Heath scratched his head, and laughed mirthlessly.
It dont make sense, does it, sir?
What about the next apartment? asked Vance, the one with the door facing the rear passagewayNo. 2, I think?
Heath turned to him patronizingly. I looked into that the first thing this morning. Apartment No. 2 is occupied by a single woman; and I woke her up at eight oclock and searched the place. Nothing there. Anyway, you have to walk past the switchboard to reach her apartment the same as you do to reach this one; and nobody called on her or left her apartment last night. Whats more, Jessup, whos a shrewd sound lad, told me this woman is a quiet, ladylike sort, and that she and Odell didnt even know each other.
Youre so thorough, Sergeant! murmured Vance.
Of course, put in Markham, it would have been possible for some one from the other apartment to have slipped in here behind the operators back between seven and eleven, and then to have slipped back after the murder. But as Sergeant Heaths search this morning failed to uncover any one, we can eliminate the possibility of our man having operated from that quarter.
I dare say youre right, Vance indifferently admitted. But it strikes me, Markham old dear, that your own affectin recapitulation of the situation jolly well eliminates the possibility of your mans having operated from any quarter. And yet he came in, garroted the unfortunate damsel, and departedeh, what? Its a charmin little problem. I wouldnt have missed it for worlds.
Its uncanny, pronounced Markham gloomily.
Its positively spiritualistic, amended Vance. It has the caressin odor of a séance. Really, y know, Im beginning to suspect that some medium was hovering in the vicinage last night doing some rather tip-top materializations. I say, Markham, could you get an indictment against an ectoplasmic emanation?
It wasnt no spook that made those finger-prints, growled Heath, with surly truculence.
Markham halted his nervous pacing and regarded Vance irritably.
Damn it! This is rank nonsense. The man got in some way, and he got out, too. Theres something wrong somewhere. Either the maid is mistaken about some one being here when she left, or else one of those phone operators went to sleep and wont admit it.
Or else one of ems lying, supplemented Heath.
Vance shook his head. The dusky fille de chambre[39], Id say, is eminently trustworthy. And if there was any doubt about any ones having come in the front door unnoticed, the lads on the switchboard would, in the present circumstances, be only too eager to admit it. No, Markham, youll simply have to approach this affair from the astral plane, so to speak.
Markham grunted his distaste of Vances jocularity.
That line of investigation I leave to you with your metaphysical theories and esoteric hypotheses.
But, consider, protested Vance banteringly. Youve proved conclusivelyor, rather, youve demonstrated legallythat no one could have entered or departed from this apartment last night; and, as youve often told me, a court of law must decide all matters, not in accord with the known or suspected facts, but according to the evidence; and the evidence in this case would prove a sound alibi for every corporeal being extant. And yet, its not exactly tenable, d ye see, that the lady strangled herself. If only it had been poison, what an exquisite and satisfying suicide case youd have! Most inconsiderate of her homicidal visitor not to have used arsenic instead of his hands!
Well, he strangled her, pronounced Heath. Furthermore, Ill lay my money on the fellow who called here last night at half past nine and couldnt get in. Hes the bird I want to talk to.
Indeed? Vance produced another cigarette. I shouldnt say, to judge from our description of him, that his conversation would prove particularly fascinatin.
An ugly light came into Heaths eyes.
Weve got ways, he said through his teeth, of getting damn interesting conversation outa people who havent no great reputation for repartee.
Vance sighed. How the Four Hundred needs you, my Sergeant!
Markham looked at his watch.
Ive got pressing work at the office, he said, and all this talk isnt getting us anywhere. He put his hand on Heaths shoulder. I leave you to go ahead. This afternoon Ill have these people brought down to my office for another questioningmaybe I can jog their memories a bit. Youve got some line of investigation planned?
The usual routine, replied Heath drearily. Ill go through Odells papers, and Ill have three or four of my men check up on her.
Youd better get after the Yellow Taxicab Company right away, Markham suggested. Find out, if you can, who the man was who left here at half past eleven last night, and where he went.
Do you imagine for one moment, asked Vance, that if this man knew anything about the murder, he would have stopped in the hall and asked the operator to call a taxi for him?
Oh, I dont look for much in that direction. Markhams tone was almost listless. But the girl may have said something to him thatll give us a lead.
Vance shook his head facetiously. O welcome pure-eyd Faith, white-handed Hope, thou hovering angel, girt with golden wings!
Markham was in no mood for chaffing. He turned to Heath, and spoke with forced cheeriness.
Call me up later this afternoon. I may get some new evidence out of the outfit weve just interviewed. And, he added, be sure to put a man on guard here. I want this apartment kept just as it is until we see a little more light.
Ill attend to that, Heath assured him.
Markham and Vance and I went out and entered the car. A few minutes later we were winding rapidly across town through Central Park.
