Chapter 14 Chapter 12 Aftermath

Currier's subsequent appeal was dismissed.So Alan D'O was handcuffed by the stout deputy sheriff and sent to Algonquin Prison to begin his sentence, which would never end unless he died. We got a rough idea of ​​Dow's condition from Father Muir.According to the usual practice, Deo returned to Algonquin Prison this time. His good record in the past did not count at all, and he was regarded as a new inmate; His poor "privilege", if he survived and behaved well enough to earn the sympathy of the administrators, would be a useful member of that Iron Fist society of lost souls.

Day after day, week after week, time passed, but the expression of depression and grief on Mr. Jerry Lane's face never diminished.I was surprised by his stubbornness, he refused to go back to Hamlet Heights, insisted on staying at Father Muir's house, basking in the sun in the priest's small garden during the day, occasionally chatting with Father Muir and Warden Magnus at night, and constantly Try to ask the warden about Alan Deo. I could always see that the old gentleman was waiting for something to happen, but what he was expecting, or whether he was at the Leeds only because he was sick of Dow's conviction, I couldn't tell.In any case, we couldn't leave him alone, so my father and I stayed on at the Leeds.

Something happened that had nothing to do with the case.With Senator Fawcett's death, newspapers of all opposition parties began to expose the evil deeds of Fawcett's associates, making Dr. Fawcett's political position in jeopardy.Fawcett's murder swept away John Hume's previous doubts. He began to attack the senator's tenure head-on, using the most blatant means of excrement. Obviously, the opponent's despicableness made him feel no guilt in his heart.The most indecent rumors about the personality and political career of the former senator began to circulate in the city. It is conceivable that many of the clues dug up in the investigation of the senator's murder were now brought up by Hume and Rufus Cotton. Retaliate to the enemy camp piece by piece, and the effect is outstanding.

However, Dr. Fawcett will not give up easily. His basic talent for politics, the secret of his success, is strongly reflected in his means of revenge.An unimaginative politician might have met Hume's malicious accusation with invective, but not Dr. Fawcett, who met all slander with dignity and silence. His only retaliation was to elect Elihu Clay for the Senate. We're still staying at the Clays' house, so I've had the chance to see how the whole thing works discreetly.Regardless of his strong financial background, Elihu Clay has a good image in Tilden County.His philanthropy, the leader of the local business stalwart, his position in the Leeds Chamber of Commerce, and his benevolent employer in the eyes of the workers - from Dr. Fawcett's point of view, he is really against John Hume, the vanguard of reform. best candidate.

One night, when Dr. Fawcett came to visit, he locked himself in the room with Elihu Clay and had a private "off-room conversation" for two hours. Only then did we get a glimpse of the doctor's mind for the first time.When they finally came out, Dr. Fawcett, with his usual slick obsequiousness, drove away.A group of us stayed in the corridor, and we were all relieved to see this scene. "You will never guess," Mr. Clay said with surprise in his tone, as if he couldn't even believe it, "what did this guy ask of me?" "Ask you to be his political toy horse." Father said slowly, with a gesture of disapproval.

Clay's eyes widened, "How do you know?" "It's very simple," the father said indifferently. "A sinister and bad embryo like him must have this idea. What did he say?" "He wanted me to agree to run for Congress and receive Fawcett's votes." "Are you from their political party?" Clay blushed. "I think it's the same with their philosophy—" "Dad!" Jeremy yelled, "You're not asking for trouble, are you?" "Oh, of course not," Clay hurriedly said, "Needless to say, I rejected him. But aside from these, his strict standards this time almost convinced me. He said that in the face of the situation before him, The good of the party needs a clean and honest candidate — er, like me."

"Then," said the father, "why not?" We all stared at him with wide eyes. "Damn it," the father said with a low smile, biting his cigar contentedly, "Clay, you have done what you did to him, and treated him to you. Now that we have seen through his tricks, you can accept this nomination!" "Inspector, but—" Jeremy's tone could not hide his shock. "Never mind that, boy," laughed the father, "don't you wish you had a Senator dad? Come to think of it, Clay, we both know now that we can't get you he's too smart. Well, we'll play with him, and you take his advice and you're one of them—understand? Maybe you'll even get some paperwork , that's hard to say, once these smart guys get dazed by success, they often do stupid things. And if you can get the evidence before voting, there is still time to withdraw at the last minute, so that the people behind you Supporters go clean up the mess."

