raymondchandler.thehighwindow-第43章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　suspect。〃
　 He　lifted　his　eyes　and　almost　smiled。　〃Who　thereupon　turns　as　pale　as　paper；　froths　at　the　mouth；　and　pulls　a　gun　out　of　his　right　ear。〃
　 I　sat　down　near　him　and　got　a　cigarette　out。　〃That's　right。　We　ought　to　play　it　together　sometime。　You　got　a　gun？〃
　 〃Not　with　me。　I　have　one。　You　know　that。〃
　 〃Have　it　with　you　last　night　when　you　called　on　Vannier？〃　
　 He　shrugged　and　bared　his　teeth。　〃Oh。　Did　I　call　on　Vannier　last　night？〃
　 〃I　think　so。　Deduction。　You　smoke　Benson　and　Hedges　Virginia　cigarettes。　They　leave　a　firm　ash　that　keeps　its　shape。　An　ashtray　at　his　house　had　enough　of　those　little　gray　rolls　to　account　for　at　least　two　cigarettes。　But　no　stubs　in　the　tray。　Because　you　smoke　them　in　a　holder　and　a　stub　from　a　holder　looks　different。　So　you　removed　the　stubs。　Like　it？〃
　 〃No。〃　His　voice　was　quiet。　He　looked　down　at　the　floor　again。
　 〃That's　an　example　of　deduction。　A　bad　one。　For　there　might　not　have　been　any　stubs；　but　if　there　had　been　and　they　had　been　removed；　it　might　have　been　because　they　had　lipstick　on　them。　Of　a　certain　shade　that　would　at　least　indicate　the　coloring　of　the　smoker。　And　your　wife　has　a　quaint　habit　of　throwing　her　stubs　into　the　waste　basket。〃
　 〃Leave　Linda　out　of　this；〃　he　said　coldly。
　 〃Your　mother　still　thinks　Linda　took　the　doubloon　and　that　your　story　about　taking　it　to　give　to　Alex　Morny　was　just　a　cover…up　to　protect　her。〃
　 〃I　said　leave　Linda　out　of　it。〃　The　tapping　of　the　black　holder　against　his　teeth　had　a　sharp　quick　sound；　like　a　telegraph　key。
　 〃I'm　willing　to；〃　I　said。　〃But　I　didn't　believe　your　story　for　a　different　reason。　This。〃　I　took　the　doubloon　out　and　held　it　on　my　hand　under　his　eyes。
　 He　stared　at　it　tightly。　His　mouth　set。
　 〃This　morning　when　you　were　telling　your　story　this　was　hocked　on　Santa　Monica　Boulevard　for　safekeeping。　It　was　sent　to　me　by　a　would…be　detective　named　George　Phillips。　A　simple　sort　of　fellow　who　allowed　himself　to　get　into　a　bad　spot　through　poor　judgment　and　over…eagerness　for　a　job。　A　thickset　blond　fellow　in　a　brown　suit；　wearing　dark　glasses　and　a　rather　gay　hat。　Driving　a　sand…colored　Pontiac；　almost　new。　You　might　have　seen　him　hanging　about　in　the　hall　outside　my　office　yesterday　morning。　He　had　been　following　me　around　and　before　that　he　might　have　been　following　you　around。〃
　 He　looked　genuinely　surprised。　〃Why　would　he　do　that？〃　I　lit　my　cigarette　and　dropped　the　match　in　a　jade　ashtray　that　looked　as　if　it　had　never　been　used　as　an　ashtray。
　 〃I　said　he　might　have。　I'm　not　sure　he　did。　He　might　have　just　been　watching　this　house。　He　picked　me　up　here　and　I　don't　think　he　followed　me　here。〃　I　still　had　the　coin　on　my　hand；　looked　down　at　it；　turned　it　over　by　tossing　it；　looked　at　the　initials　E。　B。　stamped　into　the　left　wing；　and　put　it　away。　〃He　might　have　been　watching　the　house　because　he　had　been　hired　to　peddle　a　rare　coin　to　an　old　coin　dealer　named　Morningstar。　And　the　old　coin　dealer　somehow　suspected　where　the　coin　came　from；　and　told　Phillips；　or　hinted　to　him；　and　that　the　coin　was　stolen。　Incidentally；　he　was　wrong　about　that。　If　your　Brasher　Doubloon　is　really　at　this　moment　upstairs；　then　the　coin　Phillips　was　hired　to　peddle　was　not　a　stolen　coin。　It　was　a　counterfeit。〃
　 His　shoulders　gave　a　quick　little　jerk；　as　if　he　was　cold　Otherwise　he　didn't　move　or　change　position。
　 〃I'm　afraid　it's　getting　to　be　one　of　those　long　stories　after　all；〃　I　said；　rather　gently。　〃I'm　sorry。　I'd　better　organize　it　a　little　better。　It's　not　a　pretty　story；　because　it　has　two　murders　in　it；　maybe　three。　A　man　named　Vannier　and　a　man　named　Teager　had　an　idea。　Teager　is　a　dental　technician　in　the　Belfont　Building；　old　Morningstar's　building。　The　idea　was　to　counterfeit　a　rare　and　valuable　gold　coin；　not　too　rare　to　be　marketable；　but　rare　enough　to　be　worth　a　lot　of　money。　The　method　they　thought　of　was　about　what　a　dental　technician　uses　to　make　a　gold　inlay。　Requiring　the　same　materials；　the　same　apparatus；　the　same　skills。　