As a child I had been impressed by the Boerum House. It was
fairly new then, and shiny with new paint - a huge Victorian
building. Standing in front of it this early Christmas Eve,
however, I could find no echo of that youthful impression. It
was all a depressing gray now, and the curtains behind the
windows were drawn completely so that the house seemed to
present blindly staring eyes to the passerby.
When I knocked my stick sharply on the door, Celia opened
it. 'There is a doorbell,' she said.
She was still wearing the long unfashionable and badly
wrinkled black dress which must have been her mother's, and
she looked more than ever like old Katrin had in her later years:
the thin bony body, the tight thin line of her lips, the colorless
hair pulled back hard enough to remove every wrinkle from her
forehead. She reminded me of a steel trap ready to shut down
on anyone who touched her incautiously.
I said, 'I am aware that the doorbell is not connected, Celia,'
and walked past her into the hall. She banged the door shut,
and instantly we were in half-darkness.
I put out my hand for the light switch, but Celia said sharply,
'This is no time for lights! There's been a death in this house,
you know that.'
'I have good reason to know,' I said, 'but your manner now
does not impress me.'
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American Crime Stories
'She was my brother's wife, and very dear to me.'
I moved towards her and rested my stick on her shoulder.
'Celia,' I said, 'as your family's lawyer, let me give you a word
of advice. The inquest is over, and you've been cleared. But
nobody believed you then, and nobody ever will. Remember
that.'
She pulled away. 'Is that what you came to tell me?'
'I came because I knew your brother would want to see me
today. I suggest you keep away while I talk to him.'
'Keep away from him yourself!' she cried. 'He was at the
inquest and saw them clear my name. In a little while he'll forget
the terrible things he thinks about me. Keep away from him so
that he can forget.'
I started walking cautiously up the dark stairs, but she
followed me. 'I prayed,' she said, 'and was told that life is too
short for hatred. So when he comes to me, I'll forgive him.'
I reached the top of the stairs and almost fell over something.
I swore, then said, 'If you're not going to use lights, you should
at least keep the way clear. Why don't you get these things out
of here?'
'They are poor Jessie's things,' she said. 'Ready for throwing
out. It hurts Charlie to see anything of hers. I knew it would be
best to throw them out.' Alarm came into her voice. 'But you
won't tell him, will you?'
I went into Charlie's room and closed the door behind me.
The curtains were drawn, but the ceiling light showed me that
he was lying on his bed with an arm over his eyes. Slowly, he
stood up and looked at me.
'Well,' he said at last, nodding towards the door, 'she didn't
give you any light on the way up, did she?'
12
Death on Christmas Eve
'No,' I said, 'but I know the way.'
'She gets around better in the dark than I do in the light. She'd
rather have it that way, too. Otherwise she might look into a
mirror and be frightened of what she saw.' He gave a short laugh.
'All you hear from her now is how she loved Jessie, and how
sorry she is. Maybe she thinks if she says if often enough, people
will believe it.'
I dropped my hat and stick on the bed and put my overcoat
beside them. Then I took out a cigarette and waited until he
found a match to light it for me. His hand shook violently.
Charlie was five years younger than Celia, but seeing him then I
thought he looked ten years older. His hair was so fair that it
was difficult to see whether or not he was going gray. He had
not shaved for several days, and there were huge blue-black bags
under his eyes. He stared at me, pulling uncertainly at his
mustache.
'You know why I wanted to see you,' he said.
'I can imagine,' I said, 'but I'd rather you told me.'
'It's Celia,' he said. 'I want her to get what she deserves. Not
prison. I want the law to take her and kill her, and I want to be
there to watch it.'
'You were at the inquest, Charlie,' I said. 'You saw what
happened. Celia's cleared and, unless more evidence can be
produced, she stays cleared.'
'What more evidence does anyone need! They were arguing
violently at the top of the stairs. Celia threw Jessie down to the
bottom and killed her. That's murder, isn't it?'
I was tired, and sat down in the old leather armchair. 'There
were no witnesses,' I said.
