raymondchandler.thehighwindow-第16节

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　there　braced　and　tense；　lips　tightly　drawn　back　in　a　half　grin。　Beyond　the　closed　window　the　neon　lights　glowed。　The　dead　air　didn't　move。　Outside　the　corridor　was　still。　The　bell　rang　in　darkness；　steady　and　strong。
　 I　went　back　and　leaned　on　the　desk　and　answered。　There　was　a　click　and　a　droning　on　the　wire　and　beyond　that　nothing。　I　depressed　the　connection　and　stood　there　in　the　dark；　leaning　over；　holding　the　phone　with　one　hand　and　holding　the　flat　riser　on　the　pedestal　down　with　the　other。　I　didn't　know　what　I　was　waiting　for。
　 The　phone　rang　again。　I　made　a　sound　in　my　throat　and　put　it　to　my　ear　again；　not　saying　anything　at　all。
　 So　we　were　there　silent；　both　of　us；　miles　apart　maybe；　each　one　holding　a　telephone　and　breathing　and　listening　and　hearing　nothing；　not　even　the　breathing。
　 Then　after　what　seemed　a　very　long　time　there　was　the　quiet　remote　whisper　of　a　voice　saying　dimly；　without　any　tone：
　 〃Too　bad　for　you；　Marlowe。〃
　 Then　the　click　again　and　the　droning　on　the　wire　and　I　hung　up　and　went　back　across　the　office　and　out。
　
　
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　 I　drove　west　on　Sunset；　fiddled　around　a　few　blocks　without　making　up　my　mind　whether　anyone　was　trying　to　follow　me；　then　parked　near　a　drugstore　and　went　into　its　phone　booth。　I　dropped　my　nickel　and　asked　the　O…operator　for　a　Pasadena　number。　She　told　me　how　much　money　to　put　in。
　 The　voice　which　answered　the　phone　was　angular　and　cold。　〃Mrs。　Murdock's　residence。〃
　 〃Philip　Marlowe　here。　Mrs。　Murdock；　please。〃
　 I　was　told　to　wait。　A　soft　but　very　clear　voice　said：　〃Mr。　Marlowe？　Mrs。　Murdock　is　resting　now。　Can　you　tell　me　what　it　is？〃
　 〃You　oughtn't　to　have　told　him。〃
　 〃Iwho？〃
　 〃That　loopy　guy　whose　handkerchief　you　cry　into。〃
　 〃How　dare　you？〃
　 〃That's　fine；〃　I　said。　〃Now　let　me　talk　to　Mrs。　Murdock。　I　have　to。〃
　 〃Very　well。　I'll　try。〃　The　soft　clear　voice　went　away　and　I　waited　a　long　wait。　They　would　have　to　lift　her　up　on　the　pillows　and　drag　the　port　bottle　out　of　her　hard　gray　paw　and　feed　her　the　telephone。　A　throat　was　cleared　suddenly　over　the　wire。　It　sounded　like　a　freight　train　going　through　a　tunnel。
　 〃This　is　Mrs。　Murdock。〃
　 〃Could　you　identify　the　property　we　were　talking　about　this　morning；　Mrs。　Murdock？　I　mean　could　you　pick　it　out　from　others　just　like　it？〃
　 〃Wellare　there　others　just　like　it？〃
　 〃There　must　be。　Dozens；　hundreds　for　all　I　know。　Anyhow　dozens。　Of　course　I　don't　know　where　they　are。〃
　 She　coughed。　〃I　don't　really　know　much　about　it。　I　suppose　I　couldn't　identify　it　then。　But　in　the　circumstances〃
　 〃That's　what　I'm　getting　at；　Mrs。　Murdock。　The　identification　would　seem　to　depend　on　tracing　the　history　of　the　article　back　to　you。　At　least　to　be　convincing。〃
　 〃Yes。　I　suppose　it　would。　Why？　Do　you　know　where　it　is？〃
　 〃Morningstar　claims　to　have　seen　it。　He　says　it　was　offered　to　him　for　salejust　as　you　suspected。　He　wouldn't　buy。　The　seller　was　not　a　woman；　he　says。　That　doesn't　mean　a　thing；　because　he　gave　me　a　detailed　description　of　the　party　which　was　either　made　up　or　was　a　description　of　somebody　he　knew　more　than　casually。　So　the　seller　may　have　been　a　woman。〃
