第98章 卷31（1/2）

虾皮小说【www.xpxs.net】第一时间更新《马龙探案之三点的迷案》最新章节。

马龙探案卷三 之 错误的凶案 三十一

他们刚走出大楼，杰克就愤怒地转向那个小个子律师。

thEY wERE bARELY oUt of the building before Jake turned furiously on the little lawyer.

“什么意思？冯?弗拉纳根可能会成功追查到那把枪的所有者。”

“what’s the idea? Von Flanagan may succeed in tracing the ownership of that gun.”

“这并不会让我感到意外，” 马龙说。

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” malone said.

“但如果他追查到了，而那把枪属于莫娜?麦克莱恩……”

“but if he does, and if the gun belongs to mona mcclane-”

“那他就会发现枪属于莫娜?麦克莱恩，” 马龙冷静地说，“这有什么大不了的吗？”

“then he’ll find out that it belongs to mona mcclane,” malone said calmly. “what the hell of it?”

“假设弹道测试的结果显示，这把枪就是杀死约书亚?冈布里尔和弗雷特?桑德斯的枪……”

“Suppose the ballistics tests show it’s the gun that was used in shooting Joshua Gumbril and Fleurette Sanders.”

“就算是这样，” 律师自满地回答。

“Suppose it does,” the lawyer said placently.

“该死的，马龙。如果我要赢下那个赌约……”

“damn you, malone. If I’m going to win that bet-”

马龙恼火地说：“我知道我在做什么。”

malone said crossly, “I know what I’m doing.”

杰克低声嘟囔了几句愤慨的话。

Jake muttered something indignant under his breath.

“而且，” 马龙指出，“就算冯?弗拉纳根能做到这些，我想他会做的，他也不会知道谋杀的动机，跟我们一样不清楚。而且，就像我之前指出的，这是一起出于动机的犯罪，而不是出于方法的犯罪。”

“besides,” malone pointed out, “even if Von Flanagan does all that-and I imagine he will-he won’t know anything about the motive for the murders. No more than we do. And as I’ve pointed out before, this is a crime of motive, not method.”

“说得好听，” 杰克咆哮道，“但他会认为自己有足够的证据采取行动，并且很可能在午夜之前就能拿到。除非在此期间我能揭开那个动机，否则我就要失去一家很不错的夜总会的所有权了。”

“Very pretty,” Jake growled, “but he’ll think he has enough to make a pinch. probably he’ll have it before midnight. Unless I can uncover that motive in the meantime, I’m out of the ownership of a very nice night club.”

海伦发动了大车，沿着街道行驶。“说到赌场，我想去找一个前赌场老板聊聊。你们愿意一起去吗？”

helene started the big car moving down the street. “Speaking of night clubs, I want to call on the ex-owner of one. do you boys care to go along?”

“马克斯?胡克？” 马龙问。

“max hook?” malone asked.

“对。我想问问他，冈布里尔的那个小盒子里到底装了什么。他一定知道，不然不会那么急着想要拿到它。”

“Right. I’d like to ask him just what is in that little box of Gumbril’s. he must know, or he wouldn’t have been so all-fired anxious to get it.”

两个人沉默地走了半条街。“唉，见鬼，” 杰克终于说，“我不可能想到所有事情。这个胡克住哪儿，马龙？”

the two men were eloquently silent for half a block. “well damn it,” Jake said finally, “I can’t think of everything. where does this hook hang himself, malone?”

马龙说了一个湖滨大道的地址。

malone named an address on Lake Shore drive.

“怎么会是那栋楼！” 海伦小声惊呼。

“Not that building!” helene said with a little gasp.

“为什么不行？” 马龙说，“他是那栋楼的主人。”

“why not?” malone snapped. “he owns it.”

五分钟后，海伦把车停在湖滨大道的一栋大楼前，这个地址每周在社交版面上至少出现四次。他们穿过大厅，进了电梯。

Five minutes later helene parked the car before the Lake Shore drive building whose address appeared on the society pages at least four times a week. they walked through the lobby and got in the elevator.

“二十三层，” 马龙说。

“twenty-three,” malone said.

电梯男孩犹豫了一下，优雅地咳了一声。“哪一层，先生？”

the elevator boy hesitated a moment, coughed delicately. “what floor, sir?”

