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第37部分

raymondchandler.thehighwindow-第37部分

小说: raymondchandler.thehighwindow 字数: 每页4000字

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  〃Mr。 Marlowe;〃 she said; 〃you and I had better have something out。 I made a mistake calling you in the first place。 That was my dislike of being played for a sucker; as you would say; by a hardboiled little animal like Linda。 But it would have been much better; if I had not raised the point at all。 The loss of the doubloon would have been much easier to bear than you are。 Even if I had never got it back。〃
  〃But you did get it back;〃 I said。
  She nodded。 Her eyes stayed on my face。 〃Yes。 I got it back。 You heard how。〃
  〃I didn't believe it。〃
  〃Neither did I;〃 she said calmly。 〃My fool of a son was simply taking the blame for Linda。 An attitude I find childish。〃
  〃You have a sort of knack;〃 I said; 〃of getting yourselves surrounded with people who take such attitudes。〃
  She picked her cards up again and reached down to put a black ten on a red jack; both cards that were already in the layout。 Then she reached sideways to a small heavy table on which was her port。 She drank some; put the glass down and gave me a hard level stare。
  〃I have a feeling that you are going to be insolent; Mr。 Marlowe。〃
  I shook my head。 〃Not insolent。 Just frank。 I haven't done so badly for you; Mrs。 Murdock。 You did get the doubloon back。 I kept the police away from youso far。 I didn't do anything on the divorce; but I found Lindayour son knew where she was all the timeand I don't think you'll have any trouble with her。 She knows she made a mistake marrying Leslie。 However; if you don't think you got value〃
  She made a humph noise and played another card。 She got the ace of diamonds up to the top line。 〃The ace of clubs is buried; darn it。 I'm not going to get it out in time。〃
  〃Kind of slide it out;〃 I said; 〃when you're not looking。〃
  〃Hadn't you better;〃 she said very quietly; 〃get on with telling me about Merle? And don't gloat too much; if you have found out a few family secrets; Mr。 Marlowe。〃
  〃I'm not gloating about anything。 You sent Merle to Vannier's place this afternoon; with five hundred dollars。〃
  〃And if I did?〃 She poured some of her port and sipped; eyeing me steadily over the glass。
  〃When did he ask for it?〃
  〃Yesterday。 I couldn't get it out of the bank until today。 What happened?〃
  〃Vannier's been blackmailing you for about eight years; hasn't he? On account of something that happened on April 26th; 1933?〃
  A sort of panic twitched in the depths of her eyes; but very far back; very dim; and somehow as though it had been there for a long time and had just peeped out at me for a second。
  〃Merle told me a few things;〃 I said。 〃Your son told me how his father died。 I looked up the records and the papers today。 Accidental death。 There had been an accident in the street under his office and a lot of people were craning out of windows。 He just craned out too far。 There was some talk of suicide because he was broke and had fifty thousand life insurance for his family。 But the coroner was nice and slid past that。〃
  〃Well?〃 she said。 It was a cold hard voice; neither a croak nor a gasp。 A cold hard utterly posed voice。
  〃Merle was Horace Bright's secretary。 A queer little girl in a way; overtimid; not sophisticated; a little girl mentality; likes to dramatize herself; very old…fashioned ideas about men; all that sort of thing。 I figure he got high one time and made a pass at her and scared her out of her socks。〃
  〃Yes?〃 Another cold hard monosyllable prodding me like a gun barrel。
  〃She brooded and got a little murderous inside。 She got a chance and passed right back at him。 While he was leaning out of a window。 Anything in it?〃
  〃Speak plainly; Mr。 Marlowe。 I can stand plain talk。〃
  〃Good grief; how plain do you want it? She pushed her employer out of a window。 Murdered him; in two words。 And got away with it。 With your help。〃
  She looked down at the left hand clenched over her cards。 She nodded。 Her chin moved a short inch; down; up。
  〃Did Vannier have any evidence?〃 I asked。 〃Or did he just happen to see what happened and put the bite on you and you paid him a little now and then to avoid scandaland because you were really very fond of Merle?〃
  She played another card before she answered me。 Steady as a rock。
  〃He talked about a photograph;〃 she said。 〃But I never believed it。 He couldn't have taken one。 And if he had taken one; he would have shown it to mesooner or later。〃
