3 Chapter

　　Early next morning the house was quiet．Suddenly there was a cry from the room next to Roger's，his mother's room．Roger opened his eyes and looked at the clock．It was nearly seven o'clock．He got out of bed and opened the door quietly．At the same time the door of his mother's room opened and Diane came out．Her face was very white．

　　'Roger！It' s Mother！I brought a cup of coffee for her and I found her dead．She's dead…dead in her bed，'she cried．

　　Roger went quickly to the door of his mother's room and looked in．The window was open but the room was warm．Molly was on the bed，one hand under her head．Roger went across to the bed and put his hand on her arm．It was cold．On the little table next to the bed was a hot cup of coffee and an empty cup．

　　'I'm going to call the doctor，'Diane said．

　　'She's dead，'Roger said slowly．His face，too，was white．'Mother is dead！'

　　Diane walked across the room to the door．'I'm going to phone the doctor，'she said again．

　　'Wait a minute！'Roger called．'Let's tell the family first．'

　　'Family！Nobody loved Mother！'Diane went out and ran downstairs．

　　Roger slowly went downstairs after her and stood by the telephone．

　　'Dr Pratt，this is Diane Clarkson．It's my mother—she's dead．Can you come quickly？'

　　Diane put the phone down．'It isn't true，Roger！Mother dead！Daddy died last winter，and now Mother．'Diane began to cry．

　　'Don't cry，Diane，'Roger said．'Let's go upstairs and tell Uncle Albert and Jackie．'

　　'No！You tell them！Nobody loved Mother．You aren't sorry．Look at you！You want her money．That's all．'

　　Roger suddenly wanted to hit Diane．'Be quiet！'he said．'What about you？You didn't love Mother．You wanted her money，too．Don't forget that！'

　　'It's true，'Diane said．'Oh，I can't stay in this house．I'm going out．I'm going to the river with the dogs．'

　　'No，'Roger said．'The doctor's coming and I want you here．'

　　Diane said nothing．She went into the kitchen and at once the dogs got up and came to her．'Beautiful dogs！Daddy loved you and Mother loved you．Now I'm going to love you．'She opened the back door and went out with the dogs．

　　Roger did not move．He stood by the telephone．'It's true，'he thought．'I am happy about the money．I needed money，and now I'm rich．Things are going to be easier for me now．But Mother…why didn't I love her more？ And now she's dead．'Slowly，Roger went back upstairs．He wanted to dress before Dr Pratt arrived．

　　Dr Pratt was a little fat man without much hair．He was the family doctor and he knew all the Clarkson family very well．He went upstairs at once and looked at Molly's body．He looked carefully at the cup of coffee and the empty cup on the table next to her bed．

　　'I'm sorry，Roger，'he said．'Where is Diane？She phoned me．'

　　'She went out with the dogs，'Roger said．'She was angry with me—angry with everyone．'

　　Dr Pratt said nothing for a minute．'This is going to be very difficult．I'm going to phone the police，Roger．'

　　'Police！Why？What's wrong？

　　'I don't know．Your mother wasn't ill．I saw her on Thursday and she was very well．Why did she die？I don' t understand．I want to find out．'

　　Roger went across to the window and looked out at the gar-den．It was a beautiful summer morning．The sky was blue and the garden was green．It was all very quiet．His mother loved this garden．But Tom Briggs wanted the garden．And Roger wanted the garden，too．Roger felt worse and worse．

　　'Your mother took sleeping tablets，'Dr Pratt said．'Did you know？On Thursday she had a new bottle of tablets，but I can't find it here in her room．'

　　'I didn't know，'Roger said．'Very well．Let's go down-stairs and you can phone the police．'

　　Roger went into the kitchen and made some coffee．Just then Diane came in with the dogs．

　　'Roger，'she said．'Look，I'm sorry．I was angry and said some angry things．'

　　'It doesn't matter，'Roger said．'Here you are，have some coffee．Dr Pratt is phoning the police．Did you know Mother took sleeping tablets？Well，the bottle is not in her room．'

　　'What？I don't understand．'Diane took the coffee and be－gan to drink．Her eyes looked big and dark．

　　Just then Dr Pratt came into the kitchen．'They're coming at once，'he said．'Diane—I'm sorry about your mother．'

　　'Dr Pratt，I want to tell you about last night．Everyone was very angry…'

　　'Be quiet！'Roger said quickly．

　　'Diane never thinks before she opens her mouth，'he thought angrily．

　　Diane did not look at Roger．'Last night Mother went to bed early because everyone…'

　　'Don't tell me，'Dr Pratt said．'You can tell the police．'

　　Roger's face went red．Suddenly he felt afraid．'The police are going to talk to everyone，and ask questions，'he thought．'And they're going to want answers．It's going to be very difficult．'He finished his coffee and stood up．

　　'I'm going upstairs，'he said．'I'm going to tell Uncle Al-bert and Jackie about Mother…and about the police．'

