马龙探案卷四 之 正确的凶案 七
到了人行道上，杰克说：“如果我自夸的话，这是一件非常漂亮的工作。不知怎么的，冯?弗拉纳根现在认为你不认识那个被谋杀的人。”
out on the sidewalk, Jake said, “A very nice piece of work, if I do say so myself. Somehow von Flanagan now thinks you didn’t know the murdered man.”
“一个很棒的故事。” 马龙咕哝道。“可惜不是真的。”
“A swell story,” malone grunted. “too bad it wasn’t the truth.”
“你怎么知道不是真的？”
“how do you know it isn’t?”
律师摇了摇头。“我不认识那个被谋杀的人，但他确实认识我。在来这儿的路上，那个胖脸的克鲁切茨基在车里，我没法告诉你这件事，但是 ——” 他把钥匙的事告诉了杰克。“酒吧里有十或十二个人。当这个人进来大喊‘马龙’的时候，每个人都转过身来。他没注意其他人，直接朝我走来，把钥匙塞进了我手里。”
the lawyer shook his head. “I didn’t know the murdered man, but he knew me all right. I couldn’t tell you this on the way down here, with that fat-faced Kluchetsky in the car, but—” he told Jake the story of the key. “there were ten or twelve people at the bar. when this guy came in and hollered ‘malone,’ everybody turned around. he didn’t pay any attention to anybody else, he headed straight for me and slipped the key into my hand.”
“那并不意味着他以前见过你。” 杰克说。“派他来找你的人可能说过，‘这个马龙是个矮胖的家伙，有点小肚子，衣领脏脏的，嘴里叼着一支雪茄，还有一块秃的地方。’”
“that doesn’t mean he ever saw you before,” Jake said. “whoever sent him to look for you probably said, ‘this malone is a short fat guy, with a small paunch, a dirty collar, a cigar in his mouth, and a bald spot.’”
“你闭嘴。” 马龙咆哮道。“那是一块非常小的秃的地方。”
“You shut your trap,” malone growled. “It’s a damned small bald spot.”
“不管怎样，” 杰克说，“冯?弗拉纳根这个月剩下的时间都会忙着调查你在城里认识的所有骗子。那会让他不再缠着你。你应该感激我。”
“Anyway,” Jake said, “von Flanagan’s going to be busy for the rest of the month checking up on all the crooks you know in town. that’ll keep him off your tail. You ought to be grateful to me.”
“当然，” 马龙说，“除非他抓到那个杀人的家伙。”
“Sure,” malone said, “unless he runs down the one who did the killing.”
“我觉得他不会。在我看来，这起谋杀不像是犯罪的活儿。”
“I don’t think he will. this murder doesn’t look to me like the work of a criminal.”
“谋杀也是一种犯罪。” 律师提醒他。
“murder is a crime too,” the lawyer reminded him.
“我说的是职业犯罪。我觉得这个杀手不是。”
“I’m talking about professional criminals. I don’t think this killer was one.”
“我也不这么认为，而且我也不在乎他是谁。尽管如此，我愿意出五分钱知道谁拿着那把钥匙，也许出十分钱把它拿回来。”
“Neither do I,” malone said, “and I don’t care who he was. Just the same, I’d give a nickel to know who has that key, and maybe two nickels to get it back.”
“为什么？”
“why?”
“因为，首先，如果我留下来，我可能会因此得到一个客户，其次，因为如果我真的卷入其中，我想知道发生了什么。” 他环顾四周，看到一家药店，然后说：“来吧，我想打个电话。”
“because, in the first place, if I stick around I may get a client out of this, and because, in the second place, if I do get involved I want to know what goes on.” he looked around, spotted a drugstore, and said, “e on, I want to telephone.”
他给第一区警察局打电话，和一个叫安迪的人交谈，显然是个老朋友，得知在乔天使酒吧把他带走的警察叫奥斯卡?基克和乔?马尔卡希，而且两人今天下午都不当班。他站着想了一会儿这两个名字，最后又往电话里投了一枚硬币，然后打给马克斯?胡克。
he telephoned to the first-district police station, talked to someone named Andy, apparently an old friend, and learned that the policemen who had picked him up in Joe the Angel’s bar were named oscar Kieck and Joe mulcahey, and that both were off duty this afternoon. he stood thinking over both names for a moment, finally dropped another slug into the phone and called max hook.
