the voice of the city-第28节

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got　it　put　on　to　you；　Johnny。　　We　were　old　friends

once；　but　I　must　do　my　duty。　　You'll　have　to　go　to

the　chair　for　Norcross。〃　　Kernan　laughed。



〃My　luck　stays　with　me；〃　said　be。　　〃Who'd　have

thought　old　Barney　was　on　my　trail！〃　　He　slipped

one　hand　inside　his　coat。　　In　an　instant　Woods　had

a　revolver　against　his　side。



〃Put　it　away；〃　said　Kernan；　wrinkling　his　nose。

〃I'm　only　investigating。　　Aha！　　It　takes　nine　tailors

to　make　a　man；　but　one　can　do　a　man　up。　There's

a　hole　in　that　vest　pocket。　　I　took　that　pencil　off　my

chain　and　slipped　it　in　there　in　case　of　a　scrap。　　Put

up　your　gun；　Barney；　and　I'll　tell　you　why　I　had

to　shoot　Norcross。　　The　old　fool　started　down　the

hall　after　me；　popping　at　the　buttons　on　the　back　of

my　coat　with　a　peevish　little　。22　and　I　had　to　stop

him。　　The　old　lady　was　a　darling。　　She　just　lay　in

bed　and　saw　her　12；000　diamond　necklace　go　with…

out　a　chirp；　while　she　begged　like　a　panhandler　to

have　back　a　little　thin　gold　ring　with　a　garnet　worth

about　3。　1　guess　she　married　old　Norcross　for　his

money；　all　right。　　Don't　they　hang　on　to　the　little

trinkets　from　the　Man　Who　Lost　Out；　though？

There　were　six　rings；　two　brooches　and　a　chatelaine

watch。　　Fifteen　thousand　would　cover　the　lot。〃



〃I　warned　you　not　to　talk；〃　said　Woods。



〃Oh；　that's　all　right；〃　said　Kernan。　　〃The　stuff

is　in　my　suit　case　at　the　hotel。　　And　now　I'll　tell　you

why　I'm　talking。　　Because　it's　safe。　　I'm　talking　to

a　man　I　know。　　You　owe　me　a　thousand　dollars；　Bar…

ney　Woods；　and　even　if　you　wanted　to　arrest　me　your

hand　wouldn't　make　the　move。〃



〃I　haven't　forgotten；〃　said　Woods。　　〃You　counted

out　twenty　fifties　without　a　word。　　I'll　pay　it　back

some　day。　　That　thousand　saved　me　and　　well；　they

were　piling　my　furniture　out　on　the　sidewalk　when　I

got　back　to　the　house。〃



〃And　so；〃　continued　Kernan；　〃you　being　Barney

Woods；　born　as　true　as　steel；　and　bound　to　play　a

white　man's　game；　can't　lift　a　finger　to　arrest　the

man　you're　indebted　to。　　Oh；　I　have　to　study　men

as　well　as　Yale　locks　and　window　fastenings　in　my

business。　　Now；　keep　quiet　while　I　ring　for　the

waiter。　　I've　had　a　thirst　for　a　year　or　two　that　wor…

ries　me　a　little。　　If　I'm　ever　caught　the　lucky　sleuth

will　have　to　divide　honors　with　old　boy　Booze。　　But　I

never　drink　during　business　hours。　　After　a　job　I

can　crook　elbows　with　my　old　friend　Barney　with　a

clear　conscience。　　What　are　you　taking？〃



The　waiter　came　with　the　little　decanters　and　the

siphon　and　left　them　alone　again。



〃You've　called　the　turn；〃　said　Woods；　as　he　rolled

the　little　gold　pencil　about　with　a　thoughtful　fore…

finger。　　　I've　got　to　pass　you　up。　I　can't　lay　a

hand　on　you。　　If　I'd　a…paid　that　money　back　　but

I　didn't；　and　that　settles　it。　　It's　a　bad　break　I'm

making；　Johnny；　but　I　can't　dodge　it。　　You　helped

me　once；　and　it　calls　for　the　same。〃



