马龙探案卷四 之 正确的凶案 十二
“他一个小时内都不会动一下眼皮。” 海伦指着后座上的乘客说。“但是对于一辆偷来的车，最好的处理办法是什么呢？”
“he won’t move an eyelash for another hour,” helene said, referring to the passenger in the back seat. “but what’s the best thing to do with a stolen car?”
“别再开着它在州街上来回跑了。” 马龙生气地说。她拐进了瓦克大道的下层车道，他松了一口气。“你真幸运，我能这么快穿好衣服。我当时在床上。”
“to stop driving it up and down State Street,” malone said crossly. She swung into the lower level of wacker drive, and he breathed easier. “It’s a good thing for you I’m able to get dressed in a hurry. I was in bed.”
“我得说你创了穿衣最快的记录。”
“I will say you made it in record time.”
“那，” 他告诉她，“这就是始终保持冷静和头脑清醒的结果。人一激动就会惹麻烦。我从不会忘记自己在做什么。”
“that,” he told her, “is what es of always being calm and cool-headed. It’s when you get excited that you get into trouble. I never forget what I’m doing.”
海伦说：“尽管如此，我还是忍不住想知道为什么你的裤脚下面露出两英寸的睡裤，还有为什么你只穿了一只袜子。”
helene said, “Just the same, I can’t help wondering why there’s two inches of pajama pants showing below your trouser cuffs and why you only have one sock on.”
马龙气愤地沉默着。她过了河，然后在格兰德大道向西拐。
malone was indignantly silent. She crossed the river and turned west on Grand Avenue
“这一切是怎么发生的？” 律师最后问道。
“how did all this happen?” the lawyer asked at last.
“房子里晚上已经很安静了。每个人都睡了。我睡不着。我想是有什么事在我脑子里。不管怎样，我在楼下转了一会儿，最后决定回我的房间。当我上楼梯的时候，我发现这个笨蛋在四处游荡，好像在找图伊兹先生的尸体。他似乎觉得自己把尸体忘在什么地方了。”
“the house had pretty well quieted down for the night. Everyone was in bed. I couldn’t sleep. Something on my mind, I guess. Anyway, I prowled around downstairs for a while and finally decided to go up to my room. when I got up the stairs I found this dope wandering around looking for mr. tuesday’s body. he seemed to think he’d mislaid it somewhere.”
“他不知道警察已经把尸体带走了吗？”
“didn’t he know the police had taken it away?”
“他甚至都不知道警察已经找到了尸体。别忘了他一直醉得不省人事呢。”
“he didn’t even know the police had found it. Remember he was passed out cold all that time.”
“哦，” 马龙说。“你藏在后座的就是这个人。罗斯?麦克劳林。”
“oh,” malone said. “that’s who you have stowed away back there. Ross mcLaurin.”
“你以为是谁？秀兰?邓波儿吗？”
“who the devil did you think it was? Shirley temple?”
“但是罗斯?麦克劳林不可能杀任何人，” 马龙说。“他喝醉了。”
“but Ross mcLaurin couldn’t have murdered anybody,” malone said. “he was drunk.”
“人在喝醉的时候会做出奇怪的事情。我记得有一次……”
“people can do funny things when they’re drunk. I remember once—”
“别管那个了，” 马龙赶紧说。“我是说他醉得不省人事了。艾伦那个女孩说她去叫他的时候，他像个蛤蜊一样冷冰冰的。”
“Never mind,” malone said hastily. “I mean he’d passed out. the Allen girl said she went to call him, and he was as cold as a clam.”
“他可能是在给自己制造不在场证明，不是吗？或者她走后他可能醒过来了。人是会这样的。”
“he could have been giving himself an alibi, couldn’t he? or he could have e to after she left. people do.”
“他告诉你他杀了图伊兹吗？”
“did he tell you he’d murdered tuesday?”
“他似乎隐约觉得自己杀了好几个人，但他不确定是谁。其中一个听起来像是杰拉尔德?图伊兹。他吐露说他不认识自己杀的那些人。”
“he seemed to have a vague impression he’d murdered several people, but he wasn’t just sure who they were. one of them sounded like Gerald tuesday to me. he confided that he didn’t know the people he’d murdered.”
“我的天啊，” 马龙说。“你绑架了一个疯子。”
“my God,” malone said. “You’ve kidnaped a lunatic.”
“不，是个醉鬼。这是有区别的。” 她在富兰克林街向北拐，这个时候这条街黑暗又冷清。
“No, a drunk. there’s a distinction.” She turned north on Franklin Street, dark and deserted at this hour.
