Агата Кристи - Десять негритят / And Then There Were None

«How?»

Lombard shrugged his shoulders.

«That we don’t know. But if you ask me, we’ve only one danger to fear – and that danger is Blore! What do we know about the man? Less than nothing! All this ex-policeman story may be bunkum! He may be anybody – a mad millionaire – a crazy business man – an escaped inmate of Broadmoor. One thing’s certain. He could have done every one of these crimes.»

Vera had gone rather white. She said in a slightly breathless voice:

«And supposing he gets – us?»

Lombard said softly, patting the revolver in his pocket:

«I’m going to take very good care he doesn’t.»

Then he looked at her curiously.

«Touching faith in me, haven’t you, Vera? Quite sure I wouldn’t shoot you?»

Vera said: «One has got to trust some one… As a matter of fact I think you’re wrong about Blore. I still think it’s Armstrong.»

She turned to him suddenly.

«Don’t you feel – all the time – that there’s some one. Some one watching and waiting?»

Lombard said slowly: «That’s just nerves.»

Vera said eagerly: «Then you have felt it?»

She shivered. She bent a little closer.

«Tell me – you don’t think —» She broke off, went on: «I read a story once – about two judges that came to a small American town – from the Supreme Court. They administered justice – Absolute Justice. Because – they didn’t come from this world at all…»

Lombard raised his eyebrows.

He said: «Heavenly visitants, eh? No, I don’t believe in the supernatural. This business is human enough.»

Vera said in a low voice: «Sometimes – I’m not sure…»

Lombard looked at her. He said:

«That’s conscience…» After a moment’s silence he said very quietly: «So you did drown that kid after all?»

Vera said vehemently: «I didn’t! I didn’t! You’ve no right to say that!»

He laughed easily.

«Oh, yes, you did, my good girl! I don’t know why. Can’t imagine. There was a man in it probably. Was that it?»

A sudden feeling of lassitude, of intense weariness, spread over Vera’s limbs. She said in a dull voice:

«Yes – there was a man in it…»

Lombard said softly: «Thanks. That’s what I wanted to know…»

Vera sat up suddenly. She exclaimed:

«What was that? It wasn’t an earthquake?»

Lombard said: «No, no. Queer, though – a thud shook the ground. And I thought – did you hear a sort of cry? I did.»

They stared up at the house.

Lombard said: «It came from there. We’d better go up and see.»

«No, no, I’m not going.»

«Please yourself. I am.»

Vera said desperately: «All right. I’ll come with you.»

They walked up the slope to the house. The terrace was peaceful and innocuous-looking in the sunshine. They hesitated there a minute, then instead of entering by the front door, they made a cautious circuit of the house.

They found Blore. He was spread-eagled on the stone terrace on the east side, his head crushed and mangled by a great block of white marble.

Philip looked up. He said:

«Whose is that window just above?»

Vera said in a low shuddering voice:

«It’s mine – and that’s the clock from my mantelpiece… I remember now. It was – shaped like a bear.»

She repeated and her voice shook and quavered:

«It was shaped like a bear…»

Philip grasped her shoulder. He said, and his voice was urgent and grim:

«This settles it. Armstrong is in hiding somewhere in that house. I’m going to get him.»

But Vera clung to him. She cried:

«Don’t be a fool. It’s us now! We’re next! He wants us to look for him! He’s counting on it!»

Philip stopped. He said thoughtfully:

«There’s something in that.»

Vera cried:

«At any rate, you do admit now I was right.»

He nodded.

«Yes – you win! It’s Armstrong all right. But where the devil did he hide himself? We went over the place with a fine-tooth comb.»

Vera said urgently: «If you didn’t find him last night, you won’t find him now… That’s common-sense.»

Lombard said reluctantly:

«Yes, but —»

«He must have prepared a secret place beforehand – naturally – of course it’s just what he would do. You know, like a Priest’s Hole in old manor houses.»

«This isn’t an old house of that kind.»

«He could have had one made.»

Philip Lombard shook his head.

He said: «We measured the place – that first morning. I’ll swear there’s no space unaccounted for.»

Vera said: «There must be…»

Lombard said: «I’d like to see —»

Vera cried: «Yes, you’d like to see! And he knows that! He’s in there – waiting for you.»

Lombard said, half bringing out the revolver from his pocket: «I’ve got this, you know.»

«You said Blore was all right – that he was more than a match for Armstrong. So he was physically, and he was on the lookout too. But what you don’t seem to realize is that Armstrong is mad! And a madman has all the advantages on his side. He’s twice as cunning as any one sane can be.»

Lombard put back the revolver in his pocket. He said:

«Come on, then.»

Lombard said at last:

«What are we going to do when night comes?»

Vera didn’t answer. He went on accusingly:

«You haven’t thought of that?»

She said helplessly: «What can we do? Oh, my God, I’m frightened…»

Philip Lombard said thoughtfully:

«It’s fine weather. There will be a moon. We must find a place – up by the top cliffs perhaps. We can sit there and wait for morning. We mustn’t go to sleep… We must watch the whole time. And if any one comes up towards us, I shall shoot!» He paused: «You’ll be cold, perhaps, in that thin dress?»

