“I’ll tell you why,” Helene said. “I had a chance to snoop around her room this morning before breakfast, and I took it. There isn’t one single imitation jade Buddha or fancy-carved ash tray. Not even a hand-embroidered kimono in five natural colors. You can’t tell me that woman would spend even a week in the Orient without bringing home mementoes.” She lit a cigarette. “I’m even willing to bet there is no such person as Louella White.”
“我自己看到过她。”杰克反对道。“我偶尔会做噩梦，但我不会产生幻觉。”
“I saw her myself,” Jake objected. “I have occasional nightmares, but I don’t have delusions.”
“我是说她的名字可能不叫卢埃拉·怀特。可能是别的什么。”
“I mean her name may not be Louella White. It may be something else.”
“可能是杰拉尔丁·图伊兹。”杰克嘟囔道。
“Probably Geraldine Tuesday,” Jake muttered.
她没理他。“还有一件事，她对伊迪莎·文宁来说就像一台冰箱一样不友好。她所做的只是一直盯着她。但为什么呢？伊迪莎·文宁看起来心智健全。她喝酒，但她不是个酒鬼。”
She ignored him. “Another thing, she’s about as panionable to Editha Venning as a Frigidaire. All she does is watch her all the time. But why? Editha Venning seems of sound mind. She drinks, but she’s not a dipso.”
“也许她是个傻瓜。”杰克说。
“Maybe she’s a dopey,” Jake said.
“我不这么认为。”马龙说，“她没有任何那种行为。不，海伦是对的。这个同伴的事有点古怪，但我真不知道是哪种古怪。”
“I don’t think so,” Malone said, “she hasn’t any of the behavior. No, Helene’s right. This panion business is some kind of gag, but I’m damned if I know what kind.”
海伦皱起眉头。“在战争期间匆忙回国的过程中，很多人的身份可能都搞混了。洛特斯·安杰洛变成了洛特斯·艾伦。卢埃拉·怀特可能是任何人。这两个人以杰拉尔德·图伊兹的身份出现，现在还有这个坟墓……”
Helene frowned. “In the rush back to this country during the war, a lot of identities may have gotten scrambled. Lotus Angelo turns up as Lotus Allen. Louella White might be anybody. These two guys turn up as Gerald Tuesday, and now this grave—”
“这甚至可能只是巧合。”杰克说。“其中一个是来自澳大利亚的奥斯卡·Q·麦奥斯卡维茨，另一个是来自斯特金湾的理查德·罗（常出现在法律术语中的一个虚构的人名）。出于只有他们自己最清楚的原因，他们都决定改名，从书里选名字。他们俩恰好读了同一本书，所以就有了两个杰拉尔德·图伊兹。然后他们俩都被谋杀了，而且由于巧合的长臂——早在 1921 年……”
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