'I heard Jessie scream and I heard her fall,' he said, 'and when
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American Crime Stories
I ran out and found her there, I heard Celia bang her door shut.
She pushed Jessie!'
'But you didn't see anything. And Celia says she wasn't there.
As you weren't an eyewitness, you can't make a murder out of
what might have been an accident.'
He slowly shook his head. 'You don't really believe that,' he
said. 'Because if you do, you can get out now and never come
near me again.'
'It doesn't matter what I believe. I'm telling you the legal
position. What about motive? What did Celia have to gain from
Jessie's death? There's no money or property involved.'
Charlie sat down on the edge of his bed. 'No,' he whispered,
'there's no money or property in it. It's me. First, it was the old
lady with her heart trouble whenever I tried to do anything for
myself. Then when she died and I thought I was free, it was
Celia. She never had a husband or a baby - but she had me!'
'She's your sister, Charlie. She loves you.'
He laughed unpleasantly. 'And she can't let me go. When I
think back now, I still can't understand how she did it. She would
look at me in a certain way and all the strength would go out of
me. And it was like that until I met Jessie . . . I remember the day
I brought Jessie home, and told Celia we were married. There
was a look in her eye — the same look that must have been there
when she pushed Jessie down those stairs.'
I said, 'But you admitted at the inquest that you never saw
her threaten or do anything to hurt Jessie.'
'Of course I never saw! But Jessie would go around sick to
her heart every day without saying a Word, and would cry in
bed every night and not tell me why. I knew what was going on.
I talked to her and I talked to Celia, and both of them just shook
14
Death on Christmas Eve
their heads. But when I saw Jessie lying there, it didn't surprise
me at all.'
'I don't think it surprised anyone who knows Celia,' I said,
'but that isn't evidence.'
He beat his hand against his knee. 'What can I do? That's
what I need you to tell me. All my life I've never done anything
because of her. And that's what she expects now — that I won't
do anything, and that she'll get away with it.' He stood up and
stared at the door, then at me. 'But I can do something,' he
whispered. 'Do you know what?'
I stood up facing him and shook my head. 'Whatever you're
thinking, put it out of your mind,' I said.
'Don't confuse me,' he said. 'You know you can get away
with murder if you're as clever as Celia. Don't you think I'm as
clever as Celia?'
I held his shoulders. 'Don't talk like that, Charlie!'
He pulled away. His eyes were bright and his teeth showed
behind his lips. 'What should I do?' he cried. 'Forget everything
now Jessie is dead and buried? Sit here until Celia gets tired of
being afraid of me and kills me too?'
'You haven't been out of this house since the inquest,' I said.
'It's about time you went out.'
'And have everybody laugh at me!' he said.
'Al Sharp said that some of your friends would be at his bar
tonight, and he'd like to see you there,' I said. 'That's my advice
— for whatever it's worth.'
'It's not worth anything,' said Celia. The door had opened
and she stood there, her eyes narrowed against the light in the
room. Charlie turned towards her.
'I told you never to come into this room!' he said.
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American Crime Stories
'Did you have your ear at the door
long enough to hear everything I said?'
Her face remained calm. 'I'm not in it. I came to tell you that
your dinner is ready.'
He took a threatening step towards her. 'Did you have your
ear at the door long enough to hear everything I said?' he asked.
'Or shall I repeat it for you?'
'I heard an invitation to go drinking while this house is still
in mourning,' she said, 'and I object to that.'
16
Death on Christmas Eve
He looked at her, amazed. 'Celia, tell me you don't mean
that! Only the blackest hypocrite alive or someone mad could
say what you've just said, and mean it.'
'Mad!' she cried. 'You dare use that word? Locked in your
room, talking to yourself.' She turned to me suddenly. 'You've
talked to him. Is it possible—?'
'He's as sane as you, Celia,' I said.
'Then he knows he shouldn't drink in bars at a time like this.
How could you ask him to do it?'
'If you weren't preparing to throw out Jessie's things, Celia,'
I said, 'I would take that question seriously.' It was a dangerous
thing to say, and I immediately regretted it. Before I could move,
Charlie was past me and was holding Celia's arms tightly.