“你好，朋友。你的三百块钱拿回来了吧？那很好。哦，当然，当然，我知道我不用着急，但我有钱了，我想我还是把它还了吧。这次我是来打听消息的。你知道一个叫奥斯卡?基克的警察吗？” 长时间的停顿。“你不知道，是吧。那乔?马尔卡希呢？” 较短的停顿。“这还差不多。听着，朋友，我得从马尔卡希那里套出一些个人信息，我想确定他会告诉我。” 非常长的停顿，其间偶尔穿插着 “嗯哼” 和 “真没想到”。
“hello, chum. did your three hundred bucks get back o. K.? that’s good. oh sure, sure, I knew I didn’t have to hurry, but I had the dough and I thought I might as well get it paid up. this time I’m after information. Know anything about a cop named oscar Kieck?” A long pause. “You don’t, huh. how about a Joe mulcahey?” A shorter pause. “that’s more like it. Look, chum, I’ve got to pry some personal information out of mulcahey and I’d like to make sure he’ll give it to me.” A very long pause punctuated by occasional “uh-huhs” and “you-don’t-say-sos.”
当小律师挂了电话，他翻了翻电话簿，记下一个地址，然后说：“我们去拜访一下这个马尔卡希家伙。” 杰克还没来得及回答，他就叫了一辆出租车。
when the little lawyer hung up, he thumbed through the phone book, noted down an address, and said, “Let’s go call on this mulcahey guy.” before Jake could answer, he called a taxi.
警察马尔卡希住在林肯公园附近一家华丽的公寓式酒店里。马龙在电梯旁停了一会儿，羡慕地环顾了一下大厅，评论道：“靠警察的薪水能过得这么好，真不错！”
policeman mulcahey lived in an ornate apartment hotel near Lincoln park. malone paused for a moment by the elevator to gaze admiringly around the lobby and ment, “wonderful to be able to manage all this on a policeman’s salary!”
杰克说：“也许你应该先给他打个电话。”
Jake said, “maybe you ought to phone up to him first.”
“也许我应该这么做，” 马龙表示同意，“但我不打算这么做。” 他在服务台前停下来，说：“马尔卡希先生在 1217 房间，对吗？”
“maybe I should,” malone agreed, “but I’m not going to.” he stopped by the desk and said, “mr. mulcahey is in room 1217, isn’t he?”
“不，先生，” 服务员摇摇头说，“是 1102 房间。”
“No sir,” the clerk said, shaking his head. “It’s 1102.”
“谢谢。” 马龙说着，把杰克推向电梯。
“thanks,” malone said, pushing Jake toward the elevator.
1102 号公寓在大楼的前面。马龙用力敲了敲门，等了很长时间。最后一个男人的声音喊道：“谁啊？”
Apartment 1102 was at the front of the building. malone pounded on the door and waited a long time. Finally a masculine voice called, “who’s there?”
马龙又敲了敲门，说：“快点，乔，开门。”
malone knocked again and said, “e on, Joe, open the door.”
有一阵低语声，可能是 “这是怎么回事”，门开了，一个穿着蓝色丝绸睡衣和深红色晨衣的高个子男人盯着他们。
there was a murmur that might have been, “what the hell” the door opened, and a tall man dressed in blue silk pajamas and a dark-red dressing gown stared at them.
“你认识我，对吧？” 马龙说。
“You know me, don’t you?” malone said.
“哦，当然，马龙先生。有一会儿没认出你来。快请进。” 他把他们领进一个摆满了家具的大客厅，里面有数量惊人的台灯和精致的茶几。一个矮胖的黑发女子蜷缩在沙发上，一只手抱着一个杯子。
“oh sure, mr. malone. didn’t recognize you for a minute. e right on in.” he led them into a large, over-furnished living room with an incredible number of lamps and elaborate end tables. A short, chubby brunette was curled up on the sofa, cuddling a glass in one hand.
“玛奇，这是马龙先生，律师。皮兹纳小姐，马龙先生。还有这位 ——”
“marge, this is mr. malone, the lawyer. miss pizzner, malone. And mr.—”
“贾斯特。” 杰克补充道。
“Justus,” Jake supplied.
“哦，当然。你以前在《观察家报》工作。喝一杯吧。”
“oh, sure. You used to be with the Examiner. have a drink.”
“这是公事拜访。” 马龙说。
“this is a business call,” malone said.
“该死，那喝两杯吧。” 他倒了满满两杯海格。“走吧，玛奇。这是公事拜访。”
“hell, have two drinks.” he poured out generous shots of haig and haig pinchbottle. “beat it, marge. this is a business call.”
那个矮胖的黑发女子站起来，咯咯笑着说：“等你们走了，马龙先生，他会把一切都告诉我的。” 她有点摇晃地走进了杰克猜是卧室的房间。
the chubby brunette rose, giggled, and said, “he’ll tell me all about it after you’re gone, mr. malone,” lurched slightly, and disappeared into what Jake guessed was the bedroom.
马尔卡希看起来有点不自在。“别理她。”
mulcahey looked a little uneasy. “don't pay any attention to her.”
“我从不理会女人。” 马龙向他保证。他舒服地坐在一张巨大的填充太满的椅子里。“你肯定把自己照顾得很好。你这里真不错。”
“I never pay attention to dames,” malone assured him. he settled himself fortably in an enormous overstuffed chair. “You sure do yourself pretty well. Nice place you have here.”
