rc.theladyinthelake-第11节

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　can　ride　cheaper　than　what　you　get　for　that　ambulance。〃　The　doctor　walked　away　from　him　angrily；　saying　over　his　shoulder：　〃Let　me　know　if　you　want　me　to　pay　for　the　funeral。〃
　　〃That　ain't　no　way　to　talk；〃　Patton　sighed。
　　
　　
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　　The　Indian　Head　Hotel　was　a　brown　building　on　a　corner　across　from　the　new　dance　hall。　I　parked　in　front　of　it　and　used　its　rest　room　to　wash　my　face　and　hands　and　b　the　pine　needles　out　of　my　hair；　before　I　went　into　the　dining…drinking　parlor　that　adjoined　the　lobby。　The　whole　place　was　full　to　overflowing　with　males　in　leisure　jackets　and　liquor　breaths　and　females　in　highpitched　laughs；　oxblood　fingernails　and　dirty　knuckles。　The　manager　of　the　joint；　a　low　budget　tough　guy　in　shirt　sleeves　and　a　mangled　cigar；　was　prowling　the　room　with　watchful　eyes。　At　the　cash　desk　a　pale…haired　man　was　fighting　to　get　the　war　news　on　a　small　radio　that　was　as　full　of　static　as　the　mashed　potatoes　were　full　of　water。　In　the　deep　back　corner　of　the　room；　a　hillbilly　orchestra　of　five　pieces；　dressed　in　ifi…fitting　white　jackets　and　purple　shirts；　was　trying　to　make　itself　heard　above　the　brawl　at　the　bar　and　smiling　glassily　into　the　fog　of　cigarette　smoke　and　the　blur　of　alcoholic　voices。　At　Puma　Point　summer；　that　lovely　season；　was　in　full　swing。
　　I　gobbled　what　they　called　the　regular　dinner；　drank　a　brandy　to　sit　on　its　chest　and　hold　it　down；　and　went　out　on　to　the　main　street。　It　was　still　broad　daylight　but　some　of　the　neon　signs　had　been　turned　on；　and　the　evening　reeled　with　the　cheerful　din　of　auto　horns；　children　screaming；　bowls　rattling；　skeeballs　clunking；　。22's　snapping　merrily　in　shooting　galleries；　juke　boxes　playing　like　crazy；　and　behind　all　this　out　on　the　lake　the　hard　barking　roar　of　the　speedboats　going　nowhere　at　all　and　acting　as　though　they　were　racing　with　death。
　　In　my　Chrysler　a　thin；　serious…looking；　brown…haired　girl　in　dark　slacks　was　sitting　smoking　a　cigarette　and　talking　to　a　dude　ranch　cowboy　who　sat　on　my　running　board。　I　walked　around　the　car　and　got　into　it。　The　cowboy　strolled　away　hitching　his　jeans　up。　The　girl　didn't　move。
　　〃I'm　Birdie　Keppel；〃　she　said　cheerfully；　〃I'm　the　beautician　here　daytimes　and　evenings　I　work　on　the　Puma　Point　Banner。　Excuse　me　sitting　in　your　car。〃
　　〃That's　all　right；〃　I　said。　〃You　want　to　just　sit　or　you　want　me　to　drive　you　somewhere？〃
　　〃You　can　drive　down　the　road　a　piece　where　it's　quieter；　Mr。　Marlowe。　If　you're　obliging　enough　to　talk　to　me。〃
　　〃Pretty　good　grapevine　you've　got　up　here；〃　I　said　and　started　the　car。
　　I　drove　down　past　the　post　office　to　a　corner　where　a　blue　and　white　arrow　marked　_Telephone_　pointed　down　a　narrow　road　towards　the　lake。　I　turned　down　that；　drove　past　the　telephone　office；　which　was　a　log　cabin　with　a　tiny　railed　lawn　in　front　of　it；　passed　another　small　cabin　and　pulled　up　in　front　of　a　huge　oak　tree　that　flung　its　branches　all　the　way　across　the　road　and　a　good　fifty　feet　beyond　it。