'Did you dare go into her room?' he shouted, shaking her.
And getting an immediate answer from her face, he dropped
her arms as if they were red hot, and stood there with his head
down. 'Where are her things?'
'By the stairs, Charlie. Everything is there.'
He walked out of the room, and Celia turned to look at me.
There was such terrible hatred in her face that I desperately
wanted to get out of that house. I took my things from the bed,
but she stood in front of the door.
'Do you see what you've done?' she said in a rough whisper.
'Now I will have to pack them all again - just because of you.
You old fool! It should have been you with her when I—'
I dropped my stick sharply on her shoulder. 'As your lawyer,
Celia,' I said, 'I advise you to speak only during your sleep, when
you can't be made responsible for what you say.'
She said no more, but I made sure she stayed safely in front
of me until I was out in the street again.
17
American Crime Stories
It
เป็นเด็กที่ฉันได้รับประทับใจบ้าน Boerum มันเป็นค่อนข้างใหม่แล้ว และเงา ด้วยสีใหม่ - อ่างใหญ่อาคาร ยืนหน้ามันนี้ต้นคริสมาสต์อย่างไรก็ตาม ฉันได้พบไม่สะท้อนความประทับใจที่อ่อนเยาว์ มันทั้งหมด depressing สีเทาตอนนี้ และม่านหลังการมีออก windows ทั้งหมดเพื่อให้บ้านดูเหมือนจะนำเสนอสายตาจ้องมองอย่างคนตาบอด passerbyเมื่อฉันกังวานติดของฉันอย่างรวดเร็วประตู เซเลียเปิดมัน 'มีกริ่งบ้านกับ เธอกล่าวเธอยังคงสวมก็นาน และไม่ดีรอยย่นแต่งตัวสีดำซึ่งต้องได้รับของมารดา และเธอเหมือนเคยมากกว่า Katrin เก่าในปีของเธอในภายหลัง:ร่างกายบาง bony แน่นบางบรรทัดของริมฝีปากของเธอ ที่ไม่มีสีผมดึงกลับหนักพอที่จะเอาทุกริ้วรอยจากเธอหน้าผาก เธอนึกถึงฉันกับดักเหล็กพร้อมปิดผู้ที่สัมผัสเธอ incautiouslyฉันกล่าวว่า, "ผมทราบว่า กริ่งบ้านที่ไม่เชื่อมต่อ เซเลียและเดินผ่านเธอเข้าไปในห้องโถง เธอตีปิดประตูและทันทีที่เราอยู่ในความมืดครึ่งฉันดับมือสำหรับสวิตช์ไฟ แต่ว่า เซเลียอย่างรวดเร็ว' นี่คือระยะเวลาไฟ มีการตายในบ้านคุณทราบหรือไม่ว่า ''มีเหตุผลที่ดีรู้จัก ฉันกล่าวว่า, ' แต่ลักษณะของคุณตอนนี้ประทับใจฉัน.'11เรื่องราวอาชญากรรมอเมริกัน' เธอเป็นภรรยาของน้องชายของฉัน และรักมากที่ผม 'ย้ายต่อเธอ และคัดสรรไม้ของฉันบนไหล่ของเธอ'เซเลีย ฉันกล่าวว่า, ' เป็นทนายความของครอบครัว ให้ฉันให้คำแนะนำ Inquest อยู่ และคุณได้รับการล้าง แต่ไม่มีใครเชื่อคุณแล้ว และไม่มีใครเคยจะ จำที่ 'เธอดึงออกไป 'คือสิ่งที่คุณมาบอก'' ผมมา เพราะผมรู้ว่า พี่อยากเห็นฉันวันนี้ คำแนะนำคุณให้เก็บในขณะที่ผมคุยกับเขา ''ให้ออกไปจากเขาเอง ' เธอร้อง ' เป็นที่inquest และเห็นพวกเขาล้างชื่อของฉัน ในเดี๋ยวเขาจะลืมสิ่งชั่วร้ายที่เขาคิดเกี่ยวกับฉัน ให้ออกไปจากเขาได้ที่เขาสามารถลืม 'ผมเริ่มเดินเดินขึ้นบันไดมืด แต่เธอตามฉัน 'ฉันอธิษฐาน เธอกล่าวว่า, ' และที่บอกว่า ชีวิตเป็นไปสั้น ๆ สำหรับความเกลียดชัง ดังนั้นเมื่อเขามาถึงฉัน ฉันจะให้อภัยเขา 'ถึงด้านบนของบันได และเกือบตกผ่านบางสิ่งบางอย่างฉัน swore จาก นั้น กล่าวว่า ' ถ้าคุณไม่จะใช้ไฟ คุณควรน้อย เก็บแบบชัดเจน เหตุใดคุณจึงไม่ได้สิ่งเหล่านี้ออกของที่นี่? "'พวกเขาเป็นสิ่งไม่ดีเจสซี เธอกล่าว ' พร้อมขว้างปาออก เจ็บชาร์ลีเห็นอะไรของเธอ ผมรู้ว่า