马龙探案卷五 之 盛怒的审判 三
“这与我无关，” 杰克说着，点燃一支香烟，“而且我也不确定我会在意，但谁可能想要谋杀你们的前参议员呢？”
“It’S NoNE of my business,” Jake said, lighting a cigarette, “and I don’t know that I care very much, but who might have wanted to murder your ex-Senator?”
巴顿对着他正在擦拭的栏杆皱起眉头。“佩维利参议员并不是那种你会称之为受欢迎的人。”
buttonholes scowled at the railing he was dusting. “Senator peveley wasn’t exactly what you’d call a popular man.”
“他肯定在某些人当中很受欢迎，” 海伦断言。“他不可能买下所有那些选票。”
“he must have been popular with some people,” helene declared. “he couldn’t have bought all those votes.”
“我是说在个人层面上受欢迎。” 巴顿告诉她。
“personally popular is what I mean to say,” buttonholes told her.
三个人在县书记员的办公室里等待着。治安官马文?克林和年轻的地方检察官正在门外进行一场冗长的争论。那群旁观者中的其他人已经分散到了大楼里的各个办公室。前参议员佩维利仍然躺在走廊的地板上，就像他倒下时那样。
the three were waiting in the county clerk’s office. Sheriff marvin Kling and the young district attorney were holding a lengthy debate just outside the door. others in the group of spectators had scattered to various offices in the building. Ex-Senator peveley still lay on the corridor floor, exactly as he had fallen.
后来，海伦评论说，如果她不在场，她不会相信这一切是可能的。治安官克林在迟迟意识到自己负责这个局面之后，采取的第一个行动是命令把法院的两扇门都锁上。县书记员对此提出了反对，理由很合理，即人们一直为了拿钓鱼许可证而进来。治安官最后妥协了，在每扇巨大的双开门处安排了一名副手，严格命令让人进来，但不让任何人出去。
Later, helene mented that she wouldn’t have believed any of it possible, if she hadn’t been there. Sheriff Kling’s first act, after his belated realization that he was in charge of the situation, was to order both doors to the courthouse locked. the county clerk had objected to this, on the reasonable grounds that people were ing in all the time for fishing licenses. the sheriff had finally promised by placing a deputy at each of the great double doors, with strict orders to let people in, but not to let anyone out.
“这样，” 他严峻地说，“凶手就会在法院里，我们就不必像追捕那两个从马蒂?吉尔的路边酒馆偷走老虎机的人那样，一直追到伊利诺伊州的半路上。”
“that way,” he said grimly, “we’ll have the murderer right here in the courthouse, and we won’t have to chase him halfway to Illinois, the way we did with those two guys who stole the slot machine from marty Gill’s roadhouse.
“而且，” 他宣布，“在验尸官来之前，任何人都不许碰尸体。” 这是他唯一确定的事情。
“And nobody,” he declared, “is allowed to touch the body until the coroner gets here.” that was the one thing he was positive about.
“嗯，他确定了一些事情。” 海伦评论道。“我想知道他是否知道为什么。”
“well, he’s sure of something,” helene mented. “I wonder if he knows why.”
“我怀疑他不知道。” 杰克说。“他一直在读侦探小说，这是唯一留在他脑海里的事情。”
“I doubt it,” Jake said. “he’s been reading detective stories and that’s the only thing that stuck in his mind.”
不幸的是，杰克逊县的验尸官查理?豪森，职业是殡仪员，正在九英里外的沃特维尔主持一场葬礼。葬礼一结束他就会开车到杰克逊来。
Unfortunately, charlie hausen, Jackson county’s coroner, an undertaker by profession, was conducting a funeral in waterville, nine miles away. he’d drive down to Jackson the minute it was over.
“没关系，” 治安官克林宣布。“这里没有人着急。”
“that’s all right,” Sheriff Kling announced. “Nobody here is in any hurry.”
