raymondchandler.thehighwindow-第3章

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　 It　was　a　nice　day　outside；　the　sun　shining；　the　flowers　blooming；　the　birds　singing。　Cars　went　by　on　the　street　with　a　distant　fortable　sound。　In　the　dim　room　with　the　hardfaced　woman　and　the　winy　smell　everything　seemed　a　little　unreal。　I　tossed　my　foot　up　and　down　over　my　knee　and　waited。
　 〃I　spoke　to　Mr。　Morningstar。　His　full　name　is　Elisha　Morningstar　and　he　has　offices　in　the　Belfont　Building　on　Ninth　Street　in　downtown　Los　Angeles。　I　told　him　the　Murdock　collection　was　not　for　sale；　never　had　been；　and；　so　far　as　I　was　concerned；　never　would　be；　and　that　I　was　surprised　that　he　didn't　know　that。　He　hemmed　and　hawed　and　then　asked　me　if　he　might　examine　the　coin。　I　said　certainly　not。　He　thanked　me　rather　dryly　and　hung　up。　He　sounded　like　an　old　man。　So　I　went　upstairs　to　examine　the　coin　myself；　something　I　had　not　done　in　a　year。　It　was　gone　from　its　place　in　one　of　the　locked　fireproof　cases。〃
　 I　said　nothing。　She　refilled　her　glass　and　played　a　tattoo　with　her　thick　fingers　on　the　arm　of　the　chaise　longue。　〃What　I　thought　then　you　can　probably　guess。〃
　 I　said：　〃The　part　about　Mr。　Morningstar；　maybe。　Somebody　had　offered　the　coin　to　him　for　sale　and　he　had　known　or　suspected　where　it　came　from。　The　coin　must　be　very　rare。〃
　 〃What　they　call　a　mint　specimen　is　very　rare　indeed。　Yes；　I　had　the　same　idea。〃
　 〃How　would　it　be　stolen？〃　I　asked。
　 〃By　anyone　in　this　house；　very　easily。　The　keys　are　in　my　bag；　and　my　bag　lies　around　here　and　there。　It　would　be　a　very　simple　matter　to　get　hold　of　the　keys　long　enough　to　unlock　a　door　and　a　cabinet　and　then　return　the　keys。　Difficult　for　an　outsider；　but　anybody　in　the　house　could　have　stolen　it。〃
　 〃I　see。　How　do　you　establish　that　your　daughter…in…law　took　it；　Mrs。　Murdock？〃
　 〃I　don'tin　a　strictly　evidential　sense。　But　I'm　quite　sure　of　it。　The　servants　are　three　women　who　have　been　here　many；　many　yearslong　before　I　married　Mr。　Murdock；　which　was　only　seven　years　ago。　The　gardener　never　es　in　the　house。　I　have　no　chauffeur；　because　either　my　son　or　my　secretary　drives　me。　My　son　didn't　take　it；　first　because　he　is　not　the　kind　of　fool　that　steals　from　his　mother；　and　secondly；　if　he　had　taken　it；　he　could　easily　have　prevented　me　from　speaking　to　the　coin　dealer；　Morningstar。　Miss　Davisridiculous。　Just　not　the　type　at　all。　Too　mousy。　No；　Mr。　Marlowe；　Linda　is　the　sort　of　lady　who　might　do　it　just　for　spite；　if　nothing　else。　And　you　know　what　these　night　club　people　are。〃
　 〃All　sorts　of　peoplelike　the　rest　of　us；〃　I　said。　〃No　signs　of　a　burglar；　I　suppose？　It　would　take　a　pretty　smooth　worker　to　lift　just　one　valuable　coin；　so　there　wouldn't　be。　Maybe　I　had　better　look　the　room　over；　though。〃
　 She　pushed　her　jaw　at　me　and　muscles　in　her　neck　made　hard　lumps。　〃I　have　just　told　you；　Mr。　Marlowe；　that　Mrs。　Leslie　Murdock；　my　daughter…in…law；　took　the　Brasher　Doubloon。〃
　 I　stared　at　her　and　she　stared　back。　Her　eyes　were　as　hard　as　the　bricks　in　her　front　walk。　I　shrugged　the　stare　off　and　said：
　 〃Assuming　that　is　so；　Mrs。　Murdock；　just　what　do　you　want　done？〃
　 〃In　the　first　place　I　want　the　coin　back。　In　the　second　place　I　want　an　uncontested　divorce　for　my　son。　And　I　don't　intend　to　buy　it。　I　daresay　you　know　how　these　things　are　arranged。〃
　 She　finished　the　current　instalment　of　port　and　laughed　rudely。
　 〃I　may　have　heard；〃　I　said。　〃You　say　the　lady　left　no　forwarding　address。　Does　that　mean　you　have　no　idea　at　all　where　she　went？〃
　 〃Exactly　that。〃
　 〃A　disappearance　then。　Your　son　might　have　some　ideas　he　hasn't　passed　along　to　you。　I'll　have　to　see　him。〃
　 The　big　gray　face　hardened　into　even　ruggeder　lines。　〃My　son　knows　nothing。　He　doesn't　even　know　the　doubloon　has　been　stolen。　I　don't　want　him　to　know　anything。　When　the　time　es　I'll　handle　him。　Until　then　I　want　him　left　alone。　He　will　do　exactly　what　I　want　him　to。〃
　 〃He　hasn't　always；〃　I　said。
　 〃His　marriage；〃　she　said　nastily；　〃was　a　momentary　impulse。　Afterwards　he　tried　to　act　like　a　gentleman。　I　have　no　such　scruples。〃
　 〃It　takes　three　days　to　have　that　kind　of　momentary　impulse　in　California；　Mrs。　Murdock。〃
