马龙探案卷四 之 正确的凶案 三十二
芝加哥最受欢迎的景点，湖滨大道上的老麦克莱恩大厦灯火辉煌。从稍远的地方看，它就像一张装饰性圣诞贺卡上的房子。下午的大雪在草坪上留下了巨大的白色雪堆，每一处檐口和裂缝都被一层柔软的浅色积雪勾勒出来。现在天空晴朗，星光灿烂。在它下面，湖滨大道正在从积雪中清理出来。
chicago’s favorite show place, the old mcclane mansion on Lake Shore drive, was a blaze of lights. From a little distance it looked like a house on an ornamental christmas card. the afternoon’s heavy snowfall had left great white drifts on the lawn and outlined every cornice and crevice with a soft, pale dusting. the sky was clear now and brilliant with stars. below it, Lake Shore drive was digging itself out of the snow.
海伦偷偷看了一眼马龙。这个小律师脸色苍白；事实上，他看起来快要累垮了。她希望他能告诉她他心里在想什么，但她知道问了也没用。不管是什么，他一方面对自己要做的事情感到兴奋，另一方面又对必须这么做感到不快。
helene stole a glance at malone. the little lawyer was gray-faced; indeed, he seemed close to exhaustion. She wished he would tell her what he had in mind, but she knew there was no use in asking questions. whatever it might be, he was, at the same time, excited about what he was going to do and unhappy over the necessity of doing it.
尽管麦克莱恩大厦灯火辉煌，她看到这座大厦时还是微微颤抖了一下。会有不愉快的事情发生，而她不知道会是什么。
For all the weling lights of the mcclane mansion, she shivered a little at the sight of it. Something unpleasant was going to happen, and she didn’t know what it was.
“我希望杰克在这儿。”她轻声说道，声音刚好能让马龙听到。
“I wish Jake were here,” she said under her breath, just loud enough for malone to catch.
“我也希望如此。”律师严峻地说，“如果杰克找不到正确的行李寄存柜，不能及时带着里面的东西赶到这里，整个事情就会搞砸。”
“So do I,” the lawyer said grimly. “If Jake doesn’t find the right luggage locker and arrive here with the contents in time, the whole show will blow up.”
他们在客厅里找到了莫娜·麦克莱恩，她蜷缩在壁炉边的座位上，尖尖的小下巴搁在拳头上，凝视着炉火中的煤块。海伦突然想起一只黑色的小猫蹲在炉火旁，伸展着爪子，弯曲着爪子，对着火焰眨着眼睛，一半被火焰催眠了。房间里半明半暗，长长的窗户依然透进芝加哥黄昏微弱的灰色光线，只有壁炉和一盏柔和的灯光在房间里闪耀。
they found mona mcclane in the living room, curled up on the chimney seat, her small, pointed chin resting on her fist, staring into the coals. helene was reminded suddenly of a black kitten crouched by the fire, stretching and curving its paws and blinking at the flames, half hypnotized by them. the room was in semidarkness, the long windows still admitted the faint gray of a chicago twilight, and only the fireplace and one soft light glowed in the room.
莫娜·麦克莱恩从壁炉边的座位上站起来迎接他们。她小小的三角形脸非常苍白。
mona mcclane rose from her seat by the fireplace to greet them. her small, triangular face was very pale.
“我就料到你们今天下午会来。洛特斯一直渴望有机会感谢你们。”
“I rather expected you to drop in this afternoon. Lotus has been anxious for a chance to thank you.”
这时他们看到洛特斯·艾伦一直站在窗帘的半阴影处，凝视着其中一扇长窗外面。她转过身，朝壁炉走来。她的沉着并没有被打乱，但她的举止，甚至她的走路姿势和手势，都不再是洛特斯·艾伦，而是洛特斯·安杰洛，那个来自波士顿贫民窟的葡萄牙女孩，自学成才。然而，是海伦而不是马龙理解了她肤色的变化。洛特斯·艾伦用了化妆品和厚厚的粉底来掩盖她脸颊上的红润色泽和温暖的棕色皮肤。她曾经是个漂亮、打扮得体的女孩。现在，脸颊绯红、嘴唇鲜艳的洛特斯·安杰洛是个光彩照人的美女。
then they saw that Lotus Allen had been standing half in the shadow of the curtains, gazing out one of the long windows. She turned around and came over to the fireplace. her aplomb had not been shaken, but her manner, even her walk and gesture, was not Lotus Allen but Lotus Angelo, the portuguese girl from a boston slum, self-educated and self-taught. It was helene, though, not malone, who understood the change in her coloring. Lotus Allen had used make-up and heavy powder to subdue the glowing color in her cheeks and the warm brown of her skin. She had been a handsome, well-groomed girl. Now Lotus Angelo, bright-cheeked and bright-lipped, is a colorful beauty.