有人建议在尸体上盖一条床单，但对于这个做法的合法性似乎存在一些疑问。此外，杰克逊县法院里没有任何可以用作床单的东西，治安官克林也不允许任何人离开大楼去拿一条。他指派了一个不安的、脸色苍白的副手看守尸体，就这样算了，宣称在验尸官豪森结束葬礼到达之前，任何人都无能为力。
Someone had suggested placing a sheet over the body, but there appeared to be some doubt as to the legality of the procedure. besides, there was nothing in the Jackson county courthouse to serve as a sheet, and Sheriff Kling refused to allow anyone to leave the building to get one. he appointed an unfortable, white-faced deputy to stand guard over the remains, and let it go at that, declaring that now there was nothing anybody could do until coroner hausen finished with his funeral and arrived.
与此同时，没有人可以离开法院。
In the meantime, no one could leave the courthouse.
总的来说，似乎没有人反对。菲尔?史密斯温和地提到，大楼里没有人出去吃午饭。治安官回应指出，克莱因烧烤店会送三明治进来。麦高恩小姐看了看手表，皱起眉头，然后打电话给图书馆协会为不能出席下午的会议道歉。脸色苍白的年轻地方检察官把自己关在办公室里。
on the whole, no one seemed to object. phil Smithy did remark, mildly, that no one in the building had been out to lunch. the sheriff pointed out in return that Kline’s Grill would send in sandwiches. miss macGowan glanced at her watch, frowned, and telephoned the Library Guild to apologize for not being present at the afternoon’s meeting. the white-faced young district attorney shut himself in his office.
大楼里没有人假装继续工作。一群男人聚集在公路办公室里，围在治安官克林周围。办公室的女孩们在走廊的最尽头，是一群安静但仍在叽叽喳喳的人。副治安官们不允许任何人上到二楼。
No one in the building made any pretense of continuing work. A group of men gathered in the highway office, around Sheriff Kling. the office girls were a subdued, but still chattering group at the farthest end of the corridor. the deputy sheriffs refused to let anyone up to the second floor.
雷声减弱了一点，但外面的雨还在下着。海伦渴望地看向门口。
the thunder had slackened a little, but outside the rain was still falling. helene glanced longingly toward the door.
“我可以大吵大闹说被关在这里，但不知为何我觉得这样不太明智。我也觉得在验尸官来之前我们不能移动这些尸体。”
“I could kick up a row about being kept here,” Jake said. “but somehow I’ve an idea it wouldn’t be tactful. I don’t think we move these bodies, either, until the coroner arrives.”
“哦，好吧，” 海伦说。“也许最终我们会喜欢这里。” 她点烟的时候停了一下。“验尸官来了之后我们有机会离开，对吧？”
“oh well,” helene said. “maybe in time we’ll get to like it here.” She paused in the act of lighting a cigarette. “there’s a chance we’ll be able to leave after the coroner arrives, isn’t there?”
“别担心，” 杰克坚定地告诉她。“如果你认为我会让任何一个小镇治安官……”
“don’t worry,” Jake told her firmly. “If you think I’m going to let any small-town sheriff -”
她叹了口气打断他。“你在埃文斯顿那次我因超速被抓的时候也这么说。你说没有哪个埃文斯顿的警察会把我关进监狱……”
She interrupted him with a sigh. “that’s what you said the time I was arrested for speeding in Evanston. You said no Evanston cop was going to put me in jail -”
“那不一样，” 杰克一本正经地说。“那是违反埃文斯顿的限速规定。这只是一起谋杀案。” 他拉着她的胳膊，把她领进县书记员的办公室，巴顿正渴望地看着他的拖把和水桶，以及躺着尸体的走廊地面。除此之外，办公室空无一人。
“that was different,” Jake said virtuously. “that was breaking an Evanston speed law. this is only murder.” he took her arm and steered her into the county clerk’s office, where buttonholes was staring longingly at his mop and pail, and at the corridor floor where the body lay. otherwise, the office was deserted.
“你以后有足够的时间打扫。” 杰克安慰他说。
“You’ll have plenty of time to clean up later,” Jake told him consolingly.
巴顿叹了口气，摇了摇头，把拖把收起来。
buttonholes sighed, shook his head, and put away the mop.
“真可惜我们谁都没想到就你的预感下注。” 海伦说。
“too bad it didn’t occur to any of us to make book on your premonition,” helene said.