Recall our recent conversazione[40] about footprints in the snow? asked Vance, as we emerged into Fifth Avenue and headed south.
Markham nodded abstractedly.
As I remember, mused Vance, in the hypothetical case you presented there were not only footprints but a dozen or more witnessesincluding a youthful prodigywho saw a figure of some kind cross the hibernal landscape. Grau, teurer Freund, ist alle Theorie![41] Here you are in a most beastly pother because of the disheartenin fact that there are neither footprints in the snow nor witnesses who saw a fleeing figure. In short, you are bereft of both direct and circumstantial evidence. Sad, sad.
He wagged his head dolefully.
Y know, Markham, it appears to me that the testimony in this case constitutes conclusive legal proof that no one could have been with the deceased at the hour of her passing, and that, ergo[42], she is presumably alive. The strangled body of the lady is, I take it, simply an irrelevant circumstance from the standpoint of legal procedure. I know that you learned lawyers wont admit a murder without a body; but how, in sweet Heavens name, do you get around a corpus delicti
Примечания
1
cause célèbre (фр.) громкое дело. Здесь и далее комментарии на русском языке принадлежат редактору.
2
Comédie Humaine La Comédie humaine, «Человеческая комедия» цикл сочинений французского писателя Оноре де Бальзака.
3
demi-monde (фр.) сумерки, полусвет
4
The Antlers Club has since been closed by the police; and Red Raegan is now serving a long term in Sing Sing for grand larceny. Здесь и далее примечания на английском языке принадлежат автору. Ред.
5
rôle (фр.) роль, амплуа
6
première danseuse (фр.) прима-балерина
7
Written especially for her by B. G. De Sylva.
8
amicus curiae (лат.) юридический термин римского права, обозначающий лицо, содействующее суду
9
The Benson Murder Case.
10
The Loeb-Leopold crime, the Dorothy King case, and the Hall-Mills murder came later; but the Canary murder proved fully as conspicuous a case as the Nan Patterson Caesar Young affair, Durants murder of Blanche Lamont and Minnie Williams in San Francisco, the Molineux arsenic-poisoning case, and the Carlyle Harris morphine murder. To find a parallel in point of public interest one must recall the Borden double-murder in Fall River, the Thaw case, the shooting of Elwell, and the Rosenthal murder.
11
The case referred to here was that of Mrs. Elinor Quiggly, a wealthy widow living at the Adlon Hotel in West 96
th
th
12
The Stuyvesant was a large club, somewhat in the nature of a glorified hotel; and its extensive membership was drawn largely from the political, legal, and financial ranks.
13
The case to which Vance referred, I ascertained later, was Shatterham v. Shatterham, 417 Mich., 79a testamentary case.
14
Pithecanthropus erectus (лат.) питекантроп, ископаемая внутривидовая разновидность людей, подвид Homo erectus, Человека прямоходящего)
15
partie carrée (фр.) партия (обычно в карточных играх) на четверых игроков
16
objets dart (фр.) предметы искусства
17
coiffure dor (фр.) досл. золотая прическа (прическа на белокурых волосах)
18
Bien, mon vieux (фр.). Прекрасно, старина.
19
Allons-y! (фр.) Пойдемте!
20
Heath had become acquainted with Vance during the investigation of the Benson murder case two months previously.
21
bonbonnière (фр.) бонбоньерка, коробочка для конфет
22
rigor mortis (лат.) трупное окоченение
23
medicus (лат.) врач
24
It is an interesting fact that for the nineteen years he had been connected with the New York Police Department, he had been referred to, by his superiors and subordinates alike, as the Professor.
25
fin-de-siècle (фр.) досл. конец века; обозначение характерных явлений рубежа XIX и XX веков в истории европейской культуры
26
mademoiselle (фр.) мадемуазель, незамужняя девушка
27
demoiselle (фр.) девушка, леди
28
fille de joie (фр.) досл. свободная женщина; выражение используется для обозначения женщин-проституток
29
inamorati (португ.) ухажер, кавалер
30
ja (нем.) да
31
His full name was William Elmer Jessup, and he had been attached to the 308
th
th
32
boudoir racontage (фр.) будуарная история
33
soirée (фр.) вечер, вечеринка; зд. перен. имеется в виду убийство
34
outré (фр.) зд. экстравагантный
35
in statu quo (лат.) в прежнем положении
36
perdu (фр.) погибший, потерянный
37
bonne (фр.) горничная, прислуга
38
amoroso (португ.) возлюбленный, ухажер
39
fille de chambre (фр.) горничная в отеле
40
conversazione (итал.) беседа, разговор
41
Grau, teurer Freund, ist alle Theorie! (нем.) Теория сера, мой друг! (цитата из трагедии Гете «Фауст», часть I, сцена IV.)
42
ergo (лат.) следовательно