“我们都很高兴洛特斯摆脱了这个麻烦。”莫娜·麦克莱恩微笑着说。
“we’re all so relieved that Lotus is out of this mess” mona mcclane said smiling.
马龙没有回以微笑。“她在监狱里可能会更安全。”
malone didn’t smile in return. “She might have been safer in jail.”
“你什么意思？”洛特斯问道。
“what do you mean?” Lotus demanded.”
“我来这儿，”马龙对莫娜·麦克莱恩说，“是为了确保你今晚不会找到这个女孩，她可能是一场精心策划的自杀的受害者——或者是另一起盗窃案的受害者。因为那个谋杀了两个人、差点就杀了三个人的人，不会再冒险了。”他停顿了一下。“可能是洛特斯，也可能是其他人……”
“I came here,” malone said, addressing mona mcclane “to make sure that you wouldn’t find this girl tonight, the victim, perhaps, of a carefully arranged suicide—or of another burglar. because the person who murdered two men and almost made it three, isn’t going to take any chances.” he paused. “It might be Lotus, or it might be someone else—”
莫娜·麦克莱恩的脸几乎惨白。“我不希望看到那种事情发生。”
mona mcclane’s face was almost dead white. “I wouldn’t like to see that happen.”
“我没想到你会这样想。”马龙说。他站在那里看着壁炉。“我当然理解你的动机。我甚至对此表示同情。但不幸的是，在这个世界上，只有警察部门才能行使神的正义的特权。”
“I didn’t think you would,” malone said. he stood looking into the fireplace. “I understand your motive, of course. I even sympathize with it. but, unfortunately, in this world only the police department can assume the prerogatives of divine justice.”
海伦说：“马龙，这一切到底是怎么回事？”这几乎是一声呼喊。
helene said, “malone, what is it all about?” It was almost a cry.
没有人回答她。似乎也没有人听到她的话。莫娜·麦克莱恩转向那个棕色眼睛的女孩说：“洛特斯，亲爱的，你去楼上请文宁夫妇下来喝杯鸡尾酒好吗？告诉他们马龙在这儿。你最好也把彭德利叫下来。”
No one answered her. No one seemed to hear her. mona mcclane turned to the brown-eyed girl and said, “Lotus dear, will you run up and ask the Vennings to drop down for a cocktail? tell them malone is here. You’d better ask pendley down, too.”
女孩走后，马龙说：“如果可以的话，我也想给卢埃拉·怀特送个便条。”他在一个信封背面草草写了些什么，然后递给女仆。“给怀特小姐。”
After the girl had gone, malone said, “I’d like to send a note to Louella white, too, if I may.” he scribbled something on the back of an envelope and handed it the maid. “For miss white.”
莫娜·麦克莱恩看着他。“洛特斯把她自己的一切都告诉了我。整个故事。就好像我一直都不知道似的。”
“mona mcclane looked at him. “Lotus told me all about herself. the whole story. As though I hadn’t known it all the time.”
“你知道？”马龙说，扬起了眉毛。
“You knew it?” malone said, his eyebrows up.
“我当然知道。老阿博特夫人在她去世前，当她和洛特斯在巴黎的时候，把一切都告诉了我。这就是为什么我一直想关照这个女孩，她值得这样做。”
“of course I did. old mrs. Abbot told me all about it before she died, when she and Lotus were in paris. that’s why I’ve tried to keep an eye on the girl, she deserves it.”
“你真好。”马龙喃喃地说。
“It was good of you,” malone murmured.
