Chiuⁿ 3.
3.1 Sī Tyrrel kā in hip-sí
“Lí kám bē-tàng chhōe kóa khah khin-sang ê mi̍h lâi khòaⁿ?” keh-kang chá-khí Sè-lia̍p Chí án-ne mn̄g i, kí hit-tiuⁿ Richard ōe-siōng, he Grant kā thán-khiā khò tī chhn̂g-piⁿ toh-téng hit-tha̍h chheh.
“Lí bô kám-kak che bīn chin chhù-bī?”
“Chhù-bī! He hō͘ góa giâ ke-bó phôe. Piau-chún ê khó͘-koe bīn (Dismal Desmond).”
“Le̍k-sú chheh kóng, i sī kài ū lêng-le̍k ê lâng.”
“Bluebeard (Nâ chhùi-chhiu) mā sī.”
“Khòaⁿ khí-lâi mā chin ū jîn-khì.”
“Bluebeard mā sī.”
“Mā sī chhut-sek ê kun-jîn,” Grant gia̍tx án-ne kóng, jiân-āu tán leh. “Bluebeard tòe bē-tio̍h?”
“Lí khòaⁿ hit-ê bīn boeh chhòng-siáⁿ? He sī siáng ah?”
“Richard III.”
“Oh, Thiⁿ ah, góa tō chai!”
“Lí ê ì-sù sī, i seⁿ-chò kap lí siūⁿ ê kāng-khoán?”
“Bô m̄-tio̍h.”
“Án-chóaⁿ kóng?”“Chi̍t-ê sat-jîn mô͘, kám m̄-sī?”
“Lí ê le̍k-sú ká-ná tha̍k liáu bē-bái.”
“Che thong-lâng chai. Kái-koat 2-ê sè-hàn ti̍t-á, khó-liân ê gín-á. Hō͘-lâng hip-sí.”
“Hip-sí?” Grant kóng, kám-kak chhù-bī. “Góa goân-pún m̄-chai neh.”
“Kō͘ chím-thâu kā hip-sí.” yi kō͘ he iù-siù tān ū-la̍t ê kûn-thâu bó tûi i ê chím-thâu, jiân-āu kín koh chún kā chím-thâu chéng-lí hó-sè.
“Sī án-chóaⁿ kō͘ hip-sí? Ná m̄ kō͘ thāu-sí?” Grant mn̄g.
“Mài mn̄g góa, he m̄-sī góa an-pâi ê.”
“Sáng kóng in sī hông hip-sí ê?”
“Goán ha̍k-hāu ê khò-pún sī án-ne siá.”
“Hó, tān le̍k-sú khò-pún ín-iōng ê kin-kì sī siáⁿ?”
“Ín-iōng? I chiah bô teh ín-iōng. I kan-ta sī kóng sū-si̍t.”
“Ū kóng sáng kā in hip-sí bô?”
“Chi̍t-ê kiò Tyrrel ê lâng. Lí tī ha̍k-hāu kám bô tha̍k le̍k-sú?”
“Góa ū khì siōng le̍k-sú khò. M̄-koh tāi-chì bô kāng lah. Tyrrel sī siáng?”
“Góa siáⁿ to m̄-chai lah. Káⁿ sī Richard ê pêng-iú.”
“Ná ē chai sī Tyrrel chò ê?”
“I ū sêng-jīn.”
“Sêng-jīn?”
“Tong-jiân, tī i hông tēng-chōe liáu. Tī hông tiàu-sí chìn-chêng.”
“Lí sī kóng, chit-ê Tyrrel chin ê, in-ūi bô͘-sat hit 2-ê ông-chú hông tiàu-sí?”
“Sī ah, tong-jiân. Góa kā chit-tiuⁿ ut-chut bīn the̍h cháu, ōaⁿ khǹg khah hoaⁿ-hí ê mi̍h, hó bô? Hallard Sc cha-hng chah hō͘ lí ê hit lāi-bīn ū chin chē hó-khòaⁿ bīn neh.”
“Góa bô hèng-chhù hó-khòaⁿ bīn. Góa kan-ta hèng-chhù ut-chut bīn; hèng-chhù ‘kài ū lêng-le̍k’ ê ‘sat-jîn mô͘’ lah.”
“Hmh, phín-bī chit-lō mi̍h chin pháiⁿ kóng,” Sè-lia̍p Chí chí-hó án-ne kóng. “Ka-chài góa m̄-bián khòaⁿ he. M̄-koh, chāi góa ê chhián-kiàn, chit-ê bīn ū-kàu hông-gāi kut-thâu seⁿ-óa. Góa kóng chin ê.”
