马龙探案卷四 之 正确的凶案 二十七
卡西诺赌场是一家大型场所，占据了一整座经过彻底改造的大厦。除了一层白色的油漆、一个简洁的霓虹灯招牌以及入口两侧放置的两棵人造树之外，外观几乎没有什么变化。然而，在内部，原来的主人的鬼魂可能会迷失方向。在三楼的赌博室里，古老的大理石壁炉还在，原来的楼梯仍然从一楼向上延伸，但仅此而已。
the casino was a large establishment, occupying all of a pletely remodeled mansion. the exterior, save for a coat of white paint, a chaste neon sign, and two artificial trees placed on either side of the entrance, had suffered the least change. Inside, however, the ghost of the original owner would have wandered around lost. on the third floor, in the gambling rooms, the old marble fireplaces remained, and the original staircase still led up from the ground floor, but that was all.
当杰克和马龙到达时，卢·西尔弗的乐队正在一楼的主厅里演奏。这是一个宽敞、灯光柔和的地方，设计师在这里营造出了一种正式的乔治王朝时期客厅的效果，并非完全不成功。墙壁上没有通常的夜总会装饰，而是覆盖着简单、几乎是严肃的镶板。靠墙长椅上的装饰是鸽灰色的。
Lou Silver’s orchestra was holding forth in the main room of the first floor when Jake and malone arrived. It was a spacious, softly lighted place, in which the decorator had worked, not altogether unsuccessfully, for the effect of a formal Georgian drawing room. Instead of the usual night-club decorations, the walls were covered with a simple, almost severe paneling. the upholstery on the benches along the walls was dove gray.
莫娜·麦克莱恩和她的一行人还没到。舞池里有相当多的人。杰克和马龙进来的时候，卢·西尔弗认出了他们，向他们挥了挥手，然后继续带领他的乐队演奏他改编的《无人宝贝》。最后，一个服务员端着两杯双份黑麦威士忌走了过来。
mona mcclane and her party had not yet arrived. A fair-sized crowd was on the dance floor. Lou Silver recognized Jake and malone as they came in, waved at them, and went on leading his band through his own version of Nobody’s baby. Eventually a waiter arrived with two double ryes.
马龙环顾四周。在他们左边的桌子旁坐着芝加哥一位更帅气的年轻社会名流和一笔可观财富的继承人，他穿着一套非常需要熨烫的灰色西装。和他在一起的是一个红发女孩，马龙认出她是邓普斯特街一家路边小酒馆的前寄存处女孩。他曾经为她处理过一起小小的毁约诉讼。
At the table to their left was one of chicago’s handsomer young socialites and heir to a notable fortune, in a gray business suit that badly needed pressing. with him was a red-haired girl whom malone recognized as an ex-hat-check girl from a dempster Street roadhouse. he had once handled a small breach-of-promise suit for her.
在他们右边，他看到了这个城市赌博集团的一位高层人物，穿着无可挑剔的晚礼服。马龙认为他可能是这个地方唯一一个和自己妻子一起来的人。
to their right he saw one of the higher-ups of the city’s gambling syndicate, in impeccable evening clothes. malone thought he was probably the only man in the place who was there with his own wife.
卢·西尔弗走过来喝了一杯，问杰克乐队听起来是不是很棒。杰克说是的，这是一个很棒的乐队。卢·西尔弗说很高兴杰克这么认为，又买了一杯酒，然后又走了。
Lou Silver came over for a drink and asked Jake if the band didn’t sound swell. Jake said yes, it was a swell band. Lou Silver said it was swell Jake thought so, bought another drink, and went away again.
卖香烟的女孩，一个微胖的黑发女孩，认出了马龙，以一美元的价格卖给他两包十五美分的香烟，并试探性地和他约周四的约会。
the cigarette girl, a plumpish brunette, recognized malone, sold him two packages of fifteen-cent cigarettes for a dollar, and made a tentative date with him for thursday.