“二十三层，” 马龙严肃地说，“中间不停。”

“twenty-three,” malone said grimly, “and no stops.”

电梯急速上升。海伦注意到男孩的后颈很苍白。二十三层到了，马龙轻轻敲了敲门，喊道：“是约翰?马龙和朋友们。” 门开了，他们走进了一间可能是芝加哥市内装饰最华丽的公寓。

the elevator shot upward. helene noticed the back of the boy’s neck was pale. on the twenty-third floor malone tapped lightly on a door, called out, “It’s John J. malone and friends.” the door opened and they stepped into what was probably the most ornately decorated apartment in the city of chicago.

客厅宽敞无比，铺着玫瑰色的地毯，摆满了精雕细琢、缎面装饰的家具，还有无数盏装饰着粉色灯罩的小灯，以及似乎有成百上千个小丝绸抱枕。窗户上挂着印花窗帘，用巨大的缎带蝴蝶结束起。到处都摆放着彩绘瓷盒、切割水晶烟灰缸、小花瓶和小雕像，以及珐琅钟。靠着一面墙放着一张巨大的卷盖式书桌，是某种漆成棕色的木头制成的，上面布满了刻痕和刮痕。书桌后面坐着马克斯?胡克本人。

the living room was immense, rose-carpeted, filled with delicately carved, satin-upholstered furniture, with innumerable little decorative lamps, pink-shaded, and with what seemed to be hundreds upon hundreds of small silk pillows. At the windows feminine printed draperies were held back by enormous satin ribbon bows. Everywhere there were painted china boxes, cut crystal ash trays, tiny vases and statuettes, and enameled clocks. Against one wall stood a huge roll-top desk, of some brown-painted wood, badly nicked and scarred. behind it sat max hook himself.

他是个大块头，身高至少有六英尺，身上堆满了肥肉，颤动的肉块让他第一眼看上去似乎完全没有骨头。他的头完全秃了，形状像鸡蛋，很难分辨出头和肩膀的界限，整个人就像一团粉红色的肉冻。他宽阔的肩膀和胸膛像一片肥肉般铺展开来，圆滚滚的手臂末端是胖乎乎、红彤彤的手，手指就像小香肠。

he was a mountain of a man, easily six feet tall, and such a mass of fat, quivering flesh, that he seemed, at first glance, to be pletely boneless. his head, entirely bald, was egg-shaped; it was impossible to tell where it ended and his shoulders began; the whole ran together in one jellylike glob of pink flesh. From that point he spread out in a great expanse of fat shoulders and chest. Round arms ended in plump, rosy hands with fingers like little sausages.

他的脸似乎由一个宽宽的咧着的脸和一根长长的黑色雪茄组成。

his face seemed to be posed of a wide grin and a long black cigar.

他们进来时，他仍然坐在椅子上。杰克想，他可能从来就没离开过那把椅子。很难想象，如果没有起重机的帮助，怎么移动这个庞大的身躯。

he remained in his chair as they entered. Jake thought he probably never moved out of it. It was impossible to imagine that huge bulk being moved without the aid of a derrick.

马龙介绍了杰克和海伦。

malone introduced Jake and helene.

马克斯?胡克和蔼地笑了。“当然，没关系。我知道他们。” 他咧嘴笑着，“你们喜欢我的小地方，是吧？”

max hook smiled amiably. “Sure, that’s all right. I know all about them.” his grin widened. “You like my little place, huh?”

“我觉得很美，” 海伦赞叹道，她的眼睛充满了钦佩。

“I think it’s beautiful,” helene breathed. her eyes were wide with admiration.

这个大块头对她笑了笑。“我总是喜欢把东西弄得漂漂亮亮的。每当我看到漂亮的东西，我都想买下来，只买最好的。来根雪茄。” 他朝其中一个瓷盒挥了挥手。

the big man beamed at her. “I always like to have things nice. Always when I see nice things, I like to buy them. Nothing but the best. take a cigarette.” he waved to one of the china boxes.

海伦发现，这根雪茄不仅印有字母组合图案，还是香的。

the cigarette was, helene discovered, not only monogrammed, but perfumed.

