Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Wilton's New Year

There was really no reason for Ellery to intervene without thinking about the murder of the primary school principal being nailed to the T-frame.He should go back to New York.However, in Wilton, the seat of the West Virginia state government, there were exciting rumors everywhere, so he decided to stay and continue to investigate.Since Officer Quinn was ordered back to New York and had to return early, Ellery sent his father to Pittsburgh for a ride. "What are you thinking?" The old police officer stuck his head out of the car window and asked his son, "How--tell me. Have you solved the mystery?"

"All right, all right, Mr. Inspector!" Ellery said as if coaxing a child. "Watch your blood pressure. I'm just interested in this case. I'm really not involved in crazy murders like this." Yes. I'm waiting for the judge to appear in court for review, and maybe I can refer to other testimony based on Lu Deng's information." "Anyway, just don't go back to New York dejectedly." Officer Quinn said in a low voice. "That's not certain!" Ellery said with a wry smile. "Not only is this very different from the plot of the novel, but it's also full of strange doubts..."

The two stopped talking.The car drove away, leaving Ellery alone on the platform, but with the liberated mood came a different kind of uneasiness.On the same day, he returned to Wilton again. It's Tuesday.Ellery was courting the Hancoku County district attorney until Saturday, January 2, in order to get information from the prosecutor.But District Attorney Kermit is a difficult old man to please.He has been looking for opportunities that will allow him to reach the sky in one step, and he fantasizes that he is a great person because he is a fantasy careerist.Ellery made it to the door of his office several times, only to be turned away because prosecutors were too busy to see anyone.

So Ellery gritted his teeth and walked on the street in bewilderment, but also heard some rumors from the conversations of many Wilton residents.There seemed to be an uncomfortably dark shadow over Wilton Street, filled with sparkling Christmas decorations.Obviously, most women are afraid to go out on the street, and there are no children in sight; men are eager to offer advice to each other, discuss many different countermeasures together, and some people even propose lynching-this kind of violation of the law is impossible.Police in Wilton also carefully patrol every street. In such a tense atmosphere, Ellery still observed calmly.On Wednesday, he presented his opinion when he met with Judge Stilbrudeau.Stibbledow was a fat, sweaty middle-aged man.Of course, he was also a cunning figure, so Ellery could not get any information from Stibbledeau other than the clues he already knew.

So Ellery spent the remaining three days dedicated to investigating the details of the victim, Andrew Pang.But the data available are limited, and some are simply not credible.As he was a reclusive recluse who seldom came into the streets of Wilton, there were few direct contacts with him.But in the mouth of Arroyo's villagers, he is a model teacher.Although his attitude towards students is not pampering, he is very kind.Arroyo's board of education is unanimous that he is serious about teaching.Moreover, not only did he not go to church, he also did not go to the hotel, and these were reasons that cemented its lofty status in the eyes of others.

On Thursday, the editor-in-chief of the Wilton newspaper suddenly and solemnly vacated the literature section, soliciting letters from readers, hoping to get valuable opinions.So six devout believers who claimed to be the rescuers of the troubled citizens of Wilton published their remarks in the newspaper.They allege that Andrew Pang is a person who does not respect God, because he lives in a world without God, so it is only natural that he was abandoned by God and died.However, behind this incident, there is a cruel act hidden... The editor-in-chief excerpted it and published it in bold in the editorial.In addition, there are also bizarre killing stories about murderers such as Bluebeard and Durrouf in France, as well as the famous American murderer Jack Sa Riba (Jack the Ripper), etc., and many horrific real cases are also cited. .

On Saturday morning, the municipal government court where the autopsy results investigation was held was crowded with many curious people, and everyone was waiting for the moment of the court hearing.Ellery was one of the first to arrive, taking a seat in the front row of the gallery.Before the nine o'clock court session, Ellery took the opportunity to go to Judge Stilbrudeau, who, on behalf of the commissioner of the New York City Police Department, demanded to see the body of Andrew Poon. So they walked together to the mortuary. "The body is almost decomposed," the judge whispered. "Because it is not suitable for a trial during the Christmas period, so ... the body is handed over to the local undertaker."

