马龙探案卷五 之 盛怒的审判八
人群兴奋地乱转，他们的喧闹声使得听不到讲台上在说什么。
thE cRowd milled around excitedly, their din making it impossible to hear what was being said on the platform.
阿琳?高奇绝望地抓住汤姆?伯罗斯的胳膊，一遍又一遍地哭着说：“他没干，他没干。”
Arlene Goudge clutched desperately at tom burrows’ arm and began crying, “he didn’t do it, he didn’t do it,” over and over.
马龙看了一眼女孩，说：“把她带出去。杰克，你挤到前面去听听那个老家伙要说什么。来吧，海伦。”
malone took one look at the girl and said, “Get her out of here. Jake, you edge up there and hear what the old guy has to say. e along, helene.”
他们挤过人群，半拖半拽地把女孩带回了《企业报》的办公室。当海伦在他们身后关上门时，她还在重复着：“他没干。”
they pushed through the crowd and half dragged the girl back to the office of the Enterprise. She was still repeating, “he didn’t do it,” when helene kicked the door shut behind them.
汤姆?伯罗斯把她推到一把椅子上，狠狠地扇了她一巴掌，说：“别这样！” 接着，看到她眼泪汪汪的，他赶紧掏出一块手帕，擦了擦她的眼睛，说：“你这个可怜的宝贝。”
tom burrows shoved her into a chair, slapped her roughly, and said, “Stop that!” then as a flood of tears threatened, he whipped out a handkerchief, wiped her eyes, and said, “You poor baby.”
她抬头看着他们，眼神狂野。“你们得做点什么！你们不能把杰瑞从监狱里弄出来吗？你们不能证明他没干这事，或者找出是谁干的，或者 —— 做点什么吗？”
She looked up at them, her eyes wild. “You’ve got to do something! can’t you get Jerry out of jail? can’t you prove he didn’t do it, or find out who did, or - something?”
“我亲爱的年轻女士。” 马龙开口道。
“my dear young lady,” malone began.
这次她真的放声大哭起来，蜷缩在椅子里，把脸埋在胳膊里，像只小猫一样哭泣。这对马龙来说是最后一根稻草。
this time she really burst into tears, curled up in the chair, buried her face in her arms, and cried like a kitten. It was the last straw for malone.
“别哭了。” 他冲她吼道。“我会做点什么。我什么都愿意做。我会把他从监狱里弄出来。看在上帝的份上，别哭了！”
“don’t cry,” he roared at her. “I’ll do something. I’ll do anything. I’ll get him out of jail. For the love of mike, stop it!”
她停下来，用海伦的手帕擤了擤鼻子，把头发往后捋了捋，说：“哦，马龙先生！”
She paused long enough to blow her nose on helene’s handkerchief, push back her hair, and say, “oh, mr. malone!”
“现在听着。” 马龙说，试图让自己的语气听起来严厉一些，但却很含糊。
“Now look here,” malone said, with a vague attempt at sounding stern.
她又擤了擤鼻子，用痛苦而又茫然的大眼睛看着他。“杰瑞和这起谋杀案没有任何关系。”
She blew her nose again and looked at him with wide, miserable eyes. “Jerry didn’t have anything to do with the murder.”
“女人的直觉是不够的。” 马龙说。“还是你确实知道？”
“womanly intuition isn’t enough,” malone said. “or do you know, for sure?”
她把最后一缕潮湿的头发别到后面。“他想和佩维利参议员交朋友。因为他和弗洛伦斯订了婚。而参议员不喜欢他。他跟我这么说过。”
She pinned back the last strand of damp hair. “he was trying to make friends with Senator peveley. because he was engaged to Florence. And Senator peveley didn’t like him. he told me so.”
“佩维利参议员？” 马龙问道，努力跟上她的话。
“Senator peveley?” malone asked, trying to keep up.
“不。杰瑞。他和弗洛伦斯订了婚，参议员不喜欢他，所以他想和他交朋友，所以他当然不会杀了他。”
“No. Jerry. he was engaged to marry Florence, and the Senator didn't like him, and so he was trying to make friends with him, and so of course he wouldn't have murdered him.”
“完全正确。” 海伦同情地说。“我也不是那样和人交朋友的。”
“that's perfectly right,” helene said sympathetically. “that isn't the way I make friends with people, either.”