มันจะควรทิ้งให้ ' ปลุกมาเป็นเสียงของเธอ "แต่คุณไม่บอก เขาจะคุณ? "ฉันเดินเข้าไปในห้องของชาร์ลี และปิดประตูข้างหลังม่านได้ สามารถ ดึงไฟเพดานแสดงให้ฉันเห็นที่เขากำลังนอนบนเตียงของเขา ด้วยแขนที่ผ่านตา ช้า เขาลุกขึ้นยืน และมองฉันด้วย'ดี เขากล่าวว่า ในที่สุด nodding ต่อประตู, ' เธอไม่ได้give you any light on the way up, did she?'12Death on Christmas Eve'No,' I said, 'but I know the way.''She gets around better in the dark than I do in the light. She'drather have it that way, too. Otherwise she might look into amirror and be frightened of what she saw.' He gave a short laugh.'All you hear from her now is how she loved Jessie, and howsorry she is. Maybe she thinks if she says if often enough, peoplewill believe it.'I dropped my hat and stick on the bed and put my overcoatbeside them. Then I took out a cigarette and waited until hefound a match to light it for me. His hand shook violently.Charlie was five years younger than Celia, but seeing him then Ithought he looked ten years older. His hair was so fair that itwas difficult to see whether or not he was going gray. He hadnot shaved for several days, and there were huge blue-black bagsunder his eyes. He stared at me, pulling uncertainly at hismustache.'You know why I wanted to see you,' he said.'I can imagine,' I said, 'but I'd rather you told me.''It's Celia,' he said. 'I want her to get what she deserves. Notprison. I want the law to take her and kill her, and I want to bethere to watch it.''You were at the inquest, Charlie,' I said. 'You saw whathappened. Celia's cleared and, unless more evidence can beproduced, she stays cleared.''What more evidence does anyone need! They were arguingviolently at the top of the stairs. Celia threw Jessie down to thebottom and killed her. That's murder, isn't it?'
I was tired, and sat down in the old leather armchair. 'There
were no witnesses,' I said.
'I heard Jessie scream and I heard her fall,' he said, 'and when
13
American Crime Stories
I ran out and found her there, I heard Celia bang her door shut.
She pushed Jessie!'
'But you didn't see anything. And Celia says she wasn't there.
As you weren't an eyewitness, you can't make a murder out of
what might have been an accident.'
He slowly shook his head. 'You don't really believe that,' he
said. 'Because if you do, you can get out now and never come
near me again.'
'It doesn't matter what I believe. I'm telling you the legal
position. What about motive? What did Celia have to gain from
Jessie's death? There's no money or property involved.'
Charlie sat down on the edge of his bed. 'No,' he whispered,
'there's no money or property in it. It's me. First, it was the old
lady with her heart trouble whenever I tried to do anything for
myself. Then when she died and I thought I was free, it was
Celia. She never had a husband or a baby - but she had me!'
'She's your sister, Charlie. She loves you.'
