raymondchandler.thehighwindow-第46章

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　 She　dropped　the　knuckle；　looked　at　me　levelly；　quiet；　posed　and　the　hands　on　her　knees　now　not　straining　at　all。
　 〃Vannier　was　dead　a　long　time　before　you　got　there。　You　went　there　to　give　him　some　money　for　Mrs。　Murdock。〃
　 〃Nofor　me；〃　she　said。　〃Although　of　course　it　was　Mrs。　Murdock's　money。　I　owe　her　more　than　I'll　ever　be　able　to　repay。　Of　course　she　doesn't　give　me　much　salary；　but　that　would　hardly〃
　 I　said　roughly：　〃Her　not　giving　you　much　salary　is　a　characteristic　touch　and　your　owing　her　more　than　you　can　ever　repay　is　more　truth　than　poetry。　It　would　take　the　Yankee　outfield　with　two　bats　each　to　give　her　what　she　has　ing　from　you。　However；　that's　unimportant　now。　Vannier　mitted　suicide　because　he　had　got　caught　out　in　a　crooked　job。　That's　flat　and　final。　The　way　you　behaved　was　more　or　less　an　act。　You　got　a　severe　nervous　shock　seeing　his　leering　dead　face　in　a　mirror　and　that　shock　merged　into　another　one　a　long　time　ago　and　you　just　dramatized　it　in　your　screwy　little　way。〃
　 She　looked　at　me　shyly　and　nodded　her　copper…blond　head；　as　if　in　agreement。
　 〃And　you　didn't　push　Horace　Bright　out　of　any　window；〃　I　said。
　 Her　face　jumped　then　and　turned　startlingly　pale。　〃II〃　her　hand　went　to　her　mouth　and　stayed　there　and　her　shocked　eyes　looked　at　me　over　it。
　 〃I　wouldn't　be　doing　this；〃　I　said；　〃if　Dr。　Moss　hadn't　said　it　would　be　all　right　and　we　might　as　well　hand　it　to　you　now。　I　think　maybe　you　think　you　killed　Horace　Bright。　You　had　a　motive　and　an　opportunity　and　just　for　a　second　I　think　you　might　have　had　the　impulse　to　take　advantage　of　the　opportunity。　But　it　wouldn't　be　in　your　nature。　At　the　last　minute　you　would　hold　back。　But　at　that　last　minute　probably　something　snapped　and　you　pulled　a　faint。　He　did　actually　fall；　of　course；　but　you　were　not　the　one　that　pushed　him。〃
　 I　held　it　a　moment　and　watched　the　hand　drop　down　again　to　join　the　other　one　and　the　two　of　them　twine　together　and　pull　hard　on　each　other。
　 〃You　were　made　to　think　you　had　pushed　him；〃　I　said。　〃It　was　done　with　care；　deliberation　and　the　sort　of　quiet　ruthlessness　you　only　find　in　a　certain　kind　of　woman　dealing　with　another　woman。　You　wouldn't　think　of　jealousy　to　look　at　Mrs。　Murdock　nowbut　if　that　was　a　motive；　she　had　it。　She　had　a　better　onefifty　thousand　dollars'　life　insuranceall　that　was　left　from　a　ruined　fortune。　She　had　the　strange　wild　possessive　love　for　her　son　such　women　have。　She's　cold；　bitter；　unscrupulous　and　she　used　you　without　mercy　or　pity；　as　insurance；　in　case　Vannier　ever　blew　his　top。　You　were　just　a　scapegoat　to　her。　If　you　want　to　e　out　of　this　pallid　sub…emotional　life　you　have　been　living；　you　have　got　to　realize　and　believe　what　I　am　telling　you。　I　know　it's　tough。〃
　 〃It's　utterly　impossible；〃　she　said　quietly；　looking　at　the　bridge　of　my　nose；　〃Mrs。　Murdock　has　been　wonderful　to　me　always。　It's　true　I　never　remembered　very　wellbut　you　shouldn't　say　such　awful　things　about　people。〃
　 I　got　out　the　white　envelope　that　had　been　in　the　back　of　Vannier's　picture。　Two　prints　in　it　and　a　negative。　I　stood　in　front　of　her　and　put　a　print　on　her　lap。
　 〃Okay；　look　at　it。　Vannier　took　it　from　across　the　street。〃　She　looked　at　it。　〃Why　that's　Mr。　Bright；〃　she　said。　〃It's　not　a　very　good　picture；　is　it？　And　that's　Mrs。　MurdockMrs。　Bright　she　was　thenright　behind　him。　Mr。　Bright　looks　mad。〃　She　looked　up　at　me　with　a　sort　of　mild　curiosity。
　 〃If　he　looks　mad　there；〃　I　said；　〃you　ought　to　have　seen　him　a　few　seconds　later；　when　he　bounced。〃
　 〃When　he　what？〃
　 〃Look；〃　I　said；　and　there　was　a　kind　of　desperation　in　my　voice　now；　〃that　is　a　snapshot　of　Mrs。　Elizabeth　Bright　Murdock　giving　her　first　husband　the　heave　out　of　his　office　window。　He's　falling。　Look　at　the　position　of　his　hands。　He's　screaming　with　fear。　She　is　behind　him　and　her　face　is　hard　with　rageor　something。　Don't　you　get　it　at　all？　This　is　what　Vannier　has　had　for　proof　all　these　years。　The　Murdocks　never　saw　it；　never　really　believed　it　existed。　But　it　did。　I　found　it　last　night；　by　a　fluke　of　the　same　sort　that　was　involved　in　the　taking　of　the　picture。　Which　is　a　fair　sort　of　justice。　Do　you　begin　to　understand？〃
