letter from her two days ago, and the tone of it was very happy." "So, what's the problem?" "And here's the thing: Charlie was going to visit friends and relatives in that area, and I asked him to visit her. He went, but she wasn't there." "Not there?" "No. She didn't go there, apparently not at all." Tony looked a little embarrassed. "Quite strange," he whispered. "Where's your—I mean—your father?" "Old man with red hair? Well, he's somewhere in Scotland now. He's in a boring department, busy typing papers into thirds and filing them away." "Perhaps your mother was not with him?" "She can't go. In his area, he can't bring his family." "Oh. Then, perhaps she's gone somewhere." Tony did feel uneasy now, especially when he saw Deborah's big brown eyes looking at him worriedly. "Yes, but why? How strange! In every letter she writes she talks about her aunt, about the garden, and so on." "I know, I know." Tony said quickly. "Of course, she might want to make you feel--I mean--nowadays--this--a person disappears every once in a while. Don't know if you understand me." Deborah's eyes, which had been pitiful, were now angry. "If you thought Mother was going to go away for the weekend with someone out of the blue, you were very wrong. Absolutely wrong. Father and Mother had a great bond with each other—they loved each other deeply. People used to joke about it in the family, She never—” Tony quickly said: "Of course not, sorry! I really didn't mean to—" Deborah's anger subsided now, and she frowned now. "It's strange that some people said the other day they happened to see my mother in Lehanton. Of course, I said it wasn't her, because she was in Cornwall. But now I don't know—" Tony had struck a match to light a cigarette, but it went out suddenly. "In Lehanton?" he said suddenly. "Yes, that's the most unlikely place for my mother to go. She doesn't have much to do there. It's full of old colonels and ladies." "Certainly not like a possible place to go," Tony said. He lit his cigarette and asked casually: "What was your mother's job during the last war?" Deborah replied mechanically: "Well, a little ambulance work, driving a general's car—I mean Army cars, not buses, normal jobs." "Oh, I thought she was working in the Ministry of Intelligence, like you." "Oh, mother didn't have the brains for such a job at all. But she did some intelligence work with my father after the war or so. Secret papers, detectives, you hear them talk about that kind of stuff a lot. Of course. Well, when the two old people talked, they exaggerated so much that people seemed to think they were great. We actually didn't encourage them to talk too much, because, you know, the same old saying is often repeated again and again. speak." "Ah, sort of," said Tony Marston enthusiastically. "I totally agree." When Deborah returned to the dorm the next day, she found that her room had changed inexplicably and unexpectedly. It took her a few minutes to figure out what was going on.So, she rang the bell to call the maid.The big framed picture on the chest of drawers has gone somewhere.Now, she angrily asked the female worker where these things went. Mrs. Raleigh, the daughter, was very sad and disgusted. She said she really didn't know where the frame was.She hadn't touched this thing herself.Maybe Greddy-- However, Gledi also denied touching the frame.The guy who repaired the gas stove, maybe he took it. But Deborah did not believe that a gas company employee would be interested in a photograph of a middle-aged woman and take it away. Deborah thought it was a good possibility that Greddy might have smashed the frame and swept the pieces into the trash can on the spur of the moment to wipe out any traces. Deborah isn't making a fuss.Given the chance, she plans to ask her mother for another photo. When she thought of her mother now, she became more and more troubled. Where has her old man gone?You should tell me.Of course, Tony was right, it was kind of crazy to think she was going on a date with someone.However, this thing is still very strange...