　　〃This　do；　Miss　Keppel？〃
　　〃Mrs。　But　just　call　me　Birdie。　Everybody　does。　This　is　fine。　Pleased　to　meet　you；　Mr。　Marlowe。　I　see　you　e　from　Hollywood；　that　sinful　city。〃　She　put　a　firm　brown　hand　out　and　I　shook　it。　Clamping　bobbie　pins　into　fat　blondes　had　given　her　a　grip　like　a　pair　of　iceman's　tongs。
　　〃I　was　talking　to　Doe　Hollis；〃　she　said；　〃about　poor　Muriel　Chess。　I　thought　you　could　give　me　some　details。　I　understand　you　found　the　body。〃
　　〃Bill　Chess　found　it　really。　I　was　just　with　him。　You　talk　to　Jim　Patton？〃
　　〃Not　yet。　He　went　down　the　hifi。　Anyway　I　don't　think　Jim　would　tell　me　much。〃
　　〃He's　up　for　re…election；〃　I　said。　〃And　you're　a　newspaper　woman。〃
　　〃Jim's　no　politician；　Mr。　Marlowe；　and　I　could　hardly　call　myself　a　newspaper　woman。　This　little　paper　we　get　out　up　here　is　'a　pretty　amateurish　proposition。〃
　　〃Well；　what　do　you　want　to　know？〃　I　offered　her　a　cigarette　and　lit　it　for　her。
　　〃You　might　just　tell　me　the　story。〃
　　〃I　came　up　here　with　a　letter　from　Derace　Kingsley　to　look　at　his　property。　Bill　Chess　showed　me　around；　got　talking　to　me；　told　me　his　wife　had　moved　out　on　him　and　showed　me　the　note　she　left。　I　had　a　bottle　along　and　he　punished　it。　He　was　feeling　pretty　blue。　The　liquor　loosened　him　up；　but　he　was　lonely　and　aching　to　talk　anyway。　That's　how　it　happened。　I　didn't　know　him。　ing　back　around　the　end　of　the　lake　we　went　out　or　the；　pier　and　Bill　spotted　an　arm　waving　out　from　under　the　planking　down　in　the　water。　It　turned　out　tc　belong　to　what　was　left　of　Muriel　Chess。　I　guess　that's　all。〃
　　〃I　understand　from　Doe　Hollis　she　had　been　in　the　water　a　long　time。　Pretty　badly　deposed　and　all　that。'　〃Yes。　Probably　the　whole　month　he　thought　she　had　been　gone。　There's　no　reason　to　think　otherwise。　The　note's　a　suicide　note。〃
　　〃Any　doubt　about　that；　Mr。　Marlowe？〃　I　looked　at　her　sideways。　Thoughtful　dark　eyes　looked　out　at　me　under　fluffed　out　brown　hair。　The　dusk　had　begun　to　fall　now；　very　slowly。　It　was　no　more　than　a　slight　change　in　the　quality　of　the　light。
　　〃I　guess　the　police　always　have　doubts　in　these　cases；〃　I　said。
　　〃How　about　you？〃
　　〃My　opinion　doesn't　go　for　anything。〃
　　〃But　for　what　it's　worth？〃
　　〃I　only　met　Bill　Chess　this　afternoon；〃　I　said。　〃He　struck　me　as　a　quick…tempered　lad　and　from　his　own　account　he's　no　saint。　But　he　seems　to　have　been　in　love　with　his　wife。　And　I　can't　see　hanging　around　here　for　a　month　knowing　she　was　rotting　down　in　the　water　under　that　pier。　ing　out　of　his　cabin　in　the　sunlight　and　looking　along　that　soft　blue　water　and　seeing　in　his　mind　what　was　under　it　and　what　was　happening　to　it。　And　knowing　he　put　it　there。〃
　　〃No　more　can　I；〃　Birdie　Keppel　said　softly。　〃No　more　could　anybody。　And　yet　we　know　in　our　minds　that　such　things　have　happened　and　will　happen　again。　Are　you　in　the　real　estate　business；　Mr。　Marlowe？〃
　　〃No。〃
　　〃What　line　of　business　are　you　in；　if　I　may　ask？〃
　　〃I'd　rather　not　say。〃
　　〃That's　almost　as　good　as　saying；〃　she　said。　〃Besides　Doe　Hollis　heard　you　tell　Jim　Patton　your　full　name。　And　we　have　an　L。A。　city　directory　in　our　office。　I　haven't　mentioned　it　to　anyone。〃
