马龙探案卷五 之 盛怒的审判 四
杰克看了看表。自从前参议员佩维利被谋杀已经过去了整整四十七分钟。照这样下去，治安官克林可能要花四十七年才能找出是谁谋杀了他。
JAKE LOOKED at his watch. It had been exactly forty-seven minutes since the murder of Ex-Senator Peveley. At the rate things were going, it would probably be forty-seven years before Sheriff Kling found out who murdered him.
走廊西端的大门砰地一声打开，又砰地一声关上，一个年轻人以近似闪电的速度和怒气挤进了围在治安官克林周围的人群中央。他是一个身材矮小、瘦弱的年轻人，有着沙色的金发和一张苍白的脸，上面布满了浅棕色的雀斑。此刻，他似乎想用从无框眼镜后面射出的目光把治安官克林击毙。
The great door at the west end of the corridor banged open, banged shut again, and a young man pushed his way into the center of the group around Sheriff Kling with the approximate speed and fury of a lightning bolt. He was a short, slight young man with sandy blond hair and a pale face that was liberally sprinkled with light-brown freckles. At the moment he appeared to be trying to strike Sheriff Kling dead with the glance he shot from behind rimless glasses.
“这是什么意思？我想你是不想给我打电话吧？”
“What’s the idea? I don’t suppose it would occur to you to call me.”
治安官怒目而视，用衬衫袖子的背面擦去额头上的汗水。“我已经有够多的事情要操心了，没工夫管你。”
The sheriff glared right back at him, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his shirt sleeve. “I’ve had enough on my mind without bothering about you.”
年轻人急促地吸了一口气。“多久以前发生的？你做了什么？为什么 ——” 他的目光落在杰克和海伦身上。“你们是谁？”
The young man drew a quick breath. “How long ago did it happen? What have you done? Why -” his eyes fell on Jake and Helene. “Who are you?”
“城里来的滑头，” 杰克不耐烦地说，“你是谁？”
“The city slicker,” Jake said irritably, “and who are you?”
“我是《杰克逊县企业报》的汤姆?伯罗斯。谁 ——”
“Tom Burrows, of the Jackson County Enterprise. Who -”
“听着，汤姆，” 治安官克林开始说。
“Now look here, Tom,” Sheriff Kling began.
年轻人又转向他。“他什么时候被谋杀的？怎么发生的？你把尸体怎么处理了？谁杀了他？”
The young man turned back to him. “When was he murdered? How did it happen? What have you done with the body? Who killed him?”
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“别着急，” 治安官说。
“All in good time,” the sheriff said.
汤姆?伯罗斯低声骂了一句，挤进县书记员的办公室，拿起电话。“给我接麦迪逊的合众社，费用由对方支付。我是汤姆?伯罗斯。”
Tom Burrows muttered something profane, pushed his way into the county clerk’s office, and picked up the telephone. “Get me the United Press in Madison and reverse the charges. Tom Burrows calling.”
“等一下。” 治安官克林说。
“Now wait a minute,” Sheriff Kling said.
“然后让县里的其他记者都抢在我前面吗？见鬼！这可是有稿费的新闻！”
“And have every other correspondent in the county beat me to it? Nuts! This is space rates!”
治安官转向仍然犹豫不决地站在门口的人们。“该死，我不是叫你们都到这里来吗。”
The sheriff turned to the people still standing irresolutely by the door. “Damn it, I thought I told all you to e in here.”
“别滥用你的权力，马夫，否则你会有麻烦的。” 汤姆?伯罗斯漫不经心地说。
“Don’t go exceeding your authority, Marv, or you’ll get into trouble,” Tom Burrows said casually.
“你去死吧。” 治安官克林吼道。他又擦了擦额头。“现在，你们这些不属于法院的人，告诉我你们在这里干什么。”
“You go to hell,” Sheriff Kling roared. He mopped his brow again. “Now, all of you who don’t belong in the courthouse, tell me what you were doing here.”
埃德?斯金丁斯鲁德说话了。“你知道我在这里干什么，马夫。今天是县委员会会议。我留下来是要和菲尔?史密斯说句话。”
Ed Skindingsrude spoke up. “You know what I was doing here, Marv. It’s county board meeting. I stayed behind to have a word with Phil Smith.”
“说什么事？”
“What about?”
“关于县里可恶的老虎机问题，都是因为治安官办公室的不作为。”
“About the abominable slot-machine situation in the county, due to the laxity of the sheriff’s office.”
治安官克林的脸气得发紫。他忍住了一些话，然后转向那个高挑、穿着讲究、灰头发的女人。
Sheriff Kling purpled. He swallowed a few words before he turned to the tall, tailored, gray-haired woman.
“你呢，麦高恩小姐？”
“How about you, Miss MacGowan?”
“我来这里是为了和史密斯先生谈一些银行的业务。是关于学校债券的事，但我觉得你不需要知道所有的细节。” 她说话干脆利落，非常冷淡。
“I was here to see Mr. Smith, on some bank business. It had to do with the school bonds, but I don’t think you need to have all the details.” She spoke crisply and very coldly.
