rc.theladyinthelake-第9节
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hout haste。 I saw wool； sodden and black； a leather jerkin blacker than ink； a pair of slacks。 I saw shoes and something that bulged nastily between the shoes and the cuffs of the slacks。 I saw a wave of dark blond hair straighten out in the water and hold still for a brief instant as if with a calculated effect； and then swirl into a tangle again。
The thing rolled over once more and an arm flapped up barely above the skin of the water and the arm ended in a bloated hand that was the hand of a freak。 Then the face came。 A swollen pulpy gray white mass without features； without eyes； without mouth。 A blotch of gray dough； a nightmare with human hair on it。
A heavy necklace of green stone showed on what had been a neck； half imbedded； large rough green stones with something that glittered joining them together。
Bill Chess held the handrail and his knuckles were polished bones。
〃Muriel！〃 his voice said croakingly。 〃Sweet Christ； it's Muriel！〃 His voice seemed to e to me from a long way off； over a hill； through a thick silent growth of trees。
7
Behind the window of the board shack one end of a counter was piled with dusty folders。 The glass upper half of the door was lettered in flaked black paint。 _Chief of Police。 Fire Chief。 Town Constable。 Chamber of merce_。 In the lower corners a USO card and a Red Cross emblem were fastened to the glass。
I went in。 There was a pot…beffied stove in the corner and a rolltop desk in the other corner behind the counter。 There was a large blue print map of the district on the wall and beside that a board with four hooks on it； one of which supported a frayed and much mended mackinaw。 On the counter beside the dusty folders lay the usual sprung pen； exhausted blotter and smeared bottle of gummy ink。 The end wall beside the desk was covered with telephone numbers written in hard…bitten figures that would last as long as the wood and looked as if they had been written by a child。
A man sat at the desk in a wooden armchair whose legs were anchored to flat boards； fore and aft； like skis。 A spittoon big enough to coil a hose in was leaning' against the man's right leg。 He had a sweat…stained Stetson on the back of his head and his large hairless hands were clasped fortably over his stomach； above the waistband of a pair of khaki pants that had been scrubbed thin years ago。 His shirt matched the pants except that it was even more faded。 It was buttoned tight to the man's thick neck and undecorated by a tie。 His hair was mousy brown except at the temples； where it was the color of old snow。 He sat more on his left hip than on his right； because there was a hip holster down inside his right hip pocket； and a half foot of forty…five gun reared up and bored into his solid back。 The star on his left breast had a bent point。
He had large ears and friendly eyes and his jaws munched slowly and he looked as dangerous as a squirrel and much less nervous。 I liked everything about him。 I leaned on the counter and looked at him and he looked at me and nodded and loosed half a pint of tobacco juice down his right leg into the spittoon。 It made a nasty sound of something falling into water。
I lit a cigarette and looked around for an ash tray。
〃Try the floor； son；〃 the large friendly man said。
〃Are you Sheriff Patton？〃
〃Constable and deputy sheriff。 What law we got to have around here I'm it。 e election anyways。 There's a couple of good boys running against me this time and I might get whupped。 Job pays eighty a month； cabin； firewood and electricity。 That ain't hay in these little old mountains。〃
〃Nobody's going to whip you；〃 I said。 〃You're going to get a lot of publicity；〃
〃That so？〃 he asked indifferently and ruined the spittoon again。
〃That is； if your jurisdiction extends over to Little Fawn Lake。〃
〃Kingsley's place。 Sure。 Something bothering you over there； son？〃
〃There's a dead woman in the lake。〃 That shook him to the core。 He unclasped his hands and scratched one ear。 He got to his feet by grasping the arms of his chair and deftly kicking it back from under him。 Standing up he was a big man and hard。 The fat was just cheerfulness。
〃Anybody I know？〃 he enquired uneasily。
〃Muriel Chess。 I guess you know her。 Bill Chess's wife。〃
〃Yep； I know Bifi Chess。〃 His voice hardened a little。
〃Looks like suicide。 She left a note which sounded as if she was just going away。 But it could be a suicide note just as well。 She's not nice to look at。 Been in the water a long time； about a month； judging by the circumstances。〃 He scratched his other ear。 〃What circumstances would that be？〃 His eyes were searching my face now； slowly and calmly； but searching。 He didn't seem in any hurry to blow his whistle。
