raymondchandler.thehighwindow-第34部分

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ood　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　times。　Curiously；　nobody　in　the　apartment　house　had　seen　him；　or　would　admit　it。
　 All　they　lacked　now　was　a　motive。　Teager　obligingly　gave　them　that　by　getting　himself　pinched　in　Salt　Lake　City　trying　to　peddle　a　Brasher　Doubloon　to　a　coin　dealer　who　thought　it　was　genuine　but　stolen。　He　had　a　dozen　of　them　at　his　hotel；　and　one　of　them　turned　out　to　be　genuine。　He　told　them　the　whole　story　and　showed　a　minute　mark　that　he　had　used　to　identify　the　genuine　coin。　He　didn't　know　where　Vannier　got　it　and　they　never　found　out　because　there　was　enough　in　the　papers　to　make　the　owner　e　forward；　if　it　had　been　stolen。　And　the　owner　never　did。　And　the　police　didn't　care　any　more　about　Vannier　once　they　were　convinced　he　had　done　murder。　They　left　it　at　suicide；　although　they　had　a　few　doubts。
　 They　let　Teager　go　after　a　while；　because　they　didn't　think　he　had　any　idea　of　murder　being　done　and　all　they　had　on　him　was　attempted　fraud：　He　had　bought　the　gold　legally　and　counterfeiting　an　obsolete　New　York　State　coin　didn't　e　under　the　federal　counterfeiting　laws。　Utah　refused　to　bother　with　him。
　 They　never　believed　Hench's　confession。　Breeze　said　he　just　used　it　for　a　squeeze　on　me；　in　case　I　was　holding　out。　He　knew　I　couldn't　keep　quiet　if　I　had　proof　that　Hench　was　innocent。　It　didn't　do　Hench　any　good　either。　They　put　him　in　the　lineup　and　pinned　five　liquor　store　holdups　on　him　and　a　wop　named　Gaetano　Prisco；　in　one　of　which　a　man　was　shot　dead。　I　never　heard　whether　Prisco　was　a　relative　of　Palermo's；　but　they　never　caught　him　anyway。
　 〃Like　it？〃　Breeze　asked　me；　when　he　had　told　me　all　this；　or　all　that　had　then　happened。
　 〃Two　points　not　clear；〃　I　said。　〃Why　did　Teager　run　away　and　why　did　Phillips　live　on　Court　Street　under　a　phony　name？〃
　 〃Teager　ran　away　because　the　elevator　man　told　him　old　Morningstar　had　been　murdered　and　he　smelled　a　hookup。　Phillips　was　using　the　name　of　Anson　because　the　finance　pany　was　after　his　car　and　he　was　practically　broke　and　getting　desperate。　That　explains　why　a　nice　young　boob　like　him　could　get　roped　in　to　something　that　must　have　looked　shady　from　the　start。〃
　 I　nodded　and　agreed　that　could　be　so。
　 Breeze　walked　to　his　door　with　me。　He　put　a　hard　hand　on　my　shoulder　and　squeezed。
　 〃Remember　that　Cassidy　case　you　were　howling　about　to　Spangler　and　me　that　night　in　your　apartment？〃
　 〃Yes。〃
　 〃You　told　Spangler　there　wasn't　any　Cassidy　case。　There　wasunder　another　name。　I　worked　on　it。〃
　 He　took　his　hand　off　my　shoulder　and　opened　the　door　for　me　and　grinned　straight　into　my　eyes。
　 〃On　account　of　the　Cassidy　case；〃　he　said；　〃and　the　way　it　made　me　feel；　I　sometimes　give　a　guy　a　break　he　could　perhaps　not　really　deserve。　A　little　something　paid　back　out　of　the　dirty　millions　to　a　working　stifflike　meor　like　you。　Be　good。〃
　 It　was　night。　I　went　home　and　put　my　old　house　clothes　on　and　set　the　chessmen　out　and　mixed　a　drink　and　played　over　another　Capablanca。　It　went　fifty…nine　moves。　Beautiful　cold　remorseless　chess；　almost　creepy　in　its　silent　implacability。
　 When　it　was　done　I　listened　at　the　open　window　for　a　while　and　smelled　the　night。　Then　I　carried　my　glass　out　to　the　kitchen　and　rinsed　it　and　filled　it　with　ice　water　and　stood　at　the　sink　sipping　it　and　looking　at　my　face　in　the　mirror。
　 〃You　and　Capablanca；〃　I　said。