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The Man with the Scar
When Detective Paul Nichols asked the teller at the Middleton Bank to describe the robber, she replied.
'He had a long, ugly scar on his right cheek. Also, he seemed quite ill at ease, as though he might be unsure of what he was doing. But he did it. I had the feeling, though, that he went through with it almost just to save face. Once he decided to rob the bank, he had to carry out his plan.'
She explained that the man had come into the bank that morning and stood in line with the other customers, as if waiting to deposit money or cash a check. When he reached the window, however, he did not beat around the bush he handed the girl a piece of paper that had written on it, 'Do not say anything or do anything unusual. I have a gun and will use it if I have to. Put five thousand dollars in an envelope and hand it to me.'
The girl was so shocked that she just stood looking at him for a moment. She realized he was not joking what he ordered was straight from the shoulder. He said he would use his gun if he had to, and she was sure he would keep his word if she didn't cooperate. The teller did exactly as he told her.
'Remember me to your mother,' the thief said. Then he walked casually out of the bank. Not even the lady behind him in line at the window realized what had happened.
The teller sounded the alarm, and immediately the guards ran to find the thief. 'You can't mistake him with that scar,' the girl told them. 'But be careful. He has a gun.'
A thorough search was made, but no such person was found. The guards couldn't even come up with a piece of evidence.
'I can't understand how he could get away so rapidly,' Detective Nichols told his wife Nancy that evening, as the two of them were having supper. 'We questioned everyone inside and outside the bank at the time of the robbery. No one saw a man with a scar on his face. The guard at the door sees everyone who goes in and out, but he doesn't recall anyone with a scar. It looks as though the man appeared from nowhere and returned to nowhere. At least, for the moment it seems so.'
'He came from somewhere and he went somewhere when he left the bank,' Nancy replied. 'The question is, where did he go?' Nancy Nichols was a very practical woman. Her husband liked to discuss his cases with her because of this trait.
Paul continued. 'The girl was surprised because it all happened within a few seconds, and so smoothly. She just stood watching the man walk away. When he went out the door, her senses returned to her and she called the guard.'
'What time of day was it?' Nancy asked.
'Noon. The streets were filled with people. At that hour of the day, it's always that way in front of the Middleton Bank. He could get lost in the crowd very easily. The men on the police force insist he just disappeared.'
'With a scar on his face? I take that with a grain of salt. He didn't disappear you can be sure of that. But what did he do?' Nancy began to have an expression of real excitement in her eyes. She was in her element when helping Paul solve a case. She loved to do her bit and resented it when Paul didn't consult with her. After ten years of being a detective's wife, she ought to know the ropes—and she did. This was the type of case she enjoyed most.
'That's what is so confusing. We looked high and low and questioned everyone in the area at the time of the robbery but no one observed anything or anyone unusual. Several people admitted they saw a man come out of the bank about that time, but he didn't have a scar on his face.' Paul shook his head and sighed wearily. It had been a tiring day and a mystifying case. Once in a blue moon Paul had a case that seemed impossible to solve. This was one of them. And it was up to Paul to solve it.
'Don't worry,' Nancy encouraged him. 'In the end you'll find your thief.'
When supper was over, the Nichols had their coffee in the living room. Paul turned on the television set and immediately became interested in a detective program. Nancy did not watch the program but sat drinking her coffee in silence. When she had finished, she went into the kitchen and began washing the dishes.
Fifteen minutes later she returned to the living room. She went directly to the television set and turned it off.
'What are you doing?' Paul objected, almost losing his temper. 'It's a very exciting story tonight!'
'Have you taken into account,' Nancy asked, ignoring his annoyance, 'the possibility that the thief wanted the teller to see his scar, that he was just leading her on?'
'What? But why?' asked Paul, immediately forgetting the TV show. 'Why should he want her to see it? It would be an excellent way to describe him. Just the opposite. He would want to hide the scar.'
'As you say, it's an excellent way to describe him. And that's exactly what he wanted. He wanted her to describe him just as she did. That way, the police would be looking for a man with a scar on his right cheek.'
