花園血案之謎 The Secret Garden02 (第1/20頁)

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herBrownhadturnedroundatlast,andstoodagainstthewindow,withhisfaceindenseshadow；buteveninthatshadowtheycouldseeitwasaleasashes.Nevertheless,hesokequitesensibly,asiftherewerenoGaelicsoulsonearth.

“Gentlemen，”hesaid，“youdidnotfindthestrangebodyofBeckerinthegarden.Youdidnotfndanystrangebodyinthegarden.InfaceofDr.Simonsrationalism,IstillaffirmthatBeckerwasonlyartlyresent.Lookhere！”（ointingtotheblackbulkofthemysteriouscorse）“youneversawthatmaninyourlives.Didyoueverseethisman?”

Heraidlyrolledawaythebald,yellowheadoftheunknown,andutinitslacethewhite-manedheadbesideit.Andthere,comlete,unifed,unmistakable,layJuliusK.Brayne.

“Themurderer，”wentonBrownquietly，“hackedoffhisenemysheadandfungtheswordfaroverthewall.Buthewastooclevertofingtheswordonly.Hefungtheheadoverthewallalso.Thenhehadonlytoclaonanotherheadtothecorse,and（asheinsistedonarivateinquest）youallimaginedatotallynewman.”

“Claonanotherhead！”saidOBrienstaring.“Whatotherhead?Headsdontgrowongardenbushes,dothey?”

“No，”saidFatherBrownhuskily,andlookingathisboots；“thereisonlyonelacewheretheygrow.Theygrowinthebasketoftheguillotine,besidewhichthechiefofolice,AristideValentin,wasstandingnotanhourbeforethemurder.Oh,myfriends,hearmeaminutemorebeforeyoutearmeinieces.Valentinisanhonestman,ifbeingmadforanarguablecauseishonesty.Butdidyouneverseeinthatcold,greyeyeofhisthatheismad！Hewoulddoanything,anything,tobreakwhathecallsthesuerstitionoftheCross.Hehasfoughtforitandstarvedforit,andnowhehasmurderedforit.Braynescrazymillionshadhithertobeenscatteredamongsomanysectsthattheydidlittletoalterthebalanceofthings.ButValentinheardawhiserthatBrayne,likesomanyscatter-brainedscetics,wasdriftingtous；andthatwasquiteadifferentthing.BraynewouldoursuliesintotheimoverishedandugnaciousChurchofFrance；hewouldsuortsixNationalistnewsaerslikeTheGuillotine.Thebattlewasalreadybalancedonaoint,andthefanatictookflameattherisk.Heresolvedtodestroythemillionaire,andhediditasonewouldexectthegreatestofdetectivestocommithisonlycrime.HeabstractedtheseveredheadofBeckeronsomecriminologicalexcuse,andtookithomeinhisoffcialbox.HehadthatlastargumentwithBrayne,thatLordGallowaydidnotheartheendof；thatfailing,heledhimoutintothesealedgarden,talkedaboutswordsmanshi,usedtwigsandasabreforillustration,and-”

IvanoftheScarsrangu.“Youlunatic，”heyelled；“youllgotomymasternow,ifItakeyouby-”

“Why,Iwasgoingthere，”saidBrownheavily；“Imustaskhimtoconfess,andallthat.”

DrivingtheunhayBrownbeforethemlikeahostageorsacrifce,theyrushedtogetherintothesuddenstillnessofValentinsstudy.

Thegreatdetectivesatathisdeskaarentlytoooccuiedtoheartheirturbulententrance.Theyausedamoment,andthensomethinginthelookofthaturightandelegantbackmadethedoctorrunforwardsuddenly.AtouchandaglanceshowedhimthattherewasasmallboxofillsatValentinselbow,andthatValentinwasdeadinhischair；andontheblindfaceofthesuicidewasmorethantherideofCato.