〃They had a fight a month ago。 Bifi went over to the north shore of the lake and was gone some hours： When he got home she was gone。 He never saw her again。〃
〃I see。 Who are you； son？〃
〃My name is Marlowe。 I'm up from L。A。 to look at the property。 I had a note from Kingsley to Bill Chess。 He took me around the lake and we went out on that little pier the movie people built。 We were leaning on the rail and looking down into the water and something that looked like an arm waved out under the submerged flooring； the old boat landing。 Bill dropped a heavy rock in and the body popped up。〃 Patton looked at me without moving a muscle。
〃Look； sheriff； hadn't we better run over there？ The man's half crazy with shock and he's there all alone。〃
〃How much liquor has he got？〃
〃Very little when I left。 I had a pint but we drank most of it talking。〃 He moved over to the rolltop desk and unlocked a drawer。 He brought up three or four bottles and held them against the light。
〃This baby's near full；〃 he said； patting one of them。 〃Mount Vernon。 That ought to hold him。 County don't allow me no money for emergency liquor； so I just have to seize a little here and there。 Don't use it myself。 Never could understand folks letting theirselves get gummed up with it。〃 He put the bottle on his left hip and locked the desk up and lifted the flap in the counter。 He fixed a card against the inside of the glass door panel。 I looked at the card as we went out。 It read： _Back in Twenty Minutes…Maybe_。
〃I'll run down and get Doe Hollis；〃 he said。 〃Be right back and pick you up。 That your car？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃You can follow along then； as I e back by。〃 He got into a car which had a siren on it； two red spotlights； two foglights； a red and white fire plate； a new air raid horn on top； three axes； two heavy coils of rope and a fire extinguisher in the back seat； extra gas and oil and water cans in a frame on the running board； an extra spare tire roped to the one on the rack； the stuffing ing out of the upholstery in dingy wads； and half an inch àf dust over what was left of the paint。
Behind the right hand lower corner of the windshield there was a white card printed in block capitals。 It read：
〃VOTERS； ATTENTION！ KEEP JIM PATTON CONSTABLE。 HE IS TOO OLD TO GO TO WORK〃
He turned the car and went off down the street in a swirl of white dust。
8
He stopped in front of a white frame building across the road from the stage depot。 He went into the white building and presently came out with a man who got into the back seat with the axes and the rope。 The official car came back up the street and I fell in behind it。 We sifted along the main stem through the slacks and shorts and French sailor jerseys and knotted bandannas and knobby knees and scarlet lips。 Beyond the village we went up a dusty hifi and stopped at a cabin。 Patton touched the siren gently and a man in faded blue overalls opened the cabin door。
〃Get in； Andy。 Business。〃 The man in blue overalls nodded morosely and ducked back into the cabin。 He came back out wearing an oystergray lion hunter's hat and got in under the wheel of Patton's car while Patton slid over。 He was about thirty； dark； lithe； and had the slightly dirty and slighty underfed look of the native。
We drove out to Little Fawn Lake with me eating enough dust to make a batch of mud pies。 At the fivebarred gate Patton got out and let us through and we went on down to the lake。 Patton got out again and went to the edge of the water and looked along towards the little pier。 Bill Chess was sitting naked on the floor of the pier； with his head in his hands。 There was something stretched out on the wet planks beside him。
〃We can ride a ways more；〃 Patton said。。
The two cars went on to the end of the lake and all four of us trooped down to the pier from behind Bill Chess's back。 The doctor stopped to cough rackingly into a handkerchief and then look thoughtfully at the handkerchief。 He was an angular bug…eyed man with a sad sick face。
The thing that had been a woman lay face down on the boards with a rope under the arms。 Bill Chess's clothes lay to one side。 His stiff leg； flat and scarred at the knee； was stretched out in front of him； the other leg bent up and his forehead resting against it。 He didn't move or look up as we came down behind him。
Patton took the pint bottle of Mount Vernon off his hip and u