　 She　looked　at　the　photo　again　and　laid　it　aside。　〃Mrs。　Murdock　has　always　been　lovely　to　me；〃　she　said。
　 〃She　made　you　the　goat；〃　I　said；　in　the　quietly　strained　voice　of　a　stage　manager　at　a　bad　rehearsal。　〃She's　a　smart　tough　patient　woman。　She　knows　her　plexes。　She'll　even　spend　a　dollar　to　keep　a　dollar；　which　is　what　few　of　her　type　will　do。　I　hand　it　to　her。　I'd　like　to　hand　it　to　her　with　an　elephant　gun；　but　my　polite　breeding　restrains　me。〃
　 〃Well；〃　she　said；　〃that's　that；〃　And　I　could　see　she　had　heard　one　word　in　three　and　hadn't　believed　what　she　had　heard。　〃You　must　never　show　this　to　Mrs。　Murdock。　It　would　upset　her　terribly。〃
　 I　got　up　and　took　the　photo　out　of　her　hand　and　tore　it　into　small　pieces　and　dropped　them　in　the　wastebasket。
　 〃Maybe　you'll　be　sorry　I　did　that；〃　I　told　her；　not　telling　her　I　had　another　and　the　negative。　〃Maybe　some　night　three　monthsthree　years　from　nowyou　will　wake　up　in　the　night　and　realize　I　have　been　telling　you　the　truth。　And　maybe　then　you　will　wish　you　could　look　at　that　photograph　again。　And　maybe　I　am　wrong　about　this　too。　Maybe　you　would　be　very　disappointed　to　find　out　you　hadn't　really　killed　anybody。　That's　fine。　Either　way　it's　fine。　Now　we　are　going　downstairs　and　get　in　my　car　and　we　are　going　to　drive　to　Wichita　to　visit　your　parents。　And　I　don't　think　you　are　going　back　to　Mrs。　Murdock；　but　it　may　well　be　that　I　am　wrong　about　that　too。　But　we　are　not　going　to　talk　about　this　any　more。　Not　any　more。〃
　 〃I　haven't　any　money；〃　she　said。
　 〃You　have　five　hundred　dollars　that　Mrs。　Murdock　sent　you。　I　have　it　in　my　pocket。〃
　 〃That's　really　awfully　kind　of　her；〃　she　said。
　 〃Oh　hell　and　fireflies；〃　I　said　and　went　out　to　the　kitchen　and　gobbled　a　quick　drink；　before　we　started。　It　didn't　do　me　any　good。　It　just　made　me　want　to　climb　up　the　wall　and　gnaw　my　way　across　the　ceiling。
　
　
　36
　
　 I　was　gone　ten　days。　Merle's　parents　were　vague　kind　patient　people　living　in　an　old　frame　house　in　a　quiet　shady　street。　They　cried　when　I　told　them　as　much　of　the　story　as　I　thought　they　should　know。　They　said　they　were　glad　to　have　her　back　and　they　would　take　good　care　of　her　and　they　blamed　themselves　a　lot；　and　I　let　them　do　it。
　 When　I　left　Merle　was　wearing　a　bungalow　apron　and　rolling　pie　crust。　She　came　to　the　door　wiping　her　hands　on　the　apron　and　kissed　me　on　the　mouth　and　began　to　cry　and　ran　back　into　the　house；　leaving　the　doorway　empty　until　her　mother　came　into　the　space　with　a　broad　homey　smile　on　her　face　to　watch　me　drive　away。
　 I　had　a　funny　feeling　as　I　saw　the　house　disappear；　as　though　I　had　written　a　poem　and　it　was　very　good　and　I　had　lost　it　and　would　never　remember　it　again。
　 I　called　Lieutenant　Breeze　when　I　got　back　and　went　down　to　ask　him　how　the　Phillips　case　was　ing。　They　had　cracked　it　very　neatly；　with　the　right　mixture　of　brains　and　luck　you　always　have　to　have。　The　Mornys　never　went　to　the　police　after　all；　but　somebody　called　and　told　about　a　shot　in　Vannier's　house　and　hung　up　quickly。　The　fingerprint　man　didn't　like　the　prints　on　the　gun　too　well；　so　they　checked　Vannier's　hand　for　powder　nitrates。　When　they　found　them　they　decided　it　was　suicide　after　all。　Then　a　dick　named　Lackey　working　out　of　Central　Homicide　thought　to　work　on　the　gun　a　little　and　he　found　that　a　description　of　it　had　been　distributed；　and　a　gun　like　it　was　wanted　in　connection　with　the　Phillips　killing。　Hench　identified　it；　but　better　than　that　they　found　a　half　print　of　his　thumb　on　the；　side　of　the　trigger；　which；　not　ordinarily　being　pulled　back；　had　not　been　wiped　off　pletely。
　 With　that　much　in　hand　and　a　better　set　of　Vannier's　prints　than　I　could　make　they　went　over　Phillips'　apartment　again　and　also　over　Hench's。　They　found　Vannier's　left　hand　on　Hench's　bed　and　one　of　his　fingers　on　the　underside　of　the　toilet　flush　lever　in　Phillips'　place。　Then　they　got　to　work　in　the　neighborhood　with　photographs　of　Vannier　and　proved　he　had　been　along　the　alley　twice　and　on　a　side　street　at　least　three