earlderrbiggers.thehousewithoutakey-第56部分

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　channel　entrance？〃
　〃I　was。〃
　〃No　passengers　were　landed　from　that　ship　until　the　following　morning？〃
　〃That's　a　matter　of　record。〃
　〃Very　well。〃　The　second　officer　of　the　President　TyIer　came　in；　followed　by　a　big　hulking　sailorman　John　Quincy　recognized　as　the　quartermaster　of　that　vessel。　He　was　interested　to　note　a　ring　on　the　man's　right　hand；　and　his　mind　went　back　to　that　encounter　in　the　San　Francisco　attic。
　〃Mr。　Hepworth；〃　the　prosecutor　began；　〃on　the　night　of　June　thirtieth　your　ship　reached　this　port　too　late　to　dock。　You　anchored　off　Waikiki。　On　such　an　occasion；　who　is　on　deck　…　say；　from　midnight　on？〃
　〃The　second　officer；〃　Hepworth　told　him。　〃In　this　case；　myself。　Also　the　quartermaster。〃
　〃The　acmodation　ladder　is　let　down　the　night　before？〃
　〃Usually；　yes。　It　was　let　down　that　night。〃
　〃Who　is　stationed　near　it？〃
　〃The　quartermaster。〃
　〃Ah；　yes。　You　were　in　charge　then　on　the　night　of　June　thirtieth。　Did　you　notice　anything　unusual　on　that　occasion？〃
　Hepworth　nodded。　〃I　did。　The　quartermaster　appeared　to　be　under　the　influence　of　liquor。　At　three　o'clock　I　found　him　dozing　near　the　acmodation　ladder。　I　roused　him。　When　I　came　back　from　checking　up　the　anchor　bearings　before　turning　in　at　dawn　…　about　four…thirty　…　he　was　dead　to　the　world。　I　put　him　in　his　cabin；　and　the　following　morning　I　of　course　reported　him。〃
　〃You　noticed　nothing　else　out　of　the　ordinary？〃
　〃Nothing；　sir；〃　Hepworth　replied。
　〃Thank　you　very　much。　Now；　you　…〃　Greene　turned　to　the　quartermaster。　〃You　were　drunk　on　duty　the　night　of　June　thirtieth。　Where　did　you　get　the　booze？〃　The　man　hesitated。　〃Before　you　say　anything；　let　me　give　you　a　bit　of　advice。　The　truth；　my　man。　You're　in　pretty　bad　already。　I'm　not　making　any　promises；　but　if　you　talk　straight　here　it　may　help　you　in　that　other　matter。　If　you　lie；　it　will　go　that　much　harder　with　you。〃
　〃I　ain't　going　to　lie；〃　promised　the　quartermaster。
　〃All　right。　Where　did　you　get　your　liquor？〃
　The　man　nodded　toward　Jennison。　〃He　gave　it　to　me。〃
　〃He　did；　eh？　Tell　me　all　about　it。〃
　〃I　met　him　on　deck　just　after　midnight　…　we　was　still　moving。　I　knew　him　before　…　him　and　me　…〃
　〃In　the　opium　game；　both　of　you。　I　understand　that。　You　met　him　on　deck　…〃
　〃I　did；　and　he　says；　you're　on　watch　to…night；　eh；　and　I　says　I　am。　So　he　slips　me　a　little　bottle　an'　says；　this　will　help　you　pass　the　time。　I　ain't　a　drinking　man；　so　help　me　I　ain't；　an'　I　took　just　a　nip；　but　there　was　something　in　that　whiskey；　I'll　swear　to　it。　My　head　was　all　funny　like；　an'　the　next　I　knew　I　was　waked　up　in　my　cabin　with　the　bad　news　I　was　wanted　above。〃
　〃What　became　of　that　bottle？〃