　 〃I　see。　It's　not　important　now。〃
　 〃Not　important？〃
　 〃No。　Have　you　anything　else　to　report？〃
　 〃Another　question　to　ask。　Do　you　know　a　youngish　blond　fellow　named　George　Anson　Phillips？　Rather　heavy　set；　wearing　a　brown　suit　and　a　dark　pork　pie　hat　with　a　gay　band。　Wearing　that　today。　Claimed　to　be　a　private　detective。〃
　 〃I　do　not。　Why　should　I？〃
　 〃I　don't　know。　He　enters　the　picture　somewhere。　I　think　he　was　the　one　who　tried　to　sell　the　article。　Morningstar　tried　to　call　him　up　after　I　left。　I　snuck　back　into　his　office　and　overheard。〃
　 〃You　what？'
　 〃I　snuck。〃
　 〃Please　do　not　be　witty；　Mr。　Marlowe。　Anything　else？〃
　 〃Yes；　I　agreed　to　pay　Morningstar　one　thousand　dollars　for　the　return　of　thethe　article。　He　said　he　could　get　it　for　eight　hundred　。　。　。〃
　 〃And　where　were　you　going　to　get　the　money；　may　I　ask？〃
　 〃Well；　I　was　just　talking。　This　Morningstar　is　a　downy　bird。　That's　the　kind　of　language　he　understands。　And　then　again　you　might　have　wanted　to　pay　it。　I　wouldn't　want　to　persuade　you。　You　could　always　go　to　the　police。　But　if　for　any　reason　you　didn't　want　to　go　to　the　police；　it　might　be　the　only　way　you　could　get　it　backbuying　it　back。〃
　 I　would　probably　have　gone　on　like　that　for　a　long　time；　not　knowing　just　what　I　was　trying　to　say；　if　she　hadn't　stopped　me　with　a　noise　like　a　seal　barking。
　 〃This　is　all　very　unnecessary　now；　Mr。　Marlowe。　I　have　decided　to　drop　the　matter。　The　coin　has　been　returned　to　me。〃
　 〃Hold　the　wire　a　minute；〃　I　said。
　 I　put　the　phone　down　on　the　shelf　and　opened　the　booth　door　and　stuck　my　head　out；　filling　my　chest　with　what　they　were　using　for　air　in　the　drugstore。　Nobody　was　paying　any　attention　to　me。　Up　front　the　druggist；　in　a　pale　blue　smock；　was　chatting　across　the　cigar　counter。　The　counter　boy　was　polishing　glasses　at　the　fountain。　Two　girls　in　slacks　were　playing　the　pinball　machine。　A　tall　narrow　party　in　a　black　shirt　and　a　pale　yellow　scarf　was　fumbling　magazines　at　the　rack。　He　didn't　look　like　a　gunman。
　 I　pulled　the　booth　shut　and　picked　up　the　phone　and　said：　〃A　rat　was　gnawing　my　foot。　It's　all　right　now。　You　got　it　back；　you　said。　Just　like　that。　How？〃
　 〃I　hope　you　are　not　too　disappointed；〃　she　said　in　her　unpromising　baritone。　〃The　circumstances　are　a　little　difficult。　I　may　decide　to　explain　and　I　may　not。　You　may　call　at　the　house　tomorrow　morning。　Since　I　do　not　wish　to　proceed　with　the　investigation；　you　will　keep　the　retainer　as　payment　in　full。〃
　 〃Let　me　get　this　straight；〃　I　said。　〃You　actually　got　the　coin　backnot　a　promise　of　it；　merely？〃
　 〃Certainly　not。　And　I'm　getting　tired。　So；　if　you〃
　 〃One　moment；　Mrs。　Murdock。　It　isn't　going　to　be　as　simple　as　all　that。　Things　have　happened。〃
　 〃In　the　morning　you　may　tell　me　about　them；〃　she　said　sharply；　and　hung　up。
　 I　pushed　out　of　the　booth　and　lit　a　cigarette　with　thick　awkward　fingers。　I　went　back　along　the　store。　The　druggist　was　alone　now。　He　was　sharpening　a　pencil　with　a　small　knife；　very　intent；　frowning。