“Hah, góa ê kut-thâu nā bô seⁿ-óa, lí ē-sái kā che siàu sǹg hō͘ Richard III. Koh ke kì chi̍t sió pit tī i ê siàu, bô lâng ē chù-ì tio̍h, góa sī án-ne siūⁿ.”
Āu-kái Marta lâi thàm ê sî, i tio̍h mn̄g yi kám chai chit-ê Tyrrel. Yi ê it-poaⁿ tì-sek bô kài chhim-ji̍p, m̄-koh yi bat tī chi̍t-keng chhut-miâ ê ha̍k-hāu chiap-siū kùi somx ê kàu-io̍k, hoān-sè ū kì kóa mi̍h-kiāⁿ.
M̄-koh, tē-1 ê ùi gōa-kháu sè-kài lâi thàm-pēⁿ ê lâng sī Williams Sûn-chó, thé-hêng tōa-chhāi, bīn-sek âng-gê, chheng-khì khoán. Grant chiām-sî bē kì-tit hiah-ê chin kú í-chêng ê chiàn-ia̍h, khai-sí su-khó iáu oa̍h tī kin-ji̍t ê kan-kúi kha-siàu.
Williams chē tiāⁿ tī hit-tè hō͘ hóng-kheh chē ê sèx tēng í-á, siang kha hun-khui, chhián-nâ ê ba̍k-chiu chiò tio̍h thang-á ji̍p-lâi ê kng-sòaⁿ kim sihx, bē-su boán-chiok ê niau-á ba̍k, Grant chhim-chêng khòaⁿ i. Chin hoaⁿ-hí ē-tit koh kóng pún-hâng ê tāi-chì; iōng he tông-hâng chiah thiaⁿ ū ê su̍t-gí kap àm-hō. Mā hoaⁿ-hí thiaⁿ tông-gia̍p ê pat-kòa, khai-káng kéng-chhat kài ê chèng-tī, liáu-kái siáng jiá mâ-hoân ah, siáng tit-boeh sit-sè ah.
“Tiúⁿ..ê kā lí chhéng-an,” Williams khí-sin boeh kiâⁿ ê sî kóng, “koh kóng, nā ū siáⁿ su-iàu i pang-chān, hō͘ i chai.” I ê ba̍k-chiu, bô koh hō͘ kng-sòaⁿ chiò kah khí-hoe, oa̍t hiòng hit-tiuⁿ khò tī chheh ê siòng-phìⁿ. I thâu-khak khix khòaⁿ he: “Chit kho͘ sī siáng?”
Grant tú boeh kā kóng ê sî, hut-jiân siūⁿ-tio̍h: che sī chi̍t-ê kéng-chhat tông-sū neh. Sī chi̍t-ê kap ka-tī kāng-khoán, koàn-sì chit-gia̍p-tek koan-chhat lâng-bīn ê lâng, chi̍t-ê ta̍k-kang khòaⁿ bīn chia̍h-pn̄g ê lâng.
‘Chi̍t-ê 15 sè-kí m̄-chai miâ ōe-ka só͘ ōe ê lâm-sū ōe-siōng.” I kóng. “Lí kám-kak án-chóaⁿ?”
“Góa tùi ōe-tô͘ bô pòaⁿ-phiat.”
“Góa m̄-sī hit-ê ì-sù lah. Góa sī kóng, lí tùi chit-ê lâng án-chóaⁿ khòaⁿ?”
“Oh. Oh, góa chai.” Williams àⁿ-sin hiòng chêng, kā he pêⁿx ba̍k-bâi kiù chò chi̍t-ê choan-sim teh khòaⁿ ê khoán-sè. “Lí sī kóng, ū siáⁿ khòaⁿ-hoat?”
“Hmh. Lí ē kā an-pâi tī tó-ūi? Pī-kò se̍k a̍h hoat-koaⁿ se̍k?”
Williams khó-lī chi̍t-khùn, jiân-āu chū-sìn kóng: “Oh, hoat-koaⁿ se̍k.”
“Lí khak-tēng?”
“Tong-jiân. Án-chóaⁿ? Lí kám bē án-ne?”
“Góa ē. M̄-koh, kî-koài ê sī, lán nn̄g-lâng lóng m̄-tio̍h. I kui tī pī-kò se̍k.”
“Lí kā góa heh-kiaⁿ neh,” Williams kóng, koh siông-sè khòaⁿ. “Á lí kám chai i sī siáng?”
“Góa chai. Richard III.”
Williams kho͘ chi̍t-ê si-á.
