马龙探案卷五 之 盛怒的审判 六

约翰?J?马龙乘坐公共汽车于 9 点 23 分抵达威斯康星州的杰克逊，他是一个疲惫、炎热、衣衫不整且非常恼怒的人。结果发现每天只有一趟火车开往威斯康星州的杰克逊，而且那趟火车早上 6 点 10 分到达，途中需要换乘三次，换乘期间等待的时间从 10 分钟到 1 个小时不等。去威斯康星州的杰克逊并不比去南极夫人小美国难多少。

JOHN J. MALONE arrived by bus in Jackson, Wisconsin, at nine twenty-three, a tired, hot, rumpled, and very irritated man. It had developed that only one train a day went to Jackson, Wisconsin, and that arrived at six-ten in the morning, and involved three changes, with waits of from ten minutes to an hour on the way. Jackson, Wisconsin, was not much harder to get to than Little America.

一路上，他一直幻想着一个宁静、平和的小镇来支撑自己，月光下，有宽阔、幽暗的草坪，弥漫着一种宁静祥和的氛围。他在戈利特药店前下了公共汽车，却发现自己仿佛置身于一个马戏团之中。

All the way he had sustained himself by dreaming of a quiet, peaceful little town, moonlit, with wide, shadowy lawns, and a general air of serenity and calm. He stepped off the bus in front of Gollett’s drugstore to find himself in what appeared to be the middle of a circus.

杰克逊的主要街道有三个街区长，几乎有半个街区宽。此刻，商店门面和路灯闪耀着耀眼的灯光，每一寸可用的空间都挤满了停放的汽车。

Jackson’s main street was three blocks long and almost half a block wide. At the moment it was a blaze of lights that shone from store fronts and street lamps, and every available inch of space was jammed with parked cars.

下午的暴风雨对气温没有产生持久的影响，只是让空气更加潮湿闷热。耀眼的灯光似乎吸引了杰克逊县范围内的每一只飞虫。

The afternoon’s storm had had no permanent effect on the temperature, but only added a sticky dampness to the air. The blazing lights seemed to have attracted every flying insect within the limits of Jackson County.

有一小群人站在人行道上，看着公共汽车进站。马龙在人群中央看到了海伦，她身材高挑苗条，穿着一件白色亚麻连衣裙。当他走近她时，觉得她的脸色比平时苍白了一些。他烦躁而不准确地拍打着一只蚊子，说道：“监狱到底在哪儿？” 蚊子又飞回来了，在马龙的脖子后面悲惨地结束了生命。“就算非得开枪打治安官我也要把杰克弄出来。”

There was a little crowd standing on the sidewalk, watching the bus e in. Malone spotted Helene in the center of it, a tall, slender figure in a white linen dress. As he drew closer to her, it seemed to him that her face was a shade more pale than normal. He slapped irritably and inaccurately at a mosquito and said, “Where the hell is the jail?” The mosquito returned and came to a miserable end on the back of Malone’s neck. “I’ll get Jake out if I have to shoot the sheriff.”

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“这不是个坏主意。” 海伦说。“你带大炮了吗？要打那个治安官，没什么比大炮更管用了。” 她深吸了一口气，说道：“我以前从没像现在这样高兴看到海军陆战队登陆。再晚一分钟，英雄就要被锯成两半了。杰克现在可能正在和治安法官理论呢。”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Helene said. “Did you bring along a cannon? It wouldn’t take anything less to shoot that sheriff.” She caught her breath and said, “I never was so glad to see the marines land before. Another minute, and the hero would be sawed in two. Jake is probably having it out with the justice of the peace right now.”

她抓住他的胳膊，以惊人的速度拉着他沿着主街走。马龙紧紧抓住他的手提包，气喘吁吁地跟在她旁边，穿过一片由灯光、面孔和窗户组成的万花筒。

She grabbed his arm and dragged him up Main Street at a breakneck speed. Malone took a firm grip on his handbag and panted along beside her through a kaleidoscope of lights, faces, and windows.

“慢点。” 他最后吼道。“记住我不是那种运动型的海军陆战队员。”

“Slow down,” he growled at last. “Remember I’m not the athletic-type marine.”

