i want to know which tuesday was which was rald gordon, or was gordon e, or was—oh hell, alone, straighten it out or i won’t be able to sleep for weeks”

小律師深吸了一口氣。“現在誰在乎呢？”

the little wyer drew a long breath “who cares, now?”

，！

“我在乎。”她堅定地說。

“i do,” she said firly

“有兩個原因，”馬龍說，“第一個在我在第二起謀殺案的時候找到的紙條裡解釋了。”他從口袋裡拿出紙條，若有所思地看著它。

“there were o reans,” alone said “the first was exped the note i found at the ti of the send urder” he drew it fro his pocket and looked at it thoughtfully

“沒有人能把罪行歸咎於一個已經死了二十年的人。”

“no one can p a cri on a an who’s been dead for enty years”

“顯然，”馬龍說，“那是他正在給他的兄弟——那個假邁克爾·文寧寫的紙條的一部分。當這兩個兄弟來到芝加哥的時候，他們一定決定用一個大概已經死了二十多年的人的名字。這樣那個假文寧就不能引起別人對他們的注意——同時也不能引起別人對羅斯代爾公墓裡那個墓碑的注意。還有第二個原因。他們一定認為如果有兩個人出現，自稱是傑拉爾德·圖伊茲，這會把真正的傑拉爾德·圖伊茲嚇得去做他們要求的事情。我說清楚了嗎？”

“evidently,” alone said, “that was part of a note he was writg to his brother—the false ichael venng when the o brothers ca to chicago, they t have decided to assu the na of a an who had—presuably—been dead for over enty years then the false venng uldn’t call any attention to the—without al callg attention to that tobstone out rosedale cetery there was a send rean, too they t have figured that if o n turned up, callg theselves rald tuesday, it would scare the real rald tuesday to dog what they deanded do i ake yself clear?”

“不是很清楚，”她說，“但也行了。”

“not very,” she said, “but it’ll do”

馬龍清了清嗓子。“所有的謀殺……”他又開始說。

alone cleared his th