Paul shook his head again. 'What are you trying to say, Nancy?'
She did not reply. Instead she simply peeled off one of her false eyelashes.
For a moment Paul sat staring at her, more confused than ever. Nancy's false eyelashes were one of the few things the Nichols ever argued about. Paul tried to discourage her using false eyelashes by making fun of them. 'I like your eyes the way Nature made them,' he told her. He was always getting after her to leave her eyes alone and not try to make her lashes artificially longer. But sometimes she wore the lashes anyway. 'I like them,' she gave as her reason.
Now she was standing in front of him deliberately removing them. What was this all about? They were talking about the man with the war and…
'Of course!' he shouted, jumping up from his chair.
'Why didn't I think of that?'
Five minutes later he was in his car, hurrying to the police station.
'Hold your horses!' Chief Simpson said when Paul tried to tell him all at once what Nancy had discovered. 'Now, begin again and this time take your time.'
Paul caught his breath and started again, more calmly. The chief of police listened closely as Detective Nichols revealed his wife's discovery. When Paul had finished, the chief turned on his radio. 'Calling all cars! Calling all cars!' He gave a detailed description of the man with the scar. Except that this time he did not mention a scar.
The police made short work of capturing him they had their man within twenty-four hours. Shortly afterward they had his confession.
He was an actor without work, desperate for money. His parents were not wealthy, and the young man didn't have the heart to ask them for help. This was his first crime. As an actor, he knew how to disguise himself well. He was very clever. He had come into the bank with the other customers, gone to the washroom, and put a thin strip of transparent material on his cheek. The material gave the appearance of a real scar. It looked completely authentic. Then he had gone to the teller's window and taken the money. When he stopped to light a cigarette, he quickly peeled off the scar, just as Nancy had done with her false eyelash. The guard at the door and the people outside saw no one with a scar, because there was no such person.
The thief had walked quietly down the street in the middle of the noonday crowd, the money in his pocket, thinking he had pulled the wool over the eyes of everyone. But, unfortunately for him, he had bitten off more than he could chew. In the end he was caught.
Nancy smiled when Chief Simpson thanked her for her part in helping solve the mystery. 'Maybe now,' she laughed, 'Paul will stop getting on his high horse about my false eyelashes.'
The detective smiled, too. 'Okay, okay. I'll eat my words. You can wear them all you want. I'll never again hold that against you.'
Questions about the reading
- Describe what happened in the bank.
- What time of day was it?
- Did anyone see the man with the scar? Where did he go?
- Who was Nancy? Did she like to help Paul solve crimes?
- What was the one thing the Nichols argued about?
- What did Nancy do to help solve the mystery of the man with the scar?
- What did Paul do as soon as he realized what the man had done?
- What did Chief Simpson do when Paul gave him the solution to the crime?
- Did they catch the man with the scar?
- What did Paul promise Nancy?