然后莫娜·麦克莱恩的一行人到了。有一阵短暂的混乱，人们搬动椅子，等混乱结束后，杰克发现海伦坐在离他最远的桌子尽头。不过，他还是能看到她。她穿着那件闪亮的黑色连衣裙，戴着那顶有弯弯羽毛的小黑帽子，即使不是世界上最漂亮的女孩，也是这个地方最漂亮的。
then mona mcclane’s party arrived. there was a brief confusion of chairs being moved, and when it was over Jake found that helene was at the end of the table farthest from him. Still, he could look at her. She was easily the best-looking girl in the place if not in the world, in that shiny black dress and the tiny black hat with its curving feather.
罗斯·麦克劳林不在。“他又不见了。”莫娜回答马龙的问题时说，“从今天早上开始。别担心，他会出现的。”
Ross mcLaurin was not present. “he’s vanished again,” mona said, in answer to malone’s question. “Since this morning. don’t worry, he’ll turn up.”
因为是周日晚上，开场的歌舞表演比较低调，但一位国际知名的方言喜剧演员的出现让表演增色不少。马龙自认为是个不错的歌舞女郎评判者，他对卡西诺赌场的表演阵容非常赞赏。
the early floor show, toned down for Sunday night, was brightened considerably by the presence of an internationally famous dialect edian. malone, who considered himself a fair judge of chorus girls, approved highly of the casino line-up.
表演结束后，更多的情侣涌上舞池。周日晚上穿着鲍威尔服装店衣服的年轻姑娘们，和看起来像大学生的年轻人跳舞，和老板的朋友一起出来的职业女孩们，两位着名的电影女演员，她们吸引的注意力还不如一个相貌平平的棕发女孩多，据说这个女孩是一个有势力的工会头目的女朋友。
more couples swarmed onto the floor after the show Subdebs, in Sunday-night dresses from powell’s, dancing with collegiate-looking young men, business girls out with friends of the boss, two well-known movie actresses who attracted far less attention than a plain, brown-haired girl who was rumored to be the girl friend of a powerful union head.
马龙看着坐在他旁边的卢埃拉·怀特，心里琢磨着她。
malone looked at Louella white, sitting next him, and wondered about her.
“你原本是芝加哥人吗？”
“Are you from chicago originally?”
“不是。从东部来。”
“No. From the East.”
马龙断定，几杯酒下肚让她变得非常健谈。也许他可以利用这一点。
A few drinks, malone decided, had made her downright talkative. maybe he could take advantage of it.
“东部的什么地方？”
“what part of the East?”
“泽西城。”
“Jersey city.”
他换了个方式问。“你觉得芝加哥怎么样？”
he tried another approach. “how do you like chicago?”
“还行。”
“All right.”
“我想这里和东方很不一样。”
“I suppose it’s very different from the orient.”
“是的。”
“Yes.”
突然他说：“我打赌你这辈子从没去过东方。”
Suddenly he said, “I bet you never were in the orient in your life.”
她冷冷地看着他，“那又怎样？”
She looked at him coldly, “So what?”
该死，他想，你甚至都不能让这个女人震惊一下。“你是文宁夫人的亲戚吗？”
damn it, he thought, you couldn’t even jolt the woman. “Are you a relative of mrs. Venning?”
“不是。”
“No.”
“是文宁先生的亲戚吗？”
“of mr. Venning?”
“不是。”
“No.”
他叹了口气。“好吧。那我们反过来。你提问，我来想答案。”
he sighed. “All right. Let’s reverse. You ask the questions and I’ll think of the answers.”
她把她那双警惕的小眼睛转向他，说了她有生以来最长的一段话。“你为什么要问问题？”
She turned her small, guarded eyes on him and made the longest speech of her career. “what do you want to ask questions for?”
“我在写一本书。”马龙说，然后决定去看舞池。
“I’m writing a book,” malone said, and decided to watch the dance floor.
五分钟后，经理来了，为彭德利·泰德韦尔和保镖之间的一点小麻烦道歉。在歌舞女郎的更衣室里拍照似乎是违反规定的。
Five minutes later the manager arrived, apologizing for a little trouble pendley tidewell had had with the bouncer. It seemed to be against the rules to try to take photographs in the chorus girls’ dressing room.