“我们别在这上面争论了，但是你怎么会绑架他呢？是意外吗？”
“Let’s not quibble, but how did you happen to kidnap him? was it an accident?”
“不完全是。我第一个念头就是把他带给你，这样他就不会向某个完全陌生的人乱说他的故事。要是他落入警察手里就太可惜了。他是个很好的男孩，而且我觉得罗特斯?艾伦爱上他了。当你自己的爱情生活刚刚结束的时候，你会对恋爱中的人很有同情心。”
“Not entirely. my first thought was to bring him to you, so he couldn’t go babbling his story to some perfect stranger. It would be a shame to have him fall into the hands of the police. he’s such a nice boy, and I think Lotus Allen is in love with him. You feel very sympathetic about people in love when your own love life has just been ended.”
马龙用嘴唇和舌头发出一声粗鲁刺耳的声音。
malone made a rude, raucous noise with his lips and tongue.
“我是认真的。” 海伦气愤地说。
“I mean it,” helene said indignantly.
“我也是认真的，” 马龙说，“不过接着讲你的故事。从你决定把这家伙带给我这里开始讲起。”
“So do I,” malone said, “but go on with your story. begin with where you decided to bring this guy to me.”
“他好像想喝一杯，所以我告诉他我刚看过了，房子里没有酒。我知道以他当时的精神状态，我没法让他安静地跟我来见你，但我很确定如果我跟他说出去找个酒吧，他会跟我走，他确实这么做了。”
“he seemed to want a drink, so I told him I’d just looked and there wasn’t one in the house. I knew I couldn’t get him to e along quietly and see you, in the mental condition he was in, but I felt pretty sure he’d go out with me to look for a bar, and he did.”
“车是怎么回事？”
“where did the car e into this?”
“车是上天的馈赠。”
“the car was a gift from providence.”
马龙叹了口气。“警察要逮捕上天可有的忙了。接着说。”
malone sighed. “the police are going to have one terrible time arresting providence. Go on.”
“我们开始沿着贝尔维尤广场走，然后我看到这辆车停在路边，钥匙还在里面。‘这是我的车，’我说，‘上车。’他上了车，我们就出发了。然后我犯了个错误，试图向他解释我们要去哪儿，他反对。还很强烈地反对。我不能让他在密歇根大街中间从车里跳出去，所以我脱下拖鞋，用鞋跟给了他一下。从那以后他就像个孩子一样安静。我把车开进一条小巷，把他推到后座，用毯子盖住他。这就把事情说到现在了，我们现在该怎么办？”
“we started walking down bellevue place, and I saw this car standing at the curb with the keys in it. ‘here’s my car,’ says I, ‘hop in.’ he hopped in and away we went. then I made the error of trying to explain to him where we were going, and he objected. Rather strenuously, too. I couldn’t have him jumping out of the car in the middle of michigan Avenue, so I took my slipper off and conked him one with the heel. he’s been peaceful as a child ever since. I drove up an alley and shoved him over into the back seat and covered him with a blanket. that brings us up to date, and what do we do now?”
“我们可以试着把你的绑架受害者和你偷来的车还回去。” 马龙冷淡地说。
“we might try returning your kidnap victim and your stolen car,” malone said coldly.
“那不行。他是我的财产，我不会放他走。而且我们需要这辆车。我自己的车在杰克和我本来要住的公寓楼的车库里。” 她沉默了几分钟。“我知道我们该怎么办了。我们去取我的车，把这辆还回去，然后把这家伙带到那个公寓去。我还有那套公寓的钥匙。”
“that’s no good. he’s my property and I won’t let him go. And we need the car. my own is in the garage of the apartment building where Jake and I were going to live.” She was silent for a few minutes. “I know what we’ll do. we’ll get my car and return this one, and take this guy up to that apartment. I still have a key to it.”
“天哪，不行，” 马龙说。“你不能那么做。”
“Good God, no,” malone said. “You can’t do that.”
“为什么不行？”
“why not?”
“我知道那栋楼。他们对在那里藏绑架受害者这种事非常挑剔。”
“I know that building. they’re fussy as the devil about having kidnap victims kept there.”
她气愤地哼了一声。“该死，马龙，我们得把他带到某个地方去。”
She snorted indignantly. “damn it, malone, we’ve got to take him somewhere.”
“为什么？” 马龙哀怨地问。“也许我看到他的时候不会喜欢他。”
“why?” malone asked plaintively. “maybe when I get a look at him I won’t like him.”