　 〃Young　man；　do　you　want　this　job　or　don't　you？〃
　 〃I　want　it　if　I'm　told　the　facts　and　allowed　to　handle　the　case　as　I　see　fit。　I　don't　want　it　if　you're　going　to　make　a　lot　of　rules　and　regulations　for　me　to　trip　over。〃
　 She　laughed　harshly。　〃This　is　a　delicate　family　matter；　Mr。　Marlowe。　And　it　must　be　handled　with　delicacy。〃
　 〃If　you　hire　me；　you'll　get　all　the　delicacy　I　have。　If　I　don't　have　enough　delicacy；　maybe　you'd　better　not　hire　me。　For　instance；　I　take　it　you　don't　want　your　daughter…in…law　framed。　I'm　not　delicate　enough　for　that。〃
　 She　turned　the　color　of　a　cold　boiled　beet　and　opened　her　mouth　to　yell。　Then　she　thought　better　of　it；　lifted　her　port　glass　and　tucked　away　some　more　of　her　medicine。
　 〃You'll　do；〃　she　said　dryly；　〃I　wish　I　had　met　you　two　years　ago；　before　he　married　her。〃
　 I　didn't　know　exactly　what　this　last　meant；　so　I　let　it　ride。　She　bent　over　sideways　and　fumbled　with　the　key　on　a　house　telephone　and　growled　into　it　when　she　was　answered。
　 There　were　steps　and　the　little　copper…blond　came　tripping　into　the　room　with　her　chin　low；　as　if　somebody　might　be　going　to　take　a　swing　at　her。
　 〃Make　this　man　a　check　for　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars；〃　the　old　dragon　snarled　at　her。　〃And　keep　your　mouth　shut　about　it。〃
　 The　little　girl　flushed　all　the　way　to　her　neck。　〃You　know　I　never　talk　about　your　affairs；　Mrs。　Murdock；〃　she　bleated。　〃You　know　I　don't。　I　wouldn't　dream　of　it；　I〃
　 She　turned　with　her　head　down　and　ran　out　of　the　room。　As　she　closed　the　door　I　looked　out　at　her。　Her　little　lip　was　trembling　but　her　eyes　were　mad。
　 〃I'll　need　a　photo　of　the　lady　and　some　information；〃　I　said　when　the　door　was　shut　again。
　 〃Look　in　the　desk　drawer。〃　Her　rings　flashed　in　the　dimness　as　her　thick　gray　finger　pointed。
　 I　went　over　and　opened　the　single　drawer　of　the　reed　desk　and　took　out　the　photo　that　lay　all　alone　in　the　bottom　of　the　drawer；　face　up；　looking　at　me　with　cool　dark　eyes。　I　sat　down　again　with　the　photo　and　looked　it　over。　Dark　hair　parted　loosely　in　the　middle　and　drawn　back　loosely　over　a　solid　piece　of　forehead。　A　wide　cool　go…to…hell　mouth　with　very　kissable　lips。　Nice　nose；　not　too　small；　not　too　large。　Good　bone　all　over　the　face。　The　expression　of　the　face　lacked　something。　Once　the　something　might　have　been　called　breeding；　but　these　days　I　didn't　know　what　to　call　it。　The　face　looked　too　wise　and　too　guarded　for　its　age。　Too　many　passes　had　been　made　at　it　and　it　had　grown　a　little　too　smart　in　dodging　them。　And　behind　this　expression　of　wiseness　there　was　the　look　of　simplicity　of　the　little　girl　who　still　believes　in　Santa　Claus。
　 I　nodded　over　the　photo　and　slipped　it　into　my　pocket。　thinking　I　was　getting　too　much　out　of　it　to　get　out　of　a　mere　photo；　and　in　a　very　poor　light　at　that。
　 The　door　opened　and　the　little　girl　in　the　linen　dress　came　in　with　a　three…decker　check　book　and　a　fountain　pen　and　made　a　desk　of　her　arm　for　Mrs。　Murdock　to　sign。　She　straightened　up　with　a　strained　smile　and　Mrs。　Murdock　made　a　sharp　gesture　towards　me　and　the　little　girl　tore　the　check　out　and　gave　it　to　me。　She　hovered　inside　the　door；　waiting。　Nothing　was　said　to　her；　so　she　went　out　softly　again　and　closed　the　door。
　 I　shook　the　check　dry；　folded　it　and　sat　holding　it。　〃What　can　you　tell　me　about　Linda？〃
　 〃Practically　nothing。　Before　she　married　my　son　she　shared　an　apartment　with　a　girl　named　Lois　Magiccharming　names　these　people　choose　for　themselveswho　is　an　entertainer　of　some　sort。　They　worked　at　a　place　called　the　Idle　Valley　Club；　out　Ventura　Boulevard　way。　My　son　Leslie　knows　it　far　too　well。　I　know　nothing　about　Linda's　family　or　origins。　She　said　once　she　was　born　in　Sioux　Falls。　I　suppose　she　had　parents。　I　was　not　interested　enough　to　find　out。〃
　 Like　hell　she　wasn't。　I　could　see　her　digging　with　both　hands；　digging　hard；　and　getting　herself　a　double　handful　of　gravel。
　 〃You　don't　know　Miss　Magic's　address？〃
　 〃No。　I　never　did　know。〃
　 〃Would　your　son　be　likely　to　knowor　Miss　Davis？〃
　 〃I'll　ask　my　son　when　he　es　in。　I　don't　think　so。　You　can