她放慢速度，几乎恢复到正常的步行速度，立刻人行道上的人群就开始围住他们。马龙把一个穿着印花连衣裙的胖女人从他肚子上推开，说道：“这里似乎并不比正午时分的州街和麦迪逊街更拥挤。这些人到底都是从哪儿冒出来的？”

She slowed down to almost an average walking speed, and immediately the sidewalk crowd began to engulf them. Malone pushed a plump woman in a print dress off his stomach and said, “It doesn’t seem to be any more crowded than State and Madison Streets at high noon. Where in blazes do all these people e from?”

“从四面八方来到这里。” 海伦调皮地说。

“Out of the everywhere into the here,” Helene said coyly.

马龙放下手提包，差点踩到两个小男孩，说道：“下一趟回芝加哥的公共汽车什么时候？”

Malone put down his handbag, nearly trampling a couple of small boys as he did so, and said, “When is the next bus back to Chicago?”

“早上七点才有公共汽车。” 海伦说。她的手紧紧抓住他的胳膊。“而且，我们需要你。”

“There isn’t a bus until seven in the morning,” Helene said. Her hand tightened on his arm. “Besides, we need you.”

他任由她带着自己沿着街道走了半条街。“别告诉我所有这些人都住在威斯康星州的杰克逊。” 他生气地说。“镇边上的路标写着人口三千。”

He allowed himself to be led half a block up the street. “Don’t tell me all these people live in Jackson, Wisconsin,” he said crossly. “The signboard at the edge of town said population three thousand.”

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“这里发生了一起谋杀案。” 她提醒他。“从今天下午四点开始就有人陆续来到这里。大多数人都带了野餐午餐。他们整个晚上都在街上走来走去，谈论已故的参议员佩维利和他的死亡方式，或者更确切地说，是被谋杀的方式。” 她补充道，“一半的人在盯着查理?豪森殡仪馆的正面，另一半的人在盯着我。”

“There’s been a murder here,” she reminded him. “People have been arriving since four o’clock this afternoon. Most of them brought a picnic lunch. They’ve been spending the evening walking up and down the street, talking about the late Senator Peveley and his manner of taking off, or rather, being took off.” She added, “Half of them have been looking at the front of Charlie Hausen’s Undertaking Parlor and the other half have been looking at me.”

“这里有个有趣的区别。” 马龙说，“但我就是说不清楚区别在哪里。”

“There’s an interesting distinction there,” Malone said, “but I can’t just put my finger on what it is.”

他的神经还因为坐公共汽车而震颤着。有那么一两次，他模糊地觉得自己站着没动，而街道在他面前移动。他刚想问海伦另一个问题，就在主街和第二街的拐角处，一个超重的农民家庭撞到了他们。等他们摆脱出来的时候，他已经放弃了那个问题。

His nerves were still tingling from the bus ride. Once or twice he had a vague notion that he was standing motionless, and the street was moving past him. He thought of another question to put to Helene, just as an overweight farm family crashed into them at the corner of Main and Second Streets. By the time they were disentangled he had given it up.

有树，在黑暗中几乎难以分辨，一片宽阔的草坪，亮着灯的窗户，还有一段台阶。马龙满足于自己还能呼吸，因为海伦拽着他进了门。

There were trees, almost indistinguishable from the darkness, a broad lawn, lighted windows, and a flight of steps. Malone contented himself with still being able to breathe, as Helene hauled him through the door.

他突然停了下来。在他面前有一条长长的走廊，两边是巨大的紧闭着的门。

He stopped suddenly. There was a long corridor ahead of him, lined with immense, closed doors.

“你要带我去哪儿？”

“Where are you taking me?”

“治安法官那儿。” 海伦说。“他是菲尔?史密斯。”

“The justice of the peace,” Helene said. “He’s Phil Smith.”

“很高兴听到这个。” 马龙说，“别那么着急。”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Malone said, “and don’t be in such a hurry.”

