“A very pretty notion,” Malone said, “but where’s the original corpse?”

“该死，我不知道，” 杰克生气地说，“也许还没被发现呢。”

“Damn it, I don’t know,” Jake said angrily. “Maybe it hasn’t been discovered yet.”

“一场按照赌注规定在公共场合进行的谋杀，而尸体还躺在那里没被发现？”

“A murder done right out in public, as the bet specified, and the corpse still lying around undiscovered?”

“尸体可以被转移，目击者可以被收买。”

“A corpse can be moved, and witnesses can be bribed.”

“随你便吧，” 律师疲倦地说，“你要做的就是在芝加哥地区寻找一具失踪的、身份不明的尸体。也许你最好也去密尔沃基和加里查一查。赌注里可没规定地点。”

“Suit yourself,” the lawyer said wearily. “All you have to do is search the Chicago area for a lost and unknown corpse. Maybe you’d better check up on Milwaukee too, and Gary. There weren’t any specifications about locale.”

杰克愁眉苦脸地看着他，沉默了一会儿。“马龙，你的两百块钱你需要拿回去一些吗？”

Jake looked at him gloomily and was silent for a moment. “Malone, do you need any of your two hundred bucks back?”

“现在不用。” 马龙说，“你需要钱吗？”

“Not right away.” Malone said. “Need any dough?”

“不。我以为你可能需要呢。昨天我在查本地的凶杀案的时候，和一些《时报》的摄影师玩了一局掷骰子游戏。”

“No. I thought you might. While I was checking up on the local homicides yesterday, I got into a crap game with some Times photographers.”

“我一大早就受够了，” 马龙生气地说，“吃完你的早餐，让我安静一会儿。”

“I’ve had all I can stand this early in the morning,” Malone said crossly. “Finish your breakfast and leave me in peace.”

杰克沉默了两分钟，然后说：“嘿，今天早上报纸上有一条有趣的消息。昨晚有个人的车被偷了。有人给警察打了个假电话，说在南区很远的地方看到了那辆车。”

Jake was silent for two minutes and then said, “Say, there was a funny item in the paper this morning. Some guy had his car stolen last night. A phony call went in to the police reporting it seen way down on the south side.”

小主，

“那没什么，” 马龙说，“每当有车在警方广播中被报失窃，就会有六七个怪人打电话来说他们看到了那辆车。”

“That’s nothing,” Malone said. “Whenever a car is reported stolen on the police radio, there’s half a dozen calls from cranks who think they saw it.”

“是的，但是等一下。那个打虚假电话的人说他的名字是杰拉尔德?图伊兹。”

“Yes, but wait a minute. The guy who made the phony call said his name was Gerald Tuesday.”

“纯粹是巧合，” 马龙向他保证，“是另一个杰拉尔德?图伊兹。”

“Pure coincidence,” Malone assured him. “It was another Gerald Tuesday.”

杰克说：“我相信有一个杰拉尔德?图伊兹。但我绝不相信有两个。”

Jake said, “I’ll believe there was one Gerald Tuesday. I’m damned if I’ll believe there were two of them.”

马龙倾过身子，环顾四周，好像在查看有没有偷听的人，然后压低声音说：“杰克，你相信招魂术吗？”

Malone leaned across the table, looked around as though spotting eavesdroppers, and said in a low voice, “Jake, do you believe in spiritualism?”

杰克又把勺子弄掉了，盯着律师看了一会儿，然后站起来，把椅子往后一踢。“让我离开这儿！”

Jake dropped his spoon again, stared at the lawyer for a moment, then rose, kicking back his chair. “Let me out of here!”

两人在门外停了一会儿，站在入口处的遮蔽处。杰克看了看表。“好吧，又是新的一天。我不妨去拜访一下莫娜?麦克莱恩。”

The two men paused for a moment just outside the door, standing in the shelter of the entrance. Jake looked at his watch. “Well, it’s another day. I might as well go over and call on Mona McClane.”

“听着，” 马龙赶紧说，“鉴于莫娜?麦克莱恩的谋杀案可能不是在芝加哥地区发生的，我给你一个线索。布莱克县在掩盖一起凶杀案。”

“Listen,” Malone said quickly, “along the line that Mona McClane’s murder may not have been mitted in the Chicago area, I picked up a tip for you. Blake County is covering up a homicide.”

