rs.toomanywomen-第47章

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　　Hester　stayed　motionless　and　had　nothing　to　say。
　　〃He　wanted　a　divorce；〃　Wolfe　prompted。
　　〃Yes；　and　I　wouldn't　give　him　one。　It　would　have　upset　all　my　life's　arrangements…among　other　things；　I　had　made　him　president　of　the　firm。　He　was　even　willing　to　forfeit　his　career　for　her。　So　I　persuaded　Waldo　Moore　to　take　a　job　there。〃
　　She　nodded；　to　herself。　〃You　didn't　know　Waldo。　He　was　the　most　charming　person　I　have　ever　known；　until　he　got　tiresome；　which　of　course　everyone　does　in　time。　I　doubt　if　there　was　a　woman　on　earth　who　could　have　resisted　him。　So　I　got　him　to　take　a　job　in　the　stock　department；　where　Miss　Livsey　worked；　and　to…well；　to　divert　her。　It　worked　splendidly；　as　I　was　sure　it　would。　He　had　her　pletely　in　hand　within…I　forget；　but　it　couldn't　have　been…〃
　　〃You're　lying！〃
　　Hester　had　spoken。
　　Cecily　twisted　to　her。　〃Oh；　you　have　nothing　to　be　ashamed　of；　Miss　Livsey！　No；　indeed！　You're　the　only　woman　he　ever　asked　to　marry　him。〃　She　went　back　to　Wolfe。　〃So　there　was　no　longer　any　reason　for　my　husband　to　want　a　divorce；　or　so　I　thought；　but　I　might　have　known；　with　the　drive　he　had　to　get　anything　he　wanted　enough；　that　he　wouldn't　accept　defeat　as　easily　as　that。　What　happened　was　that　Waldo　Moore　was　killed。　I'm　not　going　to　talk　about　that。　It　wouldn't　do　you　any　good；　and　I　don't　have　to。　Anyway；　the　blame　was　not　mine；　it　didn't　happen　because　of　any　mistake　of　mine。〃
　　〃Merely　bad　luck；〃　Wolfe　murmured。
　　She　nodded。　〃But　I　had　made　a　mistake；　a　very　bad　one。　I　had　confided　in　my　brother。　He　was　older　than　me；　and　I　had　formed　the　habit　in　childhood；　and　I　kept　it　even　after　we　had　grown　up　and　I　had　bee　aware　that　he　was　a　peculiar　man　and　not　to　be　taken　seriously。　That　was　a　mistake　too；　to　think　he　was　not　to　be　taken　seriously。　I　didn't　realize　how　much；　clear　to　the　bottom　of　his　soul；　he　wanted　to　be　the　head　of　the　business　our　father　had　founded。　I　was　shocked　when　I　learned　he　was　using　things；　things　I　had　told　him　in　confidence　from　a　sister　to　a　brother；　to　put　pressure　on　my　husband　to　let　him　bee　president。　I　had　taken　possession　of　some　letters　my　husband　had　received　from　Miss　Livsey；　and　my　brother　stole　them　from　me。〃
　　〃Did　you　tell　him　your　husband　had　killed　Mr。　Moore？〃
　　Cecily　looked　annoyed。　〃I　said　I　wouldn't　talk　about　that；〃　she　declared　to　settle　it。　〃But　my　brother…he　thought　that；　yes。　He　threatened　my　husband　with　it；　and　me　too。　That　was　another　mistake；　or　part　of　the　same　one…thinking　my　brother　was　not　to　be　taken　seriously。　I　told　him　he　didn't　have　the　ability　to　direct　the　affairs　of　the　business　and　he　should　abandon　the　idea　forever。　Then　he…you　know　about　the　report　he　sent　in；　stating　that　Waldo　had　been　murdered。〃
　　Wolfe　nodded。
　　Cecily　fluttered　a　hand。　〃It　couldn't　be　simply　ignored；　because　my　brother　had　let　it　bee　known　and　gossiped　about　by　the　employees。　My　husband　didn't　dare　to　keep　it　from　the　executives；　and　when　most　of　them　were　in　favor　of　hiring　an　investigator　he　didn't　dare　oppose　it。　I　think　that　was　extremely　clever　of　my　brother；　I　had　never　thought　he　was　as　intelligent　as　that。　Wasn't　that　really　clever？〃
　　〃Very；〃　Wolfe　agreed。　〃It　got　him　killed。〃
　　〃But　he　didn't　know　that；〃　she　protested。　〃It　was　clever　to　think　of　that　way　to　bring　pressure　on　my　husband。　I　was　determined；　of　course；　to　stop　it；　and　I　still　think　I　would　have　succeeded　if　you　had　done　what　I　asked…if　you　had　stopped　the　investigation。　It　only　stimulated　my　brother　to　go　on。　If　you　had　quit　I　still　think　I　could　have　persuaded　my　brother　to　give　it　up。　But　then　he　told　Archie　that　he　knew　who　had　killed　Waldo；　and　he　saw　he　had　gone　too　far；　because　what　he　wanted　wasn't　to　have　my　husband　arrested　for　murder　but　to　get　his　job。　If　Archie　hadn't　been　there　he　certainly　wouldn't　have　told　him　that；　and　he　wouldn't　have　told　anybody　that。　I　saw　him　that　day　and　made　him　understand　what　he　was　doing；　and　he　denied　he　had　said　it。　But　it　may　have　been　too　late。　My　husband　thought　it　was。　He　knew　then　that　my　brother　had　the　letters　he　had　received　from　Miss　Livsey；　and　he　thought　it　had　gone　so　far　that　my　brother　couldn't　draw　back　even　if　he　wanted　to；　and　anyway　he　didn't　trust　my　brother　and　didn't　think　he　wanted　to。　So…that　night…〃