“我喜欢这里。” 马尔卡希谨慎地说。“我有一些投资，时不时能给我带来一点收入。”
“I like it,” mulcahey said warily. “I have a few investments that bring me in a little dough now and then.”
马龙说：“当然。马克斯?胡克跟我讲过那些投资。我今天和马克斯谈了一点公事 —— 我不知道你的名字怎么会被提起。”
malone said, “Sure. max hook told me about ’em. I was talking to max today about a little business matter—I don't know how your name happened to e up.”
马尔卡希专注地看着地毯。“如果那天晚上我把你带到警察局的时候知道你是马克斯?胡克的朋友 ——”
mulcahey looked intently at the carpet. “If I'd known you were a friend of max hook's when I took you into the station the other night—”
“忘了它吧。” 马龙急忙说。“如果不是你，我可能还在和那些家伙打架呢。” 他抿了一口苏格兰威士忌，不时地看着杯子。“你知道，如果我想从你这里得到一些信息，而你不给我，马克斯会大发脾气的。或者如果你不直接告诉我，他会更生气。”
“Forget it,” malone said hastily. “If you hadn't, I'd probably still be fighting those guys.” he sipped his Scotch, gazing into the glass between times. “You know, if I wanted some information from you, and you didn't give it to me, max would raise hell. or if you didn't give it to me straight, he'd raise more hell.”
“哦，当然。你想知道什么？”
“oh sure,” mulcahey said. “what'dya want to know?”
“我只是想知道那天晚上在去警察局的路上你有没有搜过我的身。”
“I just want to know if you frisked me on the way to the station that night.”
警察盯着他看了一会儿，然后脸色变得苍白。“听着，马龙，我这辈子从没从任何人那里拿过一分钱。如果你不相信我，去问马克斯?胡克。他会告诉你我像白天一样诚实。”
the policeman stared at him for a minute, then turned pale. “Look here, malone, I never took a dime off anybody in my life. If you don’t believe me, ask max hook. he’ll tell you I’m as honest as the day is long.”
“我不是在说钱。” 马龙告诉他。“如果你搜了我的身，那你是在执行命令，而且你在找别的东西。”
“I’m not talking about money,” malone told him. “If you frisked me you were acting under orders, and you were looking for something else.”
马尔卡希慢慢地摇了摇头。“我没有。这是实话。”
mulcahey shook his head slowly. “I didn’t. And that’s straight.”
“我相信你的话。” 马龙说。“我有个小想法，那场架是被人挑起的，作为叫警察的借口，这样在去警察局的路上我就可以被搜身了。”
“I’ll take your word for it,” malone said. “I had a little notion that fight was started as an excuse for calling the cops, so I could be searched on the way to the station.”
“你搞错了。那是一次合法的逮捕。该死，直到把你带到警察局的桌子前我都不知道你是谁。”
“You got it wrong. It was a legitimate pinch. hell, I didn’t even know who you were till I got you to the desk.”
“好吧。” 马龙说。“我欠冯?弗拉纳根一个他永远也得不到的道歉。”
“o. K.,” malone said. “I owe von Flanagan an apology he’ll never get.”
“你丢了什么东西吗？” 马尔卡希漫不经心地问道，站起来给杯子里倒酒。
“did you lose something?” mulcahey asked casually, rising to refill the glasses.
“一把钥匙。” 马龙告诉他。“没什么重要的东西。”
“A key,” malone told him. “Nothing important.”
“在哪里？”
“where was it?”
“在我外套的右边口袋里。”
“In my right-hand coat pocket.”
警察摇了摇头。“那你在我们抓你之前就把它丢了。你的外套口袋里什么都没有。”
the policeman shook his head. “then you lost it before we picked you up. there wasn’t anything in your coat pockets.”
马龙慢慢地、小心翼翼地放下杯子。“你怎么知道？”
malone set his glass down slowly and carefully. “how do you know?”
马尔卡希宽阔的脸上微微泛起一丝红晕。“是这样，马龙。我们抓你的时候，我没烟了。那个荷兰人 —— 基克 —— 也没有，他不抽烟。我知道你不会介意我从你那里拿一根烟，所以我看了看你的外套口袋。你没有烟。只有一块手帕。”
A faint blush appeared on mulcahey’s broad face. “It’s like this, malone. when we picked you up, I was out of cigarettes. the dutchman—Kieck—didn’t have any, he doesn’t smoke. I knew you wouldn’t mind if I borrowed one from you, so I looked in your coat pockets. You didn’t have any. there was just a handkerchief.”
马龙沉默不语。
malone was silent.
“我真的很抱歉 ——” 警察开口说道。
“I’m sorry as hell—” the policeman began.