〃I　knew　it；〃　said　Kernan；　raising　his　glass；　with

a　flushed　smile　of　self…appreciation。　　〃I　can　judge

men。　　Here's　to　Barney；　for　　'he's　a　jolly　good

fellow。'　〃



〃I　don't　believe；〃　went　on　Woods　quietly；　as　if　be

were　thinking　aloud；　〃that　if　accounts　had　been

square　between　you　and　me；　all　the　money　in　all　the

banks　in　New　York　could　have　bought　you　out　of

my　hands　to…night。〃



〃I　know　it　couldn't；〃　said　Kernan。　　〃That's　why

I　knew　I　was　safe　with　you。〃



〃Most　people；〃　continued　the　detective；　〃look　side…

ways　at　my　business。　　They　don't　class　it　among　the

fine　arts　and　the　professions。　　But　I've　always　taken

a　kind　of　fool　pride　in　it。　　And　here　is　where　I　go

'busted。'　I　guess　I'm　a　man　first　and　a　detective

afterward。　　I've　got　to　let　you　go；　and　then　I've　got

to　resign　from　the　force。　　I　guess　I　can　drive　an　ex…

press　wagon。　　Your　thousand　dollars　is　further　off

than　ever；　Johnny。〃



〃Oh；　you're　welcome　to　it；〃　said　Kernan；　with　a

lordly　air。　　〃I'd　be　willing　to　call　the　debt　off；　but

I　know　you　wouldn't　have　it　It　was　a　lucky　day

for　me　when　you　borrowed　it。　　And　now；　let's　drop

the　subject。　　I'm　off　to　the　West　on　a　morning　train。

I　know　a　place　out　there　where　I　can　negotiate　the

Norcross　sparks。　　Drink　up；　Barney；　and　forget　your

troubles。　　We'll　have　a　jolly　time　while　the　police

are　knocking　their　heads　together　over　the　case。

I've　got　one　of　my　Sahara　thirsts　on　to…night。　　But

I'm　in　the　bands　　the　unofficial　bands　　of　my　old

friend　Barney；　and　I　won't　even　dream　of　a　cop。〃



And　then；　as　Kernan's　ready　finger　kept　the　but…

ton　and　the　waiter　working；　his　weak　point　　a　tre…

mendous　vanity　and　arrogant　egotism；　began　to　show

itself。　　He　recounted　story　after　story　of　his　suc…

cessful　plunderings；　ingenious　plots　and　infamous

transgressions　until　Woods；　with　all　his　familiarity

with　evil…doers；　felt　growing　within　him　a　cold　ab…

horrence　toward　the　utterly　vicious　man　who　had

once　been　his　benefactor。



〃I'm　disposed　of；　of　course；〃　said　Woods；　at

length。　　〃But　I　advise　you　to　keep　under　cover　for　a

spell。　　The　newspapers　may　take　up　this　Norcross

affair。　　There　has　been　an　epidemic　of　burglaries　and

manslaughter　in　town　this　summer。〃



The　word　sent　Kernan　into　a　high　glow　of　sullen

and　vindictive　rage。



〃To　hell　with　the　newspapers；〃　he　growled。

〃What　do　they　spell　but　brag　and　blow　and　boodle　in

box…car　letters？　　Suppose　they　do　take　up　a　case

what　does　it　amount　to？　　The　police　are　easy　enough

to　fool；　but　what　do　the　newspapers　do？　　They　send

a　lot　of　pin…head　reporters　around　to　the　scene；　and

they　make　for　the　nearest　saloon　and　have　beer　while

they　take　photos　of　the　bartender's　oldest　daughter

in　evening　dress；　to　print　as　the　fiancee　of　the　young

man　in　the　tenth　story；　who　thought　he　heard　a　noise

below　on　the　night　of　the　murder。　　That's　about　as

near　as　the　newspapers　ever　come　to　running　down

Mr。　Burglar。〃



〃Well；　I　don't　know；〃　said　Woods；　reflecting。