Ellery worked up his courage and lifted the cloth covering the body.When he started to feel uncomfortable, he covered the cloth again.The victim was a heavyset man.There's nothing in the place of the head... just a big hole. On the side table were the victim's clothes, including ordinary black vests, black leather shoes, shirts, socks, and underwear—all covered in blood.There were also pencils, pens, wallets, key rings, crumpled tobacco pouches, loose change, cheap pocket watches, and old envelopes—all of which, in Ellery's eyes, were good evidence for the investigation.But apart from some items with the initials AV on them, and the letter from Pittsburgh, which said "Mr. Andrew Pang" - none of them seemed to be of much help to the post-mortem interrogation.

At this moment, a tall, thin old man walked into the room and looked at Ellery suspiciously.Stibbledow turned to Ellery and introduced, "Ellery, this is Prosecutor Kermit." "Who is he?" Kirmiti asked. Ellery nodded with a smile and headed back to the courtroom. Five minutes later, Judge Stibbledow took the gavel and tapped the table a few times, and the entire courtroom fell silent.As usual, some proceedings took place before prosecutors called Mike Okins to the witness stand. So Okins walked slowly to the witness stand amidst the discussions among the crowd.He was an old farmer with dark skin, a rough figure, but a little hunchback.He walked awkwardly to the witness stand and sat down.

"Mr. Okins," said the judge in his customary voice, "please describe in detail the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the body." The farmer licked his lips: "Okay. In the early morning of last Friday, I drove the truck to go to Arroyo. On the way to Arroyo, I met Grandpa Peter. I gave him a lift. We came to At the turn, we found the corpse nailed to the road sign, both hands and feet were nailed—” Okins’ voice became hoarse, “We then ran to Arroyo in panic. Going to file a report." There was snickering in the gallery, so the judge rapped his gavel and demanded silence.

"Did you touch the dead body?" "No, I dare not say anything. We didn't get out of the car at all." "Okay, that's fine, thank you." The farmer sighed deeply, wiped his forehead with his handkerchief, and went back to his seat in the gallery. Amidst the din, a strange man stood up from the back seat of the courtroom.His face was covered with a messy and dirty beard, and his thick eyebrows drooped. He was a man with a strong body, dressed in shabby clothes, and staggered from walk to walk.Perhaps because of a little hesitation, he shook his head from time to time. The judge asked awkwardly, "What's your name?" "What?" The old man seemed to be unable to hear clearly. "I'm asking for your name! Is it Peter?" Grandpa Peter shook his head and said, "I am what people say is Grandpa Peter. I died twenty years ago." There was a sudden terrible silence, and even the judge didn't know what to do.At this time, a middle-aged man with a short stature who seemed to be alert stood up at a position near him: "I think Grandpa Peter should be fine. Judge." "Mr. Oris, what do you mean?" "He won't be the murderer." The middle-aged man replied loudly, "Grandpa Peter's brain is indeed not very bright. But he lived alone in the mountains near Arroyo a few years ago, and he went down the mountain about once every two months. Go to Arroyo to buy some necessities. The whole Arroyo is well aware of his origins. Mr. Judge, he is not suspicious." "I see. Thank you, village chief." The judge wiped the sweat from his fat face, and the audience whispered to each other, and the village head also sat down at this time.Grandpa Peter smiled and waved to the village head with his filthy hands... The judge resumed his serious expression and continued the interrogation.Because the old man's confession was vague, but Okins' confession could be established, so the old gentleman who lived on the mountain was released. Grandpa Peter blinked at this moment, and walked slowly back to his seat.Village head Orris and police officer Lu Deng also described what they experienced that morning - they were called out by