“Goân-lâi sī i ah, sī án-ne oh! Ai-ah, ai-ah. Thah ni̍h ê Ông-chú, kap it-chhè chióngx. Siâ-ok A-chek pún-lâng. Góa siūⁿ, it-tàn chai-iáⁿ, lí tō khòaⁿ ē chhut-lâi, tān nā sū-sian m̄-chai, lí tō bē án-ne siūⁿ. Góa ì-sù sī, i khòaⁿ khí-lâi bô sêng pháiⁿ-lâng. Siūⁿ khòaⁿ-māi, i kin-pún seⁿ-chò kap lāu Halsbury [hoat-koaⁿ] kāng bô͘-iūⁿ, nā kóng Halsbury ū siáⁿ mô͘-pēⁿ, i tō sī tùi pī-kò se̍k hiah-ê àu kha-siàu siuⁿ nńg-sim lah. I chóng-sī tī chòe-āu kui-la̍p chèng-sû ê sî, kòe-thâu ūi in cheng-chhú lī-ek.”
“Lí chai hit 2-ūi Ông-chú hông án-chóaⁿ bô͘-sat ê?”
“Góa tùi Richard III oân-choân m̄-chai, kan-ta thiaⁿ-kóng in lāu-bú khai 2-nî chiah ū i ê sin-īn.”
“Siáⁿ! He sian-kó͘ lí ùi tó-ūi thiaⁿ ê?”
--
章 3.
3.1 是 Tyrrel kā in 翕死
“你 kám 袂當 揣寡 khah 輕鬆 ê mi̍h 來看?” 隔工早起 Sè-lia̍p Chí án-ne 問伊, 指彼張 Richard 畫像, he Grant kā 坦徛 靠 tī 床邊桌頂 hit 疊冊.
“你 無感覺 che 面 真趣味?”
“趣味! He hō͘ 我 夯雞母皮. 標準 ê 苦瓜面 (Dismal Desmond).”
“歷史冊 講, 伊是 kài 有能力 ê 人.”
“Bluebeard (藍喙鬚) mā 是.”
“看起來 mā 真有人氣.”
“Bluebeard mā 是.”
“Mā 是 出色 ê 軍人,” Grant gia̍tx án-ne 講, 然後等 leh. “Bluebeard 綴袂著?”
“你 看 彼个面 欲創啥? 彼是 siáng ah?”
“Richard III.”
“Oh, 天 ah, 我 tō 知!”
“你 ê 意思是, 伊生做 kap 你 想 ê 仝款?”
“無毋著.”
“按怎講?”
“一个 殺人魔, 敢毋是?”
“你 ê 歷史 ká-ná 讀了 袂䆀.”
“Che 通人知. 解決 2 个 細漢侄仔, 可憐 ê 囡仔. Hō͘ 人翕死.”
“翕死?” Grant 講, 感覺趣味. “我原本 毋知 neh.”
“Kō͘ 枕頭 kā 翕死.” 她 kō͘ he 幼秀 但有力 ê 拳頭母 捶伊 ê 枕頭, 然後 緊 koh 準 kā 枕頭 整理好勢.
“是按怎 kō͘ 翕死? 那毋 kō͘ thāu 死?” Grant 問.
“莫問我, 彼毋是我 安排 ê.”
“Sáng 講 in 是 hông 翕死 ê?”
“阮學校 ê 課本 是 án-ne 寫.”
“好, 但 歷史課本 引用 ê 根據 是啥?”
“引用? 伊才無 teh 引用. 伊干焦是 講事實.”
“有講 sáng kā in 翕死 無?”
“一个 叫 Tyrrel ê 人. 你 tī 學校 kám 無讀歷史?”
“我有去 上歷史課. 毋過 代誌 無仝 lah. Tyrrel 是 siáng?”
“我 啥 to 毋知 lah. Káⁿ 是 Richard ê 朋友.”
“那會知 是 Tyrrel 做 ê?”
“伊有承認.”
“承認?”
“當然, tī 伊 hông 定罪了. Tī hông 吊死 進前.”
“你是講, 這个 Tyrrel 真 ê, 因為謀殺 hit 2 个王子 hông 吊死?”
“是 ah, 當然. 我 kā 這張 鬱卒面 提走, 換囥 khah 歡喜 ê mi̍h, 好無? Hallard Sc 昨昏扎 hō͘ 你 ê hit 內面 有真濟 好看面 neh.”
“我無興趣 好看面. 我 干焦興趣 鬱卒面; 興趣 ‘kài 有能力’ ê ‘殺人魔’ lah.”
“Hmh, 品味 chit-lō mi̍h 真歹講,” Sè-lia̍p Chí 只好 án-ne 講. “佳哉我 毋免 看 he. 毋過, 在 我 ê 淺見, 這个面 有夠妨礙 骨頭 生倚. 我講真 ê.”
