“哦，当然，马龙先生。有一会儿没认出你来。快请进。” 他把他们领进一个摆满了家具的大客厅，里面有数量惊人的台灯和精致的茶几。一个矮胖的黑发女子蜷缩在沙发上，一只手抱着一个杯子。

“Oh sure, Mr. Malone. Didn’t recognize you for a minute. Come right on in.” He led them into a large, over-furnished living room with an incredible number of lamps and elaborate end tables. A short, chubby brunette was curled up on the sofa, cuddling a glass in one hand.

小主，

“玛奇，这是马龙先生，律师。皮兹纳小姐，马龙先生。还有这位 ——”

“Marge, this is Mr. Malone, the lawyer. Miss Pizzner, Malone. And Mr.—”

“贾斯特。” 杰克补充道。

“Justus,” Jake supplied.

“哦，当然。你以前在《观察家报》工作。喝一杯吧。”

“Oh, sure. You used to be with the Examiner. Have a drink.”

“这是公事拜访。” 马龙说。

“This is a business call,” Malone said.

“该死，那喝两杯吧。” 他倒了满满两杯海格。“走吧，玛奇。这是公事拜访。”

“Hell, have two drinks.” He poured out generous shots of Haig and Haig Pinchbottle. “Beat it, Marge. This is a business call.”

那个矮胖的黑发女子站起来，咯咯笑着说：“等你们走了，马龙先生，他会把一切都告诉我的。” 她有点摇晃地走进了杰克猜是卧室的房间。

The chubby brunette rose, giggled, and said, “He’ll tell me all about it after you’re gone, Mr. Malone,” lurched slightly, and disappeared into what Jake guessed was the bedroom.

马尔卡希看起来有点不自在。“别理她。”

Mulcahey looked a little uneasy. “Don't pay any attention to her.”

“我从不理会女人。” 马龙向他保证。他舒服地坐在一张巨大的填充太满的椅子里。“你肯定把自己照顾得很好。你这里真不错。”

“I never pay attention to dames,” Malone assured him. He settled himself fortably in an enormous overstuffed chair. “You sure do yourself pretty well. Nice place you have here.”

“我喜欢这里。” 马尔卡希谨慎地说。“我有一些投资，时不时能给我带来一点收入。”

“I like it,” Mulcahey said warily. “I have a few investments that bring me in a little dough now and then.”

马龙说：“当然。马克斯?胡克跟我讲过那些投资。我今天和马克斯谈了一点公事 —— 我不知道你的名字怎么会被提起。”

Malone said, “Sure. Max Hook told me about ’em. I was talking to Max today about a little business matter—I don't know how your name happened to e up.”

马尔卡希专注地看着地毯。“如果那天晚上我把你带到警察局的时候知道你是马克斯?胡克的朋友 ——”

Mulcahey looked intently at the carpet. “If I'd known you were a friend of Max Hook's when I took you into the station the other night—”

“忘了它吧。” 马龙急忙说。“如果不是你，我可能还在和那些家伙打架呢。” 他抿了一口苏格兰威士忌，不时地看着杯子。“你知道，如果我想从你这里得到一些信息，而你不给我，马克斯会大发脾气的。或者如果你不直接告诉我，他会更生气。”

“Forget it,” Malone said hastily. “If you hadn't, I'd probably still be fighting those guys.” He sipped his Scotch, gazing into the glass between times. “You know, if I wanted some information from you, and you didn't give it to me, Max would raise hell. Or if you didn't give it to me straight, he'd raise more hell.”

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“哦，当然。你想知道什么？”

“Oh sure,” Mulcahey said. “What'dya want to know?”

“我只是想知道那天晚上在去警察局的路上你有没有搜过我的身。”

“I just want to know if you frisked me on the way to the station that night.”

警察盯着他看了一会儿，然后脸色变得苍白。“听着，马龙，我这辈子从没从任何人那里拿过一分钱。如果你不相信我，去问马克斯?胡克。他会告诉你我像白天一样诚实。”

The policeman stared at him for a minute, then turned pale. “Look here, Malone, I never took a dime off anybody in my life. If you don’t believe me, ask Max Hook. He’ll tell you I’m as honest as the day is long.”

“我不是在说钱。” 马龙告诉他。“如果你搜了我的身，那你是在执行命令，而且你在找别的东西。”

“I’m not talking about money,” Malone told him. “If you frisked me you were acting under orders, and you were looking for something else.”

马尔卡希慢慢地摇了摇头。“我没有。这是实话。”

Mulcahey shook his head slowly. “I didn’t. And that’s straight.”

“我相信你的话。” 马龙说。“我有个小想法，那场架是被人挑起的，作为叫警察的借口，这样在去警察局的路上我就可以被搜身了。”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Malone said. “I had a little notion that fight was started as an excuse for calling the cops, so I could be searched on the way to the station.”

“你搞错了。那是一次合法的逮捕。该死，直到把你带到警察局的桌子前我都不知道你是谁。”

“You got it wrong. It was a legitimate pinch. Hell, I didn’t even know who you were till I got you to the desk.”

“好吧。” 马龙说。“我欠冯?弗拉纳根一个他永远也得不到的道歉。”

“O. K.,” Malone said. “I owe von Flanagan an apology he’ll never get.”

“你丢了什么东西吗？” 马尔卡希漫不经心地问道，站起来给杯子里倒酒。

“Did you lose something?” Mulcahey asked casually, rising to refill the glasses.

“一把钥匙。” 马龙告诉他。“没什么重要的东西。”

“A key,” Malone told him. “Nothing important.”

“在哪里？”

“Where was it?”

“在我外套的右边口袋里。”

“In my right-hand coat pocket.”

警察摇了摇头。“那你在我们抓你之前就把它丢了。你的外套口袋里什么都没有。”

The policeman shook his head. “Then you lost it before we picked you up. There wasn’t anything in your coat pockets.”