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G. K. Chesterton, The Wisdom of Father Brown (1914) Part 1

May 24

1. The Absence of Mr. Glass

有人报告一位神秘的Mr. Glass在密室中杀死了Mr. Todhunter。证人听到Mr. Todhunter和Mr. Glass讲话,可是房间里却没有Mr. Glass。

真相
Mr. Todhunter练习魔术,往天上扔杯子,”Mister Glass”其实是”missed a glass”。第二个声音是他用腹语发出。

2. The Paradise of Thieves

英国富豪被劫走了二千镑。这只是简单的劫案吗?

真相
富豪演戏假装自己被劫持,这样自己和钱可以一起消失。

3. The Duel of Dr. Hirsch

Dubosc指控Hirsch向德国泄露秘密配方,结果两人都消失不见。

真相
Dubosc其实就是Hirsch,故意装扮得截然不同。

4. The Man in the Passage

女人被短刃刺死在走廊里,衣服凌乱,有打斗痕迹。几名证人对疑犯给出完全不同的描述。

真相
凶手用长矛刺死的死者,伤口看上去像是短刃。死者衣服凌乱是因为剐到了镜子上,她想把衣服解下来。证人们看到的不同形象实际是他们每人在镜子中的影像。

5. The Mistake of the Machine

疑犯看上去像是杀死Lord Falconroy的凶手,测谎仪的结果也表明他听到falcon就有生理反应。他真的是凶手吗?

真相
疑犯就是Lord Falconroy本人。

参考Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Man with the Twisted Lip (1891)。

6. The Head of Caesar

古币收藏家把一套值钱的古罗马钱币留给了他的儿子A。他的女儿有一天偷出了一枚钱币Head of Caesar,结果被人勒索。她是如何被发现的呢?

真相
勒索犯是A。他不喜欢钱币,把它们一点点卖掉了,还勒索自己的亲妹妹。

本作有一段讨论极为精彩:

“You want one person for suicide; two people for murder; but at least three people for blackmail.”
“Why?” asked the priest softly.

“Well, obviously,” cried his friend, “there must be one to be exposed; one to threaten exposure; and one at least whom exposure would horrify.”

After a long ruminant pause, the priest said: “You miss a logical step. Three persons are needed as ideas. Only two are needed as agents.”

 

Posted by on May 24, 2010 in impossible crime, story

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