It had.
马龙说：“嗯，我从六十三街和科特格罗夫街的一家商店打来电话。车就在这附近。我觉得车里的人行为可疑，这辆车可能是被偷来用于抢劫的。是的，四个人。不，我没看清楚他们，没法描述他们。他们刚沿着六十三街向西走了。我叫什么？图伊兹。杰拉尔德?图伊兹。” 他迅速挂了电话，跑回车上。
Malone said, “Well, I’m calling from a store at 63rd and Cottage Grove. The car is in the neighborhood. I thought the men in it were acting suspiciously and that the car might have been stolen to use in a holdup. Yes, four men. No, I didn’t get a good enough look at them to describe them. They just went west on 63rd. My name? Tuesday. Gerald Tuesday.” He hung up fast and ran back to the car.
“是的，这辆车很烫手。我们得把它处理掉。让我想想。”
“Yes, the car’s hot. We have to get rid of it. Let me think a minute.”
海伦拿起她旁边座位上的瓶子，喝了一口。然后她把瓶子递给马龙。“我感觉好多了。让我想一会儿。”
Helene picked up the bottle on the seat beside her and took a drink. Then she handed the bottle to Malone. “I feel better. Let me think for a while.”
有一阵短暂的沉默。后座上的男人轻轻地呻吟了一声，嘟囔了一句可能是 “妈妈” 也可能是 “谋杀” 的话。
There was a brief silence. The man in the back seat moaned slightly and murmured something that might have been either “mother” or “murder.”
“我想我们的朋友要醒了。” 海伦突然坐直了身子。“我确实有个主意。我认识休伦街上一个地方的酒保，离这儿不到一个街区。这家伙不重。我觉得我们两个能把他抬那么远。” 她爬出车子，打开后座的门。
“I guess our friend is waking up,” Helene said. Suddenly she sat up. “I do have an idea. I know the bartender in a place over on Huron Street, not a block from here. This guy isn’t heavy. I think the two of us can haul him that far.” She climbed out of the car and opened the door to the back seat.
马龙叹了口气，跟着她。“然后呢？”
Malone sighed and followed her. “Then what?”
小主，
“你会看到的。帮我把他弄出来。别忘了杜松子酒。我带着它以防万一。”
“You’ll see. Help me get him out of here. And don’t forget the gin. I took it with me just in case.”
马龙第一次露出高兴的神情。“嘿，” 他说，“这是个好主意。我可以接个案子。也许这个醉醺醺的疯子就是那个案子。”
Malone looked happy for the first time. “Say,” he said, “that’s an idea. I could use a case. Maybe this drunken lunatic is it.”
当罗斯?麦克劳林被扶着站直时，他的脚开始移动。结果发现把他弄走只是个引导他并防止他脸着地的简单事情。等他们走到巷子尽头的时候，他嘴里正嘟囔着什么。马龙听到了 “垂死” 这个词，便凑近他，急切地想听清后面的内容。又走了十步，他才意识到他们的俘虏正在背诵吉卜林的《靴子》。
When Ross McLaurin was stood upright and firmly supported, his feet moved. Conveying him turned out to be a simple matter of guiding him and keeping him from falling on his face. By the time they reached the end of the alley, he was muttering something under his breath. Malone caught the word “dying” and leaned close to him, anxious to hear the rest. Ten paces farther he realized their prisoner was reciting Kipling’s Boots.
又走了几步，海伦也加入了背诵。马龙因为担心自己不发声会引起注意，便决定和他们一起背。但他只能记得副歌部分，这让他的贡献大打折扣。而且，他安慰自己说，反正这也不是什么好诗。
A few steps more, and Helene joined in. Malone, having a vague fear of attracting attention to himself by his silence, decided to recite along with them. His contribution was rendered less valuable by the fact that he could only remember the refrain. Besides, he consoled himself, it wasn’t good poetry, anyway.
他们背完《靴子》的最后一句，同时也到了街角的酒吧。这是个小地方，更显温馨而不是华丽，装饰着填充的鸟和动物。马龙注意到一只填充松鼠的尾巴在轻轻摆动，吓了一跳，后来才发现它正好在电扇的风道上。
They reached the last line of Boots and the corner bar at the same moment. It was a small place, more intimate than ornate, decorated with stuffed birds and animals. Malone noticed the tail of a stuffed squirrel, waving lightly, and shuddered, before he discovered it was directly in the path of an electric fan.
