马龙探案卷四 之 正确的凶案 九
莫娜·麦克莱恩坐在壁炉旁的一把高背椅上，头向后靠在靠垫上，眼睛闭着。她的衣服有点奇怪的中国风格，长长的直袖子，高领紧身的领口，还有那厚重锦缎丝绸的深蓝色。她戴着一个精雕细刻的白色玉质圆形饰物，挂在一条细长精致的银链子上，还有十几只纤细的白色玉手镯。她的黑发剪得很短，厚厚的刘海垂在她苍白的额头上；在刘海下面，她那顽童般的脸非常苍白，只有那形状奇特的宽宽的猩红色嘴巴很显眼。
mona mcclane sat in a high-backed chair near the fireplace, her head thrown back against its cushions, her eyes closed. there was something oddly chinese about her dress, with its long, straight sleeves, its high-throated, close-fitting collar, and the intense blue of its heavily brocaded silk. She wore an exquisitely carved white jade medallion on a long, delicate silver chain, and a dozen slender, white jade bracelets. her black hair was cut short, with a heavy bang falling over her pale forehead; below the bang her gamin face was very white, save for the wide, odd-shaped scarlet mouth.
起初马龙以为房间里只有她一个人，便朝她走去。他走到地毯中间的时候，一个响亮的声音吓了他一跳。
At first malone believed her to be alone in the room and walked toward her. he was halfway across the rug when a loud voice startled him.
“嘿，你。别挡道。”
“hey, you. Keep out of the way.”
他抬起头，看见一个年轻人平趴在一个巨大的书架顶上。年轻人恶狠狠地瞪着他。
he looked up, and saw a young man lying flat on his stomach on top of one of the massive bookcases. the young man glared at him balefully.
“你就站在那儿，不管你是谁。”
“You stay right there, whoever you are.”
“我是约翰?J?马龙。” 律师说，“我很乐意站在这儿，但是为什么呢？”
“I’m John J. malone,” the lawyer said, “and I’ll be glad to stay right here, but why?”
“因为我在给她拍照，这就是为什么。” 上面传来的声音告诉他。他把马龙见过的最小的相机对准了莫娜?麦克莱恩。
“because I’m taking her picture, that’s why,” the voice from above told him. he aimed the smallest camera malone had ever seen at mona mcclane.
“别理彭德利。” 莫娜?麦克莱恩一动不动地说。“他马上就拍完了。”
“don’t mind pendley,” mona mcclane said without moving a muscle. “he’ll be through right away.”
“我才不会呢。” 年轻人烦躁地说。过了一会儿，他以一种连空中飞人表演者都会羡慕的敏捷身手从高处爬了下来，站在那儿摆弄着他的相机。
“I will not,” the young man said peevishly. A moment later he climbed down from the perch with an agility a trapeze performer would have admired, and stood fiddling with his camera.
“这是彭德利?泰德韦尔，马龙先生。” 莫娜?麦克莱恩说。“他是个摄影迷。”
“this is pendley tidewell, mr. malone,” mona mcclane said. “he’s a camera addict.”
“我还以为他只是喜欢高处呢。” 马龙温和地说。年轻人一声不吭。
“I thought maybe he just liked high altitudes,” malone said mildly. the young man said nothing at all.
现在年轻人站在地上，在马龙看来他至少有十英尺高，而且非常瘦。他穿着随意，灯芯绒裤子，一件有污渍的棕色毛衣和运动鞋。一绺浓密的淡黄色头发垂在他瘦削、有雀斑的脸上。马龙猜他顶多刚成年，如果有的话。
to malone he seemed at least ten feet tall, now that he was down on the ground level, and exceedingly thin. he was dressed informally in corduroy trousers, a stained tan sweater, and sneakers. A heavy lock of straw-colored hair fell over his bony, freckled face. malone guessed that he was barely out of his teens, if that.
“就当我不存在。” 彭德利?泰德韦尔最后说。“就继续表现得好像我不存在一样。我想拍一些非常自然的照片。”
“Just pretend I’m not here,” pendley tidewell said at last. “Just go on acting as if I didn’t exist. I want to try for something very natural.”