That　is；　to　reproduce　a　model　exactly；　in　gold；　by　making　a　matrix　in　a　hard　white　fine　cement　called　albastone；　then　making　a　replica　of　the　model　in　that　matrix　in　molding　wax；　plete　in　the　finest　detail；　then　investing　the　wax；　as　they　call　it；　in　another　kind　of　cement　called　crystobolite；　which　has　the　property　of　standing　great　heat　without　distortion。　A　small　opening　is　left　from　the　wax　to　outside　by　attaching　a　steel　pin　which　is　withdrawn　when　the　cement　sets。　Then　the　crystobolite　casting　is　cooked　over　a　flame　until　the　wax　boils　out　through　this　small　opening；　leaving　a　hollow　mold　of　the　original　model。　This　is　clamped　against　a　crucible　on　a　centrifuge　and　molten　gold　is　shot　into　it　by　centrifugal　force　from　the　crucible。　Then　the　crystobolite；　still　hot；　is　held　under　cold　water　and　it　disintegrates；　leaving　the　gold　core　with　a　gold　pin　attached；　representing　the　small　opening。　That　is　trimmed　off；　the　casting　is　cleaned　in　acid　and　polished　and　you　have；　in　this　case；　a　brand　new　Brasher　Doubloon；　made　of　solid　gold　and　exactly　the　same　as　the　original。　You　get　the　idea？〃
　 He　nodded　and　moved　a　hand　wearily　across　his　head。
　 〃The　amount　of　skill　this　would　take；〃　I　went　on；　〃would　be　just　what　a　dental　technician　would　have。　The　process　would　be　of　no　use　for　a　current　coinage；　if　we　had　a　gold　coinage；　because　the　material　and　labor　would　cost　more　than　the　coin　would　be　worth。　But　for　a　gold　coin　that　was　valuable　through　being　rare；　it　would　fit　fine。　So　that's　what　they　did。　But　they　had　to　have　a　model。　That's　where　you　came　in。　You　took　the　doubloon　all　right；　but　not　to　give　to　Morny。　You　took　it　to　give　to　Vannier。　Right？〃
　 He　stared　at　the　floor　and　didn't　speak。
　 〃Loosen　up；〃　I　said。　〃In　the　circumstances　it's　nothing　very　awful。　I　suppose　he　promised　you　money；　because　you　needed　it　to　pay　off　gambling　debts　and　your　mother　is　close。　But　he　had　a　stronger　hold　over　you　than　that。〃
　 He　looked　up　quickly　then；　his　face　very　white；　a　kind　of　horror　in　his　eyes。
　 〃How　did　you　know　that？〃　he　almost　whispered。
　 〃I　found　out。　Some　I　was　told；　some　I　researched；　some　I　guessed。　I'll　get　to　that　later。　Now　Vannier　and　his　pal　have　made　a　doubloon　and　they　want　to　try　it　out。　They　wanted　to　know　their　merchandise　would　stand　up　under　inspection　by　a　man　supposed　to　know　rare　coins。　So　Vannier　had　the　idea　of　hiring　a　sucker　and　getting　him　to　try　to　sell　the　counterfeit　to　old　Morningstar；　cheap　enough　so　the　old　guy　would　think　it　was　stolen。　They　picked　George　Phillips　for　their　sucker；　through　a　silly　ad　he　was　running　in　the　paper　for　business。　I　think　Lois　Morny　was　Vannier's　contact　with　Phillips；　at　first　anyway。　I　don't　think　she　was　in　the　racket。　She　was　seen　to　give　Phillips　a　small　package。　This　package　may　have　contained　the　doubloon　Phillips　was　to　try　to　sell。　But　when　he　showed　it　to　old　Morningstar　he　ran　into　a　snag。　The　old　man　knew　his　coin　collections　and　his　rare　coins。　He　probably　thought　the　coin　was　genuine　enoughit　would　take　a　lot　of　testing　to　show　it　wasn'tbut　the　way　the　maker's　initials　were　stamped　on　the　coin　was　unusual　and　suggested　to　him　that　the　coin　might　be　the　Murdock　Brasher。　He　called　up　here　and　tried　to　find　out。　That　made　your　mother　suspicious　and　the　coin　was　found　to　be　missing　and　she　suspected　Linda；　whom　she　hates；　and　hired　me　to　get　it　back　and　put　the　squeeze　on　Linda　for　a　divorce；　without　alimony。〃
　 〃I　don't　want　a　divorce；〃　Murdock　said　hotly。　〃I　never　had　any　such　idea。　She　had　no　right〃　he　stopped　and　made　a　despairing　gesture　and　a　kind　of　sobbing　sound。
　 〃Okay；　I　know　that。　Well；　old　Morningstar　threw　a　scare　into　Phillips；　who　wasn't　crooked；　just　dumb。　He　managed　to　get　Phillips'　phone　number　out　of　him。　I　heard　the　old　man　call　that　number；　eavesdropping　in　his　office　after　he　thought　I　had　left。　I　had　just　offered　to　buy　the　doubloon　back　for　a　thousand　dollars　and　Morningstar　had　taken　up　the　offer；　thinking　he　could　get　the　coin　from　Phillips；　make　himself　some　money　and　everything　lovely。　Meantime　Phillips　was　watching　this　house；　perhaps　to　see　if　any　cops　were　ing　and　going。　He　saw　me；　saw　my　car；　got　my　name　off　the　registration　and　it　just　happ