He laughed unpleasantly. 'And she can't let me go. When I
think back now, I still can't understand how she did it. She would
look at me in a certain way and all the strength would go out of
me. And it was like that until I met Jessie . . . I remember the day
I brought Jessie home, and told Celia we were married. There
was a look in her eye — the same look that must have been there
when she pushed Jessie down those stairs.'
I said, 'But you admitted at the inquest that you never saw
her threaten or do anything to hurt Jessie.'
'Of course I never saw! But Jessie would go around sick to
her heart every day without saying a Word, and would cry in
bed every night and not tell me why. I knew what was going on.
I talked to her and I talked to Celia, and both of them just shook
14
Death on Christmas Eve
their heads. But when I saw Jessie lying there, it didn't surprise
me at all.'
'I don't think it surprised anyone who knows Celia,' I said,
'but that isn't evidence.'
He beat his hand against his knee. 'What can I do? That's
what I need you to tell me. All my life I've never done anything
because of her. And that's what she expects now — that I won't
do anything, and that she'll get away with it.' He stood up and
stared at the door, then at me. 'But I can do something,' he
whispered. 'Do you know what?'
I stood up facing him and shook my head. 'Whatever you're
thinking, put it out of your mind,' I said.
'Don't confuse me,' he said. 'You know you can get away
with murder if you're as clever as Celia. Don't you think I'm as
clever as Celia?'
I held his shoulders. 'Don't talk like that, Charlie!'
He pulled away. His eyes were bright and his teeth showed
behind his lips. 'What should I do?' he cried. 'Forget everything
now Jessie is dead and buried? Sit here until Celia gets tired of
being afraid of me and kills me too?'
'You haven't been out of this house since the inquest,' I said.
'It's about time you went out.'
'And have everybody laugh at me!' he said.
'Al Sharp said that some of your friends would be at his bar
tonight, and he'd like to see you there,' I said. 'That's my advice
— for whatever it's worth.'
'It's not worth anything,' said Celia. The door had opened
and she stood there, her eyes narrowed against the light in the
room. Charlie turned towards her.
'I told you never to come into this room!' he said.
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American Crime Stories
'Did you have your ear at the door
long enough to hear everything I said?'
Her face remained calm. 'I'm not in it. I came to tell you that
your dinner is ready.'
He took a threatening step towards her. 'Did you have your
ear at the door long enough to hear everything I said?' he asked.
'Or shall I repeat it for you?'
'I heard an invitation to go drinking while this house is still
in mourning,' she said, 'and I object to that.'
16
Death on Christmas Eve
He looked at her, amazed. 'Celia, tell me you don't mean
that! Only the blackest hypocrite alive or someone mad could
say what you've just said, and mean it.'
'Mad!' she cried. 'You dare use that word? Locked in your
room, talking to yourself.' She turned to me suddenly. 'You've
talked to him. Is it possible—?'
'He's as sane as you, Celia,' I said.
'Then he knows he shouldn't drink in bars at a time like this.
How could you ask him to do it?'
'If you weren't preparing to throw out Jessie's things, Celia,'
I said, 'I would take that question seriously.' It was a dangerous
thing to say, and I immediately regretted it. Before I could move,
Charlie was past me and was holding Celia's arms tightly.
'Did you dare go into her room?' he shouted, shaking her.
And getting an immediate answer from her face, he dropped
her arms as if they were red hot, and stood there with his head
down. 'Where are her things?'
'By the stairs, Charlie. Everything is there.'
He walked out of the room, and Celia turned to look at me.
There was such terrible hatred in her face that I desperately
wanted to get out of that house. I took my things from the bed,
but she stood in front of the door.
'Do you see what you've done?' she said in a rough whisper.
'Now I will have to pack them all again - just because of you.
You old fool! It should have been you with her when I—'
I dropped my stick sharply on her shoulder. 'As your lawyer,
Celia,' I said, 'I advise you to speak only during your sleep, when
you can't be made responsible for what you say.'
She said no more, but I made sure she stayed safely in front
of me until I was out in the street again.
17
American Crime Stories
It
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