莫娜?麦克莱恩向马龙挥挥手，示意他坐到一把椅子上。年轻人似乎消失了。
mona mcclane waved malone to a chair. the young man seemed to disappear.
“很高兴再次见到你。” 莫娜?麦克莱恩说。“杰克和海伦分手了，真可惜。” 她的声音里带着恰到好处的同情和遗憾。
“It’s good to see you again,” mona mcclane said. “what a shame Jake and helene have split.” there was just the right touch of sympathetic regret in her voice.
马龙咕哝了几句客气而又不置可否的话。
malone murmured something polite and nonmittal.
她伸手拿了一支烟。“我真的觉得他们太般配了，不适合幸福地结婚。” 她说。在马龙还没琢磨出这句话的意思时，她又接着说，“不过，幸福的婚姻是很难得到的。我自己就非常幸运。我所有的婚姻都很幸福。”
She reached for a cigarette. “I really thought they were much too well suited to each other to be happily married,” she said. before malone had puzzled that out, she went on, “Still, a happy marriage is something very hard to attain. I’ve been extremely fortunate myself. All my marriages have been happy.”
“杰克是 ——” 马龙刚开口。
“Jake is—” malone began.
“别动。” 一个响亮的声音从他脚边传来。
“don’t move,” said a loud voice right under his feet.
律师低头一看，只见六英尺高的彭德利?泰德韦尔正绕着他椅子旁边的小桌子扭来扭去。小小的相机对着他的眼睛，他的头几乎要碰到马龙的膝盖了。
the lawyer looked down and saw the six feet of pendley tidewell twisted around the small table by his chair. the tiny camera was held to his eye, and his head was almost on malone’s knee.
马龙没动。他忍住了拍拍年轻人脑袋的冲动。过了一会儿，彭德利从茶几边松开身子站了起来。
malone didn’t move. he resisted an impulse to pat the young man’s head. After a moment pendley unwound himself from the end table and bounded to his feet.
“非常感谢，马龙先生。我以前从没给律师拍过照。” 他咧嘴笑了。“莫娜跟我讲过你的事。”
“thanks awfully, mr. malone. I’ve never photographed a lawyer before.” he grinned. “mona’s told me about you.”
马龙放松下来，擦了擦额头。“我不知道律师这么难抓拍。”
malone relaxed and mopped his brow. “I didn’t know lawyers were so hard to snap.”
彭德利?泰德韦尔笑得更灿烂了。“没迈克尔?文宁那么难拍。他对相机有恐惧症。有一天晚上他在浴室里追着我跑，恨不得拧断我的脖子。”
pendley tidewell’s grin widened. “Not as hard as michael Venning is. he’s got a phobia about cameras. chased me out of his bathroom the other night all ready to break my neck.”
“也许他更喜欢一个人洗澡。” 莫娜提议道。
“maybe he’d rather bathe alone,” mona suggested.
“他很守旧。” 年轻人承认道。“而且他确实讨厌相机。莫娜，你不记得了吗，他们在旧金山靠岸的时候，他把一个船讯摄影师的相机给砸了？这就是为什么我那么急于给他拍张照片，从来没人拍到过。” 他看起来几乎是虔诚的。“也许我甚至能把照片卖给报纸。”
“he is reactionary,” the young man admitted. “And he does hate cameras. don’t you remember, mona, he smashed the camera of a ship news photographer when they docked in San Francisco? that’s why I’m so anxious to get a picture of him, no one ever has.” he looked almost reverent. “maybe I could even sell it to the newspapers.”
“我想看看你的一些照片。” 马龙说，尽量让自己听起来像是真心想看。
“I’d like to see some of your pictures,” malone said, trying to sound as if he really meant it.
彭德利?泰德韦尔的脸垮了下来。“我还没拍出好的照片呢。不过也许这些会拍得不错。我现在就上楼去冲洗照片。” 他又朝马龙咧嘴笑了笑。“莫娜在楼上给我弄了个暗房。有空来看看。”
pendley tidewell’s face fell. “I haven’t made any good ones yet. but maybe these will turn out well. I’m going upstairs and develop them right away.” he grinned at malone again. “mona’s made me a darkroom upstairs. e and see it sometime.”
他跑上楼后，房间似乎显得更大了，也安静了许多许多。
the room seemed much larger and far, far quieter after he had raced up the stairs.