在马龙看来，这里面似乎有一点逻辑，但他就是抓不住。他正要问另一个问题，这时阿琳?高奇站起来，把粉盒放进手提包，打开了门。她又开始哭了起来。
It seemed to malone that there was a grain of logic there somewhere, but he couldn't just put his finger on it. he started to ask another question, when Arlene Goudge rose, tucked her pact in her purse, and opened the door. She was beginning to cry again.
“我怀孕了。” 她几乎是愤慨地说，然后摔门而去。
“I'm going to have a baby,” she said almost indignantly, and slammed the door on her way out.
有足足三十秒没人说话。汤姆?伯罗斯的脸先是变白，然后变红，接着又变白。突然他冲出门去，门关上的时候他们能听到他在说：“等等，阿琳。可是，阿琳 ——”
For a good thirty seconds nobody said anything. tom burrows turned white, then red, then white again. Suddenly he dived out the door, as it slammed they could hear him saying, “wait, Arlene. but, Arlene -”
马龙站在那里，对着门眨着眼睛。“我不明白。” 他说。
malone stood blinking at the door. “I don't understand,” he said.
“你可以找些书来解释。” 海伦说。“这就像花和小鱼一样。”
“You can get books that explain it,” helene said. “It's just like the flowers and the little fish.”
“我的意思是，” 马龙耐心地说，“这和佩维利参议员的谋杀案有什么关系？” 他擦了擦额头。“我喜欢小镇的一点是，它们是那么安静祥和。什么事也不会发生。”
“I mean,” malone said patiently, “what does that have to do with the murder of Senator peveley?” he mopped his brow. “the thing I like about little towns,” he said, “is that they’re so quiet and peaceful. Nothing ever happens.”
“听着，马龙，” 海伦说。“我在试着弄清楚她是谁的女朋友。今天下午她给汤姆?伯罗斯打电话的时候，说了些关于答应过不再给他打电话之类的话。她还为此哭了。但他对整件事看起来完全震惊。而现在她为了把杰瑞?勒克斯通从监狱里弄出来心急如焚，可不管怎么说他已经和另一个女孩订婚了。” 她叹了口气。“在杰克逊县，他们做什么事都很艰难。”
“Listen, malone,” helene said. “I’m trying to figure out whose girl she is. this afternoon when she telephoned tom burrows she said something about having promised not to call him up again. And she cried about it. but he looks pletely flabbergasted about the whole thing. And here she is all of a flutter to get Jerry Luckstone out of jail, and he’s engaged to another girl anyway.” She sighed. “they certainly do everything the hard way in Jackson county.”
“别烦我。” 马龙冲她吼道。“我已经有够多的事要操心了，不要再去管谁爱上了谁，也不用管阿琳?高奇孩子的父亲是谁。我只想把你和杰克从这一团糟中解救出来，然后回芝加哥。”
“don’t bother me,” malone growled at her. “I’ve got enough on my mind without worrying over who’s in love with whom, and who is the father of Arlene Goudge’s child. All I want to do is get you and Jake out of this mess and get back to chicago.”
“你答应过 ——” 海伦开始说。
“You promised -” helene began.
“她当时歇斯底里。” 马龙咕哝道。“她不会让我遵守那个承诺的。再说，” 他停顿了一下又说，“我没答应把这个人从监狱里弄出来。我答应过做点什么，但没说具体是什么。”
“She was hysterical,” malone muttered. “She won’t hold me to it. besides,” he paused and added, “I didn’t promise to get this guy out of jail. I promised to do something, but I didn’t say what it was.”
海伦还没来得及发表任何评论，杰克就到了，热得气喘吁吁。
before helene could make any ments, Jake arrived, hot and breathless.
埃德?斯金丁斯鲁德，他解释说，拒绝进一步解释他那令人吃惊的声明。“很可能，” 海伦说，“是他自己干的。”
Ed Skindingsrude, he explained, had refused to enlarge on his startled and startling statement. “probably,” helene said, “he did it himself.”
“我把赌注压在菲尔?史密斯身上。” 杰克说。“任何一个有全镇最温柔的人这样名声的人，内心深处肯定隐藏着谋杀的种子。再说，失去教授希腊语、拉丁语和古典历史的工作是个很好的杀人动机。”
“my money’s on phil Smith,” Jake said. “Anybody who has the reputation of being the gentlest soul in town must have the seeds of murder in him somewhere. besides, losing a job teaching Greek, Latin, and classical history is a swell motive.”