Okins and Grandpa Peter in their sleep, and hurried to the intersection, after confirming the body, they pulled out the nails and drove to the intersection. Carrying the corpse, passing by Andrew Pang's house, seeing the tragedy at the scene and the big T written in blood on the door... "Lusa Baham." The next witness was a fat, flushed, middle-aged man.With a smile on his face, a mouth full of gold teeth from time to time, he sat on the witness stand with a big belly. "You run a grocery store in Arroyo, don't you?" "right." "Do you know Andrew Pang?" "Yes. He is my customer." "Since when did you know him?" "Wow, it's been a long time. He's a great customer, cash every time." "Does he usually come shopping by himself?" "Very few, most of them are bought by his servant Klimt. However, when paying the bill, he will come in person." "Do you have a good relationship with him?" Baham looked up: "Ordinary... In fact, there is no friendship at all." "In other words, you don't know each other very well, but you get along pretty well, don't you?" "Yes, exactly." "So, Andrew Pang is a strange person?" "Ah! You can say the same thing. For example, he often orders caviar by name." "Buying caviar?" "Because among my customers, he is the only one who buys caviar. So, I usually make a special order for him. There are many kinds of caviar—white caviar, red caviar, but he likes to buy black caviar the most. " "Mr. Baham, please go to the morgue next door with Village Chief Oris and Police Officer Lu Deng to confirm the corpse again." The judge then left his seat and walked out of the courtroom with them.The spectators also took this opportunity to take a breath, and when the four returned, they began to whisper noisyly again.Mr. Baham, the owner of the grocery store who had a ruddy complexion just now, has become extremely pale now, and his eyes are full of fear. Ellery sighed.Thinking in my heart, in a small village with only 200 people, the principal of the primary school actually bought caviar!Perhaps Constable Luden was more shrewd than he appeared, and Andrew Pang lived more luxuriously than his profession and circumstances could afford. At this moment, the tall and lanky prosecutor Kermit walked to the witness stand.The crowd in the auditorium immediately returned to silence.Although the matter is not yet clear, from now on the mysterious veil will be lifted slowly. "Prosecutor Kermit," Judge Stibbledow asked nervously, "have you investigated the information about the deceased?" "Investigated." Ellery sank himself into the chair.Because he didn't have a good impression of the prosecutor's ardent fame, and seeing Kermit's cold eyes made him feel uncomfortable. "You report the results of the investigation." "Nine years ago, Arroyo Primary School published an advertisement for teachers. It was at that time that Andrew Pang came to Arroyo. Because of his good background and academic qualifications, the Education Committee decided to adopt him. Therefore , Andrew Pang came to the village with his servant Klimt and lived in a house on Arroyo Street, which was the house where he lived before he was killed. He performed very well as a teacher Well, and, during the time Arroyo lived, nothing to blame occurred." What Kermit has reported so far has captivated the audience. "I also checked the victim's personal information before he came to Arroyo. Before he came to Arroyo, he had taught in Pittsburgh public schools." "And before that?" "Unclear. In fact, he only obtained the naturalization permit of the United States in Pittsburgh 13 years ago and became a legal citizen. According to Pittsburgh's records, his previous nationality was Russian Armenia and he was born in 1885. " Armenians?Ellery stroked his chin, thinking carefully.He came from such a distant country... Suddenly a strange idea came to Ellery's mind, and he tried hard to combine some specific clues. "So have you investigated the personal information about the servant Klimt?" "Yes. Klimt is an abandoned baby. He was adopted by the St. Vincent Orphanage in Pittsburgh when he was a child, and he stayed in the orphanage as a handyman as an adult. Therefore, he