“他真是个好孩子。” 莫娜说。
“he’s really a nice boy,” mona said.
“可能有颗金子般的心。” 马龙表示赞同。
“probably a heart of gold,” malone agreed.
“他是伊迪莎?文宁的侄子。” 她告诉他，“一个孤儿，身无分文。文宁夫妇供他上学。我想他一定很高兴迈克尔?文宁后天就五十岁了，虽然他看起来对钱一点都不在乎，只在乎他的相机。”
“he’s Editha Venning’s nephew,” she told him, “an orphan, and penniless. the Vennings educated him. I imagine he feels greatly relieved that michael Venning’s going to be fifty day after tomorrow, though he doesn’t seem to care anything about money, only about his camera.”
马龙还没弄明白她的意思，大厅里就传来一阵轻微的骚动，两个人从前门走了进来。其中一个人，一个穿着难看但昂贵的黄绿格子大衣的男人，走进房间向莫娜?麦克莱恩问好。他手里拿着一顶深绿色的软边帽子，帽沿上装饰着一根俏皮的羽毛。
before malone could figure out what she meant, there was a mild motion in the hall as two people came in the front door. one of them, a man in an ugly, but expensive yellow and green plaid overcoat, came into the room to greet mona mcclane. In his hand he carried a dark-green slouch brim trimmed with a jaunty feather.
“伊迪莎的外套被雨给毁了。”
“Editha’s ruined her coat in the rain.”
他回到大厅。马龙听到有人在脱外套和套鞋的声音。男人回来了，没穿外套，还带着一个女人。莫娜?麦克莱恩介绍他们是迈克尔?文宁先生和夫人，然后开始调兑苏格兰威士忌和苏打水。
he went back into the hall. malone caught the sound of wraps and overshoes being shed. the man returned, without the overcoat, a woman with him. mona mcclane introduced them as mr. and mrs. michael Venning, and began mixing Scotch and sodas.
“天气糟透了。” 文宁先生说。他那有教养的声音带着恰到好处的英国腔。“在热带生活了二十年，人会有这种感觉。” 他轻声笑了笑。“考虑到我是在这儿出生的，芝加哥现在对我来说显得非常陌生。”
“Frightful weather,” mr. Venning said. his well-bred voice had just the right tinge of british. “After living in the tropics for twenty years, one feels it.” he laughed, not too loudly. “chicago seemed amazingly strange to me, considering I was born here.”
迈克尔?文宁，马龙想。这个名字似乎有点熟悉。他在记忆中搜索。哦，对了，老迈克尔?文宁在世纪之交靠房地产发了大财，然后娶了北岸一个更富有的家庭的独生女。这是他们的独生子。
michael Venning, malone thought. the name seemed familiar. he searched his memory. oh yes, old michael Venning had made a great fortune in real estate at the turn of the century, and then married the only daughter of one of the wealthier North Shore families. this was their one child.
他带着新的兴趣看着迈克尔?文宁。他是个高个子男人，骨架大，肩膀很宽，显然刚开始发福。他的黑发在太阳穴处开始有点变灰，而且晒得很黑。在马龙看来，他是那种在美国人在东方生活了二十年后，回到家乡比任何英国人都更像英国人的人，显然只专注于养成那些更令人讨厌的习惯。
he looked at michael Venning with a new interest. he was a tall man, big-boned, heavy around the shoulders, and evidently just beginning to put on weight. his dark hair was starting to gray a little above the temples, and he was deeply tanned. to malone he seemed to be one of the Americans who, after spending twenty years in the orient, e home far more british than any of the british themselves, having apparently concentrated on adopting only the more objectionable habits.
文宁夫人喝了一口饮料说：“可怜的迈克尔确实非常怕冷。”
mrs. Venning took a drink and said, “poor michael does feel the cold so badly.”