马龙皱起眉头。“随着我们开始挖掘这个小镇上人们的私人生活，动机肯定会越来越多，可能足以构成半打谋杀案。” 他开始说道。
malone frowned. “motives are bound to pile up, probably suitable for half a dozen murders, as we begin to dig into the private lives of this town,” he began.
“我们？” 杰克问道。
“we?” Jake demanded.
“口误。” 小律师红着脸说。“别再想了。现在这位可敬的治安官已经把某人关进了监狱，尤其是像地方检察官这样重要的人物，他不会再想和你们有任何瓜葛。明天早上我们就会离开杰克逊县，把这里的尘土从我们的脚后跟甩掉，然后继续我们的旅程。”
“A slip of the tongue,” the little lawyer said, blushing. “don’t give it another thought. Now that the worthy sheriff has clamped somebody in jail, especially somebody as important as the d. A. himself, he won’t want any further truck with you. tomorrow morning we’ll kiss the dust of Jackson county good-by off our heels, and be on our way.”
“你是说另一个人完蛋了。” 海伦说。
“You mean another heel bites the dust,” helene said.
突然，《企业报》办公室的门开了，一个红发女孩大步走了进来，后面跟着一个矮胖的小老头，脸红红的，头发卷曲花白。
Suddenly the door of the Enterprise office opened, and a red-haired girl strode in, followed by a short, plump little man with a rosy face and curly white hair.
“我就知道能在这儿找到你们。” 女孩说。
“I thought I’d find you here,” the girl said.
杰克盯着她。她不是个漂亮的女孩，事实上，她苍白的脸绝对很普通，但她肯定很引人注目。她很高，甚至比海伦还高，她的头发像草原上的火。她穿着有点脏的牛仔工装裤。
Jake stared at her. She wasn’t a pretty girl, in fact her dead-white face was definitely on the plain side, but she certainly was a striking one. She was tall, even taller than helene, and her hair was like a prairie fire. She was dressed in slightly soiled denim slacks.
“你们在找我们吗？” 马龙礼貌地问道。
“were you looking for us?” malone asked politely.
“我跟她说过她不该来这儿。” 小个子男人焦急地说。“我跟她说她这样到处乱逛不好看，尤其是她还穿成这样。” 他的脸不开心地皱了起来。
“I told her she shouldn’t e here,” the little man said anxiously. “I told her it didn’t look well for her to go wandering all over, especially dressed the way she is.” his face wrinkled unhappily.
“你们似乎识我们。” 杰克说。“来点反馈怎么样？”
“You seem to know us,” Jake said. “how about a little reciprocity?”
“我是弗洛伦斯?佩维利。” 女孩说，“这是亨利叔叔。”
“I’m Florence peveley,” the girl said, “and this is Uncle henry.”
“你瞧？” 亨利叔叔说。“她父亲从今天下午一点十五分才去世，她就穿着这样满镇跑。” 他求助地看着马龙。“人们会怎么想？”
“You see?” Uncle henry said. “here her father’s only been dead since one-fifteen this afternoon, and she’s going all over town, dressed like that.” he looked appealingly at malone. “what will people think?”
“我才不在乎人们怎么想。” 弗洛伦斯?佩维利不耐烦地说。“从来不在乎，现在也不想开始在乎。听着，你 ——” 她在对马龙说话 ——“我了解你的一切。有个记者差不多把你的生平都告诉我了。谢天谢地你在这儿。你得为此做点什么。”
“I don’t give a good red damn what people think,” Florence peveley said impatiently. “Never have, and I don’t intend to start in now. Look here, you” - she was addressing malone - “I know all about you. one of those reporters told me your life history, practically. thank God you’re here. You’ve got to do something about this.”
马龙眨了眨眼。“关于什么？”
malone blinked. “About what?”
她怒视着他。“那个疯治安官把杰瑞以谋杀罪关起来。这太荒谬了。杰瑞是我这辈子见过的最大的傻瓜，但他不会杀人，尤其是不会杀爸爸。”
She scowled at him. “that insane sheriff locking Jerry up for murder. It’s absurd. Jerry’s the damnedest fool I ever knew in my life, but he wouldn’t murder anybody, especially pa.”