"I don't like it," Jeremy murmured. "I see what you mean," Clay frowned anxiously. "Well—I don't know, Inspector. It seems too insidious to do that, and I—" "Of course," my father said dreamily, "it takes courage, but by exposing these villains, you can make a wonderful difference for yourself and the citizens of the county, and become a true civic hero!" "Well." Clay's eyes began to light up. "Inspector, I never thought of that! Maybe you're right. Yes, I believe you're right! I'm going to try it. I'll call now, Tell him I've changed my mind!"

I can't resist the urge to object, so what good is that?I shook my head blankly, not daring to be too optimistic about my father's scheme.It seemed to me that the shrewd and ambitious doctor with the short beard had seen through his father's intentions a few weeks before, suspecting that his father was investigating his accounts and files at Clay's.He probably knew that Clay would reject his offer to run for the Senate, that his father would push him to do so.Perhaps these reasons are too trivial, but one thing is important - this is learned from my father - almost from the moment we came, all traces of illegality between Fawcett and Clay Marble disappeared without a trace. no trace.On the surface, he seems to be very peaceful.It is possible that Dr. Fawcett was trying to drag the honest citizen down by nominating Elihu Clay, and perhaps abducting him to involve himself in some shady conspiracy, which would effectively block him forever. Keep Clay's mouth shut so that he can't expose the illegal activities of the anonymous partner.

Anyway, it's all just speculation on my part, and I thought maybe my father knew what was best, so he didn't voice his opinion. "It's just Fawcett's old trick!" Jeremy yelled when Clay stood up and was about to enter the house. "I'm afraid your suggestion is wrong, Inspector." "Jeremy," his father said awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I can't keep silent. I'm going to tell you that if you say yes, you'll end up in blood." "Why not let me make up my own mind?" "Well, I'll let you decide," Jeremy stood up. "That's a dead end, Dad," he said ominously, "but don't blame me for not telling you when the time comes."

