MALONE
他现在的客户是他最喜欢的客户之一，一个连锁马厩的老板，不知怎么地触犯了法律。
His present client was one of his favorites, the owner of a chain of horse parlors who had somehow fallen afoul of the law.
“给哈里的妻子打电话，” 他把电报递给办公室女孩时说，“告诉她我明天就把他从监狱里弄出来。”
“And call Harry’s wife,” he told the office girl as he handed her the telegram, “tell her I’ll have him out of jail tomorrow.”
小主，
她哼了一声。“你昨天也是这么跟她说的。你甚至都没在处理这件事。”
She sniffed. “That’s what you told her yesterday. You aren’t even working on it.”
“我在处理。” 他反对道。他指着桌上的一张纸。
“I am too,” he objected. He pointed to a paper on his desk.
“那是什么？” 她问道。
“What’s that?” she demanded.
“这是一份欠哈里钱的人的名单。我宁愿对他的指控被撤销，这样可以节省时间和麻烦。”
“It’s a list of the people who owe Harry money. I’d rather have the case against him dropped, it would save time and trouble.”
接下来的一个小时，他都在仔细研究那份名单。最后，他打了几个电话，通话对象从一个着名的劳工敲诈者到一位市法官都有。最后，他叫办公室的女孩。
He spent the next hour poring over the list. At last he made several telephone calls, to persons ranging from a prominent labor racketeer to a municipal judge. Finally he called to the office girl.
“给哈里的妻子打电话，告诉她一切都干好了，压力已经施加了。哈里午饭前就能回家。别忘了明早给他寄账单。”
“Call Harry’s wife and tell her everything’s O. K., the pressure’s on. Harry’ll be home in time for lunch. Don’t forget to send him a bill in the morning.”
他从台灯顶上拿起他那顶昂贵但有点破旧的巴拿马帽，戴上，又说：“我要出去一会儿。如果再有电报来，就用它们当卷烟纸吧。”
He picked his expensive, slightly battered Panama hat from the top of his desk lamp, put it on, and added, “I’m going out for a while. If any more telegrams e, use ‘em for cigarette paper.”
他漫步走到乔天使的市政厅酒吧，要了一份黑麦面包夹咸牛肉和两杯啤酒。在等的时候，他从一个路过的报童那里买了一份报纸。
He strolled down the street to Joe the Angel’s City Hall Bar, and called for a corned-beef on rye and two beers. While he waited, he bought a paper from a passing newsboy.
参议员佩维利被谋杀
在威斯康星州杰克逊县法院大楼内被枪杀
两名芝加哥人被作为重要证人扣押
SENATOR PEVELEY MURDERED
SHOT TO DEATH WHILE IN JACKSON, WISCONSIN, COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Two Chicagoans Held As Material Witnesses
马龙盯着标题看，直到吃了一半的咸牛肉三明治，“威斯康星州杰克逊” 这个名字才进入他的意识。然后他推开盘子，打翻了一杯啤酒，开始读这篇报道。
Malone looked at the headline until half the corned-beef sandwich was gone before the name “Jackson, Wisconsin” registered on his consciousness. Then he shoved away his plate, upsetting one of the glasses of beer, and began reading the story.
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这是一篇仓促而简略的犯罪报道，只给出了最基本的事实。杰拉尔德?L?佩维利，前威斯康星州参议员，在威斯康星州杰克逊县法院大楼内被枪杀。杰克?贾斯特夫妇这两位芝加哥人，据称在大楼里是为了办理钓鱼许可证，现被作为重要证人扣押。治安官马文?克林承诺会尽快逮捕凶手。
It was a hasty, sketchy account of the crime, giving only the barest facts. Gerald L. Peveley, one-time Wisconsin Senator, had been shot to death while in the Jackson, Wisconsin, county courthouse. Two Chicagoans, Mr. and Mrs. Jake Justus, allegedly in the building for the purpose of obtaining fishing licenses, were being held as material witnesses. Sheriff Marvin Kling promised an early arrest.
“该死，他们不能这么做！” 马龙大声说。
“Damn it, they can’t do that!” Malone said loudly.
“对不起，你说什么？” 酒保问。
“I beg your pardon?” the bartender said.