巴顿眼睛一亮。“没错。我忘了。很有趣，不是吗。我记得我的祖母，老巴顿夫人……” 他停顿了一下，皱起眉头，最后说，“我想我跟你说过那个。”
buttonholes brightened. “that’s right. I’d forgotten. Funny, ain’t it. I remember my grandmother, old mrs. button -” he paused, scowled, and finally said, “I guess I told you about that.”
“你现在预感怎么样？” 她想知道。
“how are you fixed for premonitions now?” she wanted to know.
清洁工想了一会儿才回答。“这不完全是一种预感。我只是觉得最糟糕的还在后头。”
the janitor thought for a minute before he answered. “It isn’t exactly a premonition. I just feel like the worst was yet to e.”
“如果你是对的，” 杰克说，“而且我有一种不好的预感你是对的，等事情真的发生的时候，我们可能已经在去下一个州的半路上了。” 他自己也有这种预感，但他没说出来。
“If you’re right,” Jake said, “and I have a nasty suspicion you are, by the time it does e, we’ll be halfway into the next state.” he had a premonition of his own about that, but he was keeping it to himself.
“那具尸体生前什么样？” 海伦问。“我是说，在他成为尸体之前？”
“what was the corpse like?” helene asked. “I mean, before he was a corpse?”
“他是一个非常有名的人，” 巴顿严肃地说。“他当了两届参议员，还竞选过一次州长但没选上。我想他是杰克逊有史以来最有名的人。”
“he was a very famous man,” buttonholes said solemnly. “he was a Senator for two terms, and he ran for governor once but he didn’t get elected. I guess he was about the most famous man Jackson ever had.”
“至少，” 海伦轻声说，“是过去三十二年里最有名的。”
“At least,” helene murmured, “the most famous in the last thirty-two years.”
“除了是参议员之外，” 清洁工接着说，“他拥有这里一半的鞋厂，还是银行行长。我想他还拥有很多房地产和抵押品。前参议员佩维利肯定很富有。”
“outside of being a Senator,” the janitor went on, “he owned half the shoe factory here, and he was president of the bank. I guess he owned a lot of real estate and mortgages, too. Ex-Senator peveley must’ve been a rich man.”
“那现在谁会得到这一切呢？” 杰克随意地问。
“And who’ll get all that now?” Jake asked casually.
“我想是他女儿吧。她是他唯一的亲人。她叫弗洛伦斯。她和杰瑞?勒克斯通订婚了。也许她不会继承所有东西，我觉得她和那个老头 ——” 巴顿抱歉地清了清嗓子 ——“关系不太好。很多人和他关系都不好。”
“his daughter, I suppose. She’s all he had. her name’s Florence. She’s engaged to marry Jerry Luckstone. maybe she won’t inherit everything, I don’t think she and the old man”-buttonholes cleared his throat apologetically-“got along any too well. A lot of people didn’t get along with him.”
“还有那么多钱？” 海伦说。
“with all that money?” helene said.
巴顿眨了眨眼。“他脾气有点急，而且总是要按自己的方式来。有很多人不喜欢他，但这并不意味着谋杀。这里的人不会随便杀人。”
buttonholes blinked. “he was kind of quick-tempered, and he always had to have his own way. there was plenty of people didn’t like him, but that don’t mean murder. Folks up here don’t go around murdering.”
“这里有人会这么做，” 杰克说。“可能从没听说过规矩。”
“Somebody up here does,” Jake said. “probably never heard about the rules.”
还没等巴顿回答，一个棕色头发的漂亮女孩溜进办公室，默默地看了三人一眼，走到电话旁，拨了一个号码。
before buttonholes could answer, a brown-haired, pretty girl slipped into the office, glanced silently at the trio, went over to the telephone, and called a number.
“我想和伯罗斯先生说话。” 她的声音很低，杰克和海伦几乎听不清她的话。当她再次说话时，声音更低了。
“I want to speak to mr. burrows.” her voice was so low Jake and helene could barely make out the words. It was even lower when she spoke again.