has been living in the orphanage since he was born. Andrew Pang resigned from his job in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Before he came to Arroyo to take office, he visited the orphanage, hoping to find a servant. After careful selection by Andrew, he was very satisfied with Klimt. So they came to When we arrived in Arroyo, we lived in the place where Andrew lived before his death." Leaving the bustling metropolis of Pittsburgh and coming to live in a rural place like Arroyo, what is the motive hidden in it?Ellery pondered the doubt.Could it be because of a crime that he fled to hide in a place where the police could not catch him?It may be a bit far-fetched to say this, because the metropolis is more suitable for hiding, and it should be very inconvenient in the countryside.So, there must be other reasons.Perhaps the reason is only known to the victim.Sometimes living in a complex environment for a long time will make people want to pursue a lonely life.Perhaps, Andrew Pang, the only primary school principal in Arroyo village who ate caviar, was such a person. "What kind of person is Klimt?" The prosecutor replied with a helpless expression: "Judging from the records of the orphanage, Klimt is mentally retarded, but he never hurts anyone." "Has there ever been a tendency to kill?" "No. When he was in the St. Vincent Orphanage, although he looked clumsy, he was very kind to the children, and he was very humble and sensible. He never heard him complain. To the elders in the orphanage Very respectful, too." The district attorney wanted to go on, but Judge Stibbledow, for some unknown reason, directed him to back off before passing Arroyo's grocer on the witness stand. . "Mr Baham, do you know Klimt?" "know." "What kind of person is he?" "He's honest and nice, and silent, like a calf." At this moment someone laughed, which displeased Stibbledow a little.He walked up to Barham and said, "Mr. Barham, I heard that this man named Klimt has the strongest wrist in the small village of Arroyo. Is this rumor true?" Eller Li snickered inwardly, the judge was so simple. Baham said emphatically: "It is true. Klimt is so strong that he can lift a large bucket of sugar with one hand. But, Mr. Prosecutor, he would not kill a fly, let alone Killed. I think he—" "Okay." Stubble said impatiently, "Chairman Orris, please go back to the witness stand." Madou Orris looked in good spirits, so Ellery judged this Man is a master debater. "Chairman Oris, are you the president of the Arroyo Education Committee?" "yes." "Then please report something about Andrew Pang to the jury." "He's had no problems for nine years. He barely sees anybody. Except at school, he stays in the house I rented him. So everybody thinks he's a haughty monster. As for him I’m not a foreigner, I’ve never thought about this issue.” The village head said emphatically, “He’s just an honest man. However, because he doesn’t want to interact with people, his interpersonal relationship is not good. The officer asked him to go fishing with him, and he declined. But then again, that’s just his personality. And, he also talks in English, just like us.” "Then do you know if any guests have visited him?" "Probably not. Of course, I'm not sure. However, he has changed a bit." The village chief thought for a while and continued, "When I went to Pittsburgh on a business trip two or three times, he asked me to buy some books about philosophy, history, and astrology. Books that make me feel very puzzled." "Indeed. Mr. Oris, I heard that you also run a bank in Arroyo?" "Yes." The village chief lowered his head in embarrassment, looking at his little feet. "Has Andrew Pang deposited money in your bank?" "No. He usually takes his salary in cash. I thought he might have deposited the money in another bank, so I tried several times to persuade him to deposit it in my bank, but he didn't respond. He told me that he Keep the money at home." Olis shrugged and said, "Probably he doesn't trust banks! But you can't blame him, after all, everyone has their own way of managing money. Later, I also talked with others discussed the matter—" "So the