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马龙探案卷三 之 错误的凶案 三十二
电梯里一路无话，去往汽车的路上也是沉默。直到海伦发动了汽车，杰克才开口说话。
thERE wASN’t A woRd ALL thE way down the elevator or on the way to the car. Not until helene had started the motor did Jake speak.
“我们发现的人都是有可能谋杀冈布里尔的，” 他郁郁地说，“但都不是莫娜?麦克莱恩。你觉得胡克说的是真的吗？”
“we keep finding people who should have murdered Gumbril,” he said gloomily. “but not mona mcclane. do you think hook is a person who was associated with that organization. “do you think hook is telling the truth?”
“毫无疑问，” 马龙向他保证，“他是个骗子，但在这方面他很诚实。” 他皱了皱眉，“很容易看出他为什么会认为弗雷特清空了冈布里尔的保险箱。但如果她去过他的房间 ——”
“No doubt of it,” malone assured him. “he’s a crook, but he’s perfectly honest.” he scowled. “It’s easy to see why he figured that Fleurette had cleaned out Gumbril’s strongbox. but if she had gone to his room-”
“她确实去过他的房间，” 杰克兴奋地说。
“She did go to his room,” Jake said excitedly.
“你不会是碰巧有了洞察力吧？” 律师轻蔑地问。
“You haven’t turned clairvoyant, by any chance?” the lawyer asked scornfully.
“不是，但我有鼻子，” 杰克说，“香水。我在任何地方都能闻出来。记得我跟你说过那个衣橱是什么味道吗。她的衣服上也有同样的香水。而且味道还很浓。”
“No, but I’ve got a nose,” Jake said. “perfume. I’d know it anywhere. Remember I told you how that closet smelled. there was the same perfume on her clothes. heavy, too.”
“如果真是这样，” 马龙缓缓地说，“而这很有可能。如果弗雷特确实去过冈布里尔的房间……” 他顿了顿，最后严厉地说，“我们必须拿到那个盒子，就这样。而且，我们必须现在就拿到。”
“If that’s so,” malone said slowly, “and it may very easily be-if Fleurette did go to Gumbril’s room-” he paused and finally said grimly, “we’ve got to get that box, that’s all. what’s more, we’ve got to get it right now.”
海伦踩下油门，沿着密歇根大道疾驰而过，让一名吃惊的交警愣在原地。“我们半小时内就能拿到冈布里尔的小盒子。”
helene stepped on the accelerator and shot past a startled policeman down michigan Avenue. “we’ll have mr. Gumbril’s little box in half an hour.”
“美好的愿望，” 马龙咆哮道，“不过别忘了，冯?弗拉纳根可能还没允许公众进入冈布里尔的房间。”
“A nice sentiment,” malone growled. “don’t forget though that Von Flanagan probably still has Gumbril’s room closed to the public.”
“你一点也没有让我气馁，” 她平静地说，“杰克，那个盒子是什么样的？”
“You don’t discourage me in the least,” she said placidly. “Jake, what was that box like?”
“它是一个普通的金属公文箱，” 他告诉她，“有一把很好的锁和一个在顶部的把手，是瓷釉的或是漆成的深绿色。”
“It was a regular metal dispatch box,” he told her, “with a very good lock and a handle on the top. It was enameled or painted dark green.”
她沉默了一会儿。“这附近有没有五金店？”
She was silent for a block or so. “Is there a hardware store anywhere near here?”
“有戈德布拉特的店，” 杰克说，“我想他们有五金部门。”
“there’s Goldblatt’s,” Jake said; “they have a hardware department, I imagine.”
“谢谢。我就想知道这个。” 她把车开到范布伦街，穿过州街，在拐角处停下车。“绕着街区开，然后在这个拐角接我。” 在他还没来得及说一句话之前，她已经跳下车，消失在了人行道上的人群中。
“thanks. that’s all I wanted to know.” She drove to Van buren Street, over to State, and stopped the car at the corner. “drive around the block and pick me up here on the corner.” before he could say a word she had hopped out and was lost in the sidewalk crowds.
杰克小心翼翼地驾驶着这辆大车在傍晚的交通中穿行。“马龙，你猜她现在又要干什么？”
Jake piloted the big car gingerly through the late-afternoon traffic. “malone, what do you suppose she’s up to now?”
“我不知道，” 律师咆哮道，“而且不问可能更安全。别担心，我们会知道的。”
“I don’t know,” the lawyer growled, “and it’s probably safer not to ask. don’t worry, we’ll find out.”
