Chapter 6 Chapter Six The Seven Towers

After Grimaud's explanation, there was a long silence before Hadley threw the matchbox to the Doctor and looked at him disapprovingly. "Are you joking?" he asked. "Or is this some kind of black art?" "Not at all, I wish I could do magic tricks. Those three coffins...Damn it, Hadley!" Dr. Phil muttered to himself, tapping his palm on his temple, "I really hope there can be a hint... something..." "Not bad. Have you been collecting this information all along, or how would you know these things? Wait!" He read his notebook, "'Hover', 'Bath', 'Salt', 'Wine'… …In other words, what you are trying to point out is that Grimaud was actually talking about 'Horvath' and 'salt-mine'? Now let's take it easy. If your inference If we start from here, then we have a basket of whimsical ideas, which can be used to make up stories that have not yet been completed."

"Your suggestion is full of gunpowder," said Dr. Phil. "It proves that you agree with me, thank you. You just reminded us very wisely that dying people are not supposed to mention bathrooms, salt, etc. .But if you're right, we might as well retire to a madhouse. That's what he said, Hadley, I heard it. You want a name for him, don't you? Is he Foyle? ? No. Who the hell is that? He answers 'Howarth'." "It was you who said his name was Howarth." "That's right. Listen," Dr. Phil said, "if this soothes your wounded mind, I'll gladly admit that I didn't give you a fair chance to make my speculations, and I'm not going to I will remind you of the clues collected in the room. Now I will present them to you one by one, although God knows I tried to draw your attention to it back then.

"In general. In the story narrated by Rimbaud, we know that a mysterious strange man threatened Grimaud and deliberately mentioned the matter of burying people alive. Grimaud was very concerned about this. He must have Know the geek and know what the geek said, so for some reason he bought the painting of the three graves. And when you ask Grimaud who killed him, his answer is 'Howard ', and went on to say something like 'salt mine'. Regardless of whether it is strange for a French professor to say such a thing, the most puzzling thing is that on the shield above his fireplace, there is such a strange engraving. The words: 'Four-wheeled carriage, flying black half-eagle, high silver moon'..."

"Ignore the writing on that shield," Hadley said, with affected meanness, "what is it?" "A weapon from Transylvania. It was lost after the war, of course, but it was not really known to the British or the French before the war. You see, first a Slavic surname was found, and then it ran out A Slavic weapon, and then the books I showed you. Do you know what they are? English translations into Magyar. I can't pretend to understand them—" "Thank goodness." "But I could at least see that it was The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Stern's Letter from Yorick to Elisa, and the Pope's Essay on Human Commentary. I was so amazed that I examined it carefully After a while."

"What's so surprising about this?" Rimbaud asked, "Everyone's study room must have these few interesting works, and you have them in your own home." "You're right. However, imagine how a learned Frenchman would read a book in English? Well, he could go straight to English, or read it in French; but it's unlikely that he would start with the Hungarian translation. Go ahead, want to get a glimpse of the essence of the original text? Not only are they not Hungarian works, they are not even French books used by French people to learn Magyar; It must be in Hungarian. I went through the books one by one, hoping to find a name. When I saw the faded line 'Karoli Grimaud Howarth, 1898' on one of the title pages, I Confidence is more firm.

"If Howarth was his real name, why did he stay incognito for so many years? After thinking about 'Buried Man' and 'Salt Mines', my brain suddenly had a flash. But when you ask him who shot him Who he said was Howarth. It is probably only at that moment that a man avoids talking about himself, so he was not referring to himself, but to another man named Howarth. When I thought At this point in the context, our excellent Mills happened to be talking about the man Foyle who appeared in the tavern. He said that although they had never met in their lives, Foyle gave Mills a feeling of deja vu, and he The tone of voice is like Grimaud's copy. Is he suggesting something to Grimaud? Brother, brother, brother! There are three coffins in total, you think, but Foyle only mentioned two brothers. It sounds like He is the third brother.