“我是阿琳，汤姆。是的，我知道我不该再给你打电话。但我知道你会想知道。佩维利参议员被杀害了。被谋杀了。” 停顿了一会儿，然后说，“我不知道。有人开枪打死了他，他死了。” 又停顿了一下。“在走廊的地板上。汤姆 ——”
“this is Arlene, tom. Yes, I know I wasn’t going to call you up again. but I knew you’d want to know. Senator peveley has been killed. murdered.” there was a longish pause, then, “I don’t know. Somebody shot him, and he’s dead.” Another pause. “on the floor of the corridor. tom -”
显然汤姆已经挂了电话。棕色头发的女孩轻轻地拨了一两次电话钩，说：“哦，天哪！” 然后出乎意料地哭了起来。巴顿冲动地朝她走去，但她跑进一个小衣帽间，关上了门。
Evidently tom had hung up. the brown-haired girl jiggled the phone hook once or twice, said, “oh dear!” and unexpectedly burst into tears. buttonholes made an impulsive move in her direction, but she ran into a little coat closet and shut the door.
海伦看着她，摇了摇头。“在威斯康星州的杰克逊，从来没有无聊的时刻。” 她评论道。
helene looked after her, shaking her head. “Never a dull moment in Jackson, wisconsin,” she mented.
巴顿皱起了眉头。“如果她父亲知道了 ——”
buttonholes frowned. “If her father finds out -”
他被县书记员菲尔?史密斯的到来打断了。这位英俊的白发男人礼貌地对杰克和海伦微笑。
he was interrupted by the arrival of phil Smith, the county clerk. the handsome, white-haired man smiled politely at Jake and helene.
“很抱歉你们的钓鱼之旅被打断了，” 他流畅地说。“不过，在法院里你们比在这场雨中外出要好。”
“Sorry you’ve had this interruption of your fishing trip,” he said smoothly. “Still, you’re better off here in the courthouse than you would have been, out in this rain.”
“我们没被淋湿，” 海伦说，“如果这是你的意思的话。”
“we’re not wet,” helene said, “if that’s what you mean.”
杰克叹了口气。“有人知道是谁杀了他吗？”
Jake sighed. “does anyone have any idea who killed him?”
菲尔?史密斯摇了摇头。“一点头绪都没有。我自己都不明白这是怎么发生的。” 他皱起眉头。“哎呀，我们听到枪声的时候都在法庭里，然后他就倒下了。”
phil Smith shook his head. “Not an idea in the world. I don’t see how it could have happened, myself.” he scowled. “why, we were all right there in the courtroom when we heard the shot, and he fell.”
“肯定是上面的某个人开枪打了他。” 杰克说。
“Someone who was up there must have shot him,” Jake said.
县书记员摇了摇头。“不可能。那些人里的一个？荒谬。” 他愤怒地看着杰克，杰克耸了耸肩，把目光移开。
the county clerk shook his head. “Impossible. one of those people? Absurd.” he looked indignantly at Jake, who shrugged his shoulders and looked away.
“你得承认是有人开枪打了他。” 海伦说。
“You’ll have to admit that somebody shot him,” helene said.
菲尔?史密斯宽容地看着她。“我亲爱的年轻女士 ——”
phil Smith looked at her indulgently. “my dear young lady -”
大厅里有点骚动，其中一扇大门砰地响了一声。
there was a little motion in the hall as one of the big doors banged.
“查理?豪森来了，” 巴顿宣布，松了一口气。
“charlie hausen’s here,” buttonholes announced, with a sigh of relief.
海伦正要跟着他们走进走廊，但杰克抓住了她的胳膊。
helene started to follow them into the corridor, but Jake caught her arm.
“别着急，” 他建议道。“我们就坐着别动，等验尸官检查完。”
“take it easy,” he advised. “we’ll just sit tight till the coroner gets through.”
“然后呢，还是你打算走一步看一步？”
“And then what, or are you going to make it up as you go along?”
“然后，” 杰克坚定地说，“就该告诉治安官他不能再把我们留在这里了。”
“then,” Jake said firmly, “it’ll be time to tell the sheriff he can’t keep us here any longer.”
“那太好了，” 她说，“只要治安官同意你的说法。”
“that’s wonderful,” she said, “if only the sheriff agrees with you.”