小主，
除了杰克和海伦，被询问的这群人里只有三个人。第三个人是一个漂亮的金发女人，脸化得很随意。治安官克林转向她。
There were only three people in the group being questioned, besides Jake and Helene. The third was a pretty, blonde woman with a carelessly made-up face. Sheriff Kling turned to her.
“你在这里干什么，科拉?贝尔？”
“What were you doing here, Cora Belle?”
“我在等杰瑞?勒克斯通。” 她闷闷不乐地说。
“I was waiting to see Jerry Luckstone,” she said sullenly.
“等他干什么？”
“What about?”
“不关你的事。如果你一定要知道，去问他。”
“None of your business. Ask him, if you have to.”
“我会问的。” 治安官严厉地说。
“I will,” the sheriff said grimly.
汤姆?伯罗斯一直在对着电话说话，最后说：“现在就这些，我稍后再打过来。” 然后挂了电话。
Tom Burrows had been talking into the telephone, finished with, “That’s all now, I’ll call in later,” and hung up.
“现在，” 治安官把怒视的目光转向杰克，“你在这里干什么？”
“Now,” the sheriff said, turning his glare on Jake, “What were you doing here?”
“我在给我和我妻子办钓鱼许可证。” 杰克慢慢地、清晰地说，好像在对一个不懂这种语言的人说话。“看起来好像要下暴风雨了，我们决定在法院里等暴风雨过去。在我们等待的时候，清洁工非常好心地提出带我们四处看看。”
“I was getting fishing licenses for my wife and myself,” Jake said. He spoke slowly and clearly, as though to someone unfamiliar with the language. “It looked as though it was going to storm, and we decided to wait in the courthouse until it blew over. The janitor very kindly offered to show us around while we were waiting.”
“顺便问一下，” 汤姆?伯罗斯说，“当你在查问每个人在法院里干什么的时候，佩维利参议员在这里干什么？有人试着去查过吗？”
“By the way,” Tom Burrows said, “while you’re finding out what everybody was doing in the courthouse, what was Senator Peveley doing here? Has anyone tried to find that out yet?”
“我又不能去问他。” 治安官克林厉声说。
“I can’t exactly ask him,” Sheriff Kling said snappishly.
“不，” 年轻人表示同意，“但是可能有人知道。还有，顺便问一下，枪在哪里？”
“No,” the young man agreed, “but someone else might know. And incidentally, where’s the gun?”
治安官盯着他看了一会儿，然后大声吼道：“乔！有人离开法院了吗？”
The sheriff stared at him for a moment, then bellowed at the top of his voice, “Joe! Has anybody left the courthouse?”
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“除了查理?豪森和他的助手以及尸体，没有人离开。”
“Nobody but Charlie Hausen and his assistants, and the body.”
“那在没有先搜查之前不要让任何人离开。” 治安官克林命令道。“乔，你和哈里，你们把这座法院从上到下搜一遍。把纽扣也带上。”
“Then don’t let nobody leave without you search ‘em first,” Sheriff Kling ordered. “And Joe, you and Harry, you search this courthouse from top to bottom. Take Buttonholes with you.”
过了足足六十秒，副治安官才回话说：“我们要找什么，马夫？”
It was a good sixty seconds before the deputy called back, “What’dya want us to look for, Marv?”
“那把枪，你们这些笨蛋。” 治安官克林吼道。
“The gun, you damn fools,” Sheriff Kling roared.
杰克叹了口气。如果他们不得不等到找到杀死参议员佩维利的那把枪，那看来他们要在杰克逊县法院待很长时间了。突然，一个新的想法似乎击中了这位疲惫不堪的治安官，他冲出了房间。杰克疲倦地摇了摇头，点了一支烟。
Jake sighed. If they were going to have to wait until the finding of the gun that had killed Senator Peveley, it looked like a long stay in the Jackson County courthouse. Suddenly a new idea appeared to strike the harassed sheriff, who bolted out of the room. Jake shook his head wearily and lit a cigarette.
他意识到外面的暴风雨已经过去了，云彩来得快去得也快。一束束阳光开始透过那些巨大的绿树照射下来，透过被雨水冲洗过的杰克逊县法院的窗户射进来。
He realized that the storm outside was over and that the clouds had disappeared as quickly as they had e. Shafts of sunlight were beginning to stream down through the great green trees and penetrate the rain-washed windows of the Jackson County Courthouse.
“真是个适合开车的好天气。” 他渴望地说。
“Lovely day for driving,” he said wistfully.
“没有什么能让你满意，是吧？” 海伦说。“我费了那么大劲为你安排这次旅行。”
“No satisfying you, is there?” Helene said. “And after all the trouble I took to arrange this for you.”
汤姆?伯罗斯咧嘴笑了。“请原谅我这么烦人。” 他说，“但你们到底是谁？”
Tom Burrows grinned. “Pardon me for making a nuisance of myself,” he said, “but just who are you?”