“非常抱歉。”彭德利·泰德韦尔说着，把他六英尺一英寸的身躯滑回到椅子里。“我从来没有机会给一个……”
“I’m terribly sorry,” pendley tidewell said, sliding his six-feet-one back into his chair. “I never had a chance to photograph a—”
马龙若有所思地看着这个金发青年，想知道他是否真的不在乎钱，是否真的有人能这么头脑简单，以及迈克尔·文宁五十岁对他来说会有什么不同。
malone looked thoughtfully at the blond youth and wondered if he really didn’t care about money, whether anybody could be so simple-minded, and what difference michael Venning’s being fifty years old was going to make to him.
这群人开始四处走动。海伦和迈克尔·文宁上楼去了赌博室。彭德利·泰德韦尔给正在和一位当前在市中心热门剧里出演的头发光滑的年轻演员跳舞的莫娜·麦克莱恩拍照。伊迪莎·文宁不知去哪儿了，警惕的卢埃拉跟在后面。马龙和杰克溜达进了酒吧。
the party began to wander. helene and michael Venning went upstairs to the gambling rooms. pendley tidewell took pictures of mona mcclane dancing with a sleek-haired young actor from a current Loop hit. Editha Venning vanished somewhere, followed by the watchful Louella. malone and Jake drifted into the bar.
卡西诺赌场的酒吧很小，很温馨，也很随意。有两三张小桌子，都有人坐了。一个快活的年轻人坐在一架半品脱大小的钢琴前，为一群非常欣赏他的听众唱着他自己创作的无礼而生动的民谣。马龙挤到吧台前，和一位正统戏剧明星握了握手，拍了拍市长左膀右臂的后背，说道：“你好啊，老兄。”要了两杯黑麦威士忌，然后对杰克说：“这是个很不错的地方。等你拥有它的时候，你会度过一段美好的时光。”
the casino bar was small, intimate, and informal. there were two or three tiny tables, all occupied. A cheerful young man sat at a half-pint piano, singing impudent and picturesque ballads of his own position to a highly appreciative group of listeners. malone pushed his way to the bar, shook hands with a star of the legitimate stage, slapped the back of the mayor’s left-hand man, and said, “hello, chum,” ordered two ryes, and said to Jake, “this is a very nice joint. You’re going to have a wonderful time when you own it.”
杰克哼了一声，向六七个熟人点了点头打招呼，喝光了他的黑麦威士忌，然后说：“我们上楼去。”
Jake grunted, nodded a greeting to half a dozen acquaintances, downed his rye, and said, “Let’s go upstairs.”
卡西诺赌场的楼梯是原来那座大厦的一部分，很宽，很结实，栏杆和楼梯扶手柱都雕刻得非常精美。马龙挑剔地看着楼梯，说道：“不过，我确实认为，如果我是你，我会把那淡紫色的地毯换成更接近桑葚色的。”
the staircase of the casino had been part of the original mansion, a wide, massive affair, with magnificently carved balustrades and newel posts. malone looked at it critically and said, “I do think, though, if I were you, I’d have that mauve carpeting changed to something nearer mulberry.”
杰克的回答更接近“呸”。
Jake’s answer was something nearer raspberry.
卡西诺赌场的赌博室里挤满了人。马龙劝杰克不要去玩掷骰子游戏，并且抑制住了想用他剩下的钱去赌一把的冲动。
the gambling rooms of the casino were crowded. malone argued Jake out of a crap game and resisted an impulse to see what he could do with the rest of his bankroll.
莫娜·麦克莱恩出现在他旁边。他赞赏地看着她。她的身材正适合穿中国红。
mona mcclane appeared beside him. he looked at her admiringly. She was just the right size to wear chinese red.
“明天对很多人来说都是很重要的一天。”她神秘兮兮地笑着对他说。
“tomorrow’s such an important day for so many people,” she said confidingly, smiling at him.
他还没来得及回答，她就走到轮盘赌桌前了。有一会儿他看着她，试图记住她赢了多少钱。他有一种不安的预感，明天对他自己来说可能也是重要的一天。
before he could answer, she had moved up to the roulette table. For a while he watched and tried to keep track of her winnings. he had an unfortable premonition that tomorrow might be an important day for himself.
伊迪莎·文宁上了楼，看起来憔悴却又很迷人，而且完全清醒。卢埃拉·怀特似乎不见了。
Editha Venning came upstairs, looking interestingly haggard, and entirely sober. Louella white seemed to have disappeared.