So he bade us a quick goodnight and strode into the house. At breakfast the next day, I saw a note on my plate. Elihu Clay was livid and Jeremy was gone - the little note said he had gone to work and was now "to take care of his father's career, I think he's too busy with politics in time ".Poor Jeremy!He showed up at dinner, cold and silent.For several days after that, he seldom paid attention to me, a young woman who was in need of encouragement. She had gradually lost her girlish freshness, and the poignant beauty of the death of youth was enough to attract poets to lament.I even stood in front of the mirror and looked at my hair, and when I noticed one was starting to turn gray, I threw myself on the bed, wishing I'd never heard of Aaron Deo, Jeremy, Ritz, and America united states. One of the immediate consequences of the trial and conviction of Alan Dow hit us.We have been in touch with Carmichael, who can provide some important information about Dr. Fawcett.But I don't know if the federal agent was too aggressive, or Dr. Fawcett's discerning eyes saw through his mask, or his testimony at the trial aroused the suspicion of his employer-or maybe all of the above, anyway, the final result That is, Carmichael was suddenly fired, and Dr. Fawcett did not explain why.Then one morning, Carmichael came to Clay's house with a sullen look on his face, carrying a handbag and luggage in his hand, and said he was going back to Washington. "The job is only half done," he grumbled. "I'll have all the evidence in two or three weeks. I don't have enough evidence right now, but I've got some bank records, Photocopies of voided receipts, and a long list of anonymous depositors." Before he left, Carmichael assured us that as long as he passed the results of his work to his superiors in the federal government in Washington, he could take the necessary legal action to punish the political evil forces in Tilden County.Both my father and I felt at the time that Fawcett had indeed made a move. Our spies had been driven away from the enemy's stronghold, and now the source of the news is cut off. My father lost his temper all day long; Elihu Clay was busy campaigning; Danger.At this time, I suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and a thought came to my mind, since Carmichael is gone, someone should take his place, why don't I give it a try? The more I think about it, the more I think it's not such a bad idea.Dr. Fawcett knew what my father's real mission in Leeds was, I'm sure, and with my naive appearance, I couldn't see why he wouldn't fall into the trap like so many other smarter villains. Into the trap of beauty tricks. So, without telling my father, I began to approach this short-bearded gentleman.My first act was to choose a day to meet him—oh, by chance! "Miss Sam!" he exclaimed, scrutinizing me with connoisseur eagerness—I had been dressed to my advantage for this encounter, "what a pleasant surprise! I've been meaning to see you." "Really?" I asked mischievously. "Oh, I know I've been negligent," he smiled, licking his lips with the tip of his tongue, "but—I'm going to apologize to you now! Please come to lunch with me, miss." I pretended to be coy, "Dr. Fawcett! You are very possessive, aren't you?" His eyes glowed, and he twitched his short beard: "It's far beyond what you can imagine," he said in a low and intimate tone, and then took my hand and squeezed it lightly, "My car is here." So I sighed and let him help me into the car.Seeing him behind me wink at the stern-looking driver, Luis, and drive to the road hotel—the one my father and I met Carmichael a few weeks ago—I think the hotel The boss recognized me, gave me a ambiguous look, and led us to a private dining room with the utmost respect. I thought I'd have to play the heroine of a Victorian novel and fight for my reputation, but luckily I was disappointed in the end.Fawcett showed that he was a charming host, and my opinion of him improved a little.He wasn't rude, presumably he saw me as a young and fresh potential prey and didn't want to scare me away by being too hasty.He treated me to a fine lunch and excellent wine, shook my hand across the table, and walked me home without saying a word. I played the flustered teenage girl, anxiously waiting.I did not miscalculate my "lover", and a few nights later, he called and invited me to the theater in the city-there was a company that was going to put on a stage play "Candide", and he thought I would like to see it.I've seen "Candide" half a dozen times - it seems that every courteous man, on this side of the Atlantic or the other, feels that this Shaw play is the prologue to an affair.Still, I said coquettishly, "Oh, doctor, I've never seen this play, I really want to see it! I heard it's shocking!" (This is total nonsense, because it's more shocking than the contemporary Compared with the sexual drama, this drama is as gentle as a spring night.)