马龙转过头看着她。她也很高，有点瘦长。马龙觉得大多数人都会被她吸引，尤其是那些喜欢马的人。她有着那种身材健美的结实感，穿什么衣服或者不穿衣服都好看，而且行动起来带着一些运动型女性所具有的那种无意识且自然的优雅。不过，她的脸布满深深的皱纹，显得憔悴；她的黑眼睛看起来不开心，几乎带着恐惧。有一道很宽的纯白色条纹从她额头的一侧开始，向后穿过她深棕色的头发。
malone turned to look at her. She too was tall, a trifle rangy. malone thought most people would be attracted to her, especially those who liked horses. She had that kind of well-built muscular solidity that looked well in any kind of clothes or without them, and moved with the unconscious and unstudied grace that some athletic women develop. her face, though, was deeply lined, haggard; her dark eyes seemed unhappy and almost frightened. there was one wide streak of pure white that began at one side of her forehead and waved back through her darkbrown hair.
马龙礼貌地问她是否也来自芝加哥。
malone asked her politely if she too came from chicago.
“是的，确实。我出生在这里，在这里长大。我们一直住在东方只是因为迈克尔喜欢那里。” 她说话的方式奇怪地急促而紧张。马龙突然有种感觉，不管迈克尔感觉如何，她并不怎么喜欢东方。
“Yes, indeed. I was born here, and I grew up here. we’ve only lived in the orient all this time because michael liked it.” She spoke in an oddly jerky, nervous manner. malone had a sudden notion that however michael might have felt, she hadn’t liked the orient much.
“我们时不时会去欧洲。” 文宁说，好像他并不指望有人会在意。
“we went over to Europe now and then,” Venning said, as though he didn’t expect anyone to care.
马龙的注意力分散了。他想起了彭德利?泰德韦尔，不知道他冲洗照片进行得怎么样了。另一个女人走进房间，在伊迪莎?文宁旁边坐下。莫娜?麦克莱恩介绍她是卢埃拉?怀特。
malone’s attention wandered. he thought of pendley tidewell and wondered how he was getting on with his developing. Another woman entered the room and sat down close to Editha Venning. mona mcclane introduced her as Louella white.
马龙记起来了，这是伊迪莎?文宁的同伴。她看起来就像一座军人和水手纪念碑一样不亲切。卢埃拉?怀特是个大块头的女人，胸部丰满，脚很平，脚踝很粗，胳膊很结实，穿着一件不好看且非常朴素的棕色缎面连衣裙。她那毫无表情的大脸像商业区小巷一侧的建筑物一样坚硬、不妥协且毫无装饰，只是她的眉毛被修成了细细的弯曲线条。她那卷曲的头发是红棕色的，马龙觉得可能是染的。她打开一个编织袋，拿出一件不成形的东西和一大团深灰色的毛线，然后以机器般的节奏开始编织起来。
this was Editha Venning’s panion, malone remembered. She looked about as panionable as a soldiers’ and sailors’ monument. Louella white was a large woman, wide-bosomed, with flat, substantial feet, thick ankles, and muscular arms, dressed in an unbeing and perfectly plain brown satin dress. her big, expressionless face was as hard, unpromising, and undecorated as the alley side of a Loop building, save that her eyebrows were plucked to fine, curved lines. her crimped hair was a reddish brown, probably dyed, malone thought. She opened a knitting bag, took out some shapeless article and a mass of heavy dark-gray yarn, and began to knit, with machine-like rhythm.
“红十字会的活儿？” 他礼貌地问道。
“Red cross?” he asked politely.
她的眼睛抬起来看了他的脸一瞬间，然后又看向编织物，说：“不是。”
She lifted her eyes to his face for a fraction of a second, looked back at the knitting again, and said, “No.”
他有一种模糊而不舒服的感觉，觉得自己应该和她聊聊天，房间里的其他人似乎都在交谈。
he had a vague and unfortable notion that he ought to make conversation with her, everyone else in the room seemed to be occupied in talk.
“你在织一件毛衣吗？”
“Are you making a sweater?”
“是的。” 这次她没有抬头。
“Yes.” this time she didn’t look up.
他有点泄气，但还是忍不住要挑战一下。他又试了一次。
he was a little discouraged, but couldn’t resist the challenge. he tried again.
“我想你很高兴回到芝加哥。”
“I suppose you’re glad to be back in chicago.”
“是的。”
“Yes.”
“还是说你喜欢住在东方？”
“or did you enjoy living in the orient?”
“不喜欢。”
“No.”
