Buckner’\u0131n arkas\u0131ndan Griswell \u00e7\u0131\u011fl\u0131\u011f\u0131n\u0131 bast\u0131rd\u0131, \u00e7\u00fcnk\u00fc Buckner’\u0131n uyar\u0131s\u0131n\u0131 neyin tetikledi\u011fini g\u00f6rm\u00fc\u015ft\u00fc. Merdivenin ba\u015f\u0131ndan birka\u00e7 metre uzakta Branner’\u0131n ayak izleri aniden durmu\u015f, sonra d\u00f6nm\u00fc\u015f neredeyse ayn\u0131 izleri takip etmi\u015f. \u0130zlerin bitti\u011fi yerde tozlu zemin \u00fczerinde b\u00fcy\u00fck bir kan damlas\u0131 vard\u0131 ve di\u011fer izlerle birle\u015fiyordu, dar ama tarakl\u0131 parmaklar\u0131yla \u00e7\u0131plak ayak izleri. Onlar da ikinci s\u0131radan itibaren geri \u00e7ekiliyorlard\u0131. Buckner k\u00fcfrederek \u00fczerlerine e\u011fildi.<\/p>\n
“\u0130zler bulu\u015fuyor! Ve bulu\u015ftuklar\u0131 yerde kan ve beyin par\u00e7alar\u0131 var! Branner bu noktada balta darbesiyle \u00f6ld\u00fcr\u00fclm\u00fc\u015f olmal\u0131. \u00c7\u0131plak ayaklar ayakkab\u0131l\u0131 olanla bulu\u015fmak i\u00e7in karanl\u0131ktan \u00e7\u0131k\u0131yor sonra ikisi de d\u00f6n\u00fcyor, ayakkab\u0131l\u0131 olan a\u015fa\u011f\u0131 iniyor \u00e7\u0131plak olansa koridordan geri d\u00f6n\u00fcyor.”<\/p>\n
I\u015f\u0131\u011f\u0131 koridora do\u011fru tuttu. Ayak izleri \u0131\u015f\u0131\u011f\u0131n ula\u015famad\u0131\u011f\u0131 bir yerde karanl\u0131\u011fa g\u00f6m\u00fcld\u00fc. Her iki tarafta da kapal\u0131 olan odalar\u0131n kap\u0131lar\u0131 esrarengiz giri\u015flerdi.<\/p>\n
Buckner, “San\u0131r\u0131m \u00e7\u0131lg\u0131n hik\u00e2yen do\u011fru,” diye m\u0131r\u0131ldand\u0131.<\/p>\n
“Bunlar sizin izlerini de\u011fil. Bir kad\u0131na ait gibiler. Farz edelim ki biri \u0131sl\u0131k \u00e7ald\u0131 ve Branner bakmak i\u00e7in yukar\u0131 \u00e7\u0131kt\u0131. Diyelim ki biriyle burada kar\u015f\u0131la\u015ft\u0131 ve kafas\u0131n\u0131 yar\u0131ld\u0131. Bu durumda t\u00fcm bu izler ve i\u015faretler t\u0131pk\u0131 \u015fu an oldu\u011fu gibi olurdu. Fakat e\u011fer \u00f6yleyse neden Branner \u00f6ld\u00fcr\u00fcld\u00fc\u011f\u00fc yerde yatm\u0131yor? Ger\u00e7ekten onu \u00f6ld\u00fcren her kimse elinden baltay\u0131 al\u0131p yalpalaya yalpalaya a\u015fa\u011f\u0131 inecek kadar uzun ya\u015fam\u0131\u015f olabilir mi?”<\/p>\n
“Hay\u0131r, hay\u0131r!”<\/p>\n
Griswell neler oldu\u011funu hat\u0131rlay\u0131nca midesi kalkt\u0131.<\/p>\n
“Onu merdivende g\u00f6rd\u00fcm. \u00d6l\u00fcyd\u00fc. B\u00f6yle bir yara ald\u0131ktan sonra hi\u00e7 bir insan evlad\u0131 bir dakika bile ya\u015fayamaz.”<\/p>\n
“Buna inan\u0131yorum,” diye f\u0131s\u0131ldad\u0131 Buckner.<\/p>\n
“Ama- bu delilik! Ya da \u00e7ok zekice- ama yine de, basit bir \u00f6z savunma daha etkili olabilecekken ne t\u00fcr akl\u0131 ba\u015f\u0131nda bir adam cinayetten yarg\u0131lanmamak u\u011fruna bu kadar ayr\u0131nt\u0131l\u0131 ve \u00e7\u0131lg\u0131n bir plan yap\u0131p d\u00fc\u015f\u00fcn\u00fcrd\u00fc? Hi\u00e7 bir mahkeme bu hik\u00e2yeyi yemez. Pek\u00e2l\u00e2, di\u011fer izleri de takip edelim. Koridordan a\u015fa\u011f\u0131 buraya iniyorlar, bu da ne? “<\/p>\n
Griswell, ruhunda buz gibi bir pen\u00e7eyle fenerin s\u00f6nmeye ba\u015flad\u0131\u011f\u0131n\u0131 g\u00f6rd\u00fc.<\/p>\n
“Bu pil yeni,” diye m\u0131r\u0131ldand\u0131 Buckner ve Griswell ilk defa sesinde kayg\u0131y\u0131 yakalad\u0131.<\/p>\n
“\u00c7abuk- \u00e7\u0131kal\u0131m buradan!”<\/p>\n