他们只想要一辆有诚实司机的出租车，海伦向酒保解释道，亲切地称呼他为 “阿尔门”。她的话还没说完，酒吧里站成一排的五个出租车司机就都主动提出为他们服务。
All they wanted was a taxi with an honest driver, Helene explained to the bartender, addressing him familiarly as “Armen.” Before the words were out of her mouth, five taxi drivers ranged along the bar offered their services.
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最后海伦从帽子里抽名字选了一个司机，并解释说他们的朋友需要被送回家，这谁都看得出来。
It ended with Helene picking their names out of a hat selecting one, and explaining their friend needed to be taken home, as anyone could see.
嗯，也许在等出租车开到前门的时候可以快速来一杯。
Well, maybe just one quick one, while they waited for the cab to be driven around to the front door.
五分钟后，喝了两杯酒，他们上了一辆出租车前往湖滨大道。
Five minutes and two drinks later they were in a cab headed for the Drive.
“朝着市中心方向开。” 海伦指示道。
“Toward the Loop,” Helene directed.
马龙低声说：“不管我愿不愿意，我似乎都被卷进来了。过去我经常把证人藏在我的酒店里；酒店管理层总是很帮忙。” 他对司机喊道：“在一家药店停一下，我要打个电话。”
Malone said in a low voice, “I seem to be in this whether I like it or not. In the past I’ve often kept witnesses hidden out in my hotel; the management is always very helpful.” He called to the driver, “Stop at a drugstore, I want to make a phone call.”
他回来报告说酒店管理层会把他隔壁的房间准备好。他们可以毫无麻烦地把这个昏迷的人从侧门带进去，然后乘货梯上去。
He returned to report that the management would have the room next to his ready. They would take the unconscious man in at the side entrance and up the freight elevator without any trouble.
“现在我知道为什么你被认为是个非常出色的律师了。” 海伦钦佩地说。
“Now I know why you’re considered a damned good lawyer,” Helene said admiringly.
“就是因为有你这样的人，才需要有非常出色的律师。” 马龙生气地说。他又补充道：“我还打电话给警察，告诉他们一辆深绿色别克轿车，车牌号是 607–871，停在圣克莱尔街附近的一条巷子里。车主可能想用他的车了。”
“It’s people like you that make damned good lawyers necessary,” Malone said in a cross voice. He added, “I also called the police and told them a dark-green Buick sedan, license number 607–871, was parked in an alley just off St. Clair Street. The owner just might want to use his car.”
就在这时，他们的俘虏又清醒了一些。“想和警察谈谈。” 他说。
At that moment their prisoner woke up about two degrees more. “Want to talk to police,” he reported.
“当然，” 海伦安慰地说，“但你先喝一杯。”
“Sure,” Helene said soothingly, “but you want a drink first.”
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“没错。想喝一杯。”
“That’s right. Want a drink.”
“看在上帝的份上，给他一杯。” 海伦说。
“For the love of Mike, give him one,” Helene said.
马龙尽可能长时间地让杜松子酒瓶子凑到他们俘虏的嘴边，但又不敢真的把他淹死。有一阵微弱的汩汩声，一声小小的满足的叹息，接着是让人安心的寂静。
Malone held the gin bottle to their prisoner’s lips as long as he dared without actually drowning the man. There was a faint, gurgling sound, a little, satisfied sigh, and a reassuringly peaceful silence.
出租车司机和一个显然习惯了马龙偶尔因证人带来麻烦的行李员把正在睡觉的人抬到了货梯里。马龙和行李员把他放到床上。
The taxi driver and a bellboy evidently accustomed to Malone’s occasional troubles with witnesses carried the slumbering man to the freight elevator. Malone and the bellboy put him to bed.
“现在，” 男孩走后，马龙说，“你回家去。”
“Now,” Malone said, when the boy had gone, “you go home.”
“试试看能不能让我走，我费了那么大劲才把他带到这儿。”
“Try and make me, after all the trouble I went to bringing him here.”