  I said: 〃No; I don't think so。 It would have been a very fluky shot; even if he happened to have the camera in his hand; on account of the doings down below in the street。 But I can see he might not have dared to show it。 You're a pretty hard woman; in some ways。 He might have been afraid you would have him taken care of。 I mean that's how it might look to him; a crook。 How much have you paid him?〃
  〃That's none〃 she started to say; then stopped and shrugged her big shoulders。 A powerful woman; strong; rugged; ruthless and able to take it。 She thought。 〃Eleven thousand one hundred dollars; not counting the five hundred I sent him this afternoon。〃
  〃Ah。 It was pretty darn nice of you; Mrs。 Murdock。 Considering everything。〃
  She moved a hand vaguely; made another shrug。 〃It was my husband's fault;〃 she said。 〃He was drunk; vile。 I don't think be really hurt her; but; as you say; he frightened her out of her wits。 II can't blame her too much。 She has blamed herself enough all these years。〃
  〃She had to take the money to Vannier in person?〃
  〃That was her idea of penance。 A strange penance。〃
  I nodded。 〃I guess that would be in character。 Later you married Jasper Murdock and you kept Merle with you and took care of her。 Anybody else know?〃
  〃Nobody。 Only Vannier。 Surely he wouldn't tell anybody。〃
  〃No。 I hardly think so。 Well; it's all over now。 Vannier is through。〃
  She lifted her eyes slowly and gave me a long level gaze。 Her gray head was a rock on top of a hill。 She put the cards down at last and clasped her hands tightly on the edge of the table。 The knuckles glistened。
  I said: 〃Merle came to my apartment when I was out。 She asked the manager to let her in。 He phoned me and I said yes。 I got over there quickly。 She told me she had shot Vannier。〃
  Her breath was a faint swift whisper in the stillness of the room。
  〃She had a gun in her bag; God knows why。 Some idea of protecting herself against men; I suppose。 But somebodyLeslie; I should guesshad fixed it to be harmless by jamming a wrong size cartridge in the breech。 She told me she had killed Vannier and fainted。 I got a doctor friend of mine。 I went over to Vannier's house。 There was a key in the door。 He was dead in a chair; long dead; cold; stiff。 Dead long before Merle went there。 She didn't shoot him。 Her telling me that was just drama。 The doctor explained it after a fashion; but I won't bore you with it。 I guess you understand all right。〃
  She said: 〃Yes。 I think I understand。 And now?〃
  〃She's in bed; in my apartment。 There's a nurse there。 I phoned Merle's father long distance。 He wants her to e home。 That all right with you?〃
  She just stared。
  〃He doesn't know anything;〃 I said quickly。 〃Not this or the other time。 I'm sure of that。 He just wants her to e home。 I thought I'd take her。 It seems to be my responsibility now。 I'll need that last five hundred that Vannier didn't get for expenses。〃
  〃And how much more?〃 she asked brutally。
  〃Don't say that。 You know better。〃
  〃Who killed Vannier?〃
  〃Looks like he mitted suicide。 A gun at his right hand。 Temple contact wound。 Morny and his wife were there while I was。 I hid。 Morny's trying to pin it on his wife。 She was playing games with Vannier。 So she probably thinks he did it; or had it done。 But it shapes up like suicide。 The cops will be there by now。 I don't know what they will make of it。 We just have to sit tight and wait it out。〃
  〃Men like Vannier;〃 she said grimly; 〃don't mit suicide。〃
  〃That's like saying girls like Merle don't push people out of windows。 It doesn't mean anything。〃
  We stared at each other; with that inner hostility that had been there from the first。 After a moment I pushed my chair back and went over to the french windows。 I opened the screen and stepped out on to the porch。 The night was all around; soft and quiet。 The white moonlight was cold and clear; like the justice we dream of but don't find。
  The trees down below cast heavy shadows under the moon。 In the middle of the garden there was a sort of garden within a garden。 I caught the glint of an ornamental pool。 A lawn swing beside it。 Somebody was lying in the lawn swing and a cigarette tip glowed as I looked down。
  I went back into the room。 Mrs。 Murdock was playing solitaire again。 I went over to the table and looked down。
  〃You got the ace of clubs out;〃 I said。
  〃I cheated;〃 she said without looking up。
  〃There was one thing I wanted to ask you;〃 I said。 〃This doubloon business is still cloudy; on account of a couple of murders which don't seem to make sense now that you have the coin back。 What I wondered was if there was anything about the Murdock Brasher that might identify it to an expertto a man like old Morningstar。〃
  She thought; sitting still; not looking up。 〃Yes。 There might be。 The coinmaker's in

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