List of Idioms
| Идиома | Значение |
|---|---|
| a far cry from something | 1) далекое расстояние 2) большая разница |
| about to | быть готовым что-л. сделать |
| a close call | на грани |
| all along | все время, всегда |
| all of a sudden | вдруг, неожиданно |
| as a rule | как правило, обычно |
| as far as someone is concerned | поскольку это касается кого-л./чего-л.; что касается кого-л./чего-л. |
| as long as | пока; до тех пор, пока |
| as luck would have it | как назло |
| at all | совсем, полностью (в утвердительном значении сочетание употребляется в настоящее время только в ирландских диалектах и в разговорном виде в некоторых районах США; в современном употреблении обыкн. в отрицательных, вопросительных и условных предложениях) |
| be behind the times | опаздывать |
| be bent on something | устремлять свои помыслы на что-л.; стремиться к чему-л. |
| be better off | быть богаче |
| be broke | безденежный, бедный, без гроша |
| be hard on something | не жалеть |
| be in keeping with something | 1) подходящий, соответствующий (to, for) 2) свойственный, присущий (to) |
| be in someone's shoes | на чьем-либо месте |
| be on the safe side | на всякий случай; для большей верности |
| be to blame | разделять ответственность |
| be up to one's ears | по уши (в работе и т. п.) |
| be up to something | замышлять что-то недоброе |
| beat around the bush | ходить вокруг да около; подходить к делу осторожно, издалека; говорить обиняками |
| bend over backwards | пытаться изо всех сил |
| bite off more than one can chew | кусок не по зубам |
| brush up on something | освежать (знания), улучшать, совершенствовать |
| by all means | 1) любым способом 2) любой ценой, во что бы то ни стало 3) конечно, пожалуйста |
| by heart | наизусть, на память |
| carry something out | производить; выполнять, совершать; осуществлять, доводить до конца |
| catch cold | простудиться |
| catch one's breath | 1) затаить дыхание 2) перевести дух |
| come down with something | подкосить |
| come near | приближаться |
| come to the point | дойти до сути дела, до главного, решающего момента |
| come up with | выйти с предложением |
| cut corners | пойти напрямик |
| do one's best | стараться |
| do one's bit | внести свою лепту |
| do someone good | быть полезным |
| do without | обойтись без |
| draw the line | провести линию |
| dress up | вырядиться; разодеться |
| eat one's words | брать слова обратно |
| every now and then | время от времени, то и дело |
| every other | каждый второй |
| feel up to | быть в состоянии |
| few and far between | немногочисленные и редко встречающиеся |
| firsthand | из первых рук |
| for good | навсегда |
| for the time being | 1) в данное время, на данный момент 2) на некоторое время |
| frame of mind | умонастроение |
| from now on | отныне |
| get after someone | ругать |
| get away with something | выйти из положения, выйти сухим из воды (with) |
| get cold feet | дрожь в коленках |
| get in touch with someone | связаться (с кем-л.) |
| get mixed up | влипнуть (в историю) |
| get on one's high horse | быть заносчивым |
| get rid of something | избавиться от |
| get right down to something | приняться (за дело) |
| get to the bottom of something | добраться до сути дела |
| give someone a hand | протянуть руку (помощи) |
| go Dutch | платить свою часть |
| go from bad to worse | все хуже и хуже |
| (not) go in (much) for something | не увлекаться |
| goes without saying | Само собою разумеется |
| grow on someone | нравиться все больше |
| had better | …бы лучше |
| have it in one | иметь талант |
| have no business doing something | не иметь права вмешиваться |
| have one's heart set on something | быть по душе |
| (not) have the heart | быть бессердечным |
| have words with someone | крупно поговорить, поссориться с кем-л. |
| high and low | (люди) всякого звания |
| hit upon something | натолкнуться (на мысль) |
| hold one's horses | сохранять спокойствие |
| hold one's own | сохранять свои позиции; стоять на своем |
| hold something against someone | затаить злобу |
| ill at ease | не по себе |
| in advance | до, заблаговременно |
| in care of someone | на попечении |
| in charge of something | ответственный за |
| in fact | фактически, на самом деле, в действительности; по сути, в сущности; на поверку |
| in one's element | в своей стихии |
| in other words | другими словами |
| in the clear | вне подозрений |
| in the long run | в конце концов; в общем |
| in time to | ко времени |
| just as soon | с тем же успехом |
| keep an eye on something, someone | наблюдать за чем-л. |
| keep one's fingers crossed | надеяться на что-л. |
| keep one's word | сдержать обещание |
| (not) know the first thing about something | не разбираться (в чем-либо) |