“他会撞到警察然后因为谋杀罪被捕。而且，我有种预感，这起谋杀案和莫娜?麦克莱恩有关。毕竟，事情发生在她家里，就算不是她干的。我想知道这家伙知道些什么。我觉得把他带到那个公寓的主意不错，我就要这么做。”
“he’ll stumble into a policeman and get arrested for murder. besides, I have a hunch that murder had something to do with mona mcclane. After all, it happened in her house, even if she couldn’t have done it. I want to find out what this guy knows. I think my idea of taking him up to that apartment is a good one, and I’m going to do it.”
“不行！” 马龙说。几乎是一声吼叫。“太冒险了。”
“No!” malone said. It was almost a roar. “It’s too risky.”
“那你想个办法。”
“then you think of something.”
“先把车处理掉，” 马龙说。“你随时可能在任何一个街角被抓住。”
“Get rid of the car first,” malone said. “You may get pinched at any street corner.”
“警察可能还不知道车被偷了呢。”
“the police probably don’t even know it’s been stolen yet.”
这位小律师叹了口气。“这很容易查清楚。把车停在你遇到的第一个巷子里，我去打电话。”
the little lawyer sighed. “that’s easy enough to find out. park in the first alley you e to, and I’ll telephone.”
她在下一个街区的半道上找到了一条巷子。马龙走进一家街角药店，买了一枚硬币，打电话给警察，想知道一辆车牌为 607–871 的深绿色别克轿车是否被报失窃。
She found one halfway up the next block. malone went into a corner drugstore, bought a slug, called the police, and wanted to know if a dark-green buick sedan bearing the license plates 607–871 had been reported stolen.
是的，车被报失窃了。
It had.
马龙说：“嗯，我从六十三街和科特格罗夫街的一家商店打来电话。车就在这附近。我觉得车里的人行为可疑，这辆车可能是被偷来用于抢劫的。是的，四个人。不，我没看清楚他们，没法描述他们。他们刚沿着六十三街向西走了。我叫什么？图伊兹。杰拉尔德?图伊兹。” 他迅速挂了电话，跑回车上。
malone said, “well, I’m calling from a store at 63rd and cottage Grove. the car is in the neighborhood. I thought the men in it were acting suspiciously and that the car might have been stolen to use in a holdup. Yes, four men. No, I didn’t get a good enough look at them to describe them. they just went west on 63rd. my name? tuesday. Gerald tuesday.” he hung up fast and ran back to the car.
“是的，这辆车很烫手。我们得把它处理掉。让我想想。”
“Yes, the car’s hot. we have to get rid of it. Let me think a minute.”
海伦拿起她旁边座位上的瓶子，喝了一口。然后她把瓶子递给马龙。“我感觉好多了。让我想一会儿。”
helene picked up the bottle on the seat beside her and took a drink. then she handed the bottle to malone. “I feel better. Let me think for a while.”
有一阵短暂的沉默。后座上的男人轻轻地呻吟了一声，嘟囔了一句可能是 “妈妈” 也可能是 “谋杀” 的话。
there was a brief silence. the man in the back seat moaned slightly and murmured something that might have been either “mother” or “murder.”
“我想我们的朋友要醒了。” 海伦突然坐直了身子。“我确实有个主意。我认识休伦街上一个地方的酒保，离这儿不到一个街区。这家伙不重。我觉得我们两个能把他抬那么远。” 她爬出车子，打开后座的门。
“I guess our friend is waking up,” helene said. Suddenly she sat up. “I do have an idea. I know the bartender in a place over on huron Street, not a block from here. this guy isn’t heavy. I think the two of us can haul him that far.” She climbed out of the car and opened the door to the back seat.
马龙叹了口气，跟着她。“然后呢？”
malone sighed and followed her. “then what?”
“你会看到的。帮我把他弄出来。别忘了杜松子酒。我带着它以防万一。”
“You’ll see. help me get him out of here. And don’t forget the gin. I took it with me just in case.”
马龙第一次露出高兴的神情。“嘿，” 他说，“这是个好主意。我可以接个案子。也许这个醉醺醺的疯子就是那个案子。”
malone looked happy for the first time. “Say,” he said, “that’s an idea. I could use a case. maybe this drunken lunatic is it.”
当罗斯?麦克劳林被扶着站直时，他的脚开始移动。结果发现把他弄走只是个引导他并防止他脸着地的简单事情。等他们走到巷子尽头的时候，他嘴里正嘟囔着什么。马龙听到了 “垂死” 这个词，便凑近他，急切地想听清后面的内容。又走了十步，他才意识到他们的俘虏正在背诵吉卜林的《靴子》。
when Ross mcLaurin was stood upright and firmly supported, his feet moved. conveying him turned out to be a simple matter of guiding him and keeping him from falling on his face. by the time they reached the end of the alley, he was muttering something under his breath. malone caught the word “dying” and leaned close to him, anxious to hear the rest. ten paces farther he realized their prisoner was reciting Kipling’s boots.