　 〃That's　a　nice　sharp　pencil　you　have　there；〃　I　told　him。　He　looked　up；　surprised。　The　girls　at　the　pinball　machine　looked　at　me；　surprised。　I　went　over　and　looked　at　myself　in　the　mirror　behind　the　counter。　I　looked　surprised。
　 I　sat　down　on　one　of　the　stools　and　said：　〃A　double　Scotch；　straight。〃
　 The　counter　man　looked　surprised。　〃Sorry；　this　isn't　a　bar；　sir。　You　can　buy　a　bottle　at　the　liquor　counter。〃
　 〃So　it　is；〃　I　said。　〃I　mean；　so　it　isn't。　I've　had　a　shock。　I'm　a　little　dazed。　Give　me　a　cup　of　coffee；　weak；　and　a　very　thin　ham　sandwich　on　stale　bread。　No；　I　better　not　eat　yet　either。　Good…by。〃
　 I　got　down　off　the　stool　and　walked　to　the　door　in　a　silence　that　was　as　loud　as　a　ton　of　coal　going　down　a　chute。　The　man　in　the　black　shirt　and　yellow　scarf　was　sneering　at　me　over　the　New　Republic。
　 〃You　ought　to　lay　off　that　fluff　and　get　your　teeth　into　something　solid；　like　a　pulp　magazine；〃　I　told　him；　just　to　be　friendly。
　 I　went　on　out。　Behind　me　somebody　said：　〃Hollywood's　full　of　them。〃
　
　
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　 The　wind　had　risen　and　had　a　dry　taut　feeling；　tossing　the　tops　of　trees；　and　making　the　swung　arc　light　up　the　side　street　cast　shadows　like　crawling　lava。　I　turned　the　car　and　drove　east　again。
　 The　hock　shop　was　on　Santa　Monica；　near　Wilcox；　a　quiet　old…fashioned　little　place；　washed　gently　by　the　lapping　waves　of　time。　In　the　front　window　there　was　everything　you　could　think　of；　from　a　set　of　trout　flies　in　a　thin　wooden　box　to　a　portable　organ；　from　a　folding　baby　carriage　to　a　portrait　camera　with　a　four…inch　lens；　from　a　mother…of…pearl　lorgnette　in　a　faded　plush　case　to　a　Single　Action　Frontier　Colt；　。44　caliber；　the　model　they　still　make　for　Western　peace　officers　whose　grandfathers　taught　them　how　to　file　the　trigger　and　shoot　by　fanning　the　hammer　back。
　 I　went　into　the　shop　and　a　bell　jangled　over　my　head　and　somebody　shuffled　and　blew　his　nose　far　at　the　back　and　steps　came。　An　old　Jew　in　a　tall　black　skull　cap　came　along　behind　the　counter；　smiling　at　me　over　cut　out　glasses。
　 I　got　my　tobacco　pouch　out；　got　the　Brasher　Doubloon　out　of　that　and　laid　it　on　the　counter。　The　window　in　front　was　clear　glass　and　I　felt　naked。　No　paneled　cubicles　with　handcarved　spittoons　and　doors　that　locked　themselves　as　you　closed　them。
　 The　Jew　took　the　coin　and　lifted　it　on　his　hand。　〃Gold；　is　it？　A　gold　hoarder　you　are　maybe；〃　he　said；　twinkling。
　 〃Twenty…five　dollars；〃　I　said。　〃The　wife　and　the　kiddies　are　hungry。〃
　 〃Oi；　that　is　terrible。　Gold；　it　feels；　by　the　weight。　Only　gold　and　maybe　platinum　it　could　be。〃　He　weighed　it　casually　on　a　pair　of　small　scales。　〃Gold　it　is；〃　he　said。　〃So　ten　dollars　you　are　wanting？〃　
　 〃Twenty…five　dollars。〃
　 〃For　twenty…five　dollars　what　would　I　do　with　it？　Sell　it；　maybe？　For　fifteen　dollars　worth　of　gold　is　maybe　in　it。　Okay。　Fifteen　dollars。〃
　 〃You　got　a　good　safe？〃
　 〃Mister；　in　this　business　are　the　best　safes　money　can　buy。　Nothing　to　worry　about　here。　It　is　fifteen　dollars；　is　it？〃
　 〃Make　out　the　ticket。〃
　 He　wrote　it　out