　〃I　dropped　it　overboard　on　my　way　to　see　the　captain。　I　didn't　want　nobody　to　find　it。〃
　〃Did　you　see　anything　the　night　of　June　thirtieth？　Anything　peculiar？〃
　〃I　seen　plenty；　sir　…　but　it　was　that　drink。　Nothing　you　would　want　to　hear　about。〃
　〃All　right。〃　The　prosecutor　turned　to　Jennison。　〃Well；　Harry　…　you　drugged　him；　didn't　you？　Why？　Because　you　were　going　ashore；　eh？　Because　you　knew　he'd　be　on　duty　at　that　ladder　when　you　returned；　and　you　didn't　want　him　to　see　you。　So　you　dropped　something　into　that　whiskey　…〃
　〃Guess　work；〃　cut　in　Jennison；　still　unruffled。　〃I　used　to　have　some　respect　for　you　as　a　lawyer；　but　it's　all　gone　now。　If　this　is　the　best　you　can　offer　…〃
　〃But　it　isn't；〃　said　Greene　pleasantly。　Again　he　pushed　the　button。　〃I've　something　much　better；　Harry；　if　you'll　only　wait。〃　He　turned　to　Hepworth。　〃There's　a　steward　on　your　ship　named　Bowker；〃　he　began；　and　John　Quincy　thought　that　Jennison　stiffened。　〃How　has　he　been　behaving　lately？〃
　〃Well；　he　got　pretty　drunk　in　Hong…kong；〃　Hepworth　answered。　〃But　that；　of　course；　was　the　money。〃
　〃What　money？〃
　〃It's　this　way。　The　last　time　we　sailed　out　of　Honolulu　harbor　for　the　Orient；　over　two　weeks　ago；　I　was　in　the　purser's　office。　It　was　just　as　we　were　passing　Diamond　Head。　Bowker　came　in；　and　he　had　a　big　fat　envelope　that　he　wanted　to　deposit　in　the　purser's　safe。　He　said　it　contained　a　lot　of　money。　The　purser　wouldn't　be　responsible　for　it　without　seeing　it；　so　Bowker　slit　the　envelope　…　and　there　were　ten　one　hundred　dollar　bills。　The　purser　made　another　package　of　it　and　put　it　in　the　safe。　He　told　me　Bowker　took　out　a　couple　of　the　bills　when　we　reached　Hong…kong。〃
　〃Where　would　a　man　like　Bowker　get　all　that　money？〃
　〃I　can't　imagine。　He　said　he'd　put　over　a　business　deal　in　Honolulu　but　…　well；　we　knew　Bowker。〃
　The　door　opened。　Evidently　Spencer　guessed　who　was　wanted　this　time；　for　he　pushed　Bowker　into　the　room。　The　steward　of　the　President　Tyler　was　bedraggled　and　bleary。
　〃Hello；　Bowker；〃　said　the　prosecutor。　〃Sober　now；　aren't　you？〃
　〃I'll　tell　the　world　I　am；〃　replied　Bowker。　〃They've　walked　me　to　San　Francisco　and　back。　Can　…　can　I　sit　down？〃
　〃Of　course；〃　Greene　smiled。　〃This　afternoon；　while　you　were　still　drunk；　you　told　a　story　to　Willie　Chan；　out　at　Okamoto's　auto　stand　on　Kalakaua　Avenue。　Later　on；　early　this　evening；　you　repeated　it　to　Captain　Hallet　and　me。　I'll　have　to　ask　you　to　go　over　it　again。〃
　Bowker　glanced　toward　Jennison；　then　quickly　looked　away。　〃Always　ready　to　oblige；〃　he　answered。
　〃You're　a　steward　on　the　President　Tyler；〃　Greene　continued。　〃On　your　last　trip　over　here　from　the　mainland　Mr。　Jennison　occupied　one　of　your　rooms　…　number　97。　He　was　alone　in　it；　I　believe？〃