　　〃That's　nice　of　you；〃　I　said。
　　〃And　what's　more；　I　won't；〃　she　said。　〃If　you　don't　want　me　to。〃
　　〃What　does　it　cost　me？〃
　　〃Nothing；〃　she　said。　〃Nothing　at　all。　I　don't　claim　to　be　a　very　good　newspaper　man。　And　we　wouldn't　print　anything　that　would　embarrass　Jim　Patton。　Jim's　the　salt　of　the　earth。　But　it　does　open　up；　doesn't　it？〃
　　〃Don't　draw　any　wrong　conclusions；〃　I　said。　〃I　had　no　interest　in　Bill　Chess　whatever。〃
　　〃No　interest　in　Muriel　Chess？〃
　　〃Why　would　I　have　any　interest　in　Muriel　Chess？〃　She　snuffed　her　cigarette　out　carefully　into　the　ash　tray　under　the　dashboard。　〃Have　it　your　own　way；〃　she　said。　〃But　here's　a　little　item　you　might　like　to　think　about；　if　you　don't　know　it　already。　There　was　a　Los　Angeles　copper　named　De　Soto　up　here　about　six　weeks　back；　a　big　roughneck　with　damn　poor　manners。　We　didn't　like　him　and　we　didn't　open　up　to　him　much。　I　mean　the　three　of　us　in　the　Banner　office　didn't。　He　had　a　photograph　with　him　and　he　was　looking　for　a　woman　called　Mildred　Haviland；　he　said。　On　police　business。　It　was　an　ordinary　photograph；　an　enlarged　snapshot；　not　a　police　photo。　He　said　he　had　information　the　woman　was　staying　up　here。　The　photo　looked　a　good　deal　like　Muriel　Chess。　The　hair　seemed　to　be　reddish　and　in　a　very　different　style　than　she　has　worn　it　here；　and　the　eyebrows　were　all　plucked　to　narrow　arches；　and　that　changes　a　woman　a　good　deal。　But　it　did　look　a　good　deal　like　Bill　Chess's　wife。〃　I　drummed　on　the　door　of　the　car　and　after　a　moment　I　said；　〃What　did　you　tell　him？〃
　　〃We　didn't　tell　him　anything。　First　off；　we　couldn't　be　sure。　Second；　we　didn't　like　his　manner。　Third；　even　if　we　had　been　sure　and　I　had　liked　his　manner；　we　likely　would　not　have　sicked　him　on　to　her。　Why　would　we？　Everybody's　done　something　to　be　sorry　for。　Take　me。　I　was　married　once…to　a　professor　of　classical　languages　at　Redlands　University。〃　She　laughed　lightly。
　　〃You　might　have　got　yourself　a　story；〃　I　said。
　　〃Sure。　But　up　here　we're　just　people。〃
　　〃Did　this　man　De　Soto　see　Jim　Patton？〃
　　〃Sure；　he　must　have。　Jim　didn't　mention　it。〃
　　〃Did　he　show　you　his　badge？〃　She　thought　and　then　shook　her　head。　〃I　don't　recall　that　he　did。　We　just　took　him　for　granted；　from　what　he　said。　He　certainly　acted　like　a　tough；　city　cop。〃
　　〃To　me　that's　a　little　against　his　being　one。　Did　anybody　tell　Muriel　about　this　guy？〃　She　hesitated；　looking　quietly　out　through　the　windshield　for　a　long　moment　before　she　turned　her　head　and　nodded。
　　〃I　did。　Wasn't　any　of　my　damn　business；　was　it？〃
　　〃What　did　she　say？〃
　　〃She　didn't　say　anything。　She　gave　a　funny　little　embarrassed　laugh；　as　if　I　had　been　making　a　bad　joke。　Then　she　walked　away。　But　I　did　get　the　impression　that　there　was　a　queer　look　in　her　eyes；　just　for　an　instant。　You　still　not　interested　in　Muriel　Chess；　Mr。　Marlowe？〃
　　〃Why　should　I　be？　I　never　heard　of　her　until　I　came　up　here　this　'afternoon。　Honest。　And　I　never　heard　of　anybody　named　Mildred　Haviland　either。　Drive　you　back　to　town？〃
　　〃Oh　no；　thanks。　I'll　walk。　It's