“你这样谈论你订婚的男人可不好。” 亨利叔叔不赞成地说。
“that’s a fine way to talk about the man you’re engaged to,” Uncle henry said disapprovingly.
“去他的那些。” 红发女孩说。“你到底要不要做点什么？”
“the hell with all that,” the red-haired girl said. “Are you going to do something, or aren’t you?”
“你想让他做什么？” 海伦热心地问。
“what do you want him to do?” helene asked helpfully.
“找出到底是谁 —— 对不起，是谁杀了爸爸，然后把杰瑞从监狱里弄出来。我不能让我的未婚夫在监狱里，这看起来太糟糕了。” 她对海伦微笑着。“我喜欢你，你看起来很有头脑。”
“Find out who the hell - pardon me, who killed pa, and get Jerry out of jail. I can’t have my fiance in jail, it looks like the devil.” She smiled at helene. “I like you, you look as if you had sense.”
“谢谢。” 海伦说，“我有头脑。我也喜欢你。我一直希望我有一头红发。”
“thanks,” helene said, “I have. I like you, too. I always wished I had red hair.”
“是吗？在这样的天气里这可真是个大麻烦，头发太多了。” 她又转向马龙。“你几乎可以开价，我有很多钱。至少我希望我有。” 她看着忧心忡忡的亨利叔叔。“爸爸从来没改过遗嘱，是吗？”
“do you? It’s a terrible nuisance in weather like this, there’s so much of it.” She turned back to malone. “You can practically name your fee, I have plenty of money. At least I hope I have.” She looked at the worried Uncle henry. “pa never did change his will, did he?”
白发男人无言地摇了摇头。“谢天谢地。如果我以为他是认真的，我自己都会开枪打死他。你觉得这会花我多少钱，马龙先生？”
the white-haired man shook his head speechlessly. “thank God. If I’d thought he really meant it, I’d have shot him myself. how much do you think it ought to set me back, mr. malone?”
“我打算明天早上回芝加哥。” 小律师生硬地开始说道。
“I am planning to go back to chicago tomorrow morning,” the little lawyer began stiffly.
她打断他，说了两个令人吃惊的音节，然后又说：“一千，两千，不管这对你来说值多少钱。开个价吧。”
She interrupted him with two startling syllables, and added, “A thousand, two thousand, whatever it’s worth to you. Name it.”
“一万。” 马龙不顾一切地说。“这价格可不低。五千怎么样？”
“ten thousand,” malone said recklessly. “that’s pretty steep. how about five?”
“我折中一下。” 他本能地说。“好。七千五。但现在就开始，动作快点。走吧，亨利叔叔。” 她转身朝门口走去。
“I’ll split the difference,” he said instinctively. “o. K. Seventy-five hundred. but start now, and make it snappy. e on, Uncle henry.” She turned toward the door.
“等一下。” 马龙说。“我还没说我要做什么呢。”
“wait a minute,” malone said. “I haven't said I'd do anything yet.”
“胡说，没人会拒绝七千五百块。明天一早先来找我，我会把爸爸的所有情况都告诉你。” 海伦说：“等一下，佩维利小姐。这还没定下来呢。”
“Nonsense, nobody ever turned down seventy-five hundred bucks. e and see me first thing in the morning, and I'll give you all the dope on pa.” helene said, “wait, miss peveley. It isn't settled yet.”
“当然定下来了。” 女孩对她说。“我得赶紧回家，不然那些该死的摄影师可能会追上我。我可不想穿着这条裤子在《论坛报》的末版上出现我的照片。” 她打开门，说：“明天早上见，马龙先生。” 然后就走了，亨利叔叔跟在后面。
“of course it’s settled,” the girl told her. “And I’ve got to beat it home, or one of those God-damned photographers is liable to catch up with me. I don’t want my picture on the back page of the tribune in these pants.” She opened the door, said, “See you in the morning, mr. malone,” and was gone, followed by Uncle henry.
杰克等了六十秒，然后说：“哇！”
Jake waited sixty seconds, and said, “whew!”
“去她的。” 马龙说，“还有她那七千五百块。不过，” 过了一会儿他又说，“那可以买很多猪排呢。”
“the hell with her,” malone said, “and the hell with her seventy-five hundred bucks. Still,” he added after a moment, “that would buy a lot of pork chops.”
“你怎么做是你的事。” 杰克坚定地说。“但我们不会留在杰克逊县。”
“what you do is your own business,” Jake said firmly. “but we are not staying in Jackson county.”
