alistairmaclean.bearisland-第59节

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venue　inspector　or　law…abiding　accountant；　if　there　were　any　such　around；　but　my　interest　in　them　was　minimal：　what　did　interest　me　though；　and　powerfully；　was　a　collection　of　cancelled　chequebooks　and　as　I　couldn't　see　that　those　were　going　to　be　of　any　use　to　Otto　in　the　Arctic　I　pocketed　them；　checked　that　everything　was　as　I　had　found　it　and　left。　Goin；　as　befitted　the　firm's　accountant；　was　also　much　given　to　keeping　things　under　lock　and　key　but；　because　the　total　of　his　impediments　didn't　e　to　much　more　than　a　quarter　of　Otto's；　the　search　took　correspondingly　less　time。　Again　as　befitted　an　accountant；　Goin's　main　concern　was　clearly　with　matters　financial　and　as　this　Goincided　with　my　own　current　interest　I　took　with　me　three　items　that　I　judged　likely　to　be　handsomely　rewarding　of　more　leisured　study。　Those　were　the　Olympus　Productions　salary　lists；　Goin's　splendidly　padded　private　bankbook　and　a　morocco　diary　that　was　full　of　items　in　some　sort　of　private　code　but　was　nonetheless　clearly　concerned　with　money　for　Goin　hadn't　bothered　to　construct　a　code　for　the　columns　of　pounds　and　pence。　There　was　nothing　necessarily　sinister　about　this：　concern　for　privacy；　especially　other　people's　privacy；　could　be　an　admirable　trait　in　an　accountant。　In　the　next　half　hour　I　went　through　four　cubicles。　In　Heissman's　I　found　what　I　had　expected　to　find；　nothing。　A　man　with　his　background　and　experience　would　have　discovered　many　years　ago　that　the　only　safe　place　to　file　his　records　was　inside　his　head。　But　he　did　have　some　innocuous　items…I　supposed　he　had　used　them　in　the　production　of　the　Olympus　manifesto　for　the　film…which　were　of　interest　to　me；　several　large…scale　charts　of　Bear　Island。　One　of　those　I　took。
　Neal　Divine's　private　papers　revealed　little　of　interest　except　a　large　number　of　unpaid　bills；　I0Us；　and　a　number　of　letters；　all　of　them　menacing　in　varying　degrees；　from　an　assortment　of　different　bankers…a　form　of　correspondence　that　went　well　with　Divine's　nervous；　apprehensive；　and　generally　down…trodden　mien。　At　the　bottom　of　an　old…fashioned　Gladstone　in　the　Count's　room　I　found　a　small　black　automatic；　loaded；　but　as　an　envelope　beside　it　contained　a　current　London　licence　for　the　gun　this　discovery　might　or　might　not　have　significance：　the　number　of　law…abiding　people　in　law…abiding　Britain　who　for　divers　law…abiding　reasons　consider　it　prudent　to　own　a　gun　are；　in　their　total；　quite　remarkable。　In　the　cubicle　shared　by　Jungbeck　and　Heyter　I　found　nothing　incriminating。　But　I　was　intrigued　by　a　small　brown　paper　packet；　scaled；　that　I　found　in　Jungbeck's　case。　I　took　this　into　the　main　cabin　where　Mary　Stuart　was　moving　from　window　to　window…there　were　four　of　them　keeping　watch。
　〃Nothing？〃　I　said。　She　shook　her　head。　〃Put　on　a　kettle；　will　you？〃
　‘There's　coffee　there。　And　some　food。〃
　〃I　don't　want　coffee。　A　kettle…water…half　an　inch　will　do。〃　I　handed　her　the　packet。　〃Steam　this　open　for　me；　will　you？'
　〃Steam…what's　in　it？〃
　If　I　knew　that　I　wouldn't　ask　you　to　open　it。〃