"I just thought of this when Mrs. Dumer, who looked like a Slav, walked in. If I can prove that Grimaud was born in Transylvania, my exploration of his origin can be narrowed. .But it has to be done skillfully. Notice the statue of the buffalo on Grimaud's table? What do you think of the little thing?" "Anyway, it has nothing to do with Transylvania, I can tell you," the criminal director growled loudly, "I think it has more to do with the Wild West, Buffalo Bill, and Indians. Wait a minute, that's what you asked her Is there any reason why Grimaud has been to America?"

Dr. Phil nodded with guilt: "It seemed like an innocent question, so she answered it. If you think about it, if he'd gotten that statue in an American curios store—well, Hadley, I was in Hungary when I was both Young and idle, and just finished reading "Vampire". In Europe, Transylvania is the only place where buffalo are abundant, and the locals enslave them as ordinary cattle. In Hungary, there are all kinds of complex Religion; but Transylvanians are only Unitarians. I asked Ernestine Dumer that question, and she answered what I expected. Then I threw a grenade. If Gerry Mo had nothing to do with the salt mines, so the bomb would not work. So I mentioned the only prison in Transylvany, where the prisoners were sent to work in the salt mines. But I only mentioned Sai The Bantman - where the Seven Towers are - didn't even say it was a prison and nearly knocked her down. Now you know what I mean by the Seven Towers and the Realm That Doesn't Exist .For heaven's sake, who can give me a match?"

"It's already in your hands," Hadley said. He strode down the hallway, reaching for the cigar Dr. Fell offered him.At this time, the doctor was smiling kindly, and he was chattering to himself: "Yes, so far, it sounds reasonable. Your trick and the fatal blow of the prison did work. But the basis of your whole deduction, which is that these three people are brothers, is purely It's speculation. In fact, I think it's the most far-fetched, weakest part..." "Oh, I admit. What else?" "That alone is crucial. Suppose Grimaud didn't mean a guy named Howarth to shoot him, but himself? Then anyone could be the murderer." ...but if there were three brothers, and he meant what you say, then it would be easy. We'd just go back and re-assume that he was shot by Pierre Frey, or Frey's brother. That's it. We can arrest them anytime—"

"If you meet him, are you sure you recognize his brother?" Dr. Phil asked him back, "Have you seen him?" "What do you mean?" "Look at Grimaud. He speaks perfect English, and he's perfectly French in disguise. I don't doubt that he was educated in Paris, and I believe Madame Dumer was a tailor at the Opera. Anyway. , he has also been in and out of the cultural circle of Bloomsbury for nearly thirty years. He is rough, natural, non-controversial, with a neat beard and a square hat, suppressing his murderous nature, with a peaceful face He appeared in front of the crowd in the posture of a scholar. No one could see through his evil inner-though I can imagine that it must be a cunning and shrewd devil-no one had ever suspected him. Just put on a smart tweed suit and go with it. With a rosy face, he can dress up as an English squire or whatever he wants. But what about the third brother? He piques my curiosity. Could it be that someone else is here, pretending to be someone Among us, but none of us know his true identity?"