whole of Arroyo knows about it?" Olis said hesitantly, "Everyone should know about it. But at the beginning, not only I knew about it, but also the teachers at the school were talking about it, so not long after, the whole village knew about it." The witness stand retreated, and then Constable Lu Deng was summoned.Lu Deng was obviously tired of this interrogation method, but had to deal with it, so he had to bite the bullet and sit on the witness stand again. "Mr. Luden, did you search Andrew Pang's house on the morning of Friday, December 25th?" "yes." "Have you found any money?" "No." At this moment, surprised voices erupted in the courtroom.Is it a robber?Ellery frowned thoughtfully.In this way, the actual situation and reasons have no conditions at all.At first, he raised clues similar to religious paranoia, but now he brought up the matter of being robbed of money.These two things really cannot be coherent into one event.At this time, the judge came to him with a broken and old green iron box.There was an old lock on the iron box, and there was a crooked overhang.The judge then asked the bailiff to open the box, only to find that it was empty. "Mr. Luden, do you recognize this green iron box?" Lu Deng touched his nose, and then said: "I seem to have seen something similar in Andrew Pang's house. It is Andrew Pang's cash box. It should not be wrong." At this time, the judge walked to the front of the jury, holding the dilapidated box in his hand: "Misters and ladies of the jury, please take a look at this evidence...Mr. Luden, you can go down. The next one will ask the Arroyo Post Office The Commissioner is on the witness stand." A wizened little old gentleman went to the witness stand and sat down. "Are there many letters to Andrew Pang?" "Not many," replied the postmaster loudly, "and most of them are advertisements from bookstores." "During the week before the murder, was there any letter or parcel addressed to him?" "nor." "Has he sent any letters himself?" "Probably not. Maybe once or twice, but not in the last three or four months." The judge nodded.It is also said that the forensic doctor Stolen. When Storang's name was called out, there was a burst of whispering in the auditorium. Storang is a very shabby-looking character.He walked slowly from the aisle to the seat.Once he was seated, the judge began his questioning. "Mr. Forensic Doctor Storang, when did you first examine the corpse?" "It was two hours after the body was found." "Would you please tell the jury approximately when the deceased died?" "It was about six to eight hours before the body was found." "Then the murder took place around twelve o'clock on Christmas Eve?" "yes." "Concerning the results of the autopsy, would you please recount it to the jury in detail?" "OK." Judge Stilbrudeau had sat there complacently, using bureaucratic rhetoric up to this point.Moreover, everyone in the gallery listened to the report with stunned eyes, which left a deep impression on Ellery. The forensic doctor raised his legs and said in an impatient voice: "Except for the wound on the head and the marks of nails on the hands and feet, there are no other injuries." The judge stood up suddenly, slowly leaned his body against the table, and continued to ask: "From this fact, what conclusion do you draw?" "From the absence of other injuries on the body, it appears likely that the body was either severely struck or shot to the head." Ellery nodded, quite agreeing with him.This seemingly unsatisfactory country forensic doctor is quite intelligent. "In my opinion," said the forensic doctor, "Andulu Pang's head should have been dead for a long time when his head was cut off, and judging from the wound on the head, it must have been a very sharp weapon." The judge immediately picked up what was in front of him.It was a hideous-looking, sharp long-handled ax with no blood on the blade, but it shone with a blinding light. "Mr. Storang, do you think this ax would be enough to cut off the victim's head?" "I think so." The judge raised the ax and said to the jury: "This was found on the kitchen floor of the victim's house. Please note that no