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1Blackmail敲诈ArthurHailey--阿瑟•黑利○1Thechiefhouseofficer,Ogilvie,whohaddeclaredhewouldappearattheCroydonssuiteanhourafterhiscryptictelephonecallactuallytooktwicethattime.AsaresultthenervesofboththeDukeandDuchesswereexcessivelyfrayedwhenthemutedbuzzeroftheouterdooreventuallysounded.负责饭店保安工作的欧吉维探长打了那个神秘的电话，本来说好一个小时后光临克罗伊敦夫妇所住的套房的，可实际上却过了两个小时才到。结果，当外间门上的电铃终于发出沉闷的嗡嗡声时，公爵夫妇的神经都紧张到了极点。○2TheDuchesswenttothedoorherself.Earliershehaddispatchedhermaidonaninventederrandand,cruelly,instructedthemoon-facedmalesecretary–whowasterrifiedofdogs–toexercisetheBedlingtonterriers.Herowntensionwasnotlessenedbytheknowledgethatbothmightreturnatanymoment.公爵夫人亲自去开门。此前她早已借故把女仆支开，并且狠心地给那位脸儿圆圆的、见到狗就怕得要死的男秘书派了一个要命的差事，让他牵着贝德林顿狼犬出去散步。想到这两个人随时都会回来，她自己的紧张情绪怎么也松弛不下来。○3AwaveofcigarsmokeaccompaniedOgilviein.Whenhehadfollowedhertothelivingroom,theDuchesslookedpointedlyatthehalf-burnedcigarinthefatman’smouth.“MyhusbandandIfindstrongsmokeoffensive.Wouldyoukindlyputthatout.随着欧吉维进屋的是一团雪茄烟雾。当他随着她走进起居室时，公爵夫人目光直射着这个大肥佬嘴里叼着的那烧了半截的雪茄。“我丈夫和我都讨厌浓烈的烟味，您行行好把它灭了吧!”○4Thehousedetective'spiggyeyessurveyedhersardonicallyfromhisgrossjowledface.Hisgazemovedontosweepthespacious,well-appointedroom,encompassing围绕，包围theDukewhofacedthemuncertainly,hisbacktoawindow.2探长那双夹在面部隆起的肉堆中的猪眼睛轻蔑地将她上下打量了一番。接着，他便移动目光，对这个宽敞豪华、设备齐全的房间扫视了一周，看到了那位正背朝窗户、神色茫然地望着他们的公爵。○5Prettyneatset-upyoufolksgot.”Takinghistime,Ogilvieremovedtheoffendingcigar,knockedofftheashandflippedthebutttowardanornamentalfireplaceonhisright.Hemissed,andthebuttfelluponthecarpetwhereheignoredit.“你们这套房间布置得倒挺讲究的呢。”欧吉维慢条斯理地从口中拿下雪茄，敲掉烟灰，然后将烟蒂扔向靠右边的一个装饰性壁炉，但他失了准头，烟蒂掉到地毯上，他也不去管它。○6TheDuchess'slipstightened.Shesaidsharply,imagineyoudidnotcomeheretodiscussdécor.公爵夫人的嘴唇绷得紧紧的。她没好气地说道，“我想你该不是为谈论房间布置到这儿来的吧。”○7Theobesebodyshookinanappreciativechuckle.No,ma'am,can'tsayIdid.Ilikenicethings,though.Heloweredthelevelofhisincongruous不协调的，不和谐的falsetto假音voice.Likethatcarofyours.Theoneyoukeephereinthehotel.Jaguar,ain'tit?他乐得咯咯直笑，肥胖的身子也跟着抖动起来。“不是的，夫人，怎么会呢!不过，我确实喜爱高雅的东西。”他压低了他那极端刺耳的尖嗓音接着说，“比如像你们那辆小轿车，就是停在饭店的那辆，美洲虎牌，是的吧?”○8Aah!Itwasnotaspokenword,butanemissionofbreathfromtheDukeofCroydon.Hiswifeshothimaswift,warningglance.“噢!”这声音不像是从口中说出来的，倒像是从克罗伊敦公爵鼻子中呼出来的。他的夫人马上瞪了他一眼，以示警告。○9Inwhatconceivablewaydoesourcarconcernyou?”“我们的车子与你有什么相干呢?”○10AsifthequestionfromtheDuchesshadbeenasignal,thehousedetective'smannerchanged.Heinquiredabruptly,Whoelseisinthisplace?3公爵夫人的这句问话似乎是个信号，一听到这个信号，探长的态度马上就变了。他猝然问道，“这儿还有别的人么?”○11ItwastheDukewhoanswered,Noone.Wesentthemout.公爵回答道，“没有。我们早把他们都打发出去了。”