马龙探案卷三 之 错误的凶案 三十三
杰克和海伦焦急地看着小个子律师把那个珍贵的盒子放在他的桌子上，仔细检查了锁，然后开始在一个书桌抽屉里翻找。他从里面拿出两块脏兮兮的手帕、一小堆废纸、一个标有 “待回复信件” 的硬纸板文件夹、一个空瓶子和一张丰满年轻女子的照片，上面写着 “你的亲爱的路易丝” 之后，他找到了他要找的东西：一个小皮制工具包，有点像修甲工具包。
JAKE AND HELENE WATCHED anxiously as the little lawyer laid the precious box on his desk, examined the lock closely, and began pawing through a desk drawer. After taking out two soiled handkerchiefs, a small pile of wastepaper, a cardboard file marked letters to answer, an empty bottle, and a photograph of a plumpish young woman inscribed “Your darling Louise,” he found what he was looking for: a little leather kit, not unlike a manicure kit.
他从里面拿出一把小而闪亮的工具，一个一个地检查。他把六七个放在盒子旁边的桌子上，其余的小心地放回皮制工具包里。然后，他先用一个工具，然后又换另一个，开始小心翼翼地、极其谨慎地探测金属盒子的锁。
From it he took a handful of small, shining tools and examined them one by one. A half dozen or so he laid on the desk beside the box, the rest he put carefully back in the leather kit. Then, first with one tool and then another, he began probing the lock of the metal box, delicately and with exquisite care.
房间里死一般寂静。看着马龙，杰克感到兴奋得头皮发麻。在那个深绿色的金属盒子里曾经有莫娜?麦克莱恩谋杀约书亚?冈布里尔和他妹妹的动机。也许它还在那里。枪已经到了他们手中，而此时冯?弗拉纳根正在对枪进行测试并追查其所有权。随时冯?弗拉纳根都会打电话告知他的发现。随时马龙都会把那个盒子打开。到那时这个案子就完整了。那个看起来无害的盒子几乎就像是持有赌场契约一样。
The room was deathly still. Watching Malone, Jake felt his scalp crinkling with excitement. Inside that dark-green metal box had been Mona McClane’s motive for murdering Joshua Gumbril and his sister. Maybe it was still there. The gun had already e to their hands and right at this moment Von Flanagan was having it tested and its ownership traced. Any minute now Von Flanagan would telephone his findings. Any minute now Malone would get that box open. Then the case would be plete. It was almost as though that innocent-looking box held the deed to the Casino.
他试图让自己做好面对失望的准备。很可能这个盒子里除了一张旧洗衣单和几个捕鼠器之外什么都没有。或者是约书亚?冈布里尔的另一条领带，如果他还有另一条领带的话。它甚至可能是空的。事实上，它很可能是空的。杰克确信它是空的。当马龙摆弄着那些工具时，他觉得自己心跳的声音大得能盖过陆军和海军乐队的合奏。
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