马龙探案卷四 之 正确的凶案 二十

迪基特先生走了进来，他是一个瘦弱、苍白、惊恐的年轻人，头发是老鼠灰色。他无助地站在门内，苍白的眼睛从这群人身上一个一个地扫过去。

Mr. Dickett came in, a thin, anemic, frightened young man with mouse-colored hair. He stood helplessly just inside the door, his pale eyes moving from one to another of the group.

冯?弗拉纳根的声音和脸色几乎恢复了正常。他摆出一个从一群检察官那里学来的姿势。

Von Flanagan’s voice and coloring had returned to almost normal. He assumed a stance copied from a representative collection of prosecuting attorneys.

“迪基特先生，你是做什么的？”

“Mr. Dickett, what do you do?”

这个不开心的年轻人咽了口唾沫。他嘟囔了些听起来像 “酒店职员” 的话。

The unhappy young man gulped. He mumbled something that sounded like “hotel clerk.”

“在哪里？”

“Where?”

“格兰德酒店。”

“The LeGrand Hotel.”

“那是一家小酒店，” 冯?弗拉纳根解释道，“在市中心外。” 他再次盯着迪基特先生。“你看过除夕夜被刺伤的那个身份不明的人的尸体吗？”

“That’s a small hotel,” von Flanagan explained, “outside the Loop.” Again he fixed his eye on Mr. Dickett. “Did you view the unidentified body of the man who was stabbed on New Year’s Eve?”

迪基特先生点了点头。“是同一个人。”

Mr. Dickett nodded. “It’s the same one.”

杰克再也忍不住了。“和什么是同一个人？”

Jake couldn’t stand it any longer. “The same as what?”

“和酒店里的那个人。” 迪基特先生深吸了一口气。“他在十二月的最后一天在那里登记入住，要了一个房间。然后他出去了就再也没回来。他就是 —— 在 —— 那里的那个人。当我在报纸上看到这个名字的时候，我就去报警了。”

“As the man at the hotel.” Mr. Dickett drew a long breath. “He registered there the last day of December and took a room. Then he went out and never came back. He’s the one in—in there. When I saw the name in the paper I went to the police.”

“你看到什么名字了？” 马龙问道。

“When you saw what name?” Malone demanded.

“杰拉尔德?图伊兹。”

“Gerald Tuesday.”

每个人都盯着这个年轻人。一种冷酷的满足感开始爬上冯?弗拉纳根宽阔的脸庞。

Everyone stared at the young man. A look of grim satisfaction began to creep over von Flanagan’s broad face.

“让我们把这件事弄清楚，” 马龙说。“这个人 —— 除夕夜被谋杀的人 —— 是在你的酒店登记入住的那个人吗？” 当迪基特先生点头时，他继续说道，“用的什么名字？”

“Let’s get this straight,” Malone said. “This man—who was murdered on New Year’s Eve—was the one who registered at your hotel?” When Mr. Dickett nodded, he went on, “Under what name?”

这章没有结束，请点击下一页继续阅读！

“杰拉尔德?图伊兹。”

“Gerald Tuesday.”

“看到了吧？” 冯?弗拉纳根说。“这个人叫杰拉尔德?图伊兹，在麦克莱恩夫人家里被谋杀的那个人也叫杰拉尔德?图伊兹。”

“You see?” von Flanagan said. “This guy was named Gerald Tuesday, and the guy who was murdered up at Mrs. McClane’s place was named Gerald Tuesday.”

“这肯定是某种错误。” 马龙无力地说道。

“It’s a mistake of some sort,” Malone managed feebly.

“你说得太对了，这是个错误。任何人要是认为能在我面前耍这种花招，那就是大错特错。” 警察用力挠了挠鼻子，接着说，“麦克莱恩夫人家里的那起谋杀案是房子里的某个人干的。没有外人闯入。谋杀发生的时候，麦克莱恩夫人在楼下，马龙和她在一起。文宁夫妇出去散步了，不在房子里。” 他停顿了一下，生气地环顾了一下众人。“谋杀发生的时候，那房子楼上有五个人。布兰德小姐 —— 我是说贾斯特夫人 —— 和这个家伙没有任何关系。我对她的情况了如指掌。”

“You’re damned right it’s a mistake. It’s a mistake for anyone to think he can put over a thing like this on me.” The police officer scratched his nose vigorously and went on, “That murder in Mrs. McClane’s house was done by somebody who belonged there. Nobody broke in from outside. Mrs. McClane was downstairs when the murder was done, Malone was with her. Mr. and Mrs. Venning were out for a walk, out of the house.” He paused and looked angrily around the group. “There were five people upstairs in that house when that murder was mitted. Miss Brand—I mean Mrs. Justus—didn’t have nothing to do with this guy. I know all about her.”

“我们得找个时间交流一下笔记。” 杰克嘟囔道。

“We must pare notes some time,” Jake muttered.

冯?弗拉纳根瞪了他一眼。“这个麦克劳林家伙烂醉如泥，而你 ——” 他愤怒地看着彭德利?泰德韦尔 ——“被关在暗房里。我有个侄子，也是个摄影迷。所以我觉得你不会为了杀个人就从暗房里出来。” 他恶狠狠地盯着卢埃拉?怀特。“你在哪里？”

Von Flanagan glared at him. “This McLaurin guy was passed out cold, and you”—he looked indignantly at Pendley Tidewell—“were shut up in a darkroom. I got a nephew who’s one of these damn camera nuts. So I don’t think you’d e out of a darkroom even to murder some guy” He focused his baleful eye on Louella White. “Where were you?”

“楼上。” 她冷冷地看着他。

“Upstairs.” She looked at him coldly.

“你进过这个家伙的房间吗？”

“Did you go in this guy’s room?”

这章没有结束，请点击下一页继续阅读！

“没有。”

“No.”

“在四点到四点半之间，你去过走廊吗？”

“Did you go out in the hall between four and four-thirty?”

“没有。”

“No.”

“那么那段时间你一直都在自己的房间里？”

“Then you were in your room all that time?”

“没有。”

“No.”

冯?弗拉纳根的脸开始变得通红。马龙觉得稍微高兴了一点。

Von Flanagan’s face was beginning to turn a deep crimson. Malone felt a little happier.

“你在楼上？”

“You were upstairs?”

“是。”

“Yes.”

“你没有去过走廊？”

“And you didn’t go out in the hall?”

“没有。”

“No.”

“但你也不在自己的房间里？”

“But you weren’t in your room?”

“没有。”

“No.”

“那么，” 冯?弗拉纳根吼道，“你到底在哪里？”

“Then,” von Flanagan roared, “where in the hell were you?”

她愤怒地看了他整整三十秒才回答。

She looked at him indignantly for a full thirty seconds before answering.

“在厕所。”

“In the toilet.”