　〃All　alone。　He　paid　extra　for　the　privilege；　I　hear。　Always　traveled　that　way。〃
　〃Room　97　was　on　the　main　deck；　not　far　from　the　acmodation　ladder？〃
　〃Yes；　that's　right。〃
　〃Tell　us　what　happened　after　you　anchored　off　Waikiki　the　night　of　June　thirtieth。〃
　Bowker　adjusted　his　gold…rimmed　glasses　with　the　gesture　of　a　man　about　to　make　an　after…dinner　speech。　〃Well；　I　was　up　pretty　late　that　night。　Mr。　Winterslip　here　had　loaned　me　some　books　…　there　was　one　I　was　particularly　interested　in。　I　wanted　to　finish　it　so　I　could　give　it　to　him　to　take　ashore　in　the　morning。　It　was　nearly　two　o'clock　when　I　finally　got　through　it；　and　I　was　feeling　stuffy；　so　I　went　on　deck　for　a　breath　of　air。〃。
　〃You　stopped　not　far　from　the　acmodation　ladder？〃
　〃Yes　sir；　I　did。〃
　〃Did　you　notice　the　quartermaster？〃
　〃Yes　…　he　was　sound　asleep　in　a　deck　chair。　I　went　over　and　leaned　on　the　rail；　the　ladder　was　just　beneath　me。　I'd　been　standing　there　a　few　minutes　when　suddenly　somebody　came　up　out　of　the　water　and　put　his　hands　on　the　lowest　rung。　I　drew　back　quickly　and　stood　in　a　shadow。
　〃Well；　pretty　soon　this　man　es　creeping　up　the　ladder　to　the　deck。　He　was　barefooted；　and　all　in　black　…　black　pants　and　shirt。　I　watched　him。　He　went　over　and　bent　above　the　quartermaster；　then　started　toward　me　down　the　deck。　He　was　walking　on　tiptoe；　but　even　then　I　didn't　get　wise　to　the　fact　anything　was　wrong。
　〃I　stepped　out　of　the　shadow。　'Fine　night　for　a　swim；　Mr。　Jennison；'　I　said。　And　I　saw　at　once　that　I'd　made　a　social　error。　He　gave　one　jump　in　my　direction　and　his　hands　closed　on　my　throat。　I　thought　my　time　had　e。〃
　〃He　was　wet；　wasn't　he？〃　Greene　asked。
　〃Dripping。　He　left　a　trail　of　water　on　the　deck。〃
　〃Did　you　notice　a　watch　on　his　wrist？〃
　〃Yes；　but　you　can　bet　I　didn't　make　any　study　of　it。　I　had　other　things　to　think　about　just　then。　I　managed　to　sort　of　ooze　out　of　his　grip；　and　I　told　him　to　cut　it　out　or　I'd　yell。　'Look　here；'　he　says；　'you　and　I　can　talk　business；　I　guess。　e　into　my　cabin。'
　〃But　I　wasn't　wanting　any　tete…a…tete　with　him　in　any　cabin；　I　said　I'd　see　him　in　the　morning；　and　after　I'd　promised　to　say　nothing　to　anybody；　he　let　me　go。　I　went　to　bed；　pretty　much　puzzled。
　〃The　next　morning；　when　I　went　into　his　cabin；　there　he　was　all　fresh　and　rosy　and　smiling。　If　I'd　had　so　much　as　a　whiff　of　booze　the　night　before；　I'd　have　thought　I　never　saw　what　I　did。　I　went　in　there　thinking　I　might　get　a　hundred　dollars　out　of　the　affair；　but　the　minute　he　spoke　I　began　to　smell　important　money。　He　said　no　one　must　know　about　his　swim　the　night　before。　How　much　did　I　want？　Well；　I　held　my　breath　and　said　ten　thousand　dollars。　And　I　nearly　dropped　dead　when　he　answered　I　could　have　it。〃
　Bowker　turned　to　John　Quincy。　〃I　don't　know　what　you'll　think