“听着。” 马龙吼道。“是你把我叫到这儿来，让我卷入这件事的。”
“Now look here,” malone roared. “You got me up here and got me into this.”
“我会给你合理的费用，作为法律咨询和你的车费。” 杰克说，“看在上帝的份上，回芝加哥去吧，别管小镇上的谋杀案了。”
“I’ll give you a reasonable fee for legal advice and your busfare,” Jake said, “and for the love of mike, go back to chicago and don’t mess with small-town murders.”
“我想我知道自己在做什么。” 马龙生气地说，“还有那七千五百块 ——”
“I guess I know my own business,” malone said angrily, “and seventy-five hundred bucks -”
“是一大笔钱。” 汤姆?伯罗斯边说边走了进来。“有了这笔钱，你可以买下《杰克逊县企业报》。或者用一半的钱。”
“Is a lot of money,” tom burrows said, ing in the door. “For that, you can buy the Jackson county Enterprise. or for half that.”
“我不想要。” 马龙说。他点燃一支雪茄。“那个女孩怎么样了？”
“I don’t want it,” malone said. he lighted a cigar. “how’s the girl?”
“我想她没事了。我在她家附近的拐角处离开她的时候，她已经相当平静了。她父亲不赞成男朋友送她回家。我是说，他就是不赞成男朋友。” 年轻人用上周的《企业报》扇着风。“听着，我不太清楚你的想法。我是说，关于 ——” 他停下来，似乎在想接下来该说什么。
“All right, I guess. She was pretty well calmed down when I left her at the corner near her house. her old man doesn’t approve of boy friends bringing her home. I mean, he just doesn’t approve of boy friends.” the young man fanned himself with a copy of last week’s Enterprise. “Look here, I don’t quite know what you think. I mean, about -” he stopped and seemed to wonder what to say next.
“那么，你是吗？” 海伦礼貌地问。他皱起眉头。“我想不是。我很确定我不是。不过，我也不确定 ——”
“well, are you?” helene asked politely. he frowned. “I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure I’m not. I don’t know, though -”
“拿定主意。” 海伦告诉他。
“make up your mind,” helene told him.
汤姆?伯罗斯皱起眉头。“这是个很长很复杂的故事。”
tom burrows frowned. “It’s a kind of long and plicated story.”
他没机会讲这个故事了。门又开了，衣着讲究、头发灰白的麦高恩小姐走了进来，旁边跟着一个瘦高、有点驼背、晒得黝黑的男人。马龙猜这就是那个农民兄弟。近距离看，埃伦?麦高恩显得比以往任何时候都更能干。
he didn’t have a chance to tell it. the door opened again and the well-tailored, gray-haired miss macGowan walked in, acpanied by a gangling, stoop-shouldered deeply sunburned man. malone guessed this was the farmer brother. Seen at close range Ellen macGowan appeared more marvelously efficient than ever.
“你是马龙先生，对吧？” 她干脆地说。“我一直听说你的事。”
“You’re mr. malone, aren’t you?” she said crisply. “I’ve been hearing about you.”
小律师鞠了一躬。“我是马龙先生。” 他说，“你听到的关于我的事可能都是真的。但如果你是来让我把杰瑞?勒克斯通从监狱里弄出来，那你就浪费了一个美好的夜晚。因为我要搭下一班能搭上的车回芝加哥。”
the little lawyer bowed. “I’m mr. malone,” he said, “and what you’ve been hearing about me is probably correct. but if you’re here to ask me to get Jerry Luckstone out of jail, you’re wasting a lovely evening. because I’m going back to chicago on the next bus I can get.”
她皱起眉头。“我当然希望你不是认真的。” 她说。“如果你是认真的，我希望你能改变主意。这个县里没人有脑子，杰瑞必须从监狱里被放出来。” 她坚定地抿紧嘴唇。“为什么？” 马龙礼貌地问道。“因为，” 她说，“他没有谋杀佩维利参议员。而且，我知道他没有。”
She frowned. “I certainly hope you don’t mean that,” she said. “And if you do, I hope you’ll change your mind. Nobody in this county has the sense of a chicken, and Jerry’s got to be gotten out of that jail.” She set her lips in a firm line. “why?” malone asked politely. “because,” she said, “he didn’t murder Senator peveley. And what’s more, I know it.”