她沉默了一会儿。杰克钦佩地看着她。她看起来完全就是她本来的样子，一个初次进入社交界的女继承人。每次他想到她爱上并嫁给了他，都觉得这仍然是个奇迹。
She was silent for a moment. Jake stared at her admiringly. She looked exactly like what she was, a debutante heiress. her falling in love and marrying him was still a miracle every time he thought of it.
“很奇怪我们没听到枪声。” 她突然说。
“It’s funny we didn’t hear the shot,” she said suddenly.
“我们在楼下，而且在大楼的另一头，” 他提醒她。“这些 1880 年的墙很厚。”
“we were downstairs, and at the other end of the building,” he reminded her. “these 1880 walls are thick.”
“你觉得枪在哪里？你认为我们应该告诉治安官肯定有一把枪这个事实吗？”
“where do you suppose the gun is? do you think we should let the sheriff in on the fact that there must have been a gun?”
巴顿出现在门口。“你们最好到大厅来。治安官克林正在列出法院里的每个人的名单。”
buttonholes appeared in the doorway. “You’d better e out in the hall. Sheriff Kling’s making a list of everybody who was in the courthouse.”
走廊的西门敞开着，透过它他们可以看到一辆华丽闪亮的灵车停在雨中。
the west door of the corridor stood open, and through it they could see an ornate and shining hearse standing in the rain.
“查理?豪森从艾伯特夫人的葬礼上开着它过来的。” 巴顿说。
“charlie hausen drove it here from mrs. Albert’s funeral,” buttonholes said.
他说话的时候，两个穿着深色西装的年轻人从灵车里抬出一副担架，在一个穿着黑色衣服、矮小焦急、戴着圆顶礼帽的男人的监督下开始搬运参议员的尸体。每个人都转过身去观看。担架被抬出去后，门突然砰地关上了，每个人都吓了一跳。
As he spoke, two young men in dark suits carried a stretcher in from the hearse and began moving the Senator’s body, under the supervision of a short, black-clad, anxious little man with a derby hat. Everybody turned to watch. the door suddenly banged shut after the stretcher had been carried out, and everybody jumped.
一张小桌子被搬到了走廊里，治安官马文?克林坐在那里，列着名单。他怒视着杰克，张开嘴要说话。
A small table had been moved into the corridor, and Sheriff marvin Kling sat at it, making a list. he glared up at Jake and opened his mouth to speak.
杰克决定先发制人。“你觉得你还能非法拘留我们多久？” 他义愤填膺地说。“你知道我们是谁吗？”
Jake decided to beat him to the draw. “how much longer do you think you can detain us illegally?” he said with virtuous indignation. “do you know who we are?”
“见鬼，” 治安官说，“我甚至不知道你叫什么名字。”
“hell,” the sheriff said, “I don’t even know what your name is.”
“我是杰克?贾斯特，这是贾斯特夫人。” 杰克说。治安官把名字写下来的时候，他又补充道，“我很乐意提供我所能提供的任何信息，但让我们快点。我不想在这里度过整个夏天。”
“I’m Jake Justus, and this is mrs. Justus,” Jake said. As the sheriff wrote it down he added, “I’ll be glad to give you any information I can, but let’s make it snappy. I don’t want to spend the rest of the summer here.”
治安官冷冷地抬起头。“开枪的时候你在哪里？”
Sheriff Kling looked up coldly. “where were you when the shot was fired?”
“我没听到枪声。我们刚在那个大楼梯底部，这时我们听到他从另一个楼梯上摔下来。”
“I didn’t hear the shot. we were just at the foot of that big staircase when we heard him fall down the other stairs.”
“那是你说的。” 治安官克林说。
“that’s what you say,” Sheriff Kling said.
“我们有一个证人。” 杰克说。他的声音危险地低沉。他指着巴顿。“他当时和我们在一起。”
“we’ve got a witness,” Jake said. his voice was dangerously low. he pointed to buttonholes. “he was right there with us.”
“是的我在。” 巴顿热心地说。
“Sure I was,” buttonholes said helpfully.