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海伦以能想象到的最悠闲的方式点了一支烟。“菲尔?史密斯说他九点半会在这里，到时候把杰克带来。我知道你九点半之前到不了，所以就定了这个时间。” 她吸了一口烟，又把烟踩灭，说道：“这都是汤姆?伯罗斯安排好的。”

Helene lit a cigarette in the most leisurely fashion imaginable. “Phil Smith said he’d be here at nine-thirty and have Jake brought up then. I knew you wouldn’t get here before nine-thirty so that was the time set.” She took one puff on the cigarette, stamped it out, and said, “Tom Burrows fixed it all up.”

马龙叹了口气，说：“他真好。不，别费心告诉我他是谁。你继续的时候我会努力跟上旋律。”

Malone sighed, said, “Very nice of him. No, don’t bother telling me who he is. I’ll try to catch up with the melody as you go along.”

她在他走到门前之前猛地拉开了一扇沉重的门，然后领着他走进了县书记员的办公室。一道强光让他眨了眨眼。他听到海伦小声说：“那是菲尔?史密斯。” 然后他设法把疲惫的眼睛聚焦在坐在办公桌后面那个英俊的白发男人身上。

She pulled open a heavy door before he could get to it, and led the way into the county clerk’s office. A sudden blaze of light made him blink. He heard Helene murmuring, “That’s Phil Smith,” and managed to focus his tired eyes on the handsome, white-haired man sitting behind his desk.

马龙觉得这不是他想象中的法庭。县书记员和治安法官的办公室合二为一，使得房间的布局有点混乱。但他没花太多时间去想这个问题。长途旅行让他还有点晕头转向，在主街上匆匆忙忙地走让他上气不接下气，而且他对已经发生的和将要发生的事情完全摸不着头脑。他只知道杰克在监狱里，而他应该把他弄出来。

It was not his idea of a courtroom, Malone thought. Combining the offices of county clerk and justice of the peace had led to a little confusion in the layout of the room. But he didn’t take much time to think about it. He was still a bit dazed from the long ride, breathless from the hurried walk up Main Street, and pletely in the dark about what had happened and was going to happen. All he knew was that Jake was in jail, and he was supposed to get him out.

海伦指认的那个白发男人菲尔?史密斯站起来迎接他，亲切地伸出手。“你一定是贾斯特先生的律师。很高兴见到你。希望你旅途愉快。”

The white-haired man Helene had identified as Phil Smith rose to greet him, a cordial hand outstretched. “You must be Mr. Justus’ lawyer. I’m delighted to meet you. I hope you had a pleasant trip.”

小主，

“这是汤姆?伯罗斯。” 海伦说。“还有马龙先生。”

“And this is Tom Burrows,” Helene said. “And Mr. Malone.”

马龙和那个蹦蹦跳跳、戴着眼镜的小个子男人握了握手，嘟囔着：“很高兴见到你。” 心里希望自己回到了芝加哥，而杰克和海伦在桑给巴尔，或者可能是堪察加半岛。

Malone shook hands with the bouncing, spectacled, little man, murmured, “I’m pleased to meet you,” wished he were back in Chicago and that Jake and Helene were in Zanzibar, or possibly Kamchatka.

他身后的门突然打开了。马龙转过身，看到了杰克，他的红头发乱糟糟的，他有雀斑的脸因为强压着的怒火而显得苍白。马龙猜站在他两边的人是副治安官，一个是小个子，上嘴唇有一道疤，另一个又高又邋遢，看起来很困的样子。

A door opened suddenly behind him. Malone wheeled around and saw Jake, his red hair mussed, his freckled face pale with not-too-well-repressed fury. The men on either side of him, Malone guessed, were the deputy sheriffs, one a small man with a scar on his upper lip, the other a large, slovenly, and sleepy-looking individual.

“我看到你到了。” 杰克说。“来得正是时候。”

“I see you got here,” Jake said. “It’s about time.”

菲尔?史密斯看着他。“忍耐是医治一切苦恼的良药。” 他温和地引用道。“普劳图斯说的。” 他补充道。

Phil Smith looked at him. “Patience is the best remedy for every trouble,” he quoted gently. “Plautus,” he added.

杰克怒目而视，张开嘴想说什么，又闭上了，最后深吸一口气，说道：“‘当心忍耐之人的怒火。’德莱顿说的。该死，我甚至都不知道指控是什么。这个混蛋没告诉我。”