alistairmaclean.icestationzebra-第49章

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t　from　Dr。　Jolly　who　had　his　office　and　sleeping　quarters　in　the　same　hut。〃
　 〃So　that　would　point　a　finger　at　Kinnaird　or　Jolly？〃
　 〃Well；　wouldn't　it？〃
　 〃Certainly。　Especially　if　you　will　agree　that　the　presence　of　those　tinned　foods　under　the　lab　floor　also　points　a　finger　at　Hewson　and　Naseby；　both　of　whom　slept　in　the　cookhouse；　where　the　food　was　stored；　and　that　the　presence　of　the　radio…sonde　balloon　and　the　hydrogen　in　the　lab　also　points　a　finger　at　Jeremy　and　Hassard；　one　a　met　officer　and　the　other　a　technician　who　would　have　had　the　easiest　access　to　those　items。〃
　 〃That's　right；　confuse　things；〃　Swanson　said　irritably。　〃As　if　they　weren't　confused　enough　already。〃
　 〃I'm　not　confusing　things。　All　I'm　saying　is　that　if　you　admit　a　certain　possibility　for　a　certain　reason；　then　you　must　admit　similar　possibilities　for　similar　reasons。　Besides；　there　are　points　in　Kinnaird's　favor。　He　risked　his　life　to　go　back　into　the　radio　room　to　bring　out　the　portable　transmitter。　He　risked　almost　certain　suicide；　when　he　tried　to　go　in　the　second　time　to　bring　out　his　assistant；　Grant；　and　probably　would　have　died　if　Jeremy　hadn't　clobbered　him。　Look　what　happened　to　that　man　Foster　who　went　in　there　immediately　afterward　with　a　wet　blanket　over　his　head：　he　never　came　out。
　 〃Again；　would　Kinnaird　have　mentioned　the　Nile　cells　if　he　had　any　guilt　plex　about　them？　But　he　did。　That；　incidentally；　might　have　been　why　Grant；　the　assistant　radio　operator；　collapsed　in　there　and　later　diedKinnaird　had　told　him　to　bring　out　the　other　Nife　cells；　and　he　was　overe　because　he　stayed　there　too　long　looking　for　things　that　had　already　been　removed　from　the　hut。　And　there's　one　final　point：　we　have　Naseby's　word　for　it　that　the　door　of　the　radio　room　was　jammed；　presumably　by　ice。　Had　Kinnaird　been　playing　with　matches　a　few　moments　previously；　that　door　wouldn't　have　had　time　to　freeze　up。〃
　 〃If　you　rule　Kinnaird　out；〃　Swanson　said　slowly；　〃you　more　or　less　have　to　rule　Dr。　Jolly　out；　too。〃　He　smiled。　〃I　don't　see　a　member　of　your　profession　running　around　filling　people　full　of　holes；　Dr。　Carpenter。　Repairing　holes　is　their　line　of　business；　not　making　them。　Hippocrates　wouldn't　have　liked　it。〃
　 〃I'm　not　ruling　Kinnaird　out；〃　I　said。　〃But　I'm　not　going　off　half　cocked　and　pinning　a　murder　charge　on　him；　either。　As　for　the　ethics　of　my　profession；　would　you　like　a　list　of　the　good　healers　who　have　decorated　the　dock　in　the　Old　Bailey？　True；　we　have　nothing　on　Jolly。　His　part　in　the　proceedings　that　night　seems　to　have　consisted　in　staggering　out　from　the　radio　room；　falling　flat　on　his　face；　and　staying　there　till　pretty　near　the　end　of　the　fire。　That；　of　course；　has　no　bearing　upon　whatever　part　he　might　have　taken　in　the　proceedings　prior　to　the　fire。　Though　against　that　possibility　there's　the　fact　of　the　jammed　door；　the　fact　that　Kinnaird　or　Grant　would　have　been　almost　bound　to　notice　if　he　had　been　up　to　something。　Jolly's　bunk　was　at　the　back　of　the　radio　room；　and　he　would　have　had　to　pass　Kinnaird　and　Grant　to　get　out；　not　forgetting　that　he　would　also　have　to　stop　to　pick　up　the　Nife　cells。　And　there　is　one　more　point　in　his　favoran　apparent　point；　that　is。　I　still　don't　think　that　Benson's　fall　was　an　accident；　and　if　it　was　no　accident　it　is　difficult　to　see　how　Jolly　could　have　arranged　it　while　he　was　at　the　foot　of　the　sail　and　Benson　at　the　top；　and　it's　even　more　difficult　to　see　why　he　should　have　stood　at　the　foot　of　the　sail　and　let　Benson　fall　on　top　of　him。〃
　 〃You're　putting　up　a　very　good　defense　case　for　both　Jolly　and　Kinnaird；〃　Swanson　murmured。
　 〃No。　I'm　only　saying　what　a　defense　lawyer　would　say。〃
