爱情与金钱

　　你是一名不错的侦探，是吗？如果是的话，那你得比沃尔什探长先找出凶手。沃尔什探长是名警探，他工作虽说慢了点，可十分细心。你是位“快手”吗？侦探是干什么的呢？侦探就是寻找线索的人。而线索就是告诉你谁是凶手的重要但又细小的事物。发现线索不容易，但本故事中有许多线索。有些线索有用——它们能帮助你，可有些线索却不利——它们妨碍你找到凶手。你得仔细点读，否则你会错过线索。

　　但请记住：你不必相信人们说的每件事。凶手显然会撒谎，可能其他人因不同的理由也会撒谎。也许他们希望某人死去。但是谁希望呢？谁杀的？你能找出凶手吗？

　　罗伊纳·阿金耶米英国人，但在非洲度过了许多年。《爱情与金钱》是她为英语学生写的第一部故事。

　　1 Chapter

　　The Clarkson family lived in the country near Cambridge，about half a mile from the nearest village and about a mile from the river．They had a big，old house with a beautiful garden，a lot of flowers and many old．trees．

　　One Thursday morning in July，Jackie came in from the garden．She was a tall，fat woman，thirty years old．It was the hottest day of the year，but she wore a warm brown skirt and yellow shirt．She went into the kitchen to get a drink of water．Just then the phone rang．

　　'Cambridge 1379，'Jackie said．

　　'Hello．This is Diane．I want to talk to Mother．'

　　'Mother isn't here，'Jackie said．'She's at the doctor's．'

　　'Why？What's Wrong？'

　　'Nothing's wrong，'Jackie said．'Why are you telephoning？ You are going to come this weekend？ Mother wants everyone to be here．'

　　'Yes，I want to come，'Diane said．'I'm phoning because I have no money for the train ticket．'

　　'No money！Mother is always giving you money！'

　　'This phone call is very expensive，'Diane said coldly．'Tell Mother please．I need the money．'

　　Jackie put the phone down．She took a cigarette from her bag and began to smoke．She felt angry because her sister al-ways asked for money．Diane was twenty years old， the youngest in the family．She lived in London，in one room of a big house．She wanted to be a singer．She sang very well but she could never get work．

　　Jackie went back into the kitchen and began to make some sandwiches．Just then the back door opened，and her mother came in．

　　'It's very hot！'Molly said．She took off her hat and put it down on the table．She was a tall，dark woman with beautiful eyes．

　　Two big，black dogs came into the kitchen after her and ran across to her．She sat down and put her hands on their heads．

　　Jackie put the sandwiches on the table．'Mother，'she said，'Diane phoned．She wants money for her train ticket．'

　　Molly closed her eyes for a minute．Then she stood up．'This afternoon I want you to get the house ready for the weekend，'she said．'Oh，and please go to the village later and get my tablets．'

　　'Yes，Mother，'Jackie said．

　　Molly went to the door．

　　'Mother，please wait a minute，'Jackie said．'Peter Hobbs came here this morning．He's very angry with you about that letter．He lost his job，you know．Why did you write to his office？He wants to talk to you about it．'

　　'Well，I don't want to talk to him，'Molly said．She opened the door．

　　'But Mother，you don't understand．He's seventeen，and it was his first job．He's very，very angry．He says… he says he's going to kill you！'

　　Molly did not answer．She went out of the room and closed the door．

1

　　克拉克森家住在剑桥附近的乡下，离最近的村庄约有半英里路，距离河有1英里左右。他们有幢大而古老带有美丽花园的房子，花园里有许多花和许多古树。

　　7月的一个星期四早上，杰基从花园进了屋。她是个高大，肥胖，30来岁的女人。这是一年中最热的日子，而她却穿着暖色调的黄色衬衫和棕色裙子。她走进厨房去喝水，这时电话响了。

　　“剑桥1379号，”杰基说。

　　“你好！我是黛安娜。我想和妈妈说话。”

　　“妈妈不在家，”杰基说。“她看医生去了。”

　　“怎么了？出了什么事？”

　　“没什么，”杰基说。“你打电话干嘛？这个周末你回来吗？妈妈希望每个人都在。”

　　“是啊，我想回来，”黛安娜说。“我正因为没钱买火车票，才打电话。”

　　“没钱！妈妈总是给你钱！”

　　“电话费很贵，”黛安娜冷冷说道。“请告诉妈妈，我需要钱。”

　　杰基放下电话，她从包里拿了枝烟抽起来。她因她的妹妹总是要钱感到生气。黛安娜20岁了，在家里最校她住在伦敦，在一所大房子里有间屋子。她想成为一个歌唱家，她唱得很棒可是她却从来不愿找工作。

　　杰基走回厨房动手做一些三明治。这时后门开了，她的母亲走了进来。

　　“天太热了！”莫利说道，她脱下帽子放在桌上。她是位高个子、皮肤浅黑，有双美丽眼睛的女人。

　　两条大黑狗跟着她进了厨房围着她转，她坐下来把手放在它们的头上。

　　杰基把三明治放在桌上。“妈妈，”她说道，“黛安娜打来电话，她想要钱买火车票。”

　　莫利闭上眼一会，然后站起来。“下午我希望你收拾一下房子为周末做准备，”她说。“哦，随后请去村里给我买些药片。”

　　“好的，妈妈，”杰基说。

　　莫利向门口走去。

　　“妈妈，请等一会。”杰基说。“彼得霍布斯今早来了，他对你的那封信很生气。你知道，他丢了工作。你为什么写信给他的办公室？他想和你谈谈这事。”