fingerprints can be found on this ax. It is likely that the murderer wore gloves. Otherwise, after the murder, the fingerprints were wiped off. This ax is definitely owned by the victim, and it is usually kept in the kitchen for Klimt, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, to chop wood...Director Pick is on the witness stand." The commissioner of West Virginia—a tall, soldierly man—answered. "Director Pick, is there any news to report?" "I have investigated the scene of the accident and the surrounding area." Pick said quickly, "but I did not find the victim's severed head. As for Klimt, whose whereabouts are unknown, we have sent his portrait to the neighboring cities for posting. " "I think you must have investigated the whereabouts of the victim and the missing Klimt before the accident! What did you find?" the judge asked urgently. "Well... According to my investigation, the last time the villagers saw Andrew Pang was around four o'clock in the afternoon on Thursday, December 24. At that time, he was going to Mrs. Rebeca who lived in Arroyo Home visits to remind her of her son's poor grades. And after he left Mrs.'s house, no one saw him again." "And what about Klimt?" "The last person to see Klimt was Demothy Arenal. He was a farmer who lived between Arroyo and Biaoshi. He said he had sold Klimt a little after four o'clock that afternoon. A bag of potatoes. After Klimt paid the cash, he carried the potatoes home on his shoulders." "Did the potato he mentioned be found in the victim's home? Director, this is very important. From this we can know whether Klimt has returned home or not." "Yes, and I also asked Alena to confirm that he sold the bag of potatoes to Klimt. There is nothing wrong with that." "Any other reports?" Before answering, Chief Pick looked around the courtroom for a week, as if checking for traps, and then said bluntly: "Of course there are." The clue is gone. At this time, Director Pick walked towards the judge and whispered something in his ear.The judge kept nodding, with a slight smile on his face.The people who were watching also realized that there was another good show going on, and they whispered in their seats.Chief Pick silently gestured to someone in the back seat. Not long after, a tall policeman appeared with a surprising figure in his arms. This old man with messy long brown hair and a full brown beard looked shabby.His small, shining eyes seemed to be those of religious fanaticism.His skin was a dirty bronze, dry and wrinkled, as if he had been out in the sun all his life.He was dressed—Ellery squinted—a battered gray crew-neck sweater over muddy khaki shorts.His gray veins floated like ropes on the surface of his skin, and on his bare brown feet were a pair of strange sandals, and in addition, in his hand, he held a strange object-the end was made of a very unsophisticated person. The snake-shaped cane carved by the craftsman is like the kind that can cast magic. As soon as this person appeared, there was a burst of laughter in the courtroom, and the judge slammed the gavel vigorously, demanding silence. Behind the police officers and the strange old man, there appeared another young man with oily skin but a fair complexion. As soon as this young man appeared, the audience shook hands with him and patted him on the shoulder encouragingly From this point of view, this young man and many of the observers should be old acquaintances. The three of them walked through the aisle and sat on their seats. The old man with the brown beard had a terrified expression, his eyes constantly looking around, while his withered hands were holding the wonderful cane convulsively. "Invite Jasbah Karuka to the witness stand!" The pale young man in his oil-stained overalls swallowed, stood up and walked to the witness stand. "Do you run a car rental shop and a gas station on Viard Avenue?" the judge asked. "Yes...Why do you ask this? Don't you know me very well?" "Hey, this is a court. You just answer the questions. Tell the jury in detail what you know happened around eleven o'clock on Christmas Eve." Kaluka took a deep breath, looking around like a frightened