گناهکار یا بی‌گناه ؟

Chapter six

Guilty or not guilty?

‘It wasn’t a dream,’ Howard told himself now, in the cellar. It really had happened. He had seen Miss Blake’s body, but he hadn’t killed her. She was already dead when he first saw her.

He thought about the dragon again. He could almost see those red eyes shining in the dark. Then Howard went cold inside. There were eyes shining in the dark– here, in this cellar! They were watching him. Dragon’s eyes? No, rats! He was terrified of rats. He felt around with his hands and found some pieces of wood. He threw them at the shining eyes, and shouted as loudly as he could.

Suddenly a voice came from above. Who’s that? What’s happening down there?’

It was a police officer. ‘Help me,’ Howard said weakly. ‘Please help me.’

Iater, the Inspector was sitting beside his bed. She looked serious, but happier. Howard was in hospital again, and he was clean and warm and comfortable. He was glad that it was all finished.

They knew who he really was - Howard Thomson. They weren’t calling him ‘Blake’ any more. Howard told them everything. Well, nearly everything. He couldn’t say anything about Freddy. He was thinking of his sister Helen and the children. He didn’t want to hurt them.

‘Yes, I stole the green dragon,’ Howard told the Inspector. ‘I tricked the old lady with my story about a packet of tea, and she left the house.’

‘Oh, yes,’ said the Inspector, and stared at him. We found a note. Miss Blake left it by the telephone. It said “Mr Blake, Primrose Road”. Your story isn’t quite true, is it? You tricked the old lady - yes. But she let you into the house that evening. She didn’t leave the house. And when she tried to stop you from taking the dragon, you–’

‘No, no! That’s not true. It was afternoon, not evening.’ Howard had to stay calm. He had to say he was the thief, not Freddy. He spoke slowly, carefully. ‘She left the house in the middle of the afternoon. I went in and stole the dragon. That’s what happened, Inspector. I didn’t kill her. I couldn’t kill anyone - she was already dead when I saw her for the first time.’

‘Already dead,’ the Inspector said quickly.

‘Yes, I–’ Howard saw that he had made a mistake. He had to explain. ‘I went back that night,’ he said.

‘You went back?’ The Inspector didn’t believe him.

‘Why did you do that?’

‘I wanted to return the dragon, Inspector.’ The words sounded weak and stupid. ‘I was afraid of it, I don’t know why, but it terrified me.’

‘Oh, yes,’ said the Inspector again, and looked hard at Howard with her cold, grey eyes.

She was silent for a long time. Howard tried to think of something. What could he say? He had to show the Inspector that he was not guilty of murder. But he could not find the right words.

‘I suppose it’s just possible,’ the Inspector said. ‘Perhaps the old lady went upstairs that evening and found the dragon was missing. Then perhaps she rushed to the telephone for help and fell down the stairs, and hit her head on the hall table at the bottom.’

‘Yes, yes,’ said Howard. ‘That’s it! She was killed by her fall. Don’t you see, Inspector? I didn’t kill her.’

The Inspector was still looking at him suspiciously. Howard thought hard. Somewhere there was an answer.

‘But you were there,’ the Inspector was saying. You say you went back to the house that evening. You were in the right place, at the right time, weren’t you?’

Time!

Howard sat up and smiled. ‘What time, Inspector,’ he said. He was excited now. ‘What time did Miss Blake die?’

‘The doctor says it was about eight o’clock in the evening,’ said the Inspector.

‘When it was dark,’ said Howard. ‘When it was still dark. Before the moon had risen. But I was seen near her house in the moonlight - at two o’clock in the morning! If I was a murderer, I wouldn’t go back there, would I, Inspector?’

‘Who saw you,’ said the Inspector, still suspicious. ‘Friends of yours? I don’t think I’m going to believe any friends of–’

‘You’ll believe these people, Inspector,’ said Howard quickly. Two police officers in a police car saw me in Primrose Avenue. Right place, right time, Inspector!’

Howard felt pleased with himself. He lay back on the hospital bed and smiled. But the Inspector hadn’t finished.

‘I’ve got something here. I want you to see it,’ she said. She opened a box beside her chair and lifted something out.

Howard’s face went white. The Inspector was holding the green dragon in her hands.

‘It doesn’t look very important, does it,’ she said.

The Inspector was right. Howard stared at the dragon. It didn’t look important in the daylight. It looked cheap and ugly.

‘It’s not real, you know,’ the Inspector was saying.

‘What – what do you mean,’ said Howard. He felt cold inside.

The old lady sold the real one years ago. She wasn’t as rich as people said. She needed the money. But the green dragon had some special magic for her, and she had this copy made.’

‘You mean–’

‘Yes. It’s not jade and jewels. It’s just plastic and bits of glass. You’d be able to sell it for 20 pound(s), 25 pound(s) if you were lucky.’ She smiled. It was a very cold smile, Howard thought. ‘It’s not much money– not for five years in prison,’ the Inspector added.

‘Five years,’ Howard said. His voice sounded weak and frightened. Five years in prison– and Freddy was going to be free!

‘Well, four then,’ said the Inspector. She smiled her terrible smile again, ‘– if you’re lucky.’