“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?”
本小章还未完，请点击下一页继续阅读后面精彩内容！
“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?”
杰克也咧嘴笑了。“我是杰克?贾斯特，这是我妻子。”
Jake grinned back. “I’m Jake Justus, and this is my wife.”
“真该死！” 汤姆?伯罗斯出人意料地说。
“Well I’m damned!” said Tom Burrows surprisingly.
本小章还未完，请点击下一页继续阅读后面精彩内容！
杰克扬起眉毛。“你想为此争论吗？”
Jake raised his eyebrows. “Do you want to make an issue of it?”
“《观察家报》的杰克?贾斯特？” 年轻人问道。杰克点头时，他蹦过房间来握手。“我想你不记得我了。我在城市新闻局工作过几个月。”
“Jake Justus of the Examiner?” the young man asked. As Jake nodded, he bounded across the room to shake hands. “I guess you wouldn't remember me. I worked for the City News Bureau for a few months.”
“那很好。” 杰克亲切地说。“你认识那边的沃尔特?赖伯格吗？”
“That sol” Jake said cordially. “Did you know Walter Ryberg over there?”
“认识他！” 汤姆?伯罗斯说，“我为他工作过！我在《观察家报》认识的人不多，我认识《美国报》的查理?布莱克，还有《新闻报》的约翰?拉利。我曾经卖给他一篇超短篇故事。”
“Know him!” Tom Burrows said, “I worked for him! I didn't know many people at the Examiner, I did know Charley Blake at the American, and I knew John Lally at the News. I sold him a short short story once.”
海伦说：“我不想打断你们的重逢，但我们不是应该计划一下退场台词吗？” 她转向汤姆?伯罗斯。“你似乎很熟悉这个所谓的治安官。什么神奇的话能让我们离开这里？”
Helene said, “I hate to interrupt a reunion, but oughtn't we to be planning an exit line?” She turned to Tom Burrows. “You seem familiar with this so-called sheriff. What's the magic word that gets us out of here?”
“我会告诉他我们想去钓鱼。” 杰克轻松地对她说。他转回头看着年轻人。“你在这里做什么？”
“I'll tell him we want to go fishing,” Jake told her airily. He turned back to the young man. “What are you doing up here?”
汤姆?伯罗斯笑了。“你听说过那个想退休去经营一份乡村周报的新闻人吗？”
Tom Burrows laughed. “You've heard about the newspaperman who wants to retire and run a country weekly?”
杰克点点头。“那是每个新闻人的梦想。”
Jake nodded. “That's every newspaperman.”
“嗯，我就是那个实现了这个梦想的人。我为合众社工作了好几年，然后一位姑奶奶留给我一笔遗产，我就买下了《企业报》。”
“Well, I'm the one who did. I worked for the United Press for a number of years, and then a great-aunt left me a legacy, and I bought the Enterprise”
“赚钱吗？” 杰克好奇地问。
“Making any money?” Jake asked curiously.
“有一点，但我是通过给麦迪逊的一家报纸做当地通讯员赚钱。你还在《观察家报》吗？”
“A little, but I'm making it by being a local correspondent for a Madison paper. Are you still with the Examiner?”
这章没有结束，请点击下一页继续阅读！
杰克摇摇头。“我好几年前就辞职了。去年冬天之前我一直做新闻代理人。现在我经营一家夜总会。” 他把他修长的身体靠在一张桌子上。“我在一场打赌中赢了它。”
Jake shook his head. “I quit years ago. I was a press agent until last winter. Now I'm running a night club.” He slid his long frame onto a desk top. “I won it on a bet.”