一个穿蓝色连衣裙的瘦女孩向马龙借了一美元当打车回家的车费，马龙在“26 点游戏”桌赢了十美元。彭德利·泰德韦尔因为试图给掷骰子游戏拍照而被礼貌地请出了房间。迈克尔·文宁对一个服务员发了脾气。马龙正考虑在轮盘赌上试一把，这时海伦轻轻拍了拍他的胳膊，把他带到一个安静的角落。
A thin girl in a blue dress borrowed a dollar from malone for taxi fare home, and malone won ten dollars at the 26-Game table. pendley tidewell was politely put out of the room for trying to photograph a crap game. michael Venning lost his temper with a waiter. malone was considering trying just one fling at the wheel, when helene tapped him on the arm and led him off to a quiet corner.
“我觉得我们有点小麻烦。”
“I think we have a little trouble.”
“我觉得我们麻烦大了，不过现在又怎么了？”
“I think we have a lot, but what now?”
“卢埃拉·怀特。我刚进女洗手间。她躺在沙发上。女仆以为她昏过去了。但我知道她喝的酒不超过两杯，所以我快速又不引人注意地看了一眼。”
“Louella white. I just went into the ladies’ room. She was lying down on the couch. the maid thought that she’d passed out. but I knew she hadn’t had more than two drinks, so I managed a quick and inconspicuous look.”
“然后呢”
“well?”
“她死了，马龙”
“She’s dead, malone.”
这个小律师脸上的肌肉一动不动。过了一会儿他说：“别大惊小怪。悄悄告诉莫娜，让杰克也知道。别让其他人知道。我去和经理谈谈。”
Not a muscle moved in the little lawyer’s face. After a moment he said. “don’t make a fuss. tell mona quietly, and let Jake know. No one else. I’ll go talk to the manager.”
五分钟后，当海伦带着莫娜·麦克莱恩和杰克下楼时，那个受惊的黑人女仆正站在标有“女士”的门前，非常不可信地告诉每个人里面有个水管工在做一点小修理，门马上就会打开。
Five minutes later, when helene brought mona mcclane and Jake downstairs, the frightened colored maid was standing in front of the door marked LAdIES, informing everyone very unconvincingly that the plumber was inside making a minor repair, and the door would be opened in just a minute.
过了一会儿，经理走了出来，脸色苍白。“麦克莱恩夫人，我不知道这是……”
A moment later the manager came out, his face pale. “mrs. mcclane, I don't know what—”
“没关系。”莫娜·麦克莱恩说。杰克突然想起她拥有这家卡西诺赌场。
“that's all right,” mona mcclane said. Jake was reminded suddenly that she owned the casino.
“马龙先生认为她会没事的……”
“mr. malone thinks she'll be all right—”
“那她没死？”海伦倒吸一口凉气。
“then she's not dead?” helene gasped.
经理盯着她。“死了？没有。昏迷了。马龙先生认为是迷药。等一下……”他又冲进了女洗手间。
the manager stared at her. “dead? No. Unconscious. mr. malone thinks it was knockout drops. Just a minute—” he dived back into the ladies' room.
杰克伸手握住海伦的手，紧紧地握着。
Jake reached for helene's hand and held it tightly.
又过了一会儿，马龙出现了，擦着额头的汗。
Another moment and malone appeared, mopping his brow.
“一切都好。没必要大惊小怪。”他看着莫娜·麦克莱恩。“让人把你的车开过来，把你的人都召集起来，我们悄悄地把她抬到车上。十二个小时后她就会完好如初。”
“Everything's o. K. No need for any fuss.” he looked at mona mcclane. “Just have your car brought around, get your party together, and we'll have her quietly carried out to the car. In twelve hours she'll be as good as new.”
莫娜·麦克莱恩点点头，迅速走开了。她似乎不想听任何解释。海伦跟着她。
mona mcclane nodded and walked away quickly. She didn't seem to want any explanations. helene followed her.
经理仍然脸色苍白，说：“我不知道该怎么感谢……”
the manager, still pale, said, “I don't know how to thank—”
“没关系。”马龙说。“给我来一杯免费的。”他带着杰克朝酒吧走去。
“that's all right,” malone said. “I'll have one on the house.” he led Jake toward the bar.