马龙挥手让他走开，然后坐在那里盯着报纸。
Malone waved him aside, and sat staring at the paper.
杰克和海伦不可能与佩维利参议员的谋杀案有任何关系。没人能把他们当作重要证人扣押。这是不合法的。马龙又读了一遍报道。
Jake and Helene couldn’t have had anything to do with the murder of Senator Peveley. Nobody could hold them as material witnesses. It wasn’t legal. Malone read the story again.
他想知道治安官马文?克林要多少贿赂。
He wondered how much of a bribe Sheriff Marvin Kling was holding out for.
哦，好吧，这是杰克的麻烦，让他自己去操心吧。
Oh well, it was Jake’s worry, let him look out for it.
不过，你永远也说不准杰克会怎么样。
Still, you never could tell about Jake.
他决定最好赶紧回办公室，以防有另一封电报，他抓起掉在地上的帽子，冲到了街上。
He decided he’d better hurry right back to the office in case there was another telegram, grabbed his hat from where it had fallen to the floor, and dived out into the street.
“嘿，马龙，等等。” 乔天使在他身后喊道。“你忘了付账！” 但这个小律师已经走到半路了。乔天使耸了耸肩，对调酒师头儿说：“再在马龙先生的账单上记上 35 美分。”
“Hey, Malone, wait,” Joe the Angel shouted after him. “You forgot to pay the check!” But the little lawyer was halfway down the street. Joe the Angel shrugged his shoulders and called to the head bartender, “Put another thirty-five cents down on Mr. Malone’s ticket.”
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等他回到办公室的时候，马龙已经说服自己没有必要焦虑。从目前的情况来看，杰克要摆脱这件事所需要的只是钱，而他有很多钱。他在和莫娜?麦克莱恩那场着名的打赌中赢来的赌场，结果成了芝加哥夜总会中的一座金矿。治安官大概看了一眼海伦的别克敞篷车，就认定这是一个还清监狱抵押贷款的机会。
By the time he reached his office, Malone had convinced himself there was no need for anxiety. From the looks of things, all Jake needed to get out of this was money, and he had plenty of that. The Casino, which he’d won on that famous bet with Mona McClane, had turned out to be a gold mine among Chicago’s night clubs. The sheriff had probably taken a look at Helene’s Buick convertible and decided this was a chance to pay off the mortgage on the jail.
“还有一封给你的电报，马龙先生。” 他走进门的时候女孩宣布道。
“There’s another telegram for you, Mr. Malone,” the girl announced as he walked in the door.
他几乎是从她手里夺过了电报。
He fairly tore it from her hand.
约翰?J?马龙
79 西华盛顿街
芝加哥，伊利诺伊州
杰克因用左勾拳打倒副治安官而入狱，我现在该怎么办？
海伦
JOHN J MALONE
79 WEST WASHINGTON STREET
CHICAGO ILLINOIS
JAKE IN JAIL FOR KNOCKING OUT DEPUTY SHERIFF WITH LEFT JAB WHAT DO I DO NOW
HELENE
“我决定等你先看了这封电报再把它撕了当卷烟纸。” 黑发女孩尖刻地说。
“I decided to wait till you’d read it before tearing it up for cigarette papers,” the black-haired girl said acidly.
马龙似乎没有听到她的话。他慢慢地、极其小心地重新点燃了雪茄，然后站在那里若有所思地看着电报。
Malone didn’t appear to have heard her. He relighted his cigar slowly, and with exquisite care, and stood looking at the telegram thoughtfully.
“你说过，” 女孩提醒他，“你不会再卷入杰克?贾斯特的任何事情中了。你说生命太短暂。你说你绝对不会 ——”
“You said,” the girl reminded him, “you weren’t going to get mixed up in any more of Jake Justus’ affairs. You said life was too short. You said you’d be damned if you’d -”
这个小律师点了点头。“这就证明了。你是聋子。现在做个好女孩，玛吉，打电话到车站问问去威斯康星州杰克逊的下一趟火车什么时候开。”
The little lawyer nodded. “That proves it. You are deaf. Now be a good girl, Maggie, call up the station and find out when’s the next train for Jackson, Wisconsin.”