　 〃Hewson；〃　Swanson　said　slowly。　〃Or　Naseby；　the　cook。　Or　Hewson　〃and〃　Naseby。　Don't　you　think　it　damned　funny　that　those　two；　who　were　sleeping　at　the　back　or　east　side　of　the　cookhouse；　which　was　the　first　part　of　the　hut　to　catch　fire；　should　have　managed　to　escape　while　the　other　twoFlanders　and　Bryce；　wasn't　it？who　slept　in　the　middle　should　have　suffocated　in　there？　Naseby　said　he　shouted　at　them　and　shook　them　violently。　Maybe　he　could　have　shouted　and　shaken　all　night　without　result。　Maybe　they　were　already　unconsciousor　dead。　Maybe　they　had　seen　Naseby　or　Hewson　or　both　removing　food　supplies　and　had　been　silenced。　Or　maybe　they　had　been　silenced　〃before〃　anything　had　been　removed。　And　don't　forget　the　gun。　It　was　hidden　in　the　gas　tank　of　the　tractor；　a　pretty　damned　funny　place　for　a　man　to　hide　anything。　But　nothing　funny　about　the　idea　occurring　to　Hewson；　was　there？　He　was　the　tractor　driver。　And　he　seems　to　have　taken　his　time　about　getting　around　to　warning　Captain　Folsom。　He　said　he　had　to　make　a　wide　circuit　to　avoid　the　flames　but　apparently　Naseby　didn't　find　it　so　bad　when　he　went　to　the　radio　room。　Another　thinga　pretty　telling　point；　I　think；　he　said　that　when　he　was　on　the　way　to　the　bunkhouse　the　oil　drums　in　the　fuel　store　started　exploding。　If　they　only　started　exploding　then；　how　e　all　the　hutsthe　five　that　were　eventually　destroyed；　that　iswere　already　uncontrollably　on　fire？　They　were　uncontrollably　on　fire　because　they　were　saturated　by　flying　oil　so　the　first　explosions　must　have　e　a　long　time　before　then。　And；　apart　from　warning　Folsomwho　had　already　been　warnedHewson　doesn't　seem　to　have　done　very　much　after　the　fire　started。〃
　 〃You'd　make　a　pretty　good　prosecuting　counsel　yourself；　mander。　But　wouldn't　you　think　there's　just　too　much　superficially　against　Hewson？　That　a　clever　man　wouldn't　have　allowed　so　much　superficial　evidence　to　accumulate　against　him？　You　would　have　thought　that　at　least　he　would　have　indulged　in　a　little　fire…fighting　heroics　to　call　attention　to　himself。〃
　 〃No。　You're　overlooking　the　fact　that　he　would　never　have　had　reason　to　expect　that　there　would　be　any　investigation　into　the　causes　of　the　fire。　That　the　situation　would　never　arise　where　heor　anyone　else；　for　that　matter…would　have　to　justify　his　actions　and　behavior　if　accusations　were　to　be　leveled　against　him。〃
　 〃I've　said　it　before　and　I　say　it　again。　People　like　that　〃never〃　take　a　chance。　They　always　act　on　the　assumption　that　they　〃may〃　be　found　out。〃
　 〃How　could　they　be　found　out？〃　Swanson　protested。　〃How　could　they　possibly　expect　to　have　suspicion　aroused？〃
　 〃You　don't　think　it　possible　that　they　suspect　we're　on　to　them？〃
　 〃No；　I　don't。〃
　 〃That　wasn't　what　you　were　saying　last　night　after　that　hatch　fell　on　me；〃　I　pointed　out。　〃You　said　it　was　obvious　that　someone　was　on　to　me。〃
　 〃Thank　God　all　I　have　to　do　is　the　nice；　unplicated　job　of　running　a　nuclear　submarine；〃　Swanson　said　heavily。　〃The　truth　is；　I　don't　know　what　to　think　any　more。　How　about　this　cook　fellowNaseby？〃
　 〃You　think　he　was　in　cahoots　with　Hewson？〃
　 〃If　we　accept　the　premise　that　the　men　in　the　cookhouse　who　were　not　in　on　this　business　had　to　be　silenced；　and　Naseby　wasn't；　then　he　must　have　been；　mustn't　he？　But；　damn　it；　how　about　his　attempt　to　rescue　Flanders　and　Bryce？〃
　 〃May　just　have　been　a　calculated　risk。　He　saw　how　Jeremy　flattened　Kinnaird　when　he　tried　to　go　back　into　the　radio　room　a　second　time　and　perhaps　calculated　that　Jeremy　would　oblige　again　if　he　tried　a　similar　but　fake　rescue　act。〃
　 〃Maybe　Kinnaird's　second　attempt　was　also　fake；〃　Swanson　said。　〃After　all；　Jeremy　had　already　tried　to　stop　him　once。〃
　 〃Maybe　it　was；〃　I　agreed。　〃But　Naseby。　If　he's　your　man；　why　should　he　have　said　that　the　radio…room　door　was　jammed　with　ice　and　that　he　had　to　burst　it　open？　That　gives　Kinnaird　and　Jolly　an　outand　a　murderer　wouldn't　do　anything　to　put　any　other　potential　suspect　in　the　clear。〃
　 〃It's　hopeless；〃　Swanson　said　calmly。　〃I　say　let's　put　the　whole　damned　crowd　of　them　under　lock　and　key。〃
　 〃That　would　be　clever；〃　I　said。　〃Yes；　let's　do　just　that　That　way　we'll　never　find　out　who　the　murderer　is。　Anyway；　before　you　start　giving　up；　remember　it's　even　more　plicated　than　that。　Remember　you're　passing　up　the　two　most　obvious　suspects　of　allJeremy　and　Hassardtwo　tough；　intelligent　birds　who；　if　they　were　the　killers；　were　clever　enough　to　see　that　〃nothing〃　pointed　the　finger　against　them。　Unless；　of　course；　there　might　have　been　something　about