　　“好啦，我不想和他谈，”莫利说，她打开门。

　　“可是妈妈，你不明白。他17岁了，那是他第一份工作，他非常非常生气。他说……他说他会杀了你！”

　　莫利没答话，她走出房间关上了门。

　　2 Chapter

　　It was seven o'clock on Saturday evening．Jackie stood at the window．A car drove slowly up to the front door and stopped．A tall man with white hair got out，It was Albert，the husband of Molly's sister．

　　'Here's Uncle Albert，'Jackie said．'Always late．'

　　She went out of the room and opened the front door．Albert came in and went at once to Molly．

　　'Oh，dear．I'm very late．I am sorry，'Albert said．'Fifty years old today！What a wonderful dress！'

　　Molly did not smile．'Thank you，Albert．We're all getting older．'Tonight she wore a long black dress，and the two black dogs sat at her feet．'Everyone is here now．Let's go in to dinner，'she said．

　　Everyone stood up and went to the table．

　　'The table looks nice，Jackie．What wonderful flowers！'Diane said．She was a beautiful girl，with long black hair and dark blue eyes．She wore a long red dress．

　　Albert sat down next to Roger Roger was Molly's son，her second child．He lived in Cambridge，in an expensive house．

　　'Someone called Peter stopped me down the road，'Albert said．'Who is he？ He's very angry with you，Molly．'

　　'That's Peter Hobbs，from the house across the road，'Jackie said quickly．She looked across the table at Molly．'He lost his job last week and he's angry with everyone．'

　　'It's Molly he doesn't like，'Albert said．

　　Molly said nothing．Everyone began to eat．

　　'How is Aunt Annie？'Jackie asked．

　　'She's much worse now，'Albert said．'She stays in bed all the time．She needs a nurse twenty-four hours a day．'

　　'I am sorry，'Molly said．

　　Albert stopped eating and looked at Molly．'It's very difficult and very expensive，you know．Annie feels very unhappy because you don't visit her，Molly．She loves you very much．You are her little sister；you know．'

　　Molly closed her eyes for a minute．' I know that，Albert．I am fifty years old，but I am always her“little”sister．Well，we can talk about it later．'

　　Albert laughed．'Oh yes，we can talk later．It's always later with you，Molly．Always tomorrow．Never today．'

　　Jackie watched her mother．Her mother was angry with Albert．Molly never liked talking about her sister Annie and she did not like visiting her because she was very ill．

　　'That's a beautiful dress，Diane．Is it new？'Jackie asked．

　　'Thank you，Jackie．Yes，it's new，and very expensive．I got it on Wednesday，'Diane said．She smiled at Jackie．

　　'All your things are expensive，'Jackie said．She remembered the phone call on Thursday about the train ticket．

　　'I don't like cheap things，'Diane said．'And I'm going to need more money soon．I want to go to America．Can you help me，Roger？'

　　'Oh no，'Roger said．'Nobody wants to help you， Diane．You don't like working，we all know that，but we all want you to get a job．'

　　Diane laughed．'It doesn't matter，Roger．I don't need your help．Mother always helps me．Mother loves me best．'She suddenly smiled，a quick，beautiful smile．But her eyes were cold．

　　Jackie looked at her mother．Molly's face was white．Jackie did not understand．Was her mother afraid of Diane？Jackie wanted her mother to be happy today．

　　'Would you like some more meat，Uncle Albert？'Jackie asked．'Roger，can you give everyone some more to drink？

　　Roger got up and began to give more wine to everyone．'This is good wine，'he said．

　　Molly smiled for the first time．'Yes，your father loved this wine．He often drank it．'

　　'Yes，'Albert said，and looked at Molly．'Expensive，too．'

　　'Would you like to meet Mr Briggs this weekend，Roger？Jackie asked quickly．'He's the new man at the farm．He wants to meet you．'

　　'Briggs？Briggs？'Molly said，suddenly angry．'Don't talk to me about that man．I don't like him．He wants half my garden for his farm．He needs more land，he says．I don't want him in my house．He's always dirty and he has bad teeth．'

　　Jackie stood up and got her bag．'Excuse me，I want a cigarette．'

　　'Cigarettes！Always a cigarette in your mouth，'Molly said．'I don't like it．Cigarettes aren't good for you．'

　　Jackie began to smoke．She felt angry but she said nothing．She wanted her mother to be happy this evening，but it was very difficult．

　　Roger drank some more wine．'Well，Mother，perhaps Mr Briggs is right．The garden is very big，you know，'he said．'It's a lot of work for you．The house is big，too．You're fifty now．You need to be more careful．'

　　'Roger！I don't need a nurse，you know！I work in the garden every day；I feel happy there．'Molly stood up．'I know you all want my money．You come here for a free dinner，you don't want to see me．You don't love me．You want my house，and my money．Well，you can all wait．No-body is getting more money from me，not before I die！'

　　'Don't say that，Mother！'Jackie cried．

　　Molly walked across the room to the door．'I feel ill now．I'm going upstairs to bed．'

　　Molly left the room．Nobody moved．

　　'One day I'm going to kill that woman，'Diane said quietly．

　　Roger looked at Diane but said nothing．Albert moved his head slowly up and down．'Ill！She's angry，that's all，'he said．'Molly always gets angry about money．Why can't she be good to her sister？Annie's going to die soon．Molly knows that．'

　　Jackie finished her cigarette and stood up．'Would everyone like some coffee？Come into the kitchen and let's drink it there．'