Vera said with a raucous laugh:

«Cold? I should be colder if I were dead!»

Philip Lombard said quietly: «Yes, that’s true…»

Vera moved restlessly. She said:

«I shall go mad if I sit here any longer. Let’s move about.»

«All right.»

They paced slowly up and down, along the line of the rocks overlooking the sea. The sun was dropping towards the west. The light was golden and mellow. It enveloped them in a golden glow.

Vera said, with a sudden nervous little giggle:

«Pity we can’t have a bathe…»

Philip was looking down towards the sea. He said abruptly:

«What’s that, there? You see – by that big rock? No – a little further to the right.»

Vera stared. She said:

«It looks like somebody’s clothes!»

«A bather, eh?» Lombard laughed. «Queer. I suppose it’s only seaweed.»

Vera said: «Let’s go and look.»

«It is clothes,» said. Lombard as they drew nearer. «A bundle of them. That’s a boot. Come on, let’s scramble along here.»

They scrambled over the rocks. Vera stopped suddenly. She said:

«It’s not clothes – it’s a man…»

The man was wedged between two rocks, flung there by the tide earlier in the day.

Lombard and Vera reached it in a last scramble. They bent down. A purple discoloured face – a hideous drowned face…

Lombard said: «My God! It’s Armstrong…»

Aeons passed… worlds span and whirled… Time was motionless… It stood still – it passed through a thousand ages…

No, it was only a minute or so…

Two people were standing looking down on a dead man…

Slowly, very slowly, Vera Claythorne and Philip Lombard lifted their heads and looked into each other’s eyes…

Lombard laughed. He said:

«So that’s it, is it, Vera?»

Vera said: «There’s no one on the island – no one at all – except us two…» Her voice was a whisper – nothing more.

Lombard said: «Precisely. So we know where we are, don’t we?»

Vera said: «How was it worked – that trick with the marble bear?»

He shrugged his shoulders.

«A conjuring trick, my dear – a very good one…»

Their eyes met again.

Vera thought:

«Why did I never see his face properly before. A wolf – that’s what it is – a wolfs face… Those horrible teeth…»

Lombard said, and his voice was a snarl – dangerous – menacing:

«This is the end, you understand. We’ve come to the truth now. And it’s the end…»

Vera said quietly: «I understand…»

She stared out to sea. General Macarthur had stared out to sea – when – only yesterday? Or was it the day before? He too had said, «This is the end…»

He had said it with acceptance – almost with welcome.

But to Vera the words – the thought – brought rebellion.

No, it should not be the end.

She looked down at the dead man. She said:

«Poor Dr. Armstrong…»

Lombard sneered.

He said: «What’s this? Womanly pity?»

Vera said: «Why not? Haven’t you any pity?»

He said: «I’ve no pity for you. Don’t expect it!»

Vera looked down again at the body. She said:

«We must move him. Carry him up to the house.»

«To join the other victims, I suppose? All neat and tidy. As far as I’m concerned he can stay where he is.»

Vera said: «At any rate, let’s get him out of reach of the sea.»

Lombard laughed. He said:

«If you like.»

He bent – tugging at the body. Vera leaned against him, helping him. She pulled and tugged with all her might.

Lombard panted: «Not such an easy job.»

They managed it, however, drawing the body clear of the high water mark. Lombard said as he straightened up:

«Satisfied?»

Vera said: «Quite.»

Her tone warned him. He spun around. Even as he clapped his hand to his pocket he knew that he would find it empty.

She had moved a yard or two and was facing him, revolver in hand.

Lombard said: «So that’s the reason for your womanly solicitude! You wanted to pick my pocket.»

She nodded.

She held it steadily and unwaveringly.

Death was very near to Philip Lombard now. It had never, he knew, been nearer.

Nevertheless he was not beaten yet.

He said authoritatively:

«Give that revolver to me.»

Vera laughed.

Lombard said: «Come on, hand it over.»

His quick brain was working. Which way – which method – talk her over – lull her into security – or a swift dash —

All his life Lombard had taken the risky way. He took it now.

He spoke slowly, argumentatively.

«Now look here, my dear girl, you just listen – »

And then he sprang. Quick as a panther – as any other feline creature…

Automatically Vera pressed the trigger…

Lombard’s leaping body stayed poised in mid-spring, then crashed heavily to the ground.

Vera came warily forward, the revolver ready in her hand.

But there was no need of caution.

Philip Lombard was dead – shot through the heart…

Relief possessed Vera – enormous exquisite relief.

At last it was over.

There was no more fear – no more steeling of her nerves.

She was alone on the island…

Alone with nine dead bodies…

But what did that matter? She was alive.

She sat there – exquisitely happy – exquisitely at peace.

No more fear…

The sun was setting when Vera moved at last. Sheer reaction had kept her immobile. There had been no room in her for anything but the glorious sense of safety.