又走了几步，海伦也加入了背诵。马龙因为担心自己不发声会引起注意，便决定和他们一起背。但他只能记得副歌部分，这让他的贡献大打折扣。而且，他安慰自己说，反正这也不是什么好诗。
A few steps more, and helene joined in. malone, having a vague fear of attracting attention to himself by his silence, decided to recite along with them. his contribution was rendered less valuable by the fact that he could only remember the refrain. besides, he consoled himself, it wasn’t good poetry, anyway.
他们背完《靴子》的最后一句，同时也到了街角的酒吧。这是个小地方，更显温馨而不是华丽，装饰着填充的鸟和动物。马龙注意到一只填充松鼠的尾巴在轻轻摆动，吓了一跳，后来才发现它正好在电扇的风道上。
they reached the last line of boots and the corner bar at the same moment. It was a small place, more intimate than ornate, decorated with stuffed birds and animals. malone noticed the tail of a stuffed squirrel, waving lightly, and shuddered, before he discovered it was directly in the path of an electric fan.
他们只想要一辆有诚实司机的出租车，海伦向酒保解释道，亲切地称呼他为 “阿尔门”。她的话还没说完，酒吧里站成一排的五个出租车司机就都主动提出为他们服务。
All they wanted was a taxi with an honest driver, helene explained to the bartender, addressing him familiarly as “Armen.” before the words were out of her mouth, five taxi drivers ranged along the bar offered their services.
最后海伦从帽子里抽名字选了一个司机，并解释说他们的朋友需要被送回家，这谁都看得出来。
It ended with helene picking their names out of a hat selecting one, and explaining their friend needed to be taken home, as anyone could see.
嗯，也许在等出租车开到前门的时候可以快速来一杯。
well, maybe just one quick one, while they waited for the cab to be driven around to the front door.
五分钟后，喝了两杯酒，他们上了一辆出租车前往湖滨大道。
Five minutes and two drinks later they were in a cab headed for the drive.
“朝着市中心方向开。” 海伦指示道。
“toward the Loop,” helene directed.
马龙低声说：“不管我愿不愿意，我似乎都被卷进来了。过去我经常把证人藏在我的酒店里；酒店管理层总是很帮忙。” 他对司机喊道：“在一家药店停一下，我要打个电话。”
malone said in a low voice, “I seem to be in this whether I like it or not. In the past I’ve often kept witnesses hidden out in my hotel; the management is always very helpful.” he called to the driver, “Stop at a drugstore, I want to make a phone call.”
他回来报告说酒店管理层会把他隔壁的房间准备好。他们可以毫无麻烦地把这个昏迷的人从侧门带进去，然后乘货梯上去。
he returned to report that the management would have the room next to his ready. they would take the unconscious man in at the side entrance and up the freight elevator without any trouble.
“现在我知道为什么你被认为是个非常出色的律师了。” 海伦钦佩地说。
“Now I know why you’re considered a damned good lawyer,” helene said admiringly.
“就是因为有你这样的人，才需要有非常出色的律师。” 马龙生气地说。他又补充道：“我还打电话给警察，告诉他们一辆深绿色别克轿车，车牌号是 607–871，停在圣克莱尔街附近的一条巷子里。车主可能想用他的车了。”
“It’s people like you that make damned good lawyers necessary,” malone said in a cross voice. he added, “I also called the police and told them a dark-green buick sedan, license number 607–871, was parked in an alley just off St. clair Street. the owner just might want to use his car.”
就在这时，他们的俘虏又清醒了一些。“想和警察谈谈。” 他说。
At that moment their prisoner woke up about two degrees more. “want to talk to police,” he reported.
“当然，” 海伦安慰地说，“但你先喝一杯。”
“Sure,” helene said soothingly, “but you want a drink first.”
“没错。想喝一杯。”
“that’s right. want a drink.”
“看在上帝的份上，给他一杯。” 海伦说。
“For the love of mike, give him one,” helene said.
马龙尽可能长时间地让杜松子酒瓶子凑到他们俘虏的嘴边，但又不敢真的把他淹死。有一阵微弱的汩汩声，一声小小的满足的叹息，接着是让人安心的寂静。
malone held the gin bottle to their prisoner’s lips as long as he dared without actually drowning the man. there was a faint, gurgling sound, a little, satisfied sigh, and a reassuringly peaceful silence.