○12There'sthingsitpaystocheck.Movingwithsurprisingspeed,thefatmanwalkedaroundthesuite,openingdoorsandinspectingthespacebehindthem.Obviouslyheknewtheroomarrangementwell.Afterreopeningandclosingtheouterdoor,hereturned,apparentlysatisfied,tothelivingroom.“还是检查一下的好。”这个大胖子以敏捷得出奇的动作对整个套房前前后后地巡查了一遍，凡是有门的地方就打开往里看看。显然，他对整套房间布局是极为熟悉的。他再次打开外间的房门并重新关上之后，面带满意的神色回到了起居室。○13TheDuchesshadseatedherselfinastraight-backedOgilvieremainedstanding.公爵夫人已端坐在一张直背靠椅上，欧吉维还是站立着。○14Nowthen,hesaid.Youtwowasinthehit-'n-run.“我说，”他开口了，“你俩怎么撞了人就开车逃跑呢?!”○15Shemethiseyesdirectly.Whatareyoutalkingabout?她直视着他的眼睛。“你在胡扯些什么呀?”○16Don'tplaygames,lady.Thisisforreal.Hetookoutafreshcigarandbitofftheend,Yousawthepapers.There'sbeenplentyonradio,too.“别做戏了，夫人。这可不是闹着玩儿的。”他又掏出一支新雪茄，把烟头咬掉。“你们该看过报纸吧，电台里也广播得不少哩。”○17TwohighpointsofcolorappearedinthepalenessoftheDuchessofCroydon'scheeks.Whatyouaresuggestingisthemostdisgusting,ridiculous...克罗伊敦公爵夫人那本来很苍白的双颊上泛起了两团红晕。“你那些含含糊糊的话真是太令人恶心，太荒唐可笑了……”○18Itoldyou–Cutitout!”Thewordsspatforthwithsuddensavagery,all4pretenseofblandnessgone.IgnoringtheDuke,Ogilviewavedtheunlightedcigarunderhisadversary'snose.Youlistentome,yourhigh-an'-mightiness.Thiscity'sburnin'mad–cops,mayor,everybodyelse.Whentheyfindwhodonethatlastnight,whokilledthatkidan'itsmother,thenhigh-tailedit,they'llthrowthebook严惩,andnevermindwhoithits,orwhethertheygotfancytitlesneither.NowIknowwhatIknow,andifIdowhatbyrightsIshould,there'llbeasquadofcopsinheresofastyou'llhardlysee'em.ButIcometoyoufirst,infairness,so'syoucouldtellyoursideofittome.Thepiggyeyesblinked,thenhardened.'fyouwantittheotherway,justsayso.“我要你一一闭嘴!”这些话从探长口中像炸雷似地吐了出来，他此时凶相毕露，先前装出的那副温和劲儿荡然无存。欧吉维全然没把公爵放在眼里，竞把那支没点燃的雪茄在他的对手鼻子底下晃了一晃。“你给我听着，尊敬的殿下。这会儿全城上下都闹翻了——警察，市长，所有的人。一旦他们查出昨夜的事是谁干的，是谁撞死了那小孩和她的母亲，然后却逃之天天，他们一定会对肇事者严加惩处，不管那肇事者是谁，也不管他们有着多么显赫的爵衔。现在我知道了真相，假如我照章办事的话，没等你眨眼，便会有一队警察开到这儿来。但是我要讲讲公道，所以先到你们这儿来，想听听你们自己的说法。”他那猪一般的小眼睛眨巴了几下，随即变得凶狠起来。“要是你们想另寻出路，不妨就直说了吧。”○19TheDuchessofCroydon–threecenturiesandahalfofinbredarrogancebehindher–didnotyieldeasily.Springingtoherfeet,herfacewrathful,gray-greeneyesblazing,shefacedthegrossnessofthehousedetectivesquarely.Hertonewouldhavewithered使畏缩anyonewhoknewherwell.“Youunspeakableblackguard!Howdareyou!”克罗伊敦公爵夫人——依仗着三个半世纪祖传下来的狂傲天性——并没有轻易就范。她猛地一下跳了起来，怒容满面，灰绿色的眼睛里喷射出火光，直直地逼视着肥肉成堆的探长。她说话的声调简直可以把熟悉她的任何人都吓得矮掉半截。“你这下流的恶棍，竟敢撒野，真是狗胆包天!”○20Eventheself-assuranceofOgilvieflickeredforaninstant.ButitwastheDuke5ofCroydonwhointerjected,It'snogo,oldgirl.I'mafraid.Itwasagoodtry.FacingOgilvie,hesaid,Whatyouaccuseusofistrue.Iamtoblame.Iwasdrivingthecarandkilledthelit