“Hah, 我 ê 骨頭 若無 生倚, 你會使 kā che 數 算 hō͘ Richard III. Koh 加記 一小筆 tī 伊 ê 數, 無人會 注意著, 我是 án-ne 想.”
後改 Marta 來探 ê 時, 伊著問她 kám 知 這个 Tyrrel. 她 ê 一般智識 無 kài 深入, 毋過 她 bat tī 一間 出名 ê 學校 接受 貴 somx ê 教育, 凡勢 有記寡 物件.
毋過, 第 1 个 ùi 外口世界 來探病 ê 人 是 Williams 巡佐, 體型大 chhāi, 面色紅牙, 清氣款. Grant 暫時 袂記得 hiah-ê 真久以前 ê 戰役, 開始 思考 猶活 tī 今日 ê 奸詭跤數.
Williams 坐定 tī 彼塊 hō͘ 訪客 坐 ê sèx 𠕇椅仔, 雙跤 分開, 淺藍 ê 目睭 照著 窗仔 入來 ê 光線 金 sihx, 袂輸滿足 ê 貓仔目, Grant 深情看伊. 真歡喜 會得 koh 講 本行 ê 代誌; 用 he 同行 才聽有 ê 術語 kap 暗號. Mā 歡喜聽 同業 ê 八卦, 開講 警察界 ê 政治, 了解 siáng 惹麻煩 ah, siáng 得欲失勢 ah.
“Tiúⁿ..ê kā 你 請安,” Williams 起身欲行 ê 時 講, “koh 講, 若有啥 需要伊 幫贊, hō͘ 伊知.” 伊 ê 目睭, 無 koh hō͘ 光線 照 kah 起花, 越向 彼張 靠 tī 冊 ê 相片. 伊 頭殼 khix 看 he: “這箍 是 siáng?”
Grant 拄欲 kā 講 ê 時, 忽然想著: 這是一个 警察同事 neh. 是 一个 kap ka-tī 仝款, 慣勢 職業 tek 觀察人面 ê 人, 一个 逐工 看面食飯 ê 人.
‘一个 15 世紀 毋知名 畫家 所畫 ê 男士畫像.” 伊講. “你 感覺按怎?”
“我對 畫圖 無半撇.”
“我毋是 彼个意思 lah. 我是講, 你對 這个人 按怎看?”
“Oh. Oh, 我知.” Williams àⁿ 身 向前, kā he pêⁿx 目眉 糾做一个 專心 teh 看 ê 款勢. “你是講, 有啥 看法?”
“Hmh. 你會 kā 安排 tī 佗位? 被告席 a̍h 法官席?”
Williams 考慮一睏, 然後 自信講: “Oh, 法官席.”
“你確定?”
“當然. 按怎? 你 kám 袂 án-ne?”
“我會. 毋過, 奇怪 ê 是, 咱兩人 lóng 毋著. 伊歸 tī 被告席.”
“你 kā 我 嚇驚 neh,” Williams 講, koh 詳細看. “Á 你 kám 知 伊是 siáng?”
“我知. Richard III.”
Williams kho͘ 一个 si-á.
“原來 是伊 ah, 是 án-ne oh! Ai-ah, ai-ah. 塔 ni̍h ê 王子, kap 一切 chióngx. 邪惡 阿叔 本人. 我想, 一旦知影, 你 tō 看會出來, 但 若 事先毋知, 你 tō 袂 án-ne 想. 我 意思是, 伊 看起來 無成 歹人. 想看覓, 伊根本 生做 kap 老 Halsbury [法官] 仝模樣, 若講 Halsbury 有啥毛病, 伊 tō 是 對 被告席 hiah-ê 漚跤數 siuⁿ 軟心 lah. 伊總是 tī 最後 歸納證詞 ê 時, 過頭 為 in 爭取利益.”
“你知 hit 2 位王子 hông 按怎謀殺 ê?”
“我對 Richard III 完全毋知, kan-ta 聽講 in 老母 開 2 年 才有伊 ê 身孕.”
“啥! He 仙古 你 ùi 佗位 聽 ê?”
--
3.
3.1
‘Can’t you find something more cheerful to look at than that thing?’ The Midget asked next morning, referring to the Richard portrait which Grant had propped up against the pile of books on his bed-side table.
‘You don’t find it an interesting face?’
‘Interesting! It gives me the willies. A proper Dismal Desmond.’
‘According to the history books he was a man of great ability.’
‘So was Bluebeard.’
‘And considerable popularity, it would seem.’