她同情地看着床上的年轻人。他看起来不过是个孩子，像个疲倦的孩子一样睡着。他身材苗条，个子不高，脸色苍白，相貌英俊，波浪形的金发松散地垂在额头上。
She gazed sympathetically at the young man on the bed He seemed little more than a boy, sleeping like a tired child. He was slender and not tall, with a pale, handsome face, and wavy blond hair that tumbled loosely over his forehead.
突然他动了一下，轻轻地呻吟了一声，嘟囔了一句听不清的话，然后睁开了眼睛。那是一双蓝色的眼睛，年轻而天真无邪，显然知道发生了什么事。在海伦和马龙有所行动之前，他已经从床上坐了起来。
Suddenly he stirred, moaned softly, murmured something undistinguishable, and opened his eyes. They were blue eyes, young and guileless, and apparently aware of what was going on. Before Helene or Malone could move, he was sitting up in bed.
“我杀了两个人，” 他含混但清晰地说，“我不知道他们是谁，也不知道我为什么杀了他们。但我知道我一定杀了他们。用一把刀。我不明白。”
“I killed two men,” he said thickly but intelligibly. “I don’t know who they were or why I killed them. But I know I must have killed them. With a knife. I don’t understand it.”
他抬头看着注视着他的两个人，仿佛他们的脸能给他一些解释。他用左手手掌揉了揉额头。
He stared up at the two watching him as though their faces might give him some explanation. He rubbed the palm of his left hand on his forehead.
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“我想不起来了。”
“I can’t remember.”
然后他又躺回到枕头上睡着了。
Then he lay back on the pillow and went to sleep.
“看到了吧？” 过了一会儿马龙说，“在他清醒过来之前，我们从他那儿什么也问不出来。与此同时，如果你们俩都莫名其妙地从莫娜?麦克莱恩家失踪了……”
“There, you see?” Malone said after a moment. “We won’t get anything out of him till he’s sobered up. In the meantime, if both of you are found inexplicably missing from Mona McClane’s—”
海伦遗憾地叹了口气。“我想你是对的。我回家去。但我明天会再来这儿。到那时他应该清醒得足以说话了。”
Helene sighed regretfully. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll go home. But I’ll be back here tomorrow. He ought to be sobered up enough to talk by that time.”
“他会的。” 马龙严峻地说。“你能在不吵醒全家人的情况下回到莫娜?麦克莱恩家吗？”
“He will be,” Malone said grimly. “Can you get into Mona McClane’s without waking up the whole house?”
“很容易。莫娜给她所有的住客都配了侧门的钥匙。”
“Easily. Mona gives all her house guests keys to the side door.”
他赞许地点点头。“那你回家去吧，睡一会儿。”
He nodded approvingly. “Go on home, then, and get some sleep.”
她在门口停了一下。“好好照顾他，马龙。他看起来真是该死的年轻。” 然后她就走了。
She paused at the door. “Take good care of him, Malone. He does look so goddamned young.” She was gone.
马龙看着床上的人。这将是一项漫长而艰巨的任务。他看了看表。三点了。好吧，这不是他第一次为了一个正当的理由而错过一晚上的睡眠了。
Malone looked at the figure on the bed. It was going to be a long and arduous job. He glanced at his watch. Three o’clock. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d missed a night’s sleep in a good cause.
他给药店打了个详细的订单，给餐厅打电话要求每隔一小时送一壶咖啡来，走进自己的房间，把剩下的一夸脱黑麦威士忌拿了过来。那是给他自己的。
He phoned a detailed order to the drugstore, called the restaurant to send up pots of coffee at hourly intervals, went into his own room, and collected the remaining quart of rye. That was for himself.
有那么一瞬间，他与诱惑作斗争。也许就睡一个小时……
For only a moment he wrestled with temptation. Perhaps just an hour’s sleep—
不，睡觉只能等一等了。他深深地、遗憾地叹了口气，脱下外套，卷起袖子，走进浴室，开始往浴缸里放冰冷的水。
No, sleep would have to wait. He sighed heavily and regretfully, took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, went into the bathroom, and began filling the tub with ice-cold water.