五分钟后，喝了两杯酒，他们上了一辆出租车前往湖滨大道。

Five minutes and two drinks later they were in a cab headed for the Drive.

“朝着市中心方向开。” 海伦指示道。

“Toward the Loop,” Helene directed.

马龙低声说：“不管我愿不愿意，我似乎都被卷进来了。过去我经常把证人藏在我的酒店里；酒店管理层总是很帮忙。” 他对司机喊道：“在一家药店停一下，我要打个电话。”

Malone said in a low voice, “I seem to be in this whether I like it or not. In the past I’ve often kept witnesses hidden out in my hotel; the management is always very helpful.” He called to the driver, “Stop at a drugstore, I want to make a phone call.”

他回来报告说酒店管理层会把他隔壁的房间准备好。他们可以毫无麻烦地把这个昏迷的人从侧门带进去，然后乘货梯上去。

He returned to report that the management would have the room next to his ready. They would take the unconscious man in at the side entrance and up the freight elevator without any trouble.

“现在我知道为什么你被认为是个非常出色的律师了。” 海伦钦佩地说。

“Now I know why you’re considered a damned good lawyer,” Helene said admiringly.

“就是因为有你这样的人，才需要有非常出色的律师。” 马龙生气地说。他又补充道：“我还打电话给警察，告诉他们一辆深绿色别克轿车，车牌号是 607–871，停在圣克莱尔街附近的一条巷子里。车主可能想用他的车了。”

“It’s people like you that make damned good lawyers necessary,” Malone said in a cross voice. He added, “I also called the police and told them a dark-green Buick sedan, license number 607–871, was parked in an alley just off St. Clair Street. The owner just might want to use his car.”

就在这时，他们的俘虏又清醒了一些。“想和警察谈谈。” 他说。

At that moment their prisoner woke up about two degrees more. “Want to talk to police,” he reported.

“当然，” 海伦安慰地说，“但你先喝一杯。”

“Sure,” Helene said soothingly, “but you want a drink first.”

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“没错。想喝一杯。”

“That’s right. Want a drink.”

“看在上帝的份上，给他一杯。” 海伦说。

“For the love of Mike, give him one,” Helene said.

马龙尽可能长时间地让杜松子酒瓶子凑到他们俘虏的嘴边，但又不敢真的把他淹死。有一阵微弱的汩汩声，一声小小的满足的叹息，接着是让人安心的寂静。

Malone held the gin bottle to their prisoner’s lips as long as he dared without actually drowning the man. There was a faint, gurgling sound, a little, satisfied sigh, and a reassuringly peaceful silence.

出租车司机和一个显然习惯了马龙偶尔因证人带来麻烦的行李员把正在睡觉的人抬到了货梯里。马龙和行李员把他放到床上。

The taxi driver and a bellboy evidently accustomed to Malone’s occasional troubles with witnesses carried the slumbering man to the freight elevator. Malone and the bellboy put him to bed.

“现在，” 男孩走后，马龙说，“你回家去。”

“Now,” Malone said, when the boy had gone, “you go home.”

“试试看能不能让我走，我费了那么大劲才把他带到这儿。”

“Try and make me, after all the trouble I went to bringing him here.”

她同情地看着床上的年轻人。他看起来不过是个孩子，像个疲倦的孩子一样睡着。他身材苗条，个子不高，脸色苍白，相貌英俊，波浪形的金发松散地垂在额头上。

She gazed sympathetically at the young man on the bed He seemed little more than a boy, sleeping like a tired child. He was slender and not tall, with a pale, handsome face, and wavy blond hair that tumbled loosely over his forehead.

突然他动了一下，轻轻地呻吟了一声，嘟囔了一句听不清的话，然后睁开了眼睛。那是一双蓝色的眼睛，年轻而天真无邪，显然知道发生了什么事。在海伦和马龙有所行动之前，他已经从床上坐了起来。

Suddenly he stirred, moaned softly, murmured something undistinguishable, and opened his eyes. They were blue eyes, young and guileless, and apparently aware of what was going on. Before Helene or Malone could move, he was sitting up in bed.

“我杀了两个人，” 他含混但清晰地说，“我不知道他们是谁，也不知道我为什么杀了他们。但我知道我一定杀了他们。用一把刀。我不明白。”

“I killed two men,” he said thickly but intelligibly. “I don’t know who they were or why I killed them. But I know I must have killed them. With a knife. I don’t understand it.”

他抬头看着注视着他的两个人，仿佛他们的脸能给他一些解释。他用左手手掌揉了揉额头。

He stared up at the two watching him as though their faces might give him some explanation. He rubbed the palm of his left hand on his forehead.

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“我想不起来了。”

“I can’t remember.”

然后他又躺回到枕头上睡着了。

Then he lay back on the pillow and went to sleep.

“看到了吧？” 过了一会儿马龙说，“在他清醒过来之前，我们从他那儿什么也问不出来。与此同时，如果你们俩都莫名其妙地从莫娜?麦克莱恩家失踪了……”

“There, you see?” Malone said after a moment. “We won’t get anything out of him till he’s sobered up. In the meantime, if both of you are found inexplicably missing from Mona McClane’s—”

海伦遗憾地叹了口气。“我想你是对的。我回家去。但我明天会再来这儿。到那时他应该清醒得足以说话了。”

Helene sighed regretfully. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll go home. But I’ll be back here tomorrow. He ought to be sobered up enough to talk by that time.”

“他会的。” 马龙严峻地说。“你能在不吵醒全家人的情况下回到莫娜?麦克莱恩家吗？”

“He will be,” Malone said grimly. “Can you get into Mona McClane’s without waking up the whole house?”

“很容易。莫娜给她所有的住客都配了侧门的钥匙。”

“Easily. Mona gives all her house guests keys to the side door.”

他赞许地点点头。“那你回家去吧，睡一会儿。”

He nodded approvingly. “Go on home, then, and get some sleep.”

她在门口停了一下。“好好照顾他，马龙。他看起来真是该死的年轻。” 然后她就走了。

She paused at the door. “Take good care of him, Malone. He does look so goddamned young.” She was gone.

马龙看着床上的人。这将是一项漫长而艰巨的任务。他看了看表。三点了。好吧，这不是他第一次为了一个正当的理由而错过一晚上的睡眠了。

Malone looked at the figure on the bed. It was going to be a long and arduous job. He glanced at his watch. Three o’clock. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d missed a night’s sleep in a good cause.

他给药店打了个详细的订单，给餐厅打电话要求每隔一小时送一壶咖啡来，走进自己的房间，把剩下的一夸脱黑麦威士忌拿了过来。那是给他自己的。

He phoned a detailed order to the drugstore, called the restaurant to send up pots of coffee at hourly intervals, went into his own room, and collected the remaining quart of rye. That was for himself.

有那么一瞬间，他与诱惑作斗争。也许就睡一个小时……

For only a moment he wrestled with temptation. Perhaps just an hour’s sleep—

不，睡觉只能等一等了。他深深地、遗憾地叹了口气，脱下外套，卷起袖子，走进浴室，开始往浴缸里放冰冷的水。

No, sleep would have to wait. He sighed heavily and regretfully, took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, went into the bathroom, and began filling the tub with ice-cold water.