‘So was Bluebeard.’
‘A very fine soldier, too,’ Grant said wickedly, and waited. ‘No Bluebeard offers?’
‘What do you want to look at that face for? Who was he anyway?’
‘Richard the Third.’
‘Oh, well, I ask you!’
‘You mean that’s what you expected him to look like.’
‘Exactly.’
‘Why?’
‘A murdering brute, wasn’t he?’
‘You seem to know your history.’
‘Everyone knows that. Did away with his two little nephews, poor brats. Had them smothered.’
[Pg 41]‘Smothered?’ said Grant, interested. ‘I didn’t know that.’
‘Smothered with pillows.’ She banged his own pillows with a fragile vigorous fist, and replaced them with speed and precision.
‘Why smothering? Why not poison?’ Grant inquired.
‘Don’t ask me. I didn’t arrange it.’
‘Who said they were smothered?’
‘My history book at school said it.’
‘Yes, but whom was the history book quoting?’
‘Quoting? It wasn’t quoting anything. It was just giving facts.’
‘Who smothered them, did it say?’
‘A man called Tyrrel. Didn’t you do any history, at school?’
‘I attended history lessons. It is not the same thing. Who was Tyrrel?’
‘I haven’t the remotest. A friend of Richard’s.’
‘How did anyone know it was Tyrrel?’
‘He confessed.’
‘Confessed?‘
‘After he had been found guilty, of course. Before he was hanged.’
‘You mean that this Tyrrel was actually hanged for the murder of the two Princes?’
‘Yes, of course. Shall I take that dreary face away and put up something gayer? There were quite a lot of nice faces in that bundle Miss Hallard brought you yesterday.’
‘I’m not interested in nice faces. I’m interested only in dreary ones; in “murdering brutes” who are “men of great ability”.’
‘Well, there’s no accounting for tastes,’ said The[Pg 42] Midget inevitably. ‘And I don’t have to look at it, thank goodness. But in my humble estimation it’s enough to prevent bones knitting, so help me it is.’
‘Well, if my fracture doesn’t mend you can put it down to Richard III’s account. Another little item on that account won’t be noticed, it seems to me.’
He must ask Marta when next she looked in if she too knew about this Tyrrel. Her general knowledge was not very great, but she had been educated very expensively at a highly approved school and perhaps some of it had stuck.
But the first visitor to penetrate from the outside world proved to be Sergeant Williams, large and pink and scrubbed-looking; and for a little Grant forgot about battles long ago and considered wide boys alive today. /
Williams sat planted on the small hard visitors’ chair, his knees apart and his pale blue eyes blinking like a contented cat’s in the light from the window, and Grant regarded him with affection. It was pleasant to talk shop again; to use that elliptical, allusive speech that one uses only with another of one’s trade. It was pleasant to hear the professional gossip, to talk professional politics; to learn who was on the mat and who was on the skids.
‘The Super sent his regards,’ Williams said as he got up to go, ‘and said if there was anything he could do for you to let him know.’ His eyes, no longer dazzled by the light, went to the photograph propped against the books. He leant his head sideways at it. ‘Who’s the bloke?’
Grant was just about to tell him when it occurred to him that here was a fellow policeman. A man as used, professionally, to faces as he was himself. Someone to whom faces were of daily importance.
[Pg 43]‘Portrait of a man by an unknown fifteenth-century painter,’ he said. ‘What do you make of it?’
‘I don’t know the first thing about painting.’
‘I didn’t mean that. I meant what do you make of the subject?’
‘Oh. Oh, I see.’ Williams bent forward and drew his bland brows into a travesty of concentration. ‘How do you mean: make of it?’
‘Well, where would you place him? In the dock or on the bench?’
Williams considered for a moment, and then said with confidence: ‘Oh, on the bench.’
‘You would?’
‘Certainly. Why? Wouldn’t you?’
‘Yes. But the odd thing is that we’re both wrong. He belongs in the dock.’
‘You surprise me,’ Williams said, peering again. ‘Do you know who he was, then?’
‘Yes. Richard the Third.’
Williams whistled.
‘So that’s who it is, is it! Well, well. The Princes in the Tower, and all that. The original Wicked Uncle. I suppose, once you know, you can see it, but off-hand it wouldn’t occur to you. I mean, that he was a crook. He’s the spit of old Halsbury, come to think of it, and if Halsbury had a fault at all it was that he was too soft with the bastards in the dock. He used to lean over backwards to give them the benefit in his summing-up.’
‘Do you know how the Princes were murdered?’
‘I don’t know a thing about Richard III except that his mother was two years conceiving him.’
‘What! Where did you get that tale?’
--
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