Fener soluk k\u0131rm\u0131z\u0131 bir \u0131\u015f\u0131lt\u0131yla solmu\u015ftu. Karanl\u0131k sanki i\u00e7lerine i\u015fliyor, kara kedi ayaklar\u0131yla s\u00fcr\u00fcn\u00fcyor gibiydi. Buckner geriye do\u011fru bir ad\u0131m atarken t\u00f6kezleyen Griswell’i arkas\u0131na itti, teti\u011fini \u00e7ekti\u011fi tabancas\u0131n\u0131 karanl\u0131k salondan a\u015fa\u011f\u0131 do\u011fru inerken kald\u0131rd\u0131. Griswell b\u00fcy\u00fcyen karanl\u0131kta bir kap\u0131n\u0131n sinsice a\u00e7\u0131ld\u0131\u011f\u0131na benzeyen bir ses duydu. Ve aniden etraflar\u0131ndaki karanl\u0131k onlar\u0131 tehditle sard\u0131. Griswell bunu Buckner’\u0131n da hisseti\u011fini biliyordu, \u00e7\u00fcnk\u00fc \u015ferifin \u00e7etin bedeni iz \u00fcst\u00fcndeki bir panter kadar gergindi. Ama hi\u00e7 acele etmeden merdivene do\u011fru ilerledi ve geri \u00e7ekildi, Griswell ondan \u00f6nce inmi\u015fti, ba\u011f\u0131rmas\u0131n\u0131 ve delirip kafay\u0131 yemesini s\u00f6yleyen d\u00fcrt\u00fcs\u00fcyle sava\u015f\u0131yordu. Korkun\u00e7 bir d\u00fc\u015f\u00fcnceyle so\u011fuk so\u011fuk terlemeye ba\u015flad\u0131. \u00d6l\u00fc adam\u0131n arkalar\u0131ndan donuk kanl\u0131 y\u00fcz\u00fc, par\u00e7alamaya haz\u0131r baltas\u0131yla karanl\u0131kta merdivenlerden s\u00fcr\u00fcnmesi mi gerekiyordu? Bu ihtimal onu \u00f6ylesine zay\u0131f b\u0131rak\u0131yordu ki koridorun alt kademesine geldi\u011finde aya\u011f\u0131n\u0131n tak\u0131ld\u0131\u011f\u0131n\u0131 zar zor fark etti ve a\u015fa\u011f\u0131 inerlerken fenerin t\u00fcm g\u00fcc\u00fcyle parlamaya ba\u015flad\u0131\u011f\u0131n\u0131n ancak o zaman fark\u0131na vard\u0131 ama Buckner merdivenlere geri d\u00f6ner d\u00f6nmez merdivenin ba\u015f\u0131nda duvardan bir sis gibi duran karanl\u0131\u011f\u0131 ayd\u0131nlatmay\u0131 ba\u015faramad\u0131.<\/p>\n
“Kodumun \u015feyi birden bire ortaya \u00e7\u0131kt\u0131,” diye homurdand\u0131 Buckner.<\/p>\n
“Ba\u015fka bir \u015fey olmal\u0131. Normal olan hi\u00e7 bir \u015fey b\u00f6yle hareket edemez.”<\/p>\n
“I\u015f\u0131\u011f\u0131 odaya do\u011fru \u00e7evir,” diye yalvard\u0131 Griswell.<\/p>\n
“Bak e\u011fer John- John e\u011fer-“<\/p>\n
Bu korkun\u00e7 d\u00fc\u015f\u00fcnceyi kelimelere d\u00f6kemedi ama Buckner onu anlam\u0131\u015ft\u0131. Feneri etrafta gezdirdi, Griswell \u00f6ld\u00fcr\u00fclen bir adam\u0131n kanl\u0131 cesedinin b\u00f6ylesine bir rahatlama getirece\u011fini hayal dahi etmemi\u015fti.<\/p>\n
“Hala orada,” diye homurdand\u0131 Buckner.<\/p>\n
“E\u011fer \u00f6ld\u00fcr\u00fcld\u00fckten sonra y\u00fcr\u00fcd\u00fcyse o zamandan beri yerinden k\u0131p\u0131rdamam\u0131\u015ft\u0131r. Ama o \u015fey-“<\/p>\n
Tekrar merdivenlere do\u011fru \u0131\u015f\u0131\u011f\u0131 \u00e7evirdi, dudaklar\u0131n\u0131 kemirip ka\u015flar\u0131n\u0131 \u00e7atarak bekledi. \u00dc\u00e7 kere silah\u0131n\u0131 kald\u0131rd\u0131. Griswell akl\u0131n\u0131 okudu. \u015eerif merdivene geri at\u0131lmak ve bilinmeyenle \u015fans\u0131n\u0131 denemek i\u00e7in \u015feytana uymaya haz\u0131rd\u0131.<\/p>\n\t\n
Behind him Griswell stifled a cry, for he had seen what prompted Buckner’s exclamation. A few feet from the head of the stair Branner’s footprints stopped abruptly, then returned, treading almost in the other tracks. And where the trail halted there was a great splash of blood on the dusty floor-and other tracks met it-tracks of bare feet, narrow but with splayed toes. They too receded in a second line from the spot. Buckner bent over them, swearing.<\/p>\n
“The tracks meet! And where they meet there’s blood and brains on the floor! Branner must have been killed on that spot-with a blow from a hatchet. Bare feet coming out of the darkness to meet shod feet-then both turned away again; the shod feet went downstairs, the bare feet went back down the hall.”<\/p>\n
\u00a0He directed his light down the hall. The footprints faded into darkness, beyond the reach of the beam. On either hand the closed doors of chambers were cryptic portals of mystery.<\/p>\n