　　She　turned　her　palms　up　and　lifted　her　shoulders。
　　〃Yes；〃　Wolfe　agreed；　〃that　night。　When　your　husband　was　not　home　in　bed；　and　when　you　learned　that　your　brother　had　been　killed；　there　was　only　one　assumption　for　you。　How　did　he　do　it？　Where　was　your　brother　killed　and　with　what？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。〃
　　〃Nonsense。　Certainly　you　know。　Your　husband　told　you　everything。〃　Wolfe　wiggled　a　finger　at　her。　〃e；　madam。　You　know　what　this　is　for。〃
　　〃Does　it　matter？〃
　　〃Not　to　you。　To　you　nothing　matters。　But　I'm　going　to　earn　my　fee；　and　you　know　what　the　alternative　is。〃
　　〃My　brother　and　my　husband　were　much　alike　in　one　way；〃　Cecily　said。　〃They　were　both　excessively　conceited。　When　my　brother　met　him　that　evening；　to　talk　things　over；　and　rode　in　his　car　with　him；　I　doubt　if　he　was　at　all　alarmed　even　when　my　husband　stopped　the　car　in　a　secluded　street。　He　was　too　conceited。　He　thought　he　could　take　care　of　himself。　Probably　he　never　thought　otherwise；　for　when　my　husband　reached　over　the　back　of　the　seat　to　the　tonneau　to　get　his　brief　case；　what　he　really　got　was　a　chunk　of　petrified　wood　he　had　put　there；　and　my　brother　was　stunned　by　the　first　blow；　or　possibly　killed…my　husband　wasn't　sure；　but　he　made　sure。〃
　　Cecily's　hand　fluttered。　〃Of　course；〃　she　conceded；　〃something　had　to　be　done；　since　it　was　my　husband's　own　car；　but　only　a　supremely　confident　and　conceited　man　would　have　proceeded　as　he　did。　He　actually　kept　the　piece　of　petrified　wood　and　later　brought　it　home　and　cleaned　it　and　put　it　back　on　the　desk　in　his　study。　Just　ahead　of　my　husband's　car　where　he　had　stopped　it　at　the　curb　another　car　was　parked…it　was　the　one　he　had　stolen　and　put　there。　He　transferred　the　body　to　it。　His　reason　for　driving　to　Thirty…ninth　Street　and　repeating；　exactly　repeating；　his　performance　with　Waldo's　body　last　December；　every　detail　of　it…his　reason　was　that　it　would　be　supposed　that　the　same　person　had　killed　both　of　them；　and　that　would　be　to　his　advantage　because　he　wouldn't　be　suspected　of　killing　Waldo。　That　was　the　reason　he　gave　me；　but　it　was　nothing　but　a　reason。　He　really　did　it　because　he　had　to　do　something　with　the　body；　and　he　was　confident　and　conceited；　and　it　was　a　difficult　and　plicated　gesture　of　assurance　and　contempt…for　you　and　me　and　everyone　else。〃　Cecily　turned　her　head。　〃Except　you；　Miss　Livsey。　As　far　as　I　know　you　are　the　one　person　toward　whom　it　was　impossible　for　my　husband　to　feel　contemptuous。　It　made　me　quite　curious　about　you。〃
　　Hester　had　nothing　to　say。
　　Wolfe　grunted；　〃About　Miss　Livsey；　by　the　way；　there　is　a　detail。　For　over　an　hour；　earlier　that　Friday　evening；　your　brother　walked　the　streets　with　her；　talking。　What　were　they　talking　about？〃
　　Cecily　looked　surprised。　〃I　have　no　idea。〃　She　twisted　around。　〃What　was　it；　Miss　Livsey？〃
　　Hester　was　silent。
　　Wolfe　tried　it。　He　opened　his　eyes　at　her。　〃Surely　you're　not　going　to　stick　to　that　lie　now？　If　you　do；　I　warn　you　I'll　resent　it。　This　will　be　left　with　either　my　witness　a　liar　or　you；　and　I　don't　intend　it　to　be　him。　What　were　you　discussing　with　Mr。　Naylor？〃
　　Hester　spoke；　to　Wolfe；　emphatically　not　to　Cecily。　〃He　wanted　to　see　me。　He　asked　me　to　meet　him。〃
　　〃What　did　he　want？〃
　　〃He　thought　I　had　letters　that　Mr。　Pine　had　written　me；　and　he　wanted　them。〃
　　〃Did　you　give　them　to　him？〃
　　〃I　didn't　have　them。　I　had　destroyed　them。〃　Hester　swallowed。　〃He　didn't　believe　me。　He　had　asked　for　them　before；　and　he　threatened　to　dismiss　me…from　my　job　…if　I　didn't　give　them　to　him。〃
　　〃Good　God！〃　I　blurted。　I　couldn't　help　it。　〃Why　didn't　you　say　so　long　ago？〃
　　She　was　on　speaking　terms　with　me　too；　for　her　eyes　came　my　way。　〃How　could　I？　And　have　it　all　e　out…about　Mr。　Pine？〃
　　〃Does　Hoff　know　all　this？〃
　　〃No。　He　just　knows　I　need　help。〃
　　〃Did　you　know　Pine　had　killed　Moore？　And　Naylor？〃
　　〃No；　I…I　didn't　really　know　anything。　How　c