—He laughed under his breath, and promised to pick me up the next night. The drama was just flat, but my male partner was impeccable.The theater was well attended, the most famous people in the Ritz, the ladies dressed in jewellery, the gentlemen mostly with flabby red chins and politicians' sly eyes.Dr. Fawcett hovered around me like a shadow, and then casually suggested that "everyone" go to his house for a cocktail.what!I, Patience, are really smart, and I expected it completely-I put on a puzzled expression.Is this appropriate?I mean--he laughed in good spirits, of course!Why, my dear, there's no way your father could have objected... I sighed and put on the look of a stupid schoolgirl doing something very, very naughty. However, the night was not without danger.Most of the people gradually dispersed along the way, and when the doctor and I arrived at his big and dark house, there were only two people left in the large group—he and me.I admit that when he opened the front door for me and I stepped into the house where a dead body was lying last time, I did feel a little uneasy.Compared with the living danger in front of me, I am more afraid of the dead man before.Passing the Senator's study, I noticed that the furnishings had been rearranged and all traces of the murder had been erased, and I breathed a sigh of relief. As a result, the biggest gain from my visit this time was to lower Dr. Fawcett's vigilance and whet his appetite.He kept convincing me and finding all kinds of excuses to pour me cocktails, but I went to drinking university, and drinking control is a compulsory course, he must be surprised that I drink so little, and didn't notice that I was trying so hard to pretend to be drunk .So he removed the gentleman's face and restored his true colors again.He helped me onto the recliner and started making out with me very skillfully.I had to combine the dexterity of a graceful dancer with the showmanship of Jerry Lane to keep myself from being caught or caught.Although it was hard to break free from his embrace, I was still very proud: not only could I refuse his attack, but at the same time keep him interested in me.I could see that he was looking forward to enjoying my delicious meal, and I guessed that half of his enjoyment came from this anticipation. Now that I had broken through his defense, I unceremoniously drove straight in. My visits to Fawcett's lair became more and more frequent, and indeed, the intensity of his courtship was relatively proportional.This adventurous life has lasted a month since Alan Deo went to prison to serve his sentence.And in this dangerous month, I also had to face my father's questioning from time to time and Jeremy's angry possessiveness.The boy was very angry.Once he was dissatisfied with the claim that I met a "friend" in the city, so he followed me secretly, making me look like an eel in the water, and finally got rid of him by skulking around. I still remember that it was a Wednesday night and the opportunity finally came.I arrived at the Fawcetts' house earlier than the appointed time, and when I stepped onto the floor of the private study adjoining his consulting room, I found him working on an object—something very special—on his desk.He looked up and saw me, cursed a few words inwardly, then put on a smiley face, and at the same time quickly put the things into the upper drawer, I tried my best to not show any traces.That's—ah, it's unbelievable!Yet I did see it with my own eyes.It finally appeared, unbelievable, finally appeared. I was shaking with excitement when I walked out of the house that night.Even his customary courtship was sloppy and perfunctory, so my resistance didn't have to be as hard as usual.Why?No doubt his mind was preoccupied with the thing in the top drawer of his desk. So instead of walking toward the parking spot in the driveway, I tiptoed around the side of the house to Fawcett's study window.If my repeated visits thus far have failed--there may be some fatal papers this time--I trust this opportunity to be far more rewarding than I could have dreamed of.My purpose was not the document, but something more important, so important that I swallowed hard, my throat was dry, and my heart was beating so loudly that I was afraid that Dr. Fawcett could hear it through the wall. I lifted my skirt to my knees, clung to a hard vine, climbed to a position where I could see the inside of the study, and secretly thanked the gods for giving me a moonless night.I looked over the window sill and peeped in. Fawcett was at the desk. I was so proud that I almost screamed, and it was exactly as I expected! As soon as he dismissed me, he ran back to study the contents of the drawer. He was sitting there, his thin face livid with anger, his short fibrous roots swelled in anger, and he was holding something tightly in his hand, which was almost crushed with force, what was it?A letter—no, a note!He grabbed the desk that was spread out in front of him and read it with a horrified expression on his face. It was so scary that I lost my balance on the vines and fell to the ground with a bang. Can be woken up. He must have jumped out of the chair like lightning and rushed to the window.The next thing I knew I was lying on the ground and I looked up and saw his face in the window, paralyzed and unable to move at all.His face was as dark as it was tonight, and all I could see was his lips twisting and cursing, and beating so hard that he almost knocked the window out.Fear reinvigorated me, and I climbed up and ran down the path like a gust of wind, faintly hearing him ping-pong up the drive, rushing behind me. He yelled, "Louis! Grab her, Luis!" The driver appeared in the darkness ahead, grinning sinisterly, stretching out his ape arms, and I staggered onto him, almost fainting, his iron clamps Catch me as quickly as I can. Panting heavily, Fawcett ran up and held my arm tightly, making me cry out in pain. "You're a spy, that's it!" he murmured, staring at me in disbelief. "Nearly scared me, you little devil." He looked up at the driver and said curtly, "Go away, Louis. .” The driver replied: "Yes, boss." Then he plunged into the darkness with that cold smile still on his face. I was terrified, curled up in Dr. Fawcett's hands, dizzy and frightened, my heart was beating wildly, and I was nauseated.I remember