“什么？”

“What’s that?”

马龙快速地想出细节。“我不知道他们掩盖的原因，但我确实知道没有向公众发布任何消息。你知道布莱克县是什么样的，那里住着那么多有钱有势的人。”

Malone was thinking up details fast. “I don’t know the reason it’s being covered, but I do know no news is being given out to the public. You know how Blake County is, with all those rich and influential guys living there.”

杰克点点头，慢慢地说：“莫娜?麦克莱恩的乡村别墅也在布莱克县。你从哪里得到这个消息的？”

小主，

Jake nodded and said slowly, “Mona McClane’s country place is in Blake County, too. Where did you pick this up?”

“从一个住在那里的赌注登记人那里。在市政厅碰到他的。”

“From a bookie who lives up there. Ran into him at the city hall.”

“这可能是个线索。” 红发男人说。

“It might be something,” said the red-haired man.

马龙对自己的良心说最终一切都会好起来的。他说：“嗯，你认识安迪?阿赫恩，那里的治安官。如果有人能从他那里套出消息，那你应该可以。”

Malone told his conscience that everything would be all right in the end. He said, “Well, you know Andy Ahearn, the sheriff out there. You ought to be able to pry information out of him if anyone could.”

杰克又点了点头。“是的，我可以。如果我快点，我能赶上下一班北岸火车。” 他向一辆路过的出租车挥了挥手。“谢谢，马龙。”

Jake nodded again. “Yes, I could. If I step on it, I can make the next North Shore train.” He waved at a passing taxi. “Thanks, Malone.”

“没关系。你回来的时候给我打电话。” 他看着直到出租车消失在拉什街。这是个卑鄙的把戏，但这能让杰克离开几个小时，而马龙现在非常需要这几个小时。

“That’s all right. Call me when you get back.” He watched until the taxi had vanished down Rush Street. It was a dirty trick, but it would keep Jake out of the way for a few hours, and Malone needed those hours badly right now.

想了一会儿，他跳上一辆出租车，回到了他的酒店。大厅里没有海伦的踪影。他看了看钟。差五分钟十点。她现在应该到了，来看看清醒后的罗斯?麦克劳林还记得什么。

After a moment’s thought, he hopped in a cab and drove to his hotel. There was no sign of Helene in the lobby. He looked up at the clock. Five minutes to ten. She should have been here by now, to find out what Ross McLaurin remembered, sober.

哦，好吧，她会来的。小律师回到自己的房间，刮了胡子，换了衬衫，然后走到他为罗斯?麦克劳林准备的房间。

Oh well, she’d be along. The little lawyer went up to his room, shaved and changed his shirt, and went down the hall to the room he had taken for Ross McLaurin.

年轻人还在睡觉，年轻的脸颊上有一抹淡淡的粉红色。他可能会睡好几个小时，马龙想，而且现在叫醒他也没用。除了等待什么也做不了。

The young man still slept, a faint pink flush on his young cheeks. He might sleep for hours, Malone reflected, and there was no use waking him in the meantime. There was nothing to do but wait.

小主，

他决定给海伦打电话。麦克莱恩家的女仆告诉他她出去了，至少一个小时前。不，她没有留下任何关于她什么时候回来的消息。

He decided to call Helene. The maid at the McClane house informed him that she had gone out, at least an hour ago. No, she hadn’t left any message as to when she would be back.

马龙挂上听筒，深深地打了个哈欠。不知道海伦什么时候会出现。也不知道罗斯?麦克劳林什么时候会醒来，记起他所知道的那些谋杀案。与此同时……

Malone hung up the receiver and yawned deeply. There was no telling when Helene might show up. There was no telling when Ross McLaurin might wake up and remember what he knew about the murders. In the meantime—

他脱下鞋子，松开领带，瘫坐在安乐椅里。毕竟，这是一个漫长的夜晚。

He slipped off his shoes, loosened his tie, and sank down in the easy chair After all, it had been a long night.

两分钟后，他就酣然入睡了。

In two minutes he was sound asleep.