〃Some　of　the　papers　have　done　good　work　in　that

line。　　There's　the　Morning　Mars；　for　instance。　　It

warmed　up　two　or　three　trails；　and　got　the　man　after

the　police　had　let　'em　get　cold。〃



〃I'll　show　you；〃　said　Tiernan；　rising；　and　expand…

ing　his　chest。　　〃I'll　show　you　what　I　think　of　news…

papers　in　general；　and　your　Morning　Mars　in　par…

ticular。〃



Three　feet　from　their　table　was　the　telephone

booth。　　Kernan　went　inside　and　sat　at　the　instrument；

leaving　the　door　open。　　He　found　a　number　in　the

book；　took　down　the　receiver　and　made　his　demand

upon　Central。　　Woods　sat　still；　looking　at　the　sneer…

ing；　cold；　vigilant　face　waiting　close　to　the　trans…

mitter；　and　listened　to　the　words　that　came　from　the

thin；　truculent　lips　curved　into　a　contemptuous　smile。



〃That　the　Morning　Mars？　　。　　。　　。　　I　want　to

speak　to　the　managing　editor　　。　　。　　。　　Why；　tell

him　it's　some　one　who　wants　to　talk　to　him　about　the

Norcross　murder。



〃You　the　editor？　　。　　。　　。　　All　right。　　。　　。　　。　　I

am　the　man　who　killed　old　Norcross　　。　　。　　。　　Wait！

Hold　the　wire；　I'm　not　the　usual　crank　　。　　。　　。　　oh；

there　isn't　the　slightest　danger。　　I've　just　been　dis…

cussing　it　with　a　detective　friend　of　mine。　　I　killed

the　old　man　at　2：30　A。　M。　two　weeks　ago　to…

morrow。　　。　　。　　。　　Have　a　drink　with　you？　Now；

hadn't　you　better　leave　that　kind　of　talk　to　your

funny　man？　　Can't　you　tell　whether　a　man's　guying

you　or　whether　you're　being　offered　the　biggest　scoop

your　dull　dishrag　of　a　paper　ever　had？　　。　　。　　。　　

Well；　that's　so；　it's　a　bobtail　scoop　　but　you　can

hardly　expect　me　to　'phone　in　my　name　and　address。



。　　。　　。　　Why？　Oh；　because　I　beard　you　make　a

specialty　of　solving　mysterious　crimes　that　stump　the

police。　　。　　。　　。　　No；　that's　not　all。　　I　want　to　tell

you　that　your　rotten；　lying；　penny　sheet　is　of　no　more

use　in　tracking　an　intelligent　murderer　or　highway…

man　than　a　blind　poodle　would　be。　　。　　。　　。　　What？

。　　。　　。　　Oh；　no；　this　isn't　a　rival　newspaper　office；

you're　getting　it　straight。　　I　did　the　Norcross　job；

and　I've　got　the　jewels　in　my　suit　case　at　　'the

name　of　the　hotel　could　not　be　learned'　　you　recog…

nize　that　phrase；　don't　you？　　I　thought　so。　　You've

used　it　often　enough。　　Kind　of　rattles　you；　doesn't

it；　to　have　the　mysterious　villain　call　up　your　great；

big；　all…powerful　organ　of　right　and　justice　and　good

government　and　tell　you　what　a　helpless　old　gas…bag

you　are？　　。　　。　　。　　Cut　that　out；　you're　not　that　big

a　fool　　no；　you　don't　think　I'm　a　fraud。　　I　can　tell

it　by　your　voice。　　。　　。　　。　　Now；　listen；　and　I'll　give

you　a　pointer　that　will　prove　it　to　you。　　Of　course

you've　had　this　murder　case　worked　over　by　your　staff

of　bright　young　blockheads。　　Half　of　the　second　but…

ton　on　old　Mrs。　Norcross's　nightgown　is　broken　off。

I　saw　it　when　I　took　the　garnet　ring　off　her　finger。

I　thought　it　was　a　ruby。　　。　　。　　。　　　Stop　that！　　it

won't　work。〃



Kernan　turned　to　Woods　with　a　diabolic　smile。



〃I've　got　him　going。　　He　believes　me　now