| know the ropes | хорошо ориентироваться (в чем-л.); знать все входы и выходы |
| lead someone on | завлекать, увлекать; вовлекать (во что-л. плохое) |
| leave word | передать (сообщение) |
| let bygones be bygones | что было, то было |
| little by little | мало-помалу, понемногу, постепенно |
| little does one think | даже и не думать |
| look forward to something | ожидать с нетерпением |
| lose one's temper | потерять самообладание, выйти из себя |
| lose one's way | потерять дорогу |
| lose track of someone, something | 1) потерять след 2) потерять нить (чего-л.) |
| make a point of something | считать весьма важным, настаивать на чем-л. |
| make ends meet | сводить концы с концами |
| make friends | 1) помириться 2) подружиться |
| make fun of something, someone | высмеивать кого-л.; подсмеиваться |
| make oneself at home | устраиваться поудобнее |
| make room for something, someone | предоставлять место |
| make sense | иметь смысл |
| make short work of something | быстро справиться, быстро разделаться (с чем-л.—of smth.) |
| make something do | справляться, обходиться (чем-л., имеющимся в наличии) |
| make the most of something | использовать оптимальным образом |
| make up for something | компенсировать |
| make up one's mind | принять решение, решиться (на что-л. или сделать что-л.) |
| meet someone halfway | идти на компромисс |
| might as well | можно также |
| never mind | не беспокойтесь |
| no wonder | ничего удивительного |
| not to mention | не говоря уже о |
| on credit | в долг; в кредит |
| on edge | быть раздраженным |
| on hand | имеющийся в распоряжении, на руках |
| on one's toes | лезть из кожи; стараться |
| on purpose | нарочно |
| on the other hand | с другой стороны |
| on the spur of the moment | на ходу |
| on time | вовремя |
| once in a blue moon | раз в сто лет |
| out of the question | вне всякого сомнения |
| pay attention | уделять внимание |
| pull the wool over someone's eyes | вводить в заблуждение |
| put in a word for someone, something | замолвить словечко |
| put one's foot in it | вляпаться (в историю) |
| put something off | откладывать |
| put something over on someone | обманывать, надувать |
| quite a few | порядочное число, довольно много, немало |
| remember someone to someone else | передавать привет, поклон |
| right away | сразу, тотчас же; немедленно |
| rub someone the wrong way | гладить против шерсти |
| save face | не ударить лицом в грязь, спасти репутацию/престиж, не уронить достоинства |
| scratch the surface | не проникать глубже поверхности чего-л., относиться поверхностно к чему-л. |
| see about | позаботиться о чем-л.; проследить за чем-л. |
| see eye to eye | сходиться во взглядах с кем-л. (with smb.) |
| serve someone right | пойти на пользу |
| serve someone's purpose | сослужить службу |
| show promise | подавать надежды |
| so far | до настоящего времени; пока |
| so much the better | тем лучше |
| something is up to someone | быть чьим-то делом |
| stand a chance | иметь шансы |
| stand to reason | быть ясным, понятным; казаться |
| straight from the shoulder | сплеча; прямо, без обиняков, откровенно |
| take a dim view of something | сомневаться; пессимистически смотреть на что-либо |
| take a stand on something | настаивать |
| take advantage of something | воспользоваться каким-л. преимуществом |
| take after someone | походить на кого-л. |
| take hold of something | хватать, схватить |
| take it easy | 1) не волнуйся! 2) смотри на вещи проще! |
| take one's time | не спешить |
| take part in something | принимать участие |
| take something for granted | принимать как должное |
| take something into account | принимать во внимание, в расчет |
| take something with a grain of salt | относиться к чему-л. недоверчиво, скептически |
| take steps | принимать меры |
| take turns | по очереди |
| talk something over | переговорить; обсудить |
| tell (two things) apart | отличать друг от друга |
| the ins and outs | 1) все входы и выходы 2) все углы и закоулки 3) правительство и оппозиционные партии 4) детали, подробности |
| the last straw | последняя капля |
| (not) think much of something, someone | 1) быть дурного мнения 2) ни во что не ставить 3) считать пустяком |
| Think nothing of it. | Забудь. |
| till one is blue in the face | до посинения |
| to say the least | по меньшей мере |
| try one's hand at something | попробовать себя в чем-то |
| turn over a new leaf | начать с чистого листа |
| under the weather | 1) нездоровый, больной 2) в беде, в затруднительном положении 3) выпивший |
| waste one's breath | говорить на ветер, попусту тратить слова |
| watch one's step | действовать осмотрительно |
| What's the matter? | В чем дело? |
| would rather | лучше, охотнее, предпочтительнее |