child, seeking a friendly look. "Okay, okay, around eleven o'clock on Christmas Eve, my wife asked me to close the garage early to prepare for the holidays, my house is inside the store, and when my wife and I were in the living room outside, a man called the door outside the small store. I Go out and look, it's so dark outside," Kaluka swallowed again, and quickly continued, "Sure enough, a man was knocking on the door of the store, and when he saw me, that man—" "Wait a minute, what kind of clothes is that person wearing?" Karuka shrugged. "It was too dark to see clearly, and I didn't pay attention." "So, have you seen his face clearly?" "Yes. I was holding a flashlight at the time, and I saw a scarf around his neck, but he didn't seem to want his face to be seen, so he kept dodging. He was very dark and had no beard on his face. He looks like a foreigner, but he speaks with an American accent." "What about age?" "Maybe thirty-five or six years old, I'm not sure." "What is that person going to do?" "Well...he wanted me to drive him to Arroyo. At first, I didn't want to take the business, because I didn't want to leave my wife home alone on Christmas Eve; but the man promised to pay me ten dollars. You know Well, ten dollars is a big temptation for a poor man like me, so I agreed." "Where are you taking him, then?" Karuka swallowed. "It's the T-junction where the homicide happened. As soon as I sent him there, I took the money and drove home in a hurry." "Did you see what that person was doing when you went back?" Kaluka nodded vigorously. "Yes, I saw him fall into the ditch next to him, and then he limped towards Arroyo." The eccentric man with the tawny beard next to the policeman stood silently, rolling his eyes as if looking for a way to escape. "Which foot did he sprain?" "It seems to be the left foot! Because his center of gravity is on the right foot." "Have you seen this person since?" "No. And I hadn't seen the man before that night." "All right." Karuka happily got off the witness stand and walked quickly to the aisle leading to the door. "Then," Judge Stibbledow squinted at the man huddled in the chair with his beady eyes, "hey, that man over there, come to the witness stand." The policeman stood up and brought the man with the brown beard to the front. Although he walked forward without resistance, his eyes showed a look of horror, and he hesitated in his footsteps. The policeman was used to leaving him on the witness stand After getting on, he quickly returned to his position. "What's your name?" Judge Stibbledow asked. There was a burst of laughter from the gallery.Because the old man's clothes and demeanor were very strange, and he was standing on the protruding witness stand, everyone could see it clearly.It took a lot of effort for the judge to restore order to the courtroom. At this moment, Ellery noticed that the old man was praying to the crutch and mumbling something. "Please state your name." The judge asked again. The old man suddenly raised his crutches, stared wide-eyed and said, "I am Haraket, the sun god." Everyone was stunned and looked at each other, even the judge was startled, but soon there was another burst of laughter , but this time there was an indescribable sense of terror in the laughter.In fact, the old man had an unusual air about him that was intimidating. "Who the hell are you?" the judge asked again in a tactful tone. The old man named Harakett crossed his hands on his skinny chest and held his cane firmly, but he still didn't answer a word. Judge Stibbledau wiped the sweat from his face, as if he didn't know how to continue the interrogation: "So, what do you do? - Mr. Harlacett." Ellery was in his seat, sweating deeply for the judge.The atmosphere in the courtroom made people more and more uncomfortable. Harakett's lips moved again: "I can heal the sick and make the weak strong. I am the supreme god." The judge suddenly shouted unbearably: "Shut up!" "Director Pick, didn't you say that this little old man will tell us something important? But..." The state police chief was very embarrassed, got up and explained: "I'm sorry, court, I said 'maybe' he