“没关系。” 马龙说。“我很高兴你看了。这让我知道了我来这里要找的答案。” 他喝光了剩下的苏格兰威士忌，站起来戴上帽子。“那个挑起争斗的人怎么样了？”
“that’s all right,” malone said. “I’m glad you looked. It tells me what I came here to find out.” he drained the rest of his Scotch, rose, and put on his hat. “what happened to the guy who started the fight?”
“他？” 马尔卡希说。“我们到那儿之前他就跑了。”
“him?” mulcahey said. “he beat it before we got there.”
“知道他是谁吗？”
“Know who he was?”
马尔卡希摇了摇头。“从没见过他。乔天使可能知道。” 他跟着他们走到门口。“任何时候我能为你做点什么 ——”
mulcahey shook his head. “Never saw him. Joe the Angel might know.” he followed them to the door. “Anytime I can do anything for you—”
“谢谢。” 马龙说。“下次我见到胡克的时候会向他提起你。”
“thanks,” malone said. “I’ll remember you to the hook next time I see him.”
在乘电梯下楼的过程中，他非常沉默。在大厅里，他走进电话亭给乔天使打电话。
he was very silent on their way down the elevator. In the lobby he stopped in the phone booth and called Joe the Angel.
乔很抱歉，但他不认识那个挑起争斗的陌生人。那个人在那天晚上之前从没去过酒吧，从那以后也没再去过。可能是从外地来的。以防马龙不太记得他了，他是个高大强壮的人，头发灰白。穿着一套棕色西装，系着一条花哨的领带。他那天凌晨两点左右来到酒吧，之后一直在那里。
Joe was very sorry, but he didn’t know the stranger who had started the fight. he’d never been in the bar before that night, and hadn’t been in since. probably from out of town. In case malone didn’t remember him very well, he’d been a big, beefy guy with gray hair. wore a brown suit and a loud tie. he’d dropped in at the bar about two that morning and been there the rest of the night.
马龙皱起眉头，说：“谢谢，乔，回头见。”
malone scowled, said, “thanks, Joe, be seeing you.”
“等一下。” 乔天使开口说道。但马龙已经挂断了电话。
“wait a minute,” Joe the Angel began. but malone had hung up.
在出租车里，小律师向杰克借了一根火柴，点燃了一支新雪茄。“该死，我原以为这个人挑起争斗是为了拿到钥匙。现在我想他不是。”
out in the taxi, the little lawyer borrowed a match from Jake and lit a new cigar. “damn it, I had it all figured out this bird started the fight in order to get hold of the key. Now I guess he didn’t.”
“你怎么知道？”
“how do you know?”
“他从凌晨两点就一直在乔天使的酒吧。他不可能知道我会回到那里。见鬼，我自己都不知道。如果他真的是为了钥匙，他应该跟踪我而不是坐在乔的酒吧里。”
“he’d been at Joe the Angel’s since two in the morning. he couldn’t have known I was ing back there. hell, I didn’t know it myself. If he’d really been after the key, he’d have been trailing me instead of sitting in Joe’s.”
杰克说：“嗯，这是非常有趣的一天，但这对我没有任何好处。我要在剩下的时间里查清楚自从莫娜和我打那个赌以来城里所有的谋杀案。”
Jake said, “well, it’s been a very entertaining day, but this isn’t doing me any good. I’m going to spend the rest of it checking up on all the murders in town since mona made that bet with me.”
“你真的认为你能赢得那个赌注吗？” 律师问。
“You really think you can win that bet?” the lawyer asked.
“我必须赢。”
“I’ve damn well got to.”
“嗯，” 律师说，“只要我能从中得到一个客户，我就该关心。你住在哪里？”
“well,” the lawyer said, “as long as I get a client out of it, I should worry. where are you staying?”
“在我们租的公寓里。既然我付了这个月的房租，我不妨在那里住到月底。不过那是个非常大又非常冷清的地方。”
“At the apartment we took. As long as I paid the rent for it, I might as well live there till the month is up. It’s a heluva big lonely place, though.”
“你需要的是一个妻子。” 马龙告诉他。
“what you need is a wife,” malone told him.
杰克什么也没说。
Jake said nothing.
律师看了看表。现在是两点四十五分。“我三点有个约会。”
the lawyer looked at his watch. It was quarter of three. “I have an appointment at three o’clock.”
“和一个女人，我想。” 杰克沮丧地说。“好吧，你忙完后给我公寓打电话。”
“with a dame, I suppose,” Jake said gloomily. “well, phone me at the apartment when you’re through.”
“你说得太对了，确实是个女人。”马龙说。“你真该见见她。”他深吸了一口气。“但我得非常小心，确保你见不到她。”
“You’re damned right it’s a dame,” malone said. “You should only see her.” he drew a long breath. “but I’m going to be very careful that you don’t.”