ERNEST BRAMAH Ultimate Collection: 20+ Novels & Short Stories in One Volume. Bramah Ernest

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СКАЧАТЬ some hesitation for a moment and then blurted out: “The fact is, Mr Carrados, I don’t understand Millicent. She is not the girl she was. She hates Creake and treats him with a silent contempt that eats into their lives like acid, and yet she is so jealous of him that she will let nothing short of death part them. It is a horrible life they lead. I stood it for a week and I must say, much as I dislike my brother-in-law, that he has something to put up with. If only he got into a passion like a man and killed her it wouldn’t be altogether incomprehensible.”

      “That does not concern us,” said Carrados. “In a game of this kind one has to take sides and we have taken ours. It remains for us to see that our side wins. You mentioned jealousy, Mr Hollyer. Have you any idea whether Mrs Creake has real ground for it?”

      “I should have told you that,” replied Lieutenant Hollyer. “I happened to strike up with a newspaper man whose office is in the same block as Creake’s. When I mentioned the name he grinned. ‘Creake,’ he said, ‘oh, he’s the man with the romantic typist, isn’t he?’ ‘Well, he’s my brother-in-law,’ I replied. ‘What about the typist?’ Then the chap shut up like a knife. ‘No, no,’ he said, ‘I didn’t know he was married. I don’t want to get mixed up in anything of that sort. I only said that he had a typist. Well, what of that? So have we; so has everyone.’ There was nothing more to be got out of him, but the remark and the grin meant—well, about as usual, Mr Carrados.”

      Carrados turned to his friend.

      “I suppose you know all about the typist by now, Louis?”

      “We have had her under efficient observation, Max,” replied Mr Carlyle, with severe dignity.

      “Is she unmarried?”

      “Yes; so far as ordinary repute goes, she is.”

      “That is all that is essential for the moment. Mr Hollyer opens up three excellent reasons why this man might wish to dispose of his wife. If we accept the suggestion of poisoning—though we have only a jealous woman’s suspicion for it—we add to the wish the determination. Well, we will go forward on that. Have you got a photograph of Mr Creake?”

      The lieutenant took out his pocket-book.

      “Mr Carlyle asked me for one. Here is the best I could get.”

      Carrados rang the bell.

      “This, Parkinson,” he said, when the man appeared, “is a photograph of a Mr——What first name, by the way?”

      “Austin,” put in Hollyer, who was following everything with a boyish mixture of excitement and subdued importance.

      “—of a Mr Austin Creake. I may require you to recognize him.”

      Parkinson glanced at the print and returned it to his master’s hand.

      “May I inquire if it is a recent photograph of the gentleman, sir?” he asked.

      “About six years ago,” said the lieutenant, taking in this new actor in the drama with frank curiosity. “But he is very little changed.”

      “Thank you, sir. I will endeavour to remember Mr Creake, sir.”

      Lieutenant Hollyer stood up as Parkinson left the room. The interview seemed to be at an end.

      “Oh, there’s one other matter,” he remarked. “I am afraid that I did rather an unfortunate thing while I was at Brookbend. It seemed to me that as all Millicent’s money would probably pass into Creake’s hands sooner or later I might as well have my five hundred pounds, if only to help her with afterwards. So I broached the subject and said that I should like to have it now as I had an opportunity for investing.”

      “And you think?”

      “It may possibly influence Creake to act sooner than he otherwise might have done. He may have got possession of the principal even and find it very awkward to replace it.”

      “So much the better. If your sister is going to be murdered it may as well be done next week as next year so far as I am concerned. Excuse my brutality, Mr Hollyer, but this is simply a case to me and I regard it strategically. Now Mr Carlyle’s organization can look after Mrs Creake for a few weeks but it cannot look after her for ever. By increasing the immediate risk we diminish the permanent risk.”

      “I see,” agreed Hollyer. “I’m awfully uneasy but I’m entirely in your hands.”

      “Then we will give Mr Creake every inducement and every opportunity to get to work. Where are you staying now?”

      “Just now with some friends at St Albans.”

      “That is too far.” The inscrutable eyes retained their tranquil depth but a new quality of quickening interest in the voice made Mr Carlyle forget the weight and burden of his ruffled dignity. “Give me a few minutes, please. The cigarettes are behind you, Mr Hollyer.” The blind man walked to the window and seemed to look out over the cypress-shaded lawn. The lieutenant lit a cigarette and Mr Carlyle picked up Punch. Then Carrados turned round again.

      “You are prepared to put your own arrangements aside?” he demanded of his visitor.

      “Certainly.”

      “Very well. I want you to go down now—straight from here—to Brookbend Cottage. Tell your sister that your leave is unexpectedly cut short and that you sail to-morrow.”

      “The Martian?”

      “No, no; the Martian doesn’t sail. Look up the movements on your way there and pick out a boat that does. Say you are transferred. Add that you expect to be away only two or three months and that you really want the five hundred pounds by the time of your return. Don’t stay in the house long, please.”

      “I understand, sir.”

      “St Albans is too far. Make your excuse and get away from there to-day. Put up somewhere in town, where you will be in reach of the telephone. Let Mr Carlyle and myself know where you are. Keep out of Creake’s way. I don’t want actually to tie you down to the house, but we may require your services. We will let you know at the first sign of anything doing and if there is nothing to be done we must release you.”

      “I don’t mind that. Is there nothing more that I can do now?”

      “Nothing. In going to Mr Carlyle you have done the best thing possible; you have put your sister into the care of the shrewdest man in London.” Whereat the object of this quite unexpected eulogy found himself becoming covered with modest confusion.

      “Well, Max?” remarked Mr Carlyle tentatively when they were alone.

      “Well, Louis?”

      “Of course it wasn’t worth while rubbing it in before young Hollyer, but, as a matter of fact, every single man carries the life of any other man—only one, mind you—in his hands, do what you will.”

      “Provided he doesn’t bungle,” acquiesced Carrados.

      “Quite so.”

      “And also that he is absolutely reckless of the consequences.”

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