him shaking me viciously, writing a bunch of nasty things in my ear.I sneaked a glance at him, his eyeballs popped.Flashed with passion, a murderous frenzy... I can't remember exactly what happened afterwards, I don't know if I broke free from his grasp, or he let me go on his own initiative.All I remember is the next thing I staggered down the tarmac, my evening gown tripping over my heels, and Fawcett's fingers branding me red on my arms. After a while I stopped and leaned against a big black tree to rest.The breeze cooled my hot cheeks, and I shed bitter tears shamelessly and presumptuously. I suddenly missed my father strongly.detective!I was sobbing and tearful, thinking that I should really be sitting by the fireplace knitting...then I heard the sound of a car approaching me slowly down the road. I leaned against the tree, held my breath, and froze with panic again.Could it be Dr. Fawcett chasing after him to fully realize what he saw as a terrible threat? The headlights came into my view around the curve, the car was going very slowly, the driver seemed to be hesitating... Then I ran into the middle of the road, laughing hysterically, waving my hands like a crazy woman, screaming : "Jeremy, oh dear Jeremy! I'm here!" The first time I thanked God for a faithful lover, Jeremy jumped out of the car and wrapped his arms around me.Seeing his kind and familiar face, I was so happy to let him kiss.He wiped away my tears and helped me into the car and sat next to him. He too was terrified, so I was all the more grateful for not asking me any questions.But I suppose he followed me all night, saw me go into Dr. Fawcett's house, and waited for me out on the road all night.I had just fled and Dr. Fawcett was back in the house just as he heard the commotion in the yard and followed it up the drive. "Jeremy, what did you just do?" I asked tremblingly against his broad shoulders. He let go of the steering wheel with his right hand, sucked the knuckles of his fingers in pain, "hit him," he said curtly, "just luck. There was a fight, and it didn't last long. I was lucky—the guy was a beast." "Baby Jeremy, did you hit him too?" "Smashed his jaw," Jeremy replied quickly.Then, from the joy of the fight, he returned to reality, his face somber, focused on the road ahead, ignoring my love. "Jeremy..." "Uh?" "Don't you want to know what's going on?" "Who-me? What am I? Petty, if you're going to run into the hands of a villain like Fawcett, you're asking for death. Only a goddamn fool like me would do it, and you should thank me !" "I think you're so cute." He was silent, so I sighed, looked at the road ahead, and told Jeremy to drive up the hill to Father Muir's house.Suddenly, I felt like I needed some grown-up advice and longed to see Jerry Lane's kind, wise face.The information I've got...he's sure to be interested.I'm sure that's why he stayed at Leeds. Jeremy parked the car outside the rose-filled stone wall of Father Muir's house, and I saw that the whole house was dark. "Looks like nobody's home," Jeremy muttered. "Well, dear! Anyway, I'm going to make sure." I wearily got out of the car, climbed the corridor, and rang the doorbell.Unexpectedly, a light in the small hall behind the door came on, and a small old lady stuck her head out. "Good night, miss," she said, "for Father Mull?" "Not really, is Mr. Wren here?" "Oh, no, miss," she said, in a low voice, gravely, "Mr Wren and Father Muir have gone to jail, miss, and I'm Mrs Croser--I'll come here every once in a while like this Take care of it. The priest doesn't like..." "Go to prison!" I yelled, "It's midnight, what happened?" She sighed, "Miss, there is an execution tonight. It is said that he is a gangster from New York. His name seems to be Scalzi, but it is a foreign name anyway. Father Muir has to go to perform his death ceremony for him. Mr. Wren will go with him to serve as a death penalty witness." He wanted to see the execution, and Warden Magnus invited him over." "Oh," I didn't know what to do, "can I go in and wait?" "You're Miss Sam, aren't you?" "yes." Her old face lit up: "Come in quickly, Miss Sam, and your gentleman friend. These executions are usually held at eleven o'clock. Every time this time comes, I—I really don't like a alone." She smiled slightly, "They are very punctual in prison." As good as she was, I wasn't in the mood to hear all this talk about the death penalty, so I called Jeremy and we went into the priest's little sitting room.Mrs. Croser wanted to chat with us, but after three snags, she walked away with a sigh.Jeremy stared sickly at the fireplace, and I stared sickly at Jeremy. We sat like this for half an hour before we heard the front door slam shut.Not long after, Father Mull and Mr. Wren walked in with difficulty.The old priest's sweaty face was ashen, twisted with pain, and he held a new pocket prayer book tightly in his stubby hands as usual.Mr. Wren's eyes were dull, his whole body was stiff, and he was as shocked as if he had just seen hell. Father Muir nodded wordlessly to us, and sank into his armchair without a word.The old gentleman came and took my hand. "Good night, Clay . . . Patience," he said in a low, strained voice, "what are you doing here?" "Oh, Mr. Wren," I cried, "I have terrible news for you!" He tried to force a smile: "Darling, terrible? It can't be worse - I just saw a person die in front of me, I can't imagine it, it's so simple, so cruel, and so calm." He trembled I got up, took a deep breath, and sank into an armchair beside me: "Patiens, what's your news?" I held his hand tightly like a lifebuoy, "Dr. Fawcett received another small wooden box."