　I　went　into　Lonnie's　cubicle　but　it　held　nothing　but　Lonnie's　dreamsan　album　full　of　faded　photographs。　With　few　exceptions；　they　were　of　his　family…clearly　Lonnie　had　taken　them　himself。　The　first　few　showed　a　dark　attractive　girl　with　a　wavy　shoulder…length　I930s　hairdo　holding　two　babies　who　were　obviously　twins。　Later　photographs　showed　that　the　babies　were　girls。　As　the　years　had　passed　Lonnie's　wife；　changing　hair　styles　apart；　had　changed　remarkably　little　while　the　girls　had　grown　up　from　page　to　page　until　eventually　they　had　bee　two　rather　beautiful　youngsters　very　closely　resembling　their　mother。　In　the　last　photograph；　about　two…thirds　of　the　way　through　the　album；　all　three　were　shown　in　white　summer　dresses　of　an　unconscionable　length　leaning　against　a　dark　open　roadster：　the　two　girls　would　then　have　been　about　eighteen。　I　closed　the　album　with　that　guilty　and　unfortable　feeling　you　have　when　you　stumble；　however　inadvertently；　across　another　man's　private　dreams。
　I　was　crossing　the　passage　to　Eddie's　room　when　Mary　called　me。　She　had　the　package　open　and　was　holding　the　contents　in　a　white　handkerchief。　I　said：　〃That's　clever。〃
　〃Two　thousand　pounds；〃　she　said　wonderingly。　〃All　in　new　five…pound　notes。〃
　〃That's　a　lot　of　money。〃　They　were　not　only　new；　they　were　in　consecutive　serial　number　order。　I　noted　down　the　first　and　last　numbers；　tracing　would　be　automatic　and　immediate：　somebody　was　being　very　stupid　indeed　or　very　confident　indeed。　This　was　one　item　of　what　might　he　useful　evidence　that　I　did　not　appropriate　but　locked　up　again；　resealed；　in　Jungbeck's　case。　Men　a　man　has　that　much　money　around　he's　apt　to　check　on　its　continued　presence　pretty　frequently。　Neither　Eddie's　nor　Hendriks's　cubicles　revealed　any　item　of　interest；　while　the　only　thing　I　learned　from　a　brief　glance　at　Sandy's　room　was　that　he　was　just　that　modicum　less　scrupulous　in　obtaining　his　illicit　supplies　than　Lonnie：　Sandy　stocked　up　on　Otto's　Scotch　by　the　bottleful。　The　Three　Apostles's　quarters　I　passed　up：　a　search　in　there　would；　I　was　convinced；　yield　nothing。　It　never　occurred　to　me　to　check　on　Conrad。
　It　was　just　after　three　o'clock；　with　the　light　beginning　to　fade　from　the　sky；　when　I　returned　to　the　main　cabin。　Lonnie　and　the　other　two　should　have　contacted　Otto　and　the　others　a　long　time　ago；　their　return；　I　should　have　thought；　was　considerably　overdue。　Mary；　who　had　eaten…or　said　she　had…gave　me　steak　and　chips；　both　of　the　frozen　and　precooked　variety；　and　I　could　see　that　she　was　worried。　Heaven　knew　she　had　enough　reason　to　be　worried　about　a　great　number　of　things　but　I　guessed　that　her　present　worry　was　due　to　one　particular　cause。
　〃Where　on　earth　can　they　all　be？〃　she　said。　〃I'm　sure　something　must　have　happened　to　them。〃
　〃He'll　be　all　right。　They　probably　just　went　farther　than　they　intended；　that's　all。〃
　〃I　hope　so。　It's　getting　dark　and　the　snow's　starting…〃　She　broke　off。　and　looked　at　me　in　embarrassed　accusation。　〃You're　very　clever；　aren't　you？〃