“她真的没事吗？”杰克问道，“还是你在帮卡西诺赌场摆脱一个棘手的困境？”
“Is she really o. K.,” Jake demanded, “or are you saving the casino from a nasty jam?”
“她真的没事。有人在她的酒里下了迷药。等我们出去了再告诉你其他的。”
“She’s really o. K. Somebody slipped her a mickey Finn. wait for the rest till we get outside.”
他们在出去的路上在酒吧停了一下。马龙似乎很需要那杯酒。当他们走到人行道上时，麦克莱恩一行人已经走了，但一辆出租车停在门口，车门开着。两个男人上了车才发现海伦坐在阴影里。
they paused at the bar on the way out. malone seemed to need that drink. the mcclane party had gone when they reached the sidewalk, but a taxi, its door open, was waiting in front of the door. the two men were inside it before they discovered helene sitting back in the shadows.
“我溜出来了。”她解释道。“发生了什么事，马龙？”
“I ducked away,” she explained. “what happened, malone?”
他把跟杰克说的解释又说了一遍。“但这还不是全部。卢埃拉·怀特是个男的。”
he gave her the explanation he had given Jake. “but that’s not all. Louella white is a he.”
“你再说一遍？”杰克说。
“how’s that again?” Jake said.
“我在里面的时候翻了她——他——的手提包。他是来自纽约一家不怎么靠谱的侦探社的路易·怀特。”
“I looked through her—his—handbag while I was in there. he’s Lou white, from a shady New York detective agency.”
出租车开了半条街后杰克才说：“嗯，我一直觉得没有哪个女人能像她那么不爱说话。但他在为谁工作呢？”
the taxi had gone half a block before Jake said, “well, I always thought no woman could be as untalkative as that. but who was he working for?”
“你猜的和我猜的一样好。”律师说。“我只知道他在监视伊迪莎·文宁，天知道为什么。”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” the lawyer said. “All I know is that he was watching Editha Venning, God knows why.”
海伦向前探着身子，眼睛发亮。“那就是她给他下了药。我是说，因为某种原因她今晚想摆脱他。”她沉默了一会儿。“现在我们肯定要去枫树公园。”
helene leaned forward, her eyes blazing. “then she doped her—him, I mean. because for some reason she wanted to be free tonight.” She was silent for a moment. “Now we sure as hell are going out to maple park.”
“不。”两个男人同时说道。
“No,” both men said simultaneously.
“哦，我们一定要去。那里有什么东西——我不知道是什么——但昨天她第一次摆脱了她的监视者后就直接去了那里。她今晚还会去，我们要去那里找出原因。”
“oh yes we are. there’s something out there—I don’t know what it is—but the first time she was able to slip away from her watchdog—yesterday—she headed straight out there. She’ll do it again tonight, and we’ll be out there to find out why.”
“我可不想再被当成兔子了。”杰克闷闷不乐地说。
“I’d hate to be mistaken for a rabbit again,” Jake said gloomily.
“好吧，你们两个大男人回家睡觉去。我要去枫树公园。”她向前探着身子对出租车司机说，“亚当斯街北岸车站，快点。”
“All right, you two big strong men go home to bed. I’m going out to maple park.” She leaned forward and said to the cab driver, “the Adams Street North Shore station, and hurry.”
“你期望在那儿找到什么？”马龙咆哮道。
“what do you expect to find out there?” malone growled.
“我不知道。但我希望是莫娜被谋杀了。”
“I don’t know. but I hope it’s mona’s murder.”
杰克叹了口气。“好吧，我们一起去。但我有一种不安的预感，知道我们会找到什么。”
“Jake sighed. “All right, we’ll go along. but I have an unfortable premonition of what we’ll find.”
“好吧。”马龙嘟囔着，“你告诉我们，这样我们就不用去了。”
“All right,” malone grunted, “you tell us, and we won’t have to go.”
“我们会找到彭德利·泰德韦尔，”杰克说，“带着他的相机。他以前从来没有机会给坟墓拍照。”
“we’ll find pendley tidewell,” Jake said, “with his camera. he’s never had a chance to photograph a grave before.”