出租车司机和一个显然习惯了马龙偶尔因证人带来麻烦的行李员把正在睡觉的人抬到了货梯里。马龙和行李员把他放到床上。
the taxi driver and a bellboy evidently accustomed to malone’s occasional troubles with witnesses carried the slumbering man to the freight elevator. malone and the bellboy put him to bed.
“现在，” 男孩走后，马龙说，“你回家去。”
“Now,” malone said, when the boy had gone, “you go home.”
“试试看能不能让我走，我费了那么大劲才把他带到这儿。”
“try and make me, after all the trouble I went to bringing him here.”
她同情地看着床上的年轻人。他看起来不过是个孩子，像个疲倦的孩子一样睡着。他身材苗条，个子不高，脸色苍白，相貌英俊，波浪形的金发松散地垂在额头上。
She gazed sympathetically at the young man on the bed he seemed little more than a boy, sleeping like a tired child. he was slender and not tall, with a pale, handsome face, and wavy blond hair that tumbled loosely over his forehead.
突然他动了一下，轻轻地呻吟了一声，嘟囔了一句听不清的话，然后睁开了眼睛。那是一双蓝色的眼睛，年轻而天真无邪，显然知道发生了什么事。在海伦和马龙有所行动之前，他已经从床上坐了起来。
Suddenly he stirred, moaned softly, murmured something undistinguishable, and opened his eyes. they were blue eyes, young and guileless, and apparently aware of what was going on. before helene or malone could move, he was sitting up in bed.
“我杀了两个人，” 他含混但清晰地说，“我不知道他们是谁，也不知道我为什么杀了他们。但我知道我一定杀了他们。用一把刀。我不明白。”
“I killed two men,” he said thickly but intelligibly. “I don’t know who they were or why I killed them. but I know I must have killed them. with a knife. I don’t understand it.”
他抬头看着注视着他的两个人，仿佛他们的脸能给他一些解释。他用左手手掌揉了揉额头。
he stared up at the two watching him as though their faces might give him some explanation. he rubbed the palm of his left hand on his forehead.
“我想不起来了。”
“I can’t remember.”
然后他又躺回到枕头上睡着了。
then he lay back on the pillow and went to sleep.
“看到了吧？” 过了一会儿马龙说，“在他清醒过来之前，我们从他那儿什么也问不出来。与此同时，如果你们俩都莫名其妙地从莫娜?麦克莱恩家失踪了……”
“there, you see?” malone said after a moment. “we won’t get anything out of him till he’s sobered up. In the meantime, if both of you are found inexplicably missing from mona mcclane’s—”
海伦遗憾地叹了口气。“我想你是对的。我回家去。但我明天会再来这儿。到那时他应该清醒得足以说话了。”
helene sighed regretfully. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll go home. but I’ll be back here tomorrow. he ought to be sobered up enough to talk by that time.”
“他会的。” 马龙严峻地说。“你能在不吵醒全家人的情况下回到莫娜?麦克莱恩家吗？”
“he will be,” malone said grimly. “can you get into mona mcclane’s without waking up the whole house?”
“很容易。莫娜给她所有的住客都配了侧门的钥匙。”
“Easily. mona gives all her house guests keys to the side door.”
他赞许地点点头。“那你回家去吧，睡一会儿。”
he nodded approvingly. “Go on home, then, and get some sleep.”
她在门口停了一下。“好好照顾他，马龙。他看起来真是该死的年轻。” 然后她就走了。
She paused at the door. “take good care of him, malone. he does look so goddamned young.” She was gone.
马龙看着床上的人。这将是一项漫长而艰巨的任务。他看了看表。三点了。好吧，这不是他第一次为了一个正当的理由而错过一晚上的睡眠了。
malone looked at the figure on the bed. It was going to be a long and arduous job. he glanced at his watch. three o’clock. well, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d missed a night’s sleep in a good cause.
他给药店打了个详细的订单，给餐厅打电话要求每隔一小时送一壶咖啡来，走进自己的房间，把剩下的一夸脱黑麦威士忌拿了过来。那是给他自己的。
he phoned a detailed order to the drugstore, called the restaurant to send up pots of coffee at hourly intervals, went into his own room, and collected the remaining quart of rye. that was for himself.
有那么一瞬间，他与诱惑作斗争。也许就睡一个小时……
For only a moment he wrestled with temptation. perhaps just an hour’s sleep—
不，睡觉只能等一等了。他深深地、遗憾地叹了口气，脱下外套，卷起袖子，走进浴室，开始往浴缸里放冰冷的水。
No, sleep would have to wait. he sighed heavily and regretfully, took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, went into the bathroom, and began filling the tub with ice-cold water.