按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
'Your room is in one of the wings。' she said； handing me a card with a number on it。 'You just have to sign in at the desk and they'll give you the key。 Your bag should be up there already。 Most of the actors are in that wing。 None of the owners。'
'Are you？'
'No。'
She didn't say where her room was； and I didn't ask。 'Where will you eat？' she said doubtfully。 'I mean。。。 will you sit with the actors in the dining room？'
I shook my head。
'But not with the owners。。。'
'It's a lonely old life；' I said。
She looked at me with sudden sharp attention； and I thought ruefully that I'd told her a good deal too much。
'Do you mean；' she asked slowly； 'that you do this all the time？ Play a part？ Not just on the train？'
'No；' I smiled。 'I work alone。 That's all I meant。'
She almost shivered。 'Are you ever yourself？'
'Sundays and Mondays。'
'Alone？'
'Well。。。 yes。'
Her eyes； steady and grey； looked only moderately troubled。 'You don't seem unhappy；' she observed； 'being lonely。'
'Of course not。 I choose it； mostly。 But not when there's an alluring alternative hiding behind a clipboard。'
The armour lay on her lap at that moment； off duty。 She smoothed a hand over it； trying not to laugh。
'Tomorrow；' she said； retreating into mon sense； 'I'm escorting a bus load of passengers to a glacier； then to lunch in Banff； then up a mountain in cable cars。'
'And may it keep fine for you。'
'The Lorrimores have a separate chauffeur…driven car。'
'Has anyone else？'
'Not since Mrs Quentin's left。'
'Poor old Daffodil； 'I said。
'Poor？' Nell exclaimed。 'Did you know she smashed the mirror in her room？'
'Yes； I heard。 Is Mr Filmer going on the bus trip？'
'I don't know yet。 He wanted to know if there's an exercise gym because he likes lifting weights。 The bus is simply available for anyone who wants to go。 I won't know everyone who'll be on it until we set off。'
I would have to watch the departure； I thought； and that could be difficult as I would be half familiar to all of them by now and could hardly stand around invisibly for very long。
'The Unwins have e down into the hall and are heading towards me；' Nell said； looking away from me。
'Right。'
I stood up without haste； took the card she'd given me to the desk； and signed the register。 Behind me； I could hear the Unwins' Australian voices telling her they were going for a stroll by the shore and it was the best trip they'd ever taken。 When I turned round； holding my own key； they were letting themselves out through the glass doors to the garden。
I paused again beside Nell who was now standing up。 'Maybe I'll see you；' I said。
'Maybe。'
I smiled at her eyes。 'If anything odd happens。。。'
She nodded。 'You're in room six sixty…two。'
'After Vancouver；' I said； 'what then？'
'After the races I'm booked straight back to Toronto on the red…eye special。'
'What's the red…eye special？'
'The overnight flight。'
'So soon？'
'How was I to know I wouldn't want to？'
'That'll do fine；' I said； 'for now。'
'Don't get ideas；' Nell said sedately； 'above your lowly station。'
She moved away with a mischievous glint and I went contentedly up to the sixth floor in the wing where there were no owners； and found that the room allocated to me was near the end of the passage and next door to Zak's。
His door was wide open with Donna and Pierre standing half in； half out。
'e on in；' Donna said； seeing me。 'We're just walking through tonight's scene。'
'And we've a hell of a crisis on our hands；' Pierre said。 'We need all the input we can get。'
'But Zak might not。。。' I began。
He came to the door himself。 'Zak is taking suggestions from chimpanzees；' he said。
'OK。 I'll just take off my coat。' I pointed。 'I'm in the room next along。'
I went into my room which proved to have the same sweeping view of the mountains； the lake； the trees； and the glacier； and it was if anything more spectacular than in the lobby from being higher up I took off the raincoat and the uniform it had hidden； put on a tracksuit and trainers； and returned to Zak's fray。
The crisis was the absence of an actor who was supposed to have arrived but had sent apologies instead。
'Apologies！' Zak fumed。 'He broke his goddamn arm this morning and he's not ing。 I ask you！ Is a broken arm any sort of excuse？'
The others； the whole troupe； were inclined to think not。
'He was supposed to be Angelica's husband；' Zak said。
'What about Steve？' I asked。
'He was her lover； and her business partner。 They were both killed by Giles because they had just found out he had embezzled all the capital and the bloodstock business was bankrupt。 Now Angelica's husband es on the scene to ask where her money is； as she hasn't changed her will and he inherits。 He decided to investigate her death himself because he doesn't think either the Mounties or I have done a good enough job。 And now he isn't even here。'
'Well；' I said； 'why don't you discover that it is Raoul who is really Angelica's husband and who stands to inherit； which gives him a lot of motive as he doesn't know yet that Giles has embezzled the money； does he？ No one does。 And Raoul is only free to marry Donna because Angelica is dead； which can give the Bricknells hysterics。 And how about if Raoul says the Bricknells themselves have been doping their horses； not Raoul； but they deny it and are very pleased that he should be judged guilty of everything now they know he can't marry their daughter because he is probably a murderer and will go to jail。 And how about if it was the Bricknells' horse that was really supposed to be kidnapped； but by Giles； as you can later discover； so that he could sell it and gain enough to skip the country once he got safely to Vancouver。'
They opened their mouths。
'I don't know that it actually makes sense；' Zak said eventually。
'Never mind； I don't suppose they'll notice。'
'You cynical son…of…a。。。'
'I don't see why not；' Donna said。 'And I can have a nice weepy scene with Pierre。'
'Why？' Zak said。
'I like doing them。'
They all fell about； and in a while walked through dramatic revelations （received by Zak from Outside Sources） of Raoul's marriage to Angelica five years earlier； which neither had acknowledged at Toronto station because； Raoul said unconvincingly； they were both shocked to find the other there； as he wanted to meld with Donna as she with Steve。
They all went away presently to get into their character clothes； and from Zak； very much later； I heard that the whole thing； played at the tops of their voices； had been a galvanic riot。 He came to my door with a bottle in each hand； Scotch for him； red wine for me； and sank exhaustedly into an armchair with an air of having nobly borne the weight of the world on his shoulders and bravely survived。
'Did you have any dinner？' he said； yawning。 'Didn't see you。'
'I had some sent up。'
He looked at the television programme with which I'd passed the time。
'Rotten reception in these mountains；' he said。 'Look at that idiot。' He stared at the screen。 'Couldn't act his way out of a paper bag。'
We drank panionably and I asked if the party were all generally happy without Daffodil Quentin。
'The dear in the Mont Blanc curls？' he said。 'Oh； sure。 They were all in a great mood。 That man who used to be with her all the time was dripping charm all over Bambi Lorrimore and that nutter of a son of hers didn't open his mouth once。 Those Australians are still in the clouds。。。'
He described the reactions of some of the others to the evening's scene and then said he would rely on me for another scintillating bit of scrambled plot for the next night。 Not to mention； he added； a denouement and finale for the night after； our last on the train。 The mystery had to be solved then before a Gala Dinner of epic proportions prising five courses produced by Angus by sleight of hand。
'But I only said it all off the top of my head；' I said。
'The top of your head will do us all fine。' He yawned。 'Tell you the truth； we need a fresh mind。'