can tell us something. But now I have to explain that this old man is indeed a bit crazy. He always thinks He is the sun god, but after all, he did not do any bad things. Like the general gypsies, he drove an old station wagon to and from major cities, selling some panacea and promoting some weird things. religion." Harakett suddenly got up from his seat with a serious face. "What I sell is the elixir of immortality. I am sent by heaven to announce the favor of the sun god to the world. I can heal the sick and restore sight to the blind. I am the master of the ship of dawn and dusk. I am... ..." Chief Pick explained with a wry smile: "As far as I know, the panacea he mentioned is nothing more than ordinary cod liver oil! No one knows his real name, and he probably doesn't even remember it himself." "Thank you, Commissioner," said the judge solemnly. But Ellery suddenly shuddered with horror, because he noticed that there was a poisonous snake on the old man's crutches, which was the symbol used in ancient Egypt to symbolize the descendants of gods.At first, he thought it might just be a very common totem, but when he heard Harakett repeating the sun god over and over again, he thought of the authoritative symbol of the sun god in the Egyptian pharaoh era, and that symbol was the totem on the old man's walking stick .In addition, although it is not clear whether there are one or two snakes, there is a circular pattern symbolizing the sun on the snake, which is not a symbol of the era of the Egyptian pharaohs.In this way, the various names of gods mentioned in the mouth of this unusually temperamental old man do not all have a strong Egyptian style.Ellery sat up involuntarily. The judge began to question: "Do you know the lame man that Mr. Karuka mentioned just now?" The old man hesitated for a moment before saying, "I know you." The judge's tone brightened with Harlacett's entry into the situation. "What's that man's last name? What's his name? What's his relationship with you?" "He is my servant and my disciple." "What? A disciple?" There was a whisper in the audience, and the man behind Ellery also criticized: "You will be sent from heaven for saying that!" "Your assistant, I suppose?" the judge corrected. "He is my priest and my most proud disciple." "I see." The judge reporter asked further, "What's his name?" "Verua Kloshak." "Oh!" the judge frowned. "Is it a foreign name? Armenian?" "Except for Egypt, no other country has such a name." The old man said silently. "How do you spell it? Harakett!" “Velja Krosac。”州警察局长抢着插嘴说，“我是在哈拉克特的马车上一本记事本中看到的。” “那么，克洛沙克现在在哪儿？”法官问。 哈拉克特耸耸肩说：“他已经走了。” 埃勒里从他细小的眼中看出了狼狈的神态。 "When did you leave?" 哈拉克特还是耸着他的肩膀。 这个时候，彼克局长似乎也发现了这尴尬的情形，于是赶上前去。 “还是让我来说。克洛沙克一直行踪不定，自从两年前和哈拉克特一起工作后，行踪更是飘忽。他就像是哈拉克特的业务经理或宣传人员，常常东奔西走做着骗人的勾当。在圣诞夜，他们一起在威尔顿附近的公路上留宿，约在十点左右和哈拉克特分手，这就是最后有人见到这位不知名男子的时候，时间上也刚好吻合。” “你知道那个叫克洛沙克的行踪吗？” “还没有查到。那小子好像被吞进地里似的，怎么找也找不到。不过，我们还是会找，不会让他逃走的，我们已经把他的画像和克林姆的一起送到邻近城市。” “哈拉克特，你去过阿洛约？” "No." “他们两人从来没有去过维吉尼亚北部。”局长提出说明。 法官这时候转身朝向哈拉克特。 “你是不是可以介绍一下克洛沙克？” “他呀！他可说是个虔诚的门徒，时常和神沟通，对祭拜的事情也从不怠慢，而且以无上欢喜的心情来听经，我很以他为荣……” 法官疲倦的说：“好啦，好啦！把他带走！” 于是警员走上来，一把抓起这个枯瘦老者的手臂，连拉带拖地把他带走。两人一消失，法官竟叹起气来了。 埃勒里也不住地连连叹气，心想：“这会儿可真如父亲所说，查不出什么名堂，必须灰心的回纽约去了。这是件真是无法解释，一点头绪都没有，只有尸体是真的，以及那十字架……” 可是埃勒里思索着十字架，忽然又联想到埃及。这两者之间是不是有什么微妙的关系？ 警员接着送上哈拉克特马车上的一些杂物，但却无法从其中去了解更多关于哈拉克特与克洛沙克的事，甚至连科洛沙克的照片及笔迹都无从取得。 后来，又来了几个证人，问的都是些无关紧要的小事。诸如，圣诞节前路过被害人家与那个时候路过交叉路口的人；钉在T字路标上的钉子，是被害人家平时常用的，那十四年前被害人家为了建储藏室时，庞校长叫克林姆买的。 当法官起身对陪审团说话时，埃勒里才从默想中清醒。 “各位都听见了以上的报告……” 埃勒里突然站起来打断他的话：“对不起，法官，我还有一句话要说。” “请，埃勒里，你是不是发现了什么新的事情？” “不是发现什么新的事情，而是一个古老的事实，比基督教历史还要久远。不知道大家有没有注意到这个残酷的案子，有个奇怪的现象？凶手到处留有T字——T字路、T字尸体、血T字……他是不是在向人们意味着什么？我想这些不会只是巧合。” “这与基督教有关吗？” “没有，可以说没有。”埃勒里扶了扶眼镜。 “那么你所谓的事实，又是什么？” “老实说，我对这件案子一直不能理解，但大家是否想到，这个T字所暗示的意义，并不是英文字母中的T字。” “埃勒里，依你看……” “我想这个字可能与宗教有关。” “跟宗教有关？” 这时，有一个身穿牧师服的绅士，从观众旁听席中挺身而起。 “对不起，打个岔。我担任神职传教这么久，怎么没听过T与宗教有关？” 这时候不知道是谁在大声叫嚷着：“牧师先生，不是要你在这边传教！”于是，牧师满脸通红的坐下。 “宗教上，有不少T字代表十字架，在希腊文中叫做'tau'，而在拉丁语中则称为'cruxcommissa'。” 牧师又站起来大声反驳：“对，是有这么回事，不过那不是基督教的十字架，那是异教徒的标志。” 埃勒里小声地笑：“你说得没错，然而，在基督教创立之前的几千年时间，那儿的人民不就是用希腊的十字架吗？tau十字架比基督教的十字架要早好几百年呀！可是最重要的是下面这一点……” 埃勒里吸了口气，就不说了。这时大家静静地在等待他接下去要说的话。埃勒里移动一下他的眼镜，然后用干脆的语气说：“tau，也就是T形十字架，常被称为埃及十字架。”