治安官的眼睛眯了起来。“那不算什么。每个人都知道巴顿是杰克逊县最会说谎的人。” 他写下了些什么，杰克看不见是什么。“别试图逃跑。你就待在我能看到你的地方，直到我列完名单。”
the sheriff’s eyes narrowed. “don’t mean a thing. Everybody knows buttonholes is the worst liar in Jackson county.” he wrote something down, Jake couldn’t see what it was. “don’t you try to make a break for it. You stay right where I can see you until I get through making my list.”
一个副治安官把他从桌子边推开，海伦及时抓住杰克的胳膊，才让副治安官保住了他的门牙。
A deputy shoved him away from the table, and helene caught Jake’s arm just in time to save the deputy’s front teeth.
“我们现在最不需要的，” 她压低声音说，“就是你卷入一场争斗。”
“All we need now,” she said, under her breath, “is for you to get into a fight.”
她把他带到走廊里其他人听不到的地方，而他则嘟囔着一些关于治安官马文?克林的性格、智力、出身以及他整个家族不光彩的习惯的话。最后他问道：“他以为他是谁啊？”
She led him out of earshot of everyone in the corridor, while he muttered words that had to do with Sheriff marvin Kling’s character, intelligence, origin, and the disgraceful habits of his entire family tree. he wound up by demanding, “who does he think he is, anyway?”
“我不确定，” 海伦说，“但他表现得好像他认为自己是杰克逊县的治安官。” 她皱起眉头。“杰克，这到底是怎么回事？他们不可能真的认为我们和这件事有任何关系。为什么每个人都对我们这么怀疑？”
“I don’t know for sure,” helene said, “but he acts as if he thought he was sheriff of Jackson county.” She frowned. “Jake, what’s it all about? they can’t seriously think we had anything to do with it. why is everybody so damned suspicious of us?”
杰克深吸一口气。“这对像你这样的城市女孩来说有点难解释。我们是陌生人。其他人都不是。这里的人可能并不都喜欢彼此，但他们都互相认识。”
Jake drew a long breath. “It’s a little hard to explain to a city girl like you. we’re strangers. No one else is. the people here may not all like each other, but they all know each other.”
“但他们不能因为我们是陌生人就对我们做什么。”
“but they can’t do anything to us for being strangers.”
“他们还没发现这一点，” 杰克严峻地说，“但我希望能教教他们。”
“they haven’t found that out yet,” Jake said grimly, “but I hope to teach them.”
治安官克林写完笔记，站起来，环顾四周。
Sheriff Kling finished his note-making, rose, and looked around.
“所有不常来法院的人都到这里这个办公室来。” 他大声吼道。
“Everybody who doesn’t regularly belong in the courthouse e into this office here,” he roared.
杰克咬紧牙关，大步沿着走廊走去。
Jake set his jaw hard and strode down the length of the corridor.
“听着，” 他说。“我和我妻子在钓鱼旅行。我们不是来这里来杰克逊县法院度过我们的假期的，我们不会再在这里闲逛了。”
“Now look here,” he said. “my wife and I are on a fishing trip. we didn’t e up here to spend our vacation in the Jackson county courthouse, and we’re not going to hang around any longer.”
“你这么想，是吗？” 治安官说。
“You think so, do you?” the sheriff said.
“想问什么就问，但快点问，” 杰克说。“然后我们就离开这里。”
“Ask any questions you want, but ask ‘em quick,” Jake said. “And then we’re getting out of here.”
治安官克林怒视着他。他的脸变得更紫了两个色度。
Sheriff Kling glared at him. his face turned two shades nearer purple.
“哦，不，你们不能走，” 他大声吼道。“你们要一直待在这里，直到我找出是谁谋杀了佩维利参议员。” 他愤怒地补充道，“我不在乎这是否要花整个夏天！”
“oh no you’re not,” he roared. “You’re going to stay right here till I find out who murdered Senator peveley.” he added furiously, “And I don’t care if it takes all summer!”
海伦戳了戳杰克的肋骨。“他是在扮唐老鸭还是格兰特将军？”
helene poked Jake in the ribs. “Is he being donald duck or General Grant?”
这个转移注意力的方法奏效了。杰克的肩膀放松下来，他笑了。“那我们就留下来看看吧。” 他说。
the diversion worked. Jake’s shoulders relaxed, he laughed. “Let’s hang around and find out,” he said.