她厉声说：“毕竟，麦克莱恩家族当年也是坐统舱过来的。”她站起来，站在壁炉前，双手深深地插在她黑色羊毛连衣裙的大侧兜里。“坐统舱，但坐的是最好的船之一。”
She said sharply, “After all, the mcclanes came over in the steerage, too.” She rose and stood before the fireplace, her hands thrust deep in the huge side pockets of her black wool dress. “In the steerage, but one of the best boats.”
海伦几乎绝望地说：“马龙，我不能再等了。趁我们三个单独在这儿，告诉我……”
helene said almost desperately, “malone, I can’t wait any longer. while the three of us are alone here, tell me—”
她被洛特斯的回来打断了。文宁夫妇紧跟在她后面几步远的地方。迈克尔·文宁穿着花呢衣服，一只手拿着烟斗。海伦觉得为了使画面完整，他应该有一只纯种塞特猎犬在他脚边徘徊。伊迪莎·文宁没有显露出她前一晚经历的迹象，表面上很平静，但她眼睛里的光芒几乎是闪烁的，两团红晕高高地浮现在她的脸颊上。
She was interrupted by the return of Lotus. the Vennings were only a few steps behind her. michael Venning was in tweeds and held a pipe in one hand. helene thought to plete the picture he should have had a thoroughbred setter prowling at his heels. Editha Venning showed no signs of her experience of the night before and wore a show of outward calm, but the light in her eyes was almost a glitter, and two spots of color burned high on her cheeks.
“彭德利马上就下来。”洛特斯说。
“pendley will be down in a minute,” Lotus said.
马龙又看了一眼他的手表。他不知道他是否应该拖延时间，等杰克到来。
malone glanced at his watch again. he wondered if he ought to stall for time until Jake arrived.
“喝茶吗？”莫娜·麦克莱恩礼貌地问，“还是鸡尾酒？”
“tea?” mona mcclane asked politely, “or cocktails.”
只有洛特斯要了茶。
only Lotus took tea.
“年轻的罗斯·麦克劳林怎么样了？”伊迪莎·文宁问道。她的声音里有一种微弱的、颤抖的音调。
“how is young Ross mcLaurin getting along?” Editha Venning asked. there was a faint, fluttering overtone in her voice.
“他在好转。”马龙告诉她，“我希望他是最后一个。这里似乎出现了一种流行病。”
“he’s improving,” malone told her. “I hope he’s the last. there seems to have been something of an epidemic.”
就是现在，海伦告诉自己。她想知道每个人怎么能如此平静。该死的杰克，在这之前还没到。
this is it, helene told herself. She wondered how everyone could be so calm. damn Jake, for not getting here before this.
“阻止流行病的唯一方法，”马龙非常平静地补充道，“是追踪感染源并将其清除。”
“the only way to stop an epidemic,” malone added very quietly, “is to trace the carrier of the infection and remove it.”
没有人说话。
No one spoke.
突然，他重重地放下鸡尾酒杯，站起来，踢了一下木柴。
Suddenly he set his cocktail glass down hard, rose, and kicked at the firelog.
“我不知道我到底在做什么。”他几乎生气地说，“这不是我的角色。当我阻止一场犯罪时，我是在违背自己的利益。我的工作是等到犯罪发生，警察完成他们的工作。然后我就有了一个客户、一场审判、一次无罪释放和一笔费用。这才是应该的运作方式。”他转过身面对他们。“尽管如此，我必须阻止这场犯罪。我不能让她这么做。”他紧紧地盯着迈克尔·文宁。“你当然知道她计划杀了你，不是吗？”
“I don’t know what the devil I’m doing this for,” he said almost angrily. “this isn’t my role. I’m going against my own interests when I prevent a crime. my business is to wait until the crime has been mitted and the police have done their work. then I have myself a client, a trial, an acquittal, and a fee. that’s how it’s supposed to work.” he wheeled around to face them. “Just the same, I’ve got to prevent this crime. I can’t let her do it.” he looked hard at michael Venning. “You know, of course, that she’s planned to kill you, don’t you?”
迈克尔·文宁跳了起来，把杯子弄掉了。“我不相信。”
michael Venning jumped up, dropping his glass. “I don’t believe it.”