在街区转了几圈后，他们看到海伦站在拐角处，于是把车停在路边。
After a few turns around the block they saw helene on the corner and stopped next to the curb.
“拿到你想要的东西了吗？” 杰克问。
“Get what you wanted?” Jake asked.
“拿到了。现在别用问题烦我。下车，你也一起来。”
“Yes. don’t bother me with questions now. Get out, you’re ing too.”
“你不能把车停在这里，” 杰克抱怨道，“我们现在已经让两个街区的交通堵塞了。”
“You can’t leave the car here,” Jake plained. “we’ve tied up traffic for two blocks now.”
“我不会把车在停在这里。马龙，你就绕着街区开一会儿，每五分钟经过这个拐角一次。到时候你可以在这里接我们，连盒子一起。”
“I’m not going to leave it here. malone, you just keep driving around for a while and every five minutes go past this corner. In due course of time you can pick us up here, plete with box.”
“如果这是个新游戏，我不喜欢它，” 马龙沮丧地说，接过了方向盘。
“If this is a new game, I don’t like it,” malone said morosely, taking the wheel.
“好吧，如果我们一个小时后还没回来，你就去监狱。” 她把手搭在杰克的胳膊下。“电话亭在哪里？”
“well, if we aren’t here in an hour, head for the jail.” She tucked her hand under Jake’s arm. “where’s a telephone booth?”
他指着州街对面的一家雪茄店。她小心翼翼地穿过泥泞的融雪走到商店，迅速查了电话簿，然后拨打了费尔法克斯酒店的电话号码。
he pointed across State Street to a cigar store. She picked her way delicately through the muddy melted snow to the store, looked quickly in the phone book, and dialed the number of the Fairfax hotel.
“我要和波彭普斯先生通话。”
“I want to talk to mr. poppenpuss.”
一阵停顿。
A pause.
“但是确实在那里。我知道他住在那里。这不是费尔法克斯酒店吗？” 她的声音因愤怒而升高。“那我要和 614 房间的波彭普斯先生通话。我告诉你 614 房间有个波彭普斯先生。让我和 614 房间通话。但我知道他在那里。” 她开始愤怒地斥责酒店服务员的愚蠢，然后把听筒猛地挂回挂钩上。
“but there is too. I know he lives there. Isn’t this the Fairfax hotel?” her voice rose in rage. “then I want to talk to mr. poppenpuss, p-o-p-p-E-N-p-U-S-S, in room six fourteen. I tell you there is a mr. poppenpuss in room six fourteen. Let me talk to room six fourteen. but I know there is.” She burst into an angry tirade about the stupidity of hotel clerks, and banged the receiver on its hook.
“到底怎么回事？” 杰克问。
“what the hell?” Jake asked.
“我只是想确认一下 614 房间是不是空的，” 她心满意足地说，“谢天谢地，它是空的。” 她向一辆路过的出租车挥手，告诉司机：“去费尔法克斯酒店。”
“I just wanted to find out if room six fourteen is empty,” she said placently. “thank heaven it is.” She waved at a passing taxi, told the driver, “Fairfax hotel.”
“海伦，” 杰克绝望地说，“你打算怎么办？”
“helene,” Jake said desperately, “what are going to do?”
“你是想跟我一起，还是我自己去？”
“do you want to e along with me, or shall I do this myself?”
“我当然跟你一起去。”
“of course I’m ing with you.”
“那就别问问题了。用马龙的话来说，这是一个新游戏，我很喜欢。”
“then stop asking questions. to quote malone, this is a new game and I do like it.”
在费尔法克斯酒店门口，她告诉他：“开个房间，预付房费，尽量表现得好像你十分钟前才第一次见到我。”
At the door to the Fairfax hotel she told him, “Get a room, pay for it in advance, and try to look as if you’d never seen me until ten minutes ago.”
“海伦，求你了……”
“helene, please-”
“别显得那么尴尬。”
“And stop looking embarrassed.”
杰克叹了口气，决定配合她。那个孤单、衣衫褴褛的行李员带他们去了四楼一个肮脏的房间，收起小费后就离开了。他关上门，若有所思地看着她。
Jake sighed and decided to play along. the lone, shabby bellhop showed them to a dingy room on the fourth floor, pocketed his tip and went away. he closed the door and looked at her thoughtfully.
“既然我们来了，既然我们已经付了房费……”
“Since we’re here, and since we’ve paid for the room-”
“我知道你的意思，” 她说，“这是一个很好的想法，但这是一次公务入住。我希望你还带着马龙给你的那把万能钥匙。”