　　3

　　第二天清晨整幢房子静悄悄的。突然从罗杰房间旁边他母亲的屋子里传出一声尖叫。罗杰睁开眼看了下钟，还不到7点。他下了床，悄悄打开门。正在这时他母亲房间的门也打开了，黛安娜走出来，她的脸非常苍白。

　　“罗杰！妈妈她，我端了杯咖啡给她，发现她死了。她死了……死在她床上，”她哭道。

　　罗杰急忙走到他母亲的门前往里看，窗户是开着的，可房间里是温暖的。莫利躺在床上，一只手在她头下。罗杰走到床前把手放在她的手臂上，尸体已经冷了。床边的小桌上有杯热咖啡和一个空杯子。

　　“我打电话去叫医生，”黛安娜说。

　　“她死了，”罗杰慢慢地说。他的脸也变白了。“妈妈死了！”

　　黛安娜穿过房间走到门口。“我去打电话叫医生，”她又说。

　　“等会儿！”罗杰叫道。“咱们得先告诉家人。”

　　“家里人！没有人爱妈妈！”黛安娜走出去跑下楼。

　　罗杰跟着她慢慢走下楼站在电话旁。

　　“普拉特先生，我是黛安娜·克拉克森。我的妈妈——她死了。你能尽快赶来吗？”

　　黛安娜放下电话。“这不是真的，罗杰！妈妈死了！爸爸去年冬天死了，现在妈妈也死了。”黛安娜开始哭泣。

　　“别哭了，黛安娜，”罗杰说。“咱们上楼去告诉艾伯特姨父和杰基。”

　　“不！你去告诉他们！没人爱妈妈，你们不必内疚。看看你们！你们想要她的钱。不过如此。”

　　罗杰突然想揍黛安娜。“安静点！”他说。“你怎么了？你不爱妈妈，你也想要她的钱，别忘了这点！”

　　“不错，”黛安娜说。“哦，我不能再呆在这儿了。我要出去。我要和狗去河边。”

　　“不行，”罗杰说。“医生就要来了，我想你留在这儿。”

　　黛安娜没说话。她走进厨房。狗立即站起来走到她旁边。“多漂亮的狗！爸爸爱你们，妈妈也爱你们。现在我会爱你们的。”她打开后门，带着狗走了出去。

　　罗杰没动，他仍站在电话旁。“不错，”他想。“我的确为钱高兴。我需要钱，现在我是富有的了。事情现在对我来说更容易。但是妈妈……我为什么不多爱她些呢？可现在她死了。”罗杰慢慢地上了楼，他想在普拉特医生来前穿好衣服。

　　普拉特医生是个矮胖没有多少头发的男人，他是家庭医生并且他非常清楚克拉克森一家人。他立即上楼查看莫利的尸体。他仔细看了床边桌子上的一杯咖啡和空杯子。

　　“抱歉，罗杰，”他说。“黛安娜在哪儿？她给我打了电话。”

　　“她带着狗出去了，”罗杰说。“她冲我生气，对每个人都生气。”

　　普拉特医生沉默了一会。“这事非常难办。罗杰，我要打电话给警察。”

　　“警察！为什么？出了什么事？”

　　“我不清楚，你的母亲没病，我周四见到她身体很好。她为什么会死？我不明白，我想找出原因。”

　　罗杰走到窗前向外看花园。这是个美丽的夏天清晨，天空蓝蓝的而花园是一片绿色，一切都非常安静。他的妈妈爱这个花园，然而汤姆·布里格斯却打着这个花园的主意，并且罗杰也想要这个花园。罗杰觉得事情越来越糟。

　　“你的妈妈服了安眠药，”普拉特医生说。“你知道吗？她周四买了瓶安眠药，可是我在她的房间却找不到。”

　　“我不知道，”罗杰说。“好吧。咱们下楼去，你可以给警察打电话。”

　　罗杰走进厨房弄了些咖啡，这时黛安娜带着狗走进来。

　　“罗杰，”她说。“你瞧，我很抱歉。我生气了并说了些令人生气的话。”

　　“没关系，”罗杰说。“给你，喝点咖啡。普拉特医生正打电话给警察。你知道妈妈服安眠药吗？唷，瓶子不在她的屋里。”

　　“什么？我不知道。”黛安娜端起咖啡开始喝。她的眼睛看起来又大又黑。

　　这时普尔特医生走进厨房。“他们马上来，”他说。“黛安娜——我为你妈妈难过。”

　　“普拉特医生，我想告诉你有关昨晚的事，每人都非常生气……”

　　“安静些！”罗杰急忙说。

　　“黛安娜在张嘴前从不想想，”他生气地想。

　　黛安娜没看罗杰。“昨晚妈妈早早就上床了，因为每个人……”

　　“别告诉我，”普拉特医生说。“你可以告诉警察。”

　　罗杰的脸红了，突然他觉得有些害怕。“警察会找每个人谈话，问些问题。”他想。“然后他们会想要答案，这事非常棘手。”他喝完咖啡站起来。

 

　　“我上楼去，”他说。“我去告诉艾伯特姨父和杰基有关妈妈的事……还有报警的事。”

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