“是真的。”马龙疲倦地说。他向那个大个子做了个手势，那个人又坐了下来，笔直地坐在椅子边上。“她计划这么做，但不能以这种方式发生。”
“It’s true,” malone said wearily. he gestured at the big man who sat down again, sitting very straight on the edge of his chair. “She planned to, but it can’t happen this way.”
伊迪莎·文宁用嘶哑、紧张的声音说：“你一定是疯了！”然后突然安静了下来。
Editha Venning said. “You must be insane!” in a hoarse, strained voice, and suddenly was quiet.
马龙似乎没有听到她的话。他还没来得及再说一句话，彭德利·泰德韦尔就跑下楼梯，在门口停了下来，手里拿着一小条照片。
malone didn’t seem to have heard her. before he could say another word, pendley tidewell came racing down the stairs and paused in the doorway, a small strip of pictures in his hand.
“我拿到了！”他叫道，“成功了！伊迪莎阿姨，这显示……”他停了下来。“大家到底是怎么了？”
“I’ve got it!” he exclaimed. “It worked! Aunt Editha, it shows—” he paused. “what the hell is the matter with everybody?”
“我想我知道那些照片显示了什么。”马龙平静地说，“先拿着它们等一会儿。”他又说，“你一定是用紫外线拍的。”
“I think I know what those pictures show,” malone said calmly. “Just hold on to them for a minute.” he added, “You must have taken them with an ultra-violet light.”
“我是用紫外线拍的。”彭德利说，“但你怎么知道的？”
“I did,” pendley said. “but how did you know?”
“我猜到的。”律师告诉他，“你昨晚在迈克尔·文宁的床底下一定有原因。只是你不知道你会拍到什么样的照片——或者你知道？”有一会儿他紧紧地盯着这个年轻人。然后他擦了擦额头。
“I guessed,” the lawyer told him. “there had to be some reason why you were under michael Venning’s bed last night. only you didn’t know what you were going to get in the way of a picture—or did you?” For a moment he stared hard at the young man. then he mopped his brow.
“如果我从未被卷入这件事，可能会更好。”马龙慢慢地说，“如果我在杰拉尔德·图伊兹被刺伤的那晚不在天使乔的酒吧，可能会更好。”他停顿了一下。“杰拉尔德·图伊兹——但不是谋杀迈克尔·文宁的那个杰拉尔德·图伊兹。”
“It might have been better,” malone said slowly, “if I’d never been drawn into this. It might have been better if I hadn’t been in Joe the Angel’s bar the night when Gerald tuesday was stabbed.” he paused. “Gerald tuesday—but not the same Gerald tuesday who murdered michael Venning.”
“马龙，你疯了吗？”海伦惊叫道。
“malone, have you gone mad?” helene exclaimed.
“看在上帝的份上。”洛特斯·艾伦几乎严厉地说，“告诉我们你的意思。”
“For God’s sake,” Lotus Allen said almost harshly, “tell us what you mean.”
“你知道你自己在说什么吗？”彭德利·泰德韦尔问道。
“do you know what you mean?” pendley tidewell demanded.
莫娜·麦克莱恩什么也没说。她坐在那里，目光从这群人身上移开，好像她并不是他们中的一员，而只是碰巧在那里。
mona mcclane said nothing. She sat looking away from the group as though she were not really a member of it, but only happened to be there.
马龙把手伸进口袋，拿出一份折叠的文件。“这是已故的老迈克尔·文宁的遗嘱副本。”他说，“我想这里的每个人都知道它的内容。”他看着莫娜·麦克莱恩。“是的，你有理由这么做。五百万美元是一笔足够大的赌注，值得奋力一搏。”他又看了一眼手表。如果杰克还不来……
malone reached in his pocket and drew out a folded document. “that’s a copy of the will of the late michael Venning, Senior,” he said. “I imagine that everyone concerned here knows its contents.” he looked at mona mcclane. “Yes, you were justified. Five million dollars is enough of a stake to be worth making a determined play for” he stole another glance at his watch. If Jake didn’t get here—
洛特斯说：“你是说杰拉尔德·图伊兹谋杀了那个迈克尔·文宁？”
Lotus said, “do you mean Gerald tuesday murdered that michael Venning?”