海伦回来的时候，马龙刚刚承认失败。她换上了一件贴身的柔软羊毛连衣裙，颜色和成熟的小麦一模一样，还重新梳理了她那柔顺的淡金色头发。马龙热切地希望杰克现在能看她一眼，就一眼。
malone had just admitted defeat when helene returned. She had changed into a clinging, soft wool dress the exact color of ripe wheat, and rearranged her sleek, pale-gold hair. malone wished fervently that Jake could get one look at her right now, just one.
和海伦一起走进房间的女孩被介绍为罗特斯?艾伦。马龙觉得她叫简会更好。她那光滑、梳理整齐的头发只是普通的发色，从脸上往后梳成一个厚重的发髻盘在脑后。她身上有种让人愉快但难以言表的平凡气质。她的五官通常被认为长相不错，皮肤也很健康；她中等身高，身材苗条，体型匀称。任何一个男人如果再看她一眼，很可能会接着看很多眼，而且是带着赞赏的目光。而关键就在于能否吸引人回过头来看第二看。
the girl who came into the room with helene was introduced as Lotus Allen. She would have been better named Jane, malone thought. her smooth, well-brushed hair was just plain hair color and was drawn back from her face into a heavy coil on the back of her neck. there was something pleasantly and indescribably ordinary about her. She had what were usually described as good features and a healthy skin; she was of average height, with a trim, well-organized figure. Any man who did take a second look at her would probably take a great many more, and approving ones. It was the second look that would be the hurdle.
“我觉得罗斯不会来了。” 她对莫娜?麦克莱恩说。
“I don’t think Ross will show up,” she said to mona mcclane.
莫娜?麦克莱恩微微扬起一条眉毛。“又不来？”
mona mcclane raised one eyebrow slightly. “Again?”
女孩点点头。“从新年到现在，他一直醉醺醺的。这都快破纪录了。” 她拿起一个高脚杯，坐下来，对每个人都不偏不倚地微笑着。
the girl nodded. “he’s been plastered now since New Year’s. It’s almost a record.” She picked up a tall glass, sat down, and smiled impartially at everybody.
莫娜?麦克莱恩说：“但是图伊兹先生去哪儿了呢？” 没人回答。然后她又说：“我忘了你们都还没见过他。” 她按铃叫来了女仆。“我真希望你们能见见他。” 马龙觉得莫娜这话像是特意说给他听的。他不知道为什么。
mona mcclane said, “but where is mr. tuesday?” Nobody answered. then she added, “I forgot none of you have met him.” She rang for the maid. “I’m so anxious for you to meet him.” malone had the feeling that mona was talking for his benefit. he wondered why.
她让女仆去请图伊兹先生下楼来，然后说：“他今天早上才到城里。他非常迷人，也很有趣。”
She sent the maid to ask mr. tuesday to step downstairs, and said, “he only arrived in town this morning. he’s very charming and interesting.”
马龙突然意识到卢埃拉?怀特正设法观察房间里的每一个人，而表面上又好像没有把她那双小而有神的眼睛从编织物上移开。
malone suddenly became conscious of the fact that Louella white was managing to watch everyone in the room, without seeming to take her small, beady eyes off her knitting.
“图伊兹先生从哪儿来的？” 罗特斯?艾伦问。
“where’s mr. tuesday from?” Lotus Allen asked.
莫娜说：“他也从东方来。我肯定他和文宁夫妇会有很多共同话题。”
mona said, “he’s also from the orient. I’m sure he and the Vennings will have so much in mon.”
女仆片刻后又出现了。她那刻意保持镇定的脸非常苍白。
the maid reappeared a moment later. her carefully restrained face was very pale.
“对不起，夫人，但是图伊兹先生不会下来了。”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but mr. tuesday isn’t ing down.”
罗特斯?艾伦放下杯子说：“天哪。别告诉我他也喝醉了。”
Lotus Allen put down her glass and said, “Good God. don’t tell me he’s plastered, too.”
“不是的，艾伦小姐。” 女仆转向莫娜?麦克莱恩。“对不起，夫人。但是图伊兹先生死了。”
“No, miss Allen.” the maid turned back to mona mcclane. “I’m sorry, ma’am. but mr. tuesday’s dead.”