“Suppose your crazy tale was true,” Buckner muttered, half to himself. “These aren’t your tracks. They look like a woman’s. Suppose somebody did whistle, and Branner went upstairs to investigate. Suppose somebody met him here in the dark and split his head. The signs and tracks would have been, in that case, just as they really are. But if that’s so, why isn’t Branner lyin’ here where he was killed? Could he have lived long enough to take the hatchet away from whoever killed him, and stagger downstairs with it?”<\/p>\n
“No, no!” Recollection gagged Griswell. “I saw him on the stair. He was dead. No man could live a minute after receiving such a wound.”<\/p>\n
“I believe it,” muttered Buckner. “But-it’s madness! Or else it’s too clever-yet, what sane man would think up and work out such an elaborate and utterly insane plan to escape punishment for murder, when a simple plea of self-defense would have been so much more effective? No court would recognize that story. Well, let’s follow these other tracks. They lead down the hall-here, what’s this?”<\/p>\n
With an icy clutch at his soul, Griswell saw the light was beginning to grow dim.<\/p>\n
“This battery is new,” muttered Buckner, and for the first time Griswell caught an edge of fear in his voice. “Come on-out of here quick!”<\/p>\n
The light had faded to a faint red glow. The darkness seemed straining into them, creeping with black cat-feet. Buckner retreated, pushing Griswell stumbling behind him as he walked backward, pistol cocked and lifted, down the dark hall. In the growing darkness Griswell heard what sounded like the stealthy opening of a door. And suddenly the blackness about them was vibrant with menace. Griswell knew Buckner sensed it as well as he, for the sheriff’s hard body was tense and taut as a stalking panther’s. But without haste he worked his way to the stair and backed down it, Griswell preceding him, and fighting the panic that urged him to scream and burst into mad flight. A ghastly thought brought icy sweat out on his flesh. Suppose the dead man were creeping up the stair behind them in the dark, face frozen in the death-grin, blood-caked hatchet lifted to strike? This possibility so overpowered him that he was scarcely aware when his feet struck the level of the lower hallway, and he was only then aware that the light had grown brighter as they descended, until it now gleamed with its full power-but when Buckner turned it back up the stairway, it failed to illuminate the darkness that hung like a tangible fog at the head of the stair.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“The damn thing was conjured,” muttered Buckner. “Nothin’ else. It couldn’t act like that naturally.”<\/p>\n
“Turn the light into the room,” begged Griswell. “See if John-if John is-“<\/p>\n
He could not put the ghastly thought into words, but Buckner understood. He swung the beam around, and Griswell had never dreamed that the sight of the gory body of a murdered man could bring such relief.<\/p>\n
“He’s still there,” grunted Buckner. “If he walked after he was killed, he hasn’t walked since. But that thing-“<\/p>\n
Again he turned the light up the stair, and stood chewing his lip and scowling. Three times he half lifted his gun. Griswell read his mind. The sheriff was tempted to plunge back up that stair, take his chance with the unknown.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hikayemizde sondan bir \u00f6nce dostlar…","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,140],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1896"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1896\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}