"Very likely. But we don't know anything about him." Dr. Phil tried his best to light the cigar with an extremely serious expression. "I know, Hadley, it bothers me too." He muttered for a moment, then blew out the embers on the match tip. "Two of our hypothetical brothers have French names each: Charles and Peel. But there is a third brother. To make the discussion as clear as possible, let's call him Henry—" "Hey, don't you want to tell me that you know a thing or two about him?" "On the contrary," replied Dr. Phil, somewhat cruelly. "I was just about to emphasize how little we know about him. We know Charles and Peale, but we have clues about this Henry. There are only a handful of them, although Peel always talks about Henry, and even uses him to blackmail Grimaud, like 'I have a brother who is higher and deeper than me', 'My brother wants to take your life' , 'If I join forces with him, I will also be in danger' and so on. But let alone people, we haven't seen a ghost. This worries me very much, brother. I think it is That hideous figure is behind the whole thing manipulating everything and using poor half-mad Peel to get his way. Maybe he's just as dangerous to Peel and Charles as well. I always feel like this is the man who planned it He must have been watching the incident at the Warwick Tavern..." Dr. Phil looked around, as if he thought that there would be figures walking or talking suddenly in the empty corridor.Then he added, "You know, I hope the inspector you send out can keep a close eye on Peel's whereabouts. Maybe he has lost his use value." Hadley made a vague gesture, clenching his teeth around the tail of his beard. "I understand," he said, "but we have to return to the evidence. I remind you, the evidence is not so easy to come by. Tonight I sent a telegram to the Romanian police. If Transylvania had been annexed long ago, in such turmoil In the chaos of uneasiness, I am afraid that there are not many official records to be found. Since the war, haven’t the Bolsheviks been rampant there? In short, what we need is evidence! Come on, it’s time to have a good time with Mangan and Grimaud’s daughter Talked. I'm very suspicious of their attitude, and..." "Huh? Why?" "Because, they keep showing that Mrs. Dummer is telling the truth—" Hadley corrected himself, "you seem to think it's true. But I remember one thing. Grimaud asked Mangan, in case the visitor Should he stay here for a surprise visit tonight? As a result, he sat like a docile watchdog in a room near the door; The visitor also came into the house. During this period of time, Mangan didn't feel any curiosity. He sat in the room with the door closed, paying no attention to the movement of the visitor, only when he heard the gunshot and suddenly realized that No reaction until the door is locked. Does that make sense?" "Nothing makes sense," Dr. Fell said, "even . . . but there's no rush." They walked down the long corridor, and Hadley opened the door of the back room in his dryest, grimest self.As far as the layout of the room is concerned, this one is slightly smaller than the previous one. Books and wooden filing cabinets are neatly and orderly displayed. Square chairs, faint sparks in the fireplace.Mills' typing desk was moved to face the door, where a green-shaded chandelier hung.On one side of the typewriter was a grid basket, in which lay blank, neatly clipped manuscript paper; on the other side, a glass of milk, a plate of prunes, and a copy of Williamson's Calculus. "I can assure you that he also drinks mineral water," Dr. Phil said excitedly. "I'm 100% sure that he likes to drink mineral water and enjoys reading calculus. I bet—" At this moment, Harder elbowed him, causing the doctor's voice to stop abruptly.The director was talking to Rosette Grimaud who was opposite.He first introduced the three of them. "Of course, Miss Grimaud, I don't want to disturb you at this moment—" "Please don't say that," she said, sitting in front of the fire, looking so flustered that she jumped up, "I mean...don't be so polite. You know, I love my father, but not so much Just talking about him makes me sick. I'm ready." She pressed her hands to her temples.At this moment, the fur coat on her body has been unbuttoned, and the firelight from the fireplace reflects on her eyes and face, forming a flickering contrast between light and dark.She inherited her mother's strong facial features: blond hair, a square face, and the unique gaudyness of the Slavic nation.At times, the face looked extremely cold and serious, but the wide brown eyes showed tenderness and timidity, making her look like a priest's daughter; but in the next moment, her face could change to kindness, and her eyes But she was extremely elite and severe, as if she had turned into a devil's daughter in an instant.Her sparse and thin eyebrows are slightly raised from the corners of her eyes, but her wide lips are a little funny.In short, she was