马龙摇了摇头。“不。是他的儿子。小迈克尔·文宁——在古老的文宁庄园一个荒凉的角落里有一个为他准备的坟墓，在……”
malone shook his head. “No. his son. michael Vening, Junior—for whom a grave was prepared in a desolate corner of the old Venning estate in—”
海伦的一声喊叫和一个突然的动作打断了他。有那么一瞬间陷入了疯狂的混乱，其中一个人冲过房间，猛地推开一扇法式窗户，消失在暮色中。
A cry from helene and a sudden movement interrupted him. there was a moment of insane confusion in which one of the party darted across the room, threw open one of the French windows, and vanished through it into the twilight.
马龙还没来得及行动，莫娜·麦克莱恩就喊道：“别跑，你这个傻瓜！”她朝窗户跑去。“别跑！他不会……”她跳到露台上时，后面的话听不清了。
before malone could move, mona mcclane cried out, “Stop it, you fool!” She ran toward the window. “Stop it! he isn’t going to—” the rest was lost as she leaped out onto the terrace.
海伦只落后几步。马龙突然朝她扑过去，没抓住，然后也跟了出去。他隐约意识到其他人也紧跟在他后面，但事情发生得太快，他无法看清所有正在发生的事情。
helene was only a few steps behind. malone made a sudden dive for her, missed, and followed. he was dimly aware that the others of the party were right behind him, but it was happening too quickly for him to see everything that was going on.
海伦尖叫道：“不！”然后跑上了露台。他盲目地跟在她后面。
helene screamed, “No!” and ran out onto the terrace. he followed her, almost blindly.
在半明半暗的光线下，很难分辨出在麦克莱恩草坪上移动的身影。有一个人已经跑到了侧门的一半；他知道，那个人一定是逃跑的人。一个较小的身影，莫娜·麦克莱恩，在后面追着。海伦正从露台的台阶上跑下来。一个身材魁梧、穿着灰色西装的男人出现在前门，抓住了伊迪莎·文宁，不让她跑到草坪上去。
In the semidarkness it was hard to distinguish the figures that moved across the mcclane lawn. one was halfway to the side gate; that, he knew, must be the fugitive. A smaller figure, mona mcclane, was following. helene was running down the steps from the terrace. A burly, gray-suited man had appeared at the front door, grabbed Editha Venning, and held her back from going out to the lawn.
就在这时，一辆出租车在大门前停了下来，一个高个子、红头发的男人下了车，胳膊下夹着一个大信封。他穿过大门，停了一会儿。
At the same instant, a taxicab stopped before the gate and a tall, red-haired man alighted, a large envelope under his arm. he came through the gate and stopped still for a moment.
在暮色中，一声枪响。是那个逃跑的人开的枪，没打中莫娜·麦克莱恩。子弹从海伦耳边呼啸而过，她尖叫起来。突然，那个红头发的男人活跃起来。他把信封扔在雪地里，朝着海伦的方向跑过草坪。
In the twilight, a shot rang out. It came from the fugitive, missed mona mcclane. helene screamed as the bullet whizzed narrowly past her ear. Suddenly the red-haired man came to life. dropping the envelope in the snow, he raced across the lawn in the direction of helene.
又一声枪响。是从莫娜·麦克莱恩手中的小手枪里发出的。那个逃跑的人摇晃了一下，又走了两步，然后扑倒在雪地里。
there was another shot. It came from the little gun in mona mcclane’s hand. the fugitive staggered, took two more steps, and pitched forward into the snow.
莫娜·麦克莱恩一动不动地站在雪地里和越来越深的阴影中，手里仍然拿着枪。马龙走到她跟前，非常轻柔地从她没有反抗的手指间拿走了枪。
mona mcclane stood motionless, in the snow and the deepening shadows, the gun still in her hand. malone walked over to her and took it, very gently, from her unresisting fingers.
“你枪法真不错。”他轻声说。
“You’re a damned good shot,” he said quietly.
杰克用一只胳膊搂着海伦的腰，紧紧地抱着她。
Jake put an arm around helene’s waist and held her very tight.
突然，莫娜·麦克莱恩对他们笑了笑。“我说过——在公共街道上，有很多目击者，不是吗？但我真没想到你们会是目击者！”
Suddenly mona mcclane smiled at them. “I said—in the public streets, with plenty of witnesses, didn’t I. but I didn’t really intend that you should be the witnesses!”