寒暄过后，马克斯?胡克变得严肃起来。

those social amenities over, max hook became serious.

“嗯，马龙，这是一个惊喜。我能为你们做些什么呢？”

“well, malone, this is a pleasant surprise. what can I do for you?”

“我只是想知道，为什么拉塞拉那天那么急着要找杰克，仅此而已，” 马龙平静地说。

“I just thought I’d like to find out why La cerra was so 腺样要对齐英文原文，可能有些地方表述有误。正确表述为 “I just thought I'd like to find out why La cerra was so anxious to get hold of Jake the other day, that's all,” malone said smoothly.

“我会让你们问他，” 这个匪徒愉快地说。他提高嗓门，吼道：“小乔治！” 过了一会儿，小乔治?拉塞拉出现了。自从他们上次见到他以来，他似乎发生了些变化。甚至海伦也能看出他已经变了。

“I’ll let you ask him,” the gangster said cheerfully. he raised his voice and bellowed, “Georgie!” A moment later Little Georgie la cerra appeared. Something seemed to have happened to him since the last time they had seen him. Even helene could tell that he was a changed man.

“抱歉，他给你朋友添了些麻烦。对此我很抱歉，” 马克斯?胡克歉意地对马龙说。“他是个冲动的人。当我告诉他该做什么时，他就会觉得必须去完成，不管不顾的。你看就是这样。”

“the cherry, he caused your friend some annoyance. I’m sorry about that,” max hook said apologetically to malone. “the cherry, he’s impulsive. when I tell him he should do something, he feels like he’s got to get it done, regardless. See.”

马龙面无表情地点了点头。

malone nodded impassively.

“所以，当你的朋友那天晚上在冈布里尔的房间里被抓时，自然会想到他可能在那里看见了什么。我说得对吗？”

‘So when your friend here got picked up in Gumbril’s room that night, naturally it was logical to figure he might have stumbled onto something there, wasn’t it? Am I right?”

律师再次点了点头。“你说得对。但如果杰克发现了任何与奥格特里绑架案有关的证据，你可以随时拿走。”

the lawyer nodded again. “You are. but if Jake had found any evidence pertaining to the ogletree snatch, you could have had it and wele.”

胡克盯着他。“如果你知道我对这个感兴趣，那他肯定发现了些什么。”

hook stared at him. “he must have found something, if you know that’s what I was interested in.”

“他没有。他在找别的东西，但也没找到。我碰巧知道是乔治处理过奥格特里的绑架案，事情是通过冈布里尔进行的。仅此而已。”

“he didn’t. he was looking for something else, and he didn’t find that either. I happened to know it was Georgie who handled the ogletree snatch, and that it went through Gumbril. that’s all.”

“你真行，” 匪徒钦佩地摇摇头说，“我真希望你在我的薪水名单上，马龙。” 他皱了皱眉。“我得承认，当你告诉乔治，贾斯特先生什么也没找到时，我并不相信你，直到后来我知道了实情。”

“You are a one,” the gangster said admiringly, shaking his head. “I wish I had you on my pay roll, malone.” he scowled. “I must admit I disbelieved you when you told the cherry mr. Justus didn’t find a thing, until I learned different.”

马龙非常缓慢而故意地脱下大衣，坐在一张薰衣草色的缎面沙发上，肘部搁在膝盖上，身体前倾，目不转睛地盯着主人。

malone took off his overcoat very slowly and deliberately, sat down on a lavender satin sofa with his elbows on his knees, leaned forward, and stared fixedly at his host.

“马克斯，我们来谈谈正事。我想把一切都弄清楚。如果你告诉我所有我想知道的事情，我就把奥格特里的证据找出来交给你。”

“max, let’s talk business. I want to get everything straight. If you’ll tell me all I want to know, I’ll get that ogletree evidence and turn it over to you.”

“成交，” 胡克迅速说道。他略带责备地补充道，“你知道不管怎样我都会对你坦白的，马龙。”

“It’s a deal,” hook said quickly. he added a little reproachfully, “You know I’d be straight with you anyway, malone.”

“当然，” 律师温和地说，“你和冈布里尔之间是怎样合作的？”

“Sure,” the lawyer said blandly. “what kind of an arrangement did you have with Gumbril?”