nervous, articulate, and full of doubts, while Mangen standing behind her looked depressed and helpless. "But one thing," she continued, tapping her fist on the arm of the chair, "before you start to torture me, I have to understand." She nodded in the direction of a small door opposite her, speaking in a breathless tone , "Stud...is taking your detectives up to the roof. Is that true? I heard that someone came in and left...and killed my father, but no, no..." "Hadley, let me answer that," Dr. Phil said very quietly. Rimbaud is clear in his heart. The doctor has always been known for his wit and intelligence, but he often relies on sudden flashes of inspiration.However, his various external images such as being tactful, magnanimous, and genuine, all create the impression that he will never play tricks, as if he was born with great compassion and kindness, and people often confess their hearts immediately. , Tell him all your thoughts. "Hmm," the doctor snorted and said indignantly, "of course it's not true, Miss Grimaud. Even if we have never met the person who did it, we know the tricks of the bad guy like the back of our hands." Her face Lift up quickly. "Besides, this isn't torture at all, and your father has a chance of getting over it. Listen, Mademoiselle Grimaud, haven't we met before?" "Oh, I know you just want me to relax," she smiled feebly, "Boyd told me about you, but..." "No, I mean it," Dr. Phil gasped earnestly, tilting his head in thought, "ah, yes, I figured it out! You studied at the University of London, didn't you? Yes. And you Participated in a debating club or something? I kind of remember that when your club debated 'Women's Rights in the World', I happened to be chair. Right?" "It's Rosette, that's right," Mangan echoed embarrassingly, "She is a radical feminist. She often said—" "Hey hey," Dr. Phil said, "I remember." He waved his huge palm, and his whole body exuded joy. "She may have been a feminist, young man, but she was guilty of some amazing little missteps. In fact, outside of the pacifist conference, it was one of the best, most gripping debates I've ever heard Miss Grimaud, you are on the side of women's rights against the tyranny of men. Yes, that's right. You walked into the meeting pale and serious and unsmiling until you began to present your arguments. At that time, your partner did not know what terrible thing was mentioned, and your expression was quite displeased. Later, when that thin girl spent twenty minutes arguing that women need an ideal living space, you seemed It’s growing dissatisfied. So when it’s your turn to speak, you just stand up in your voice like a silver bell and declare that the ideal way for a woman to survive is: talk less and have more sex.” "My God!" said Mangan, jumping up. "Well, I did think so 'at that time'," said Rosette fiercely, "you don't have to think—" "Oh, maybe you didn't mean 'make love,'" Dr. Phil mused, "but anyway, that startling word had an indescribable effect. It was like whispering 'Asbestos!' to a bunch of pyromaniacs." Same. It's just that, in order to put on an unmoved face, I had to pour boiling water-well, my friend, this is by no means my usual style. Later, the result of the development of the matter can be imagined , the audience began to chatter, and the room boiled like a bomb detonated in an aquarium. But I'm curious, do you two talk about these topics often? I think those conversations must be very thought-provoking. For example, tonight you are in Discuss what?" The two of them immediately responded anxiously at the same time, and Dr. Phil smiled, watching them both shut up with a look of astonishment. "That's what happened," the doctor nodded. "You should understand now, don't you? There's nothing to be afraid of talking to the police, and you're free to talk as much as you want. It's better, you know. We're going to Regarding this accident, please clarify what is unclear in an orderly manner, okay?" "Okay," said Rosette, "who has a cigarette?" "The old man's done it again," said Hadley, looking at Rimbaud. Mangan took out his cigarette awkwardly, and the old fellow lit his cigar again, and continued speaking. "Now, there's something very odd that I wish I could figure out," he said, "before the blah blah blah blah, were you both so engrossed in each other tonight that you didn't notice anything else? Root, as far as I understand, Professor Grimaud asked you to stand guard here in case of emergencies. Why didn't you do so? Didn't you hear the doorbell?" Mangen's dark face was immediately covered with a layer of haze, and his gestures were obvious and violent. "Oh, I admit it was my fault. But at the time I didn't expect this to happen. How would I know? Of course I heard the doorbell, and in fact, we both talked to the guy—" "You what?" Hadley interrupted, striding over to Dr. Fell. "Of course, otherwise why do you think I let him go upstairs, huh? He says he's old Pettis—Anthony Pettis."