　I　wish　to　God　I　were；〃　I　said；　and　meant　it。　I　pushed　my　almost　uneaten　meal　away　and　rose。　〃Thank　you。　Sorry；　and　it's　nothing　to　do　with　your　cooking；　but　I'm　not　hungry。　I'll　be　in　my　room。〃
　〃It's　getting　dark；〃　she　repeated　inconsequentially。
　〃I　won't　be　long。〃
　I　lay　on　my　cot　and　looked　at　my　haul　from　the　various　cabins。　I　didn't　have　to　look　long　and　I　didn't　have　to　be　possessed　of　any　outstanding　deductive　powers　to　realise　the　significance　of　what　I　had　before　me。　The　salary　lists　were　very　instructive　but　not　half　so　enlightening　as　the　correspondence　between　Otto's　chequebooks　and　Goin's　bankbook。　But　the　map…more　precisely　the　detailed　inset　of　the　Evjebukta…was　perhaps　the　most　interesting　of　all。　I　was　gazing　at　the　map　and　having　long；　long　thoughts　about　Mary　Stuart's　father　when　Mary　Stuart　herself　came　into　my　room。
　〃There's　someone　ing！'
　〃Who？〃
　I　don't　know。　It's　too　dark　and　there's　snow　falling。〃
　〃What　direction？〃
　〃That　way。〃　She　pointed　south。〃
　〃That'll　be　Hendriks　and　the　Three　Apostles！〃　I　wrapped　the　papers　up　into　a　small　towel　and　handed　them　to　her。　〃Hide　those　in　your　room。〃
　I　turned　my　medical　bag　upside　down；　brought　a　small　coach　screwdriver　from　my　pocket　and　began　to　unscrew　the　four　metal　studs　that　served　as　floor　rests。
　〃Yes；　yes；　of　course。〃　She　hesitated。　〃Do　you　mind　telling　me…〃
　〃There　are　shameless　people　around　who　wouldn't　think　twice　of　searching　through　a　man's　private　possessions。　Especially　mine。　If　I'm　not　here；　that's　to　say。〃　I'd　removed　the　base　and　now　started　working　free　the　flat　black　metal　box　that　had　fitted　so　snugly　into　the　bottom。
　〃You're　going　out。〃　She　said　it　mechanically；　Eke　one　who　is　beyond　surprise。　〃Where？〃
　〃Well；　I'm　not　dropping　in　at　the　local；　and　that's　for　sure。〃　I　took　out　the　black　box　and　handed　it　to　her。　〃Careful。　Heavy。　Hide　that　too…and　hide　it　well。〃
　〃But　what…〃
　〃Hurry　up。　I　hear　them　at　the　door。〃
　She　hurried　up。　I　screwed　the　base　of　the　bag　back　in　position　and　went　into　the　main　cabin。　Hendriks　and　the　Three　Apostles　were　there　and　from　the　way　they　clapped　their　arms　together　to　restore　circulation　and　in　between　sipped　the　hot　coffee　that　Mary　had　left　on　the　stove；　they　seemed　to　be　more　than　happy　to　be　back。　Their　happiness　vanished　abruptly　when　I　told　them　briefly　of　Judith　Haynes's　death　and　although；　like　the　rest　of　the　pany；　none　of　them　had　any　cause　to　cherish　any　tender　feelings　towards　the　dead　woman；　the　simple　fact　of　the　death　of　a　person　they　knew　and　that　this　fresh　death；　suicide　though　it　had　been；　had　e　so　cruelly　swiftly　after　the　preceding　murders；　had　the　immediate　effect　of　reducing　them　to　a　state　of　speechless　shock；　a　state　from　which　they　weren't　even　beginning　to　recover　when　the　door　opened　and　Otto　lurched　in。　He　was　gasping　for　Mr。　and　seemed　close　to　exhaustion　although　such　symptoms　of　physical　distress；　where　Otto　was　concerned；　were　not　in　themselves　necessarily　indicative　of　recent　and　violent　exertion　：　even　the　minor　labour　of　tying　his　shoelaces　made　Otto　huff　and　puff　in　an　alarming　fashion。　I　looked　